50 Things I’ve Learned While Living and Eating Clean

Two and a half years ago I made the decision to start living a cleaner, healthier lifestyle. This past weekend was the Ontario Physique Association’s London Championships where I competed for the first time exactly two years ago in the Figure division. Since then, I have lost 25lbs of fat, gained 12lbs of muscle, and learned a whole heck of a lot about myself and how my body optimally functions. It has been an eye-opening experience and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

The anniversary of my first competition had me thinking about and reflecting back on all the things I’ve learned over the past two years. For example, at my first show, I pumped-up my legs backstage, making them look waterlogged and smooth on stage. Big mistake! Being “blessed” in the quad department, I have since learned that I should NEVER pump my legs up backstage and I should do everything in my power to stay OFF my feet throughout the competition day to prevent a bloated look in my legs. But hey– no one ever learns without first making a mistake, right!?

So, here are 50 other random things I’ve learned about myself and my training, diet, and supplementation regime over the past 2 years…

1. Pumpkin is an amazing low-carb CARB!
2. I crave the crunch of an apple instead of the crunch of chips now.
   

   loveeeee apples. 🙂

3. My favorite splurge fruit is banana!
4. You can do a lot of fun things with unsweetened baking cocoa.
5. Gaspari is by far my favorite supplement company. Their whey protein beats any other.
   

   my protein cupboard.

6. Optimum Nutrition is up there for casein protein.
7. My body BALKS on dairy.
8. I am NOT gluten-intolerant. I am perfectly fine with wheat and I diet with wheat on my plan.
9. Cravings go away when your body has the right balance of vitamins and minerals.
10. If I’m craving chocolate, I’m low in magnesium. Take ZMA.
11. Slow-release iron trumps regular iron. Pay the extra price.
12. Glutamine + glucosamine + chondoritin = happy joints.
13. My body gains 5lbs in a day with the appropriate amount of carb intake in my day.
14. I gain 2lbs of lactic acid after a heavy lifting day.
15. Ignoring the stretching portion of your workout leads to injuries……USE FOAM ROLLER!!! [click here for demo video]
16. My scale won’t budge unless I get 7 or more hours of sleep per night.
17. Basic bodybuilding moves lead to the best results so do your squats, deads, and dumbbell weight work.
18. I hate cardio. But once I do 5-10min of it, I’m a smilin’ gal and I can easily polish off 50-60minutes of it.
19. I sleep better on the days I workout.
20. Oatmeal is by far my favorite clean food. Sweet potatoes are a close 2^nd.
    

    banana walnut oats.

    

    chocolate pb oats with flax.

21. Never buy the $20 box of chicken from Wal-mart. Gag-worthy.
22. Jantana = green armpits.
23. Baking with protein is fun, but usually yields a less-than-stellar result. Cheat on the REAL DEAL.
    

    go on. give in to temptation every now and then!

    

    Coldstone cheat.

24. Cheating once or twice per week is NEEDED. No cheats in prep= extreme cravings and binges post-show.
    

    yes. I will have the 9oz. burger with extra bacon and smothered in pb and cream cheese, thank you.

25. I can’t keep chocolate in the house or I eat it ALL. (Sounds like I figured out I’m human!)
26. Make fun of Brooks shoes all you want, but my feet are happiest in them for cardio.
27. Shox are not appropriate for lifting, but I don’t care. They work best for me. And they’re cute.
28. Boys Shox are cheaper than Women’s. And if you are a size 8 Women or smaller, you can buy Boy’s sizes instead 😉
29. Lululemonbottoms are the ONLY bottoms I will work out in. Pant- Groove Regular length size 6. Crop- Wunder Under size 4 or 6. Shorts- Groove size 4 or 6.
    

    lululemon halter top and lululemon wunder under crop.

30. Black coffee keeps me running in comp prep.
31. 1 scoop FibreSmart per day does the body good 😉
32. Unsweetened Almond Breeze is da bomb. Did you know they are coming out with a COCONUT MILK and almond milk mix soon!!!???
33. Sugar-free gum also keeps me running in comp prep.
34. Muscle and Fitness Hers and Oxygen are great resources for training. As is Inside Fitness and Status Fitness. 
35. I have a huge crush on Jim Stoppani (Muscle and Fitness).
    

    oi mee yummay.

36. If I could marry anyone in the Fitnesss Model Industry, I’d have a tough time choosing between Ryan Hughes and Rob Riches.
    

    ryan heart hughes.

    

    robbie hottie riches. (source: simplyshredded.com)

37. If I could marry a bodybuilder, it’d be Flex Lewis.
    

    lovin' lewis. (source: musclesprod.com)

38. I am most inspired by Emily Stirling (WBFF Figure Pro), Julie Bonnett (WBFF Pro Fitness Model), Ava Cowan (IFBB Figure Pro), and Jamie Eason (Fitness Model). My favorite IFBB Pro Bombshell sisters that continually motivate and inspire me are: Jaime Baird, Coach V (Vanessa Campbell), Nathalia Melo, and India Isabel Paulino.
39. ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN! Sticking to your clean eats 100% yields a much faster and more aesthetically pleasing midsection than any number of ab exercises could ever produce.
    

    what's in YOUR fridge?

40. Core work makes me look thick so I don’t do it. One exception: lower back strengthening exercises. Crunches and fancy-schmancy ab work? Nahhhh… never.
41. 1000mg of vitamin C per day has kept the doctor away for the past 2 years. 🙂
42. It could be placebo but vitamin D makes me feel happier. I like 1000IU daily with my calcium chew.
43. M.A.C makeup is worth every penny. Stage and shoot worthy.
44. I will never get sick of Scivation XTEND to fuel a good lift.
45. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats are hearty and delicious. By far the best oat flake out there.
46. When my metabolism is at it’s fastest, I wake up religiously at 2am, starving. Nothing a big jug of H20 beside my bed won’t fix.
47. Squats and lunges are the best Rx for tight rounded glutes.
48. My favorite body parts to train are my back and delts. My least favourite would be CHEST! HATE training chest!
49. An iPod and a ball cap pulled low are two key elements of a good workout.
50. CONSISTENCY leads to the best results and a better physique with each passing day, so STICK WITH IT! 🙂