I took off the weekend because I was out of town and then all this week I have just been stumped when it comes to thinking about something to write about.
Though I may have had writers block, I have been researching all week Appalachian Trail hiking.
I don't know why I haven't hiked more of it before. (really because I can't find anyone to do it with me) It's so crazy that we live in Harpers Ferry, which is almost half way in between Maine and Georgia and the Appalachian Trail Conservetory is here right in my hometown, and I have not given it much thought!
Yesterday I spent more money than I should have on little camping gear and a new two person tent. Gear is not cheap! At least the real stuff isn't cheap!
I am off to go do more research! I am hoping to do a 10-15 mile hike this upcoming week.
I will be sure to let you know how that goes!
xoxo
K.Rich
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Waaaaaaateeeeeeer.
"According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the
brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83%
water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and
even the bones are watery: 31%."
1. Drinking water helps maintain bodily fluids!When your body is made up of mostly water, it is no surpri
se that you will need it to survive. Water helps regulate digestion, absorption, saliva production, secretion, transportation of nutrients, along with other things.
2. Water helps energize muscles.
The American College of Sports Medicine says that you should drink 17 ounces of water about two hours before you exercise to prevent fatigue. Cells that do not have enough water shrivel up causing fatigue.
3. Water helps skin look good.
Dehydration causes your skin to look dry and wrinkled, which water can help cure to an extent.
4. Water helps your excretion.If you drink little water, over long periods of time, you might be prone to kidney stones. Water transfers toxins and wastes in and out of cells by using the kidneys. You can tell when you are getting enough water because your pee will be light yellow and free of any odor. When you pee is dark yellow and has an odor, your body is saving water for it's bodily functions and discreating only toxins. Water also helps your bowels. When you are properly hydrated your gastrointestinal track stays moving and helps prevent constipation.
Along with these, water can help you lose weight by boosting your metabolic rate which helps your body burn fat. Dehydration slows the fat-burning process.
Need to drink more water?
--Try drinking a glass of water with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
--Drinking a glass of water before you eat is also a good idea, it makes you think you are more full than you really are, so you aren't tempted to over eat at that buffet you went to for lunch.
--Try bringing a gallon of water around with you and set a goal. Tell yourself you are going to drink at least a quarter of it by 12:00, another quarter by 3:00, and another quarter by dinner time. That is plenty of water for the day.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water?page=2
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_water.php
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Can I live without carbs?
One of my pet peeves is when people say, "I am on a no carb diet." I usually don't say anything. But if you were really going on a "no carb" diet, you would ultimately be giving yourself a death sentence.If you are giving up gluten, bread, pasta, donuts, why don't people say that instead of the word carbs. People are so confused, thinking that carbs are what is making them over weight. No, it is not completely the carbs. It is probably the fact that your carbs are coming from mostly simple carbohydrates such as your fruity pebbles in the morning or the dunkin doughnuts coffee you just grabbed before work.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple Carbohydrates:
Simple carbs are found naturally in fruits, milk, and vegetables. (This does not mean stay away from them!) They are also found in many cakes and candy. These sugars give you energy and fast because they are so easy to digest, but lack the nutrients since they are often refined sugars.Some examples of simple carbs:
- honey
- soft drinks and fruit drinks
- jellies and jams
- many syrups
Complex Carbohydrates:Complex carbs are found in peas, wheats, and grains. They are basically simple starches strung together and are almost always great in fiber which makes you feel satisfied much longer than simple carbs. These carbs will give you a sustained amount of energy opposed to the simple carbs that will give you a rush of energy and then leave you crashed later.
Some examples of complex carbs:
- Beans and peas
- Green vegetables
- sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn
- oatmeal, whole grain bread
How do carbs work?
Both types of carbs are turned to glucose in the body and are used by the body as energy. The glucose is used in the cell bodies and is also used in the brain. Hence the reason you need carbs to survive. Complex carbs have vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are important to the health of a human. You should aim to make most of your "carbs" complex carbohydrates. These carbs have those nutrients you need in order to stay healthy. You should stay away from the refined sugars in candy and other sweets because they have close to no nutritional value and are often called "empty calories"
In conclusion, carbs are good for you. I mean, it is what makes your body RUN. Carbs are fuel for the body. You want to chose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates because they are overall more nutritious, have fiber, and make you feel more full, longer. Make sure when you're choosing something to eat.. stop and think about it! Is that ice cream sandwich really the right way to please that sweet tooth or is the banana and strawberries in the refrigerator a better option?http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19534.htm
http://www.nutritionmd.org/nutrition_tips/nutrition_tips_understand_foods/carbs_howmany.html
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/carbs.html
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Are you thinking about competing?
Good morning fit fam!
So, are you thinking about competing?
I figured since I talk about competing I would give you (almost) everything you need to know in one blog post about it. This is research that I spent a YEAR doing. So, you can thank me later. (:
So you want to compete? Do your research first. Read my blog and then read someone elses.
Step one:
Figure out what division you want to compete in and what organization. Take a look in the mirror and realistically tell yourself what kind of body you want. Do you want to become a body builder and have tons of muscle and little fat or would you rather go for a more feminine but athletic looking body type? How long it will take you to get there is another story..
There are different organizations that you can compete in and they all want different things. The OCB (Organization for Competitive Bodybuilders) is probably the cheapest organization, however they don't have quite as many shows. The NPC (National Physique Committee) is a well known organization that has MANY shows to chose from in numerous locations across the United States. There is also the WBFF which has shows that are absolutely spectacular. The WBFF allows you to wear heels that matches your suit, instead of clear high heels.
The three main categories that women compete in are bikini, figure, and body building. Some organizations however have a female fitness model category, a fitness category, and a diva model category.
Bikini:
Courtney is by far my favorite bikini competitor. She has given up the sport, for now, but still continues to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle.
To be a bikini competitor isn't any easier than any of the other divisions. You still lift weights like you were if you were going to become a body builder. No dream body is made by just doing cardio, always remember that.
Bikini competitors should come on to the stage with 9-17% body fat. This is ideal because it will ultimately showcase your six pack that you have worked so hard for. The judges are looking for proportion, symmetry, balance and skin tone. Bikini competitors are permitted to wear jewelry and must wear high heels. Make sure your makeup and hair look natural and not too much like you're entering a pageant.
Figure:
Figure competitors usually come to the stage with a body pat percentage around 9-12%. These women are a tad more muscular than those of the bikini division and more lean. They also wear jewelry and heels. They have suits that are still as blinged out as a bikini competitor, however, the suit shape is a little bit different. Make sure you realize this before you buy a bikini suit for figure competition and vice versa!
That would be embarrassing... haha.
Judges look for defined separation of the large muscle groups with no striations.
Woman's Bodybuilding:
This type of figure does not come in a 12 week period. These ladies are the most determined individuals of the women competing. These ladies spend years building muscle in order to look like this on show day. Women bodybuilders can wear jewelry in some organizations but do not wear heels.
These ladies have the lowest body fat percentages and have a suit similar to those of figure.
Step Two:
Pick a show. You need to think about how long you want to prep for the show. Unfortunately, great bodies don't happen overnight. If you have a good base, you can prepare for a bikini competition in 12 weeks. This is still a strenuous program. Diet and workout must be perfect. Start small and pick a show maybe a year away, and see how far you progress and how fast. Maybe four to six months away from the competition, sign up, and keep going!
Step Three:
Find a trainer. Trust me. It will be so much easier if you have somebody right there beside you throughout this whole ordeal. I have tried doing it myself, and I didn't look near as good as I know I can. I am about to go through it again without a trainer, though I am doing better, it is so much easier when you have someone there to push you through your workouts on a tired day. Your trainer will soon become your best friend and your go to. A great trainer will even be able to give you nutrition advice if they are certified in that as well. Your trainer will watch you shed body fat and help you gain the muscle you need in order to compete. Make sure you do your research and find a trainer that will suit your needs and your budgets. Trainers are not cheap, but they sure are worth it. Or, train with me! kmayvillefitness@hotmail.com
Step Four:
Find your shoes, suit, jewelry, hotel room and transportation. No one ever said competing is cheap. Besides the few bills I have, I work to compete! You can find clear high heels on numerous websites ranging anywhere from $65-$110 dollars. They don't need to be extremely fancy, they are just high heels. Suits are the most expensive part. They are usually custom made to fit you. You can find an extremely basic suit for $70 and they can easily hit $999 before you know it. Even though these suits can get absolutely gorgeous, the suit only matters so much. Find a suit that complements your skin tone and makeup. The body is the main think they're judging you on.
Unless you're lucky and live in the town your show is, you will have to pay for a hotel room and transportation. Check in and your first layer of tan is usually on a Friday night and then the show is
usually on a Saturday. So, expect to stay out for two nights.
Step Five:
Get ready for the big show. It's the day you've worked for! You will be running around like a chicken with your head cut off. You will have another layer of spray tan to get sprayed on. You will need to get your hair and make up finished and depending on how your carb cycling is set up, you might need to eat something special before you hit the stage. Of course pre-judging is at 10 AM, after a late night up prepping, and a night of almost no sleep. At least that is how mine went. I didn't want to mess up the tan!
Tips:
--This might sound gross, but it is almost impossible to use the bathroom! How are you going to use the bathroom and sit on a toilet seat without messing up your tan? You can't. Bring a plastic cup to use the bathroom in and save yourself the embarrassment of having a messed up spray tan on the body part the judges will be looking at the most.
-- You will stink, don't wear deodorant. The deodorant will make your armpits turn green. Again, that is pretty embarrassing.
--BRING YOUR OWN TOWELS. Most likely the hotel you are staying at think they are classy enough to own white towels. Stupid. You don't want to have a bill at your doorstep a week after your competition because they are charging you with damage to the hotel room... all because you turned the white towels..brown.
As a matter of fact, it's not a bad idea to bring your own sheets either. I slept in towels my last show and it was miserable.
--Shave your whole body. Yes, everything except your head. I didn't do this my last show, but I learned from four WBFF pro's that you need to shave everything. The hair on your arms will trap the spray tan (which is true) and it will not get onto your body evenly.
Keep working!
xoxo
K.Rich
OCB website:
http://www.naturalmusclenetwork.com/
Ravish Sands:
http://www.naturalmusclenetwork.com/
So, are you thinking about competing?
I figured since I talk about competing I would give you (almost) everything you need to know in one blog post about it. This is research that I spent a YEAR doing. So, you can thank me later. (:
So you want to compete? Do your research first. Read my blog and then read someone elses.
Step one:
Figure out what division you want to compete in and what organization. Take a look in the mirror and realistically tell yourself what kind of body you want. Do you want to become a body builder and have tons of muscle and little fat or would you rather go for a more feminine but athletic looking body type? How long it will take you to get there is another story..
There are different organizations that you can compete in and they all want different things. The OCB (Organization for Competitive Bodybuilders) is probably the cheapest organization, however they don't have quite as many shows. The NPC (National Physique Committee) is a well known organization that has MANY shows to chose from in numerous locations across the United States. There is also the WBFF which has shows that are absolutely spectacular. The WBFF allows you to wear heels that matches your suit, instead of clear high heels.
The three main categories that women compete in are bikini, figure, and body building. Some organizations however have a female fitness model category, a fitness category, and a diva model category.
 |
| Courtney Prather |
Courtney is by far my favorite bikini competitor. She has given up the sport, for now, but still continues to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle.
To be a bikini competitor isn't any easier than any of the other divisions. You still lift weights like you were if you were going to become a body builder. No dream body is made by just doing cardio, always remember that.
Bikini competitors should come on to the stage with 9-17% body fat. This is ideal because it will ultimately showcase your six pack that you have worked so hard for. The judges are looking for proportion, symmetry, balance and skin tone. Bikini competitors are permitted to wear jewelry and must wear high heels. Make sure your makeup and hair look natural and not too much like you're entering a pageant.
Figure:Figure competitors usually come to the stage with a body pat percentage around 9-12%. These women are a tad more muscular than those of the bikini division and more lean. They also wear jewelry and heels. They have suits that are still as blinged out as a bikini competitor, however, the suit shape is a little bit different. Make sure you realize this before you buy a bikini suit for figure competition and vice versa!
That would be embarrassing... haha.
Judges look for defined separation of the large muscle groups with no striations.
This type of figure does not come in a 12 week period. These ladies are the most determined individuals of the women competing. These ladies spend years building muscle in order to look like this on show day. Women bodybuilders can wear jewelry in some organizations but do not wear heels.
These ladies have the lowest body fat percentages and have a suit similar to those of figure.
Step Two:
Pick a show. You need to think about how long you want to prep for the show. Unfortunately, great bodies don't happen overnight. If you have a good base, you can prepare for a bikini competition in 12 weeks. This is still a strenuous program. Diet and workout must be perfect. Start small and pick a show maybe a year away, and see how far you progress and how fast. Maybe four to six months away from the competition, sign up, and keep going!
Step Three:Find a trainer. Trust me. It will be so much easier if you have somebody right there beside you throughout this whole ordeal. I have tried doing it myself, and I didn't look near as good as I know I can. I am about to go through it again without a trainer, though I am doing better, it is so much easier when you have someone there to push you through your workouts on a tired day. Your trainer will soon become your best friend and your go to. A great trainer will even be able to give you nutrition advice if they are certified in that as well. Your trainer will watch you shed body fat and help you gain the muscle you need in order to compete. Make sure you do your research and find a trainer that will suit your needs and your budgets. Trainers are not cheap, but they sure are worth it. Or, train with me! kmayvillefitness@hotmail.com
Step Four:Find your shoes, suit, jewelry, hotel room and transportation. No one ever said competing is cheap. Besides the few bills I have, I work to compete! You can find clear high heels on numerous websites ranging anywhere from $65-$110 dollars. They don't need to be extremely fancy, they are just high heels. Suits are the most expensive part. They are usually custom made to fit you. You can find an extremely basic suit for $70 and they can easily hit $999 before you know it. Even though these suits can get absolutely gorgeous, the suit only matters so much. Find a suit that complements your skin tone and makeup. The body is the main think they're judging you on.
Unless you're lucky and live in the town your show is, you will have to pay for a hotel room and transportation. Check in and your first layer of tan is usually on a Friday night and then the show is
usually on a Saturday. So, expect to stay out for two nights.
Step Five:
Get ready for the big show. It's the day you've worked for! You will be running around like a chicken with your head cut off. You will have another layer of spray tan to get sprayed on. You will need to get your hair and make up finished and depending on how your carb cycling is set up, you might need to eat something special before you hit the stage. Of course pre-judging is at 10 AM, after a late night up prepping, and a night of almost no sleep. At least that is how mine went. I didn't want to mess up the tan!
Tips:
--This might sound gross, but it is almost impossible to use the bathroom! How are you going to use the bathroom and sit on a toilet seat without messing up your tan? You can't. Bring a plastic cup to use the bathroom in and save yourself the embarrassment of having a messed up spray tan on the body part the judges will be looking at the most.
-- You will stink, don't wear deodorant. The deodorant will make your armpits turn green. Again, that is pretty embarrassing.
--BRING YOUR OWN TOWELS. Most likely the hotel you are staying at think they are classy enough to own white towels. Stupid. You don't want to have a bill at your doorstep a week after your competition because they are charging you with damage to the hotel room... all because you turned the white towels..brown.
As a matter of fact, it's not a bad idea to bring your own sheets either. I slept in towels my last show and it was miserable.
--Shave your whole body. Yes, everything except your head. I didn't do this my last show, but I learned from four WBFF pro's that you need to shave everything. The hair on your arms will trap the spray tan (which is true) and it will not get onto your body evenly.
Keep working!
xoxo
K.Rich
OCB website:
http://www.naturalmusclenetwork.com/
Ravish Sands:
http://www.naturalmusclenetwork.com/
Monday, July 21, 2014
On with life..
It's been awhile since I have last posted.. much surprise.
It is hard though trying to juggle so many things while you are also planning a wedding!
Since I have last posted in April, much has changed!
I am one semester closer to having a degree in fitness and exercise science, I am working on my personal training certification with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, I have traveled to Gaitlinburg, Tennessee, I have had a bachelorette weekend, my baby brother graduated then left for the army and I've gotten married!
If that's not something to be proud of, I am not sure what is!
My little brother graduated May 24th, 2014 and I got married on May 25th, 2014.
We sure did have a BUSY weekend!
Much like the wedding, being laid back, so was the wedding rehersal. Jamie's family came down from Louisianna and mine came down from Arkansas to join us in celebrating. The wedding rehersal was "cajun" themed with all the seafood you could imagine, mardi gras beads, and that soulful music.
More than likely you were playing cornhole with a beer in your hand. Or in my case... a juice box. I swear every picture I have seen of me I have a juice box in my hand. haha!
I would relive this again, just because it was so much fun!
Many people say that they would relive their wedding over again. But mine is different. I would do it over and over and over again. It really does go by so fast. Jamie and I wanted a wedding where everyone felt comfortable. We pretty much just wanted a big party because we got married. We sure did get just that! We had two types of sangrias (which didn't make it past cocktail hour), three boxes of 48 Seagrams (that also didn't make it past cocktail hour) and three kegs. I drank one sangria and that's only because my mom saved it for me!
Our guests had a blast playing corn hole, dancing, and making funny faces in our photo booth (Picstacheo was the best!)
We ended the night staying in a hotel that overlooked the river next to our college. The other wedding couple that had booked the presidential suite hadn't shown up yet, so they gave is there room! Boy oh boy was that nice! The bathroom was bigger than the room I grew up in and the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. Almost so comfy that I didn't sleep a wink that night. It was weird! After that we got up and had ihop with all 30 family members from out of town and wished them a safe journey home before we headed off to Tennessee ourselves. We are overly blessed to have such great family to spend our time with. Our life is almost perfect.
Throughout this time I had thought I was going to compete in a bikini competition in the end of June. Prep however would run throughout my girls weekend, my wedding shower, the wedding rehearsal, the wedding, and the honeymoon. I decided to forget that idea, and enjoy my time not feeling guilty about every weekend making an unhealthy decision. Jamie and I decided on the honeymoon that when we got back it was back to the gym and making healthy decisions. We splurged so much on our honeymoon that we both felt miserable!
When we got home I started out 13 weeks out from a show and right now I am 7 weeks and 5 days out. I am leaner body fat wise than I started out last prep, but I am really worried about leaning out. I haven't been prepping food consistently, so here and there I have a hiccup, but I try to get past it and move on. A week ago I came out to 19.4% body fat. I will have to do it tomorrow to see how much that has changed. I have started my personal trainer training and I am buying my new suit tomorrow.
So far it's been so good! I have gotten rid of my personal social medias, but I am thinking about getting my facebook page back up running and maybe a new instagram so that I can be a role model help people lead healthy lifestyles. I am normal, I mess up just as much as anyone else does!
Until next time,
xoxo
Krysta R.
 |
| Jamie and I |
Since I have last posted in April, much has changed!
I am one semester closer to having a degree in fitness and exercise science, I am working on my personal training certification with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, I have traveled to Gaitlinburg, Tennessee, I have had a bachelorette weekend, my baby brother graduated then left for the army and I've gotten married!
If that's not something to be proud of, I am not sure what is!
 |
| Weekend in the cabin |
 |
| Bridesmaids! |
 |
| Fun in Tennessee |
 |
| Baby brother graduating! |
 |
| Bridesmaids at wedding rehersal |
 |
| Ultimate cake smash |
My little brother graduated May 24th, 2014 and I got married on May 25th, 2014.
We sure did have a BUSY weekend!
Much like the wedding, being laid back, so was the wedding rehersal. Jamie's family came down from Louisianna and mine came down from Arkansas to join us in celebrating. The wedding rehersal was "cajun" themed with all the seafood you could imagine, mardi gras beads, and that soulful music.
More than likely you were playing cornhole with a beer in your hand. Or in my case... a juice box. I swear every picture I have seen of me I have a juice box in my hand. haha!
I would relive this again, just because it was so much fun!
Many people say that they would relive their wedding over again. But mine is different. I would do it over and over and over again. It really does go by so fast. Jamie and I wanted a wedding where everyone felt comfortable. We pretty much just wanted a big party because we got married. We sure did get just that! We had two types of sangrias (which didn't make it past cocktail hour), three boxes of 48 Seagrams (that also didn't make it past cocktail hour) and three kegs. I drank one sangria and that's only because my mom saved it for me!
Our guests had a blast playing corn hole, dancing, and making funny faces in our photo booth (Picstacheo was the best!)
We ended the night staying in a hotel that overlooked the river next to our college. The other wedding couple that had booked the presidential suite hadn't shown up yet, so they gave is there room! Boy oh boy was that nice! The bathroom was bigger than the room I grew up in and the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. Almost so comfy that I didn't sleep a wink that night. It was weird! After that we got up and had ihop with all 30 family members from out of town and wished them a safe journey home before we headed off to Tennessee ourselves. We are overly blessed to have such great family to spend our time with. Our life is almost perfect.
Throughout this time I had thought I was going to compete in a bikini competition in the end of June. Prep however would run throughout my girls weekend, my wedding shower, the wedding rehearsal, the wedding, and the honeymoon. I decided to forget that idea, and enjoy my time not feeling guilty about every weekend making an unhealthy decision. Jamie and I decided on the honeymoon that when we got back it was back to the gym and making healthy decisions. We splurged so much on our honeymoon that we both felt miserable!
When we got home I started out 13 weeks out from a show and right now I am 7 weeks and 5 days out. I am leaner body fat wise than I started out last prep, but I am really worried about leaning out. I haven't been prepping food consistently, so here and there I have a hiccup, but I try to get past it and move on. A week ago I came out to 19.4% body fat. I will have to do it tomorrow to see how much that has changed. I have started my personal trainer training and I am buying my new suit tomorrow.
So far it's been so good! I have gotten rid of my personal social medias, but I am thinking about getting my facebook page back up running and maybe a new instagram so that I can be a role model help people lead healthy lifestyles. I am normal, I mess up just as much as anyone else does!
Until next time,
xoxo
Krysta R.
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