As I talked about in “My Daily Luggage” I don’t go anywhere without my water jug and my lunch box. It’s so easy to reach in and grab your meals without having to think twice. You don’t need to worry about spending money on food or going hours without eating. It’s all right there. For most people the hardest part is getting the food in their lunch boxes. In this journal I’m going to go through how I stay on track with my food prep.

There’s nothing better then coming home from a day of working and going to the gym and being able to go and eat dinner without waiting hours. Normally on Fridays I’ll pack my dinner in my lunch box. After I go to the gym I’ll eat my dinner in the parking lot and go right to the grocery store. Never food shop on an empty stomach. I’ll take about 45 minutes to an hour of go through the store isle by isle and figuring out my necessities for the week as well as meals I want to eat. I don’t go meal by meal but I think of the meats, different veggies, and grains that I think I will want that week.

I immediately turn the oven on when I get home before I save my groceries. This will save time! As I save my food, I’ll put some food off to the side to cook for the weekend. After I put my food in the oven, I’ll pull out my scale, Tupperware and start to cut up my veggies and start the water for rice. By that time I’ll have about 45 minutes to get chores done! Shower, clean, have a snack etc. When my chicken and rice (or whatever you cook) is almost done, I’ll start my veggies. After that, all you have to do is measure your food, pack it up and put it away. BOOM- meals done for the weekend. I’ll do it all again mainly on Sundays and Wednesdays. After doing it a few times you know where to cut corners (like utilizing the crock pot that’s been hidden away) and cooking a few different meals at once. By now you get the cooking but you’re reading this screaming “HOW MUCH DO I PREP! HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH TO EAT!” This is where counting macros comes in hand. I’ve been using the Katy Hearn Macro Calculator, listed below, to figure out my macros. From there it can get tricky. It will be a lot of trial and error at first. If you have a minute or two during the week, try writing down each meal. You want to make sure to incorporate a protein, carb and fat into EACH MEAL. Get creative. Look on Pinterest for ideas. Or stick with what you like and figure of the portions. I always plug everything into my track, I use MyNetDiary, from there I know if I need more of a certain macro or less. That way it’s not 3 pm and you’ve already consumed all your macros and don’t wanna starve until the next day. Remember – it’s okay if you fuck up. Just start over tomorrow!

Taking theses steps does take time out of your day but not a lot of time. It will save you money and will keep you on track with your goals.

Katy Hearn Macro Calculator:

https://www.katyhearnfit.com/macro-calculator?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0Kz8jtH84AIViouzCh2aVAxWEAAYASAAEgJMd_D_BwE

MyNetDiary Macro Tracker:

https://www.mynetdiary.com

I was always into fitness growing up but it wasn’t until I graduated high school in 2011 that I decided I wanted to become fit. I began with, what every girl does, cardio. I would do 30-40 minutes of cardio then go right across the street to Taco Bell with my friends because I earned it, right? I knew literally NOTHING about the nutritive aspect of it except that if you eat clean you get “skinny.” I began to read more and search various diets. I tried the Juice Cleanses and some diet that you literally eat packets of powder pretty much, and of course nothing changed about my body except that the weight I was losing was all coming back but EVERYWHERE.

In 2014 I was introduced to Bikini Fitness Competitions and Fell in love immediately. I didn’t know where to start but I knew I wanted to be part of that lifestyle. I was totally okay with eating only egg whites to get a body of a NPC Competitor. When I started with my coach in 2015-2016 she introduced macros to me. I had no idea what I was doing but I gave it a shot and began looking and feeling my best but I was very confused about counting macros. I gained so much weight since my body was in a caloric deficit. I then switched to the “bro diet” and was getting leaner and stronger since I only ate chicken and green beans and a cocktail of supplements. I had competed but did not look or feel my best. After I stopped the bro diet cold turkey I gained 20lbs within one month. YIKES.

I Went back to shopping for a new diet and various coaches for about a year and was feeling hopeless. It wasn’t just the body I was after any more it was the health aspect that I was looking for. That’s when I decided I needed to educate myself.

I learned you can’t eat fake food, you can’t deprive yourself and I finally learned (still learning) how to count macros correctly.

I realized the best method of eating for me was macros. You get to eat real food but in perfect portions that you can make yourself. I wasn’t feeling hungry 24/7 and wasn’t limited to just chicken and green beans. I started tracking twice a week, to four times a week, and now since 2019 started I track mostly everyday to keep up with the habit, I’m looking my best in years, I have a Ton of energy and my lifts and cardio are better than ever.

Yes, you need to find something that works best for you, but you need to remember not to deprive yourself and focus on moderation. Try and EAT your food rather then drink it and stick with the process- it doesn’t happen over night.

Everyday we make sure to leave our houses with only the necessities- Phone, Chap stick, Wallet, Keys, Floss, gum whatever it may be. Sometimes it goes further than that though. Most people in the fitness industry know what it’s like to be the “Bag Lady.” It can be super annoying to lug everything around but when you’re stuck in traffic and have no desire to drive home before your lift, you’re going to be happy you brought your gym bag.

In this post I’ll share what I leave my house with on a daily basis. I will also attach the links to what I pack.

• My water jug. This jug is my child. Every night I make sure to fill it back up, put it in the fridge next to my lunch box and lug her everywhere I go. My jug is 2000ml which is a little under a gallon so it is perfect to carry.
• My lunch box. My holy grail. I’m currently using the MIER Adult Lunch Box form Amazon. It has two large compartments for my extra waters, lunch, snack etc.
• My Gym Bag. For a while I was carrying a string backpack but couldn’t fit all my gear in it. I recently got a new duffle bag which has been great. Of course I can’t just leave you with a bag, I need to tell you all the fun that’s inside.
  • Pre/Post Workout- Right now its CORE Nutritionals, Thanks Leigha!
  • Gym Clothes/ Sneakers
  • Chapstick
  • My Sweet Sweat Wrap & Gel Stick
  • Hair Ties on Hair Ties on Hair Ties
  • An Extra Water
  • Knee Wraps
  • My Ankle Straps (my gym doesn’t provide the best ones)
  • Beats Headphones
  • My Shaker Bottle
• My Purse. I honestly dont know whats in it right now besides my wallet and gum wrappers.

My arms are constantly sore with weird indentation lines from carrying everything too and from my apartment, but in the long run its keeps my stacked and ready to go. I always have my water for the day as well as my meals, and have everything I could need for the gym which makes staying on track and accomplishing my goals much easier.

Lunch Box: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FQA0YDQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Water Jug:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FXLYNX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gym Bag:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073LF2YZB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ankle Straps:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M010CVS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pre Workout:https://www.corenutritionals.com/collections/premium-supplements/products/core-fury-x

So, its March 11 and you’re starting to see the ADs for new bikini releases, and #tbt’s of Summer 2018 and you’re starting to panic because you had some delicious pizza on Sunday night and a nice cold beer.Now you’re stalking IG accounts trying to figure what you can do within the next 72 hours that will give you a body like Katy Hearn. DON’T WORRY! You still have time to feel great for the summer and look good doing it to.

1. Buy a large water jug! You might look silly carrying around this half gallon bottle, but your skin and body will thank you for the constant hydration and nourishment.
2. Realize there is no overnight cure. Having a fit, strong, healthy body comes from working out and fueling your body correctly.
3. Pack the night before. Working a full-time job, going to the gym and just breathing can be a daily struggle and the last thing you want to do is cook. Its extremely worth it though! Take 20 minutes out of your day to cook a few meals. Start by prepping your breakfast for the next day and try and do more meals each time. You’ll be thanking yourself the next day when your food is already planned out, weighed and cooked and you can just EAT!
4. Add in extra steps! Park further away from your destination, Take the stairs rather than the elevator.
5. Find inspiration. Weather its a IG influencer that you follow for their workouts or even your “Revenge Body,” whatever works for you- use it to get your through the day and to the gym to absolutely kill it.
6. BE MINDFUL. Again, it’s not going to happen over night and accepting that is the best thing you can do. Having a great body for the summer is an awesome goal, but being healthy and feeling great all year is truly more beneficial.
7. Its okay to say No when going out for late night food or drinks if you wanna just focus on your fitness goals but its okay to say YES too. We all deserve chocolate or pizza or both in the same sitting, so don’t deprive yourself from the things you want. Do it in moderation- think to yourself “Do I really want that milky way? Or would I rather wait and have a big Ol’ waffle for dinner tonight?” and we all have slip ups on our “Cheat Meal-Day” just work extra hard the next day on squats!

Thank you for checking out my page! Now that you’re here, I wanna tell you won’t be disappointed if you’re looking to get real life stories about being part of a fit lifestyle. Here you’ll find stories, not just from me, but by other people with all different body types, life experiences and different goals. I want my readers to feel like they can relate and get their confidence back. We ALL started somewhere and we’ve all had our fitness struggles. We’re here to work towards our goals and CRUSH them!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton