apriltrainer

Today- I worked out before breakfast and then ate... 7 am - oatmeal with almond milk and a scoop of protein powder watermelon slices slice of wheat bread with peanut butter H20 and coffee ( I usually eat a snack between bkfast and dinner but was almost late for work...so today..no in between snack!) 12 pm - quinoa with mixed veggies, lentils, kidney beans and spaghetti sauce apple h20 3:00 pm - protein shake and an orange 4:00 pm stopped for coffee @ Bronzeville Coffeehouse 7:00 pm leftover quinoa pasta with veggies, lentils,kidney beans,spaghetti sauce and added a slice of tofu apple. H20 8:00 I always end with dessert! Tofu with coconut milk and sweetend with stevia. A handful of nuts and some crushed cereal to top it. And a cup of tea

I eat fruit with every main meal and snack. Like someone said..eat it whole. I usually don't blend it . I just need that crunch to feel full. Am not a big smoothie, juice person. Once in a while. But mainly I'll have my fruit whole. Don't feel bad though..after I gained wt with my pregnancy and then went through a divorce which caused me to gain more wt...I trained to run a whole marathon! I didn't lose one pound. Didn't gain any. Didn't lose any either though. (I used to be 180 by the way ) I realized I was overeating my training,even if my training was more than most people. Just because I was training for a marathon didn't mean I had the green light to eat all you can eat pancakes! Maybe same thing for the vegan life. If it's vegan it must be all healthy right? Not true. I bought a vegan buffalo tofu wrap at this store on campus where I work. Reading the nutrition info in very small print- this one sandwich is actually two servings! 620 calories for the whole thing. I promptly cut that sucker in half and ate my apple with it. I see the young women at this school buy this all the time and eating it like it's one serving. They are probably gaining wt and wondering why ,if they are buying vegan products. Portion sizes. That will help you too. I get a small dinner plate and fill half with veggies, a quarter with my protein and the other quarter with fruit. A little hard when you are eating food that combines all of that, like a sandwich but if you are home, try to do that. It helped me out.

Well, I was skinny and back in the 80's- biracial. Not as cool as it is now! Lol. My peers made sure I didn't belong and I really felt it in gym class. Off topic, but if anyone read my one post regarding smoking, about um...hipsters....yeah I am sure there are some of you hipsters on this board. Fabulous. Just don't get upset when I go on my anti-hipster rant. I might have had, one friend...my whole entire elementary and high school existence. I remember wanting to fit in so bad and it just never happened. Back then, growing up in a depressed rust belt town the majority of people were poor. I biked everywhere since my parents didn't own a car except for a few months when I was 10 and then again when I was 18. I didn't see it as being sporty or exercise. Just a necessity. Well, after the army (yes, I loved it. People actually LIKED me! And my mean Drill Sgts, unlike my gym teachers, saw I had potential and encouraged me to run, run, run!) I still biked in the Army and continued it when I got out into the civilian world. I remember hearing about something called Critical Mass when I first moved to Chicago. Thought it would be fun and I'd meet people, just like me! Boy, was I wrong! To them I looked like miss conservative. I wasn't wearing crazy clothes with Che on them, dyed hair, multiple piercings and didn't have a vintage bike or one of those messenger type bikes. I bought my bike at Kmart. I had cute little prissy shorts on(after being in the Army I dress extremely girly girl), and a frilly top with my nails painted. I remember feeling like I thought I would finally fit in with my fellow bicyclists, since I liked biking and wow...I felt in the middle of that critical mass ride just like I did in gym class. Isolated. I really missed being in the Army at that time. The only place I truly fit in. I still remember before the ride people passing out flyers to arts show, vegan potlucks... And for some reason these people passing out flyers didn't pass one out to me. They just bypassed me, maybe due to my non-dreadlocked hair and my overly girly girl appearance. Anyways,,as a person who never did fit in, I sometimes cannot understand those people like hipsters who try so hard to not look mainstream. And try to not fit in with the general public. But they end up looking like everyone else in their quest to look so different. Anyways, I am glad now I don't fit in. Trying to look like a hipster is conforming in it's own way. There's a neighborhood in Chicago called Wicker Park that is just full of these look alikes. They all think they are different and unique rocking out to their indie bands on their ipods...while I still rock out to Britney Spears and listen to rap and R&B. I actually did get asked out by this vegan guy who I think immediately lost interest in me after he asked my musical taste. I showed him my ipod . Note to self..remember to talk about bands no one has ever heard of to maintain vegan cred(just kidding). So yes, now you all know a little bit more about apriltrainer. High school loser, Former Army Sergeant, lover of dance and R&B music, and anti-hipster. Would I like to meet more non-meat eaters here in Chicago? Of course! But although I left my high school self a long time ago, a big part of that is with me. I still remember that Critical Mass ride and wonder if I would even fit in with other vegans. Any other former military here who are vegans? I've met one other.(actually she's a vegetarian. She does eat eggs,milk and cheese.) She's a trainer too. Aside from that, no one else. And neither of us really associate with other vegans. I think we look too....mainstream and we don't wear Che shirts. Ok, maybe that's a stereotype too. But usually the people out representing being meatfree are the ones in those kind of shirts..the ones that bypass me...grr..... I guarantee you put someone like me with abs you can count, passing out flyers...I'd probably have hell of a lot more people listening! (I mean, I had a c-section for god's sake , in my mid-30's and now have a six pack..hee hee. That's right I like to brag now. it's easy to have nice abs while childless and in your 20's. Try doing that after having your abs cut open to have a child while not in one's prime!) People ask me constantly what kind of exercises I do and what I eat(while I jog! Everyday without fail! ) So yes I'd love to meet other vegans...just don't want to relive my high school experience and feel that loneliness again in a group of people I actually share similar beliefs with. I might be 34 but that 18 yr old loner is still inside.

Personally I think not smoking sets a good example to non-vegans. I live in a Latino neighborhood called Pilsen here in Chicago. Across the street from me are the only um...non latino people on my block( bunch of young twenty somethings in one apartment. ) who are out to save the poor brown people. Makes me gag. Really. But that's another post. They walk around with holier than thou attitudes on their single speed bikes while thumbing their noses at my cheapie bike I got at the used store. Smoke all the time outside their porch and invite their bewildered neighbors to anarchist meetings. (Yeah, I got a flyer) . And on almost every corner is a tamale stand.... Once while I was jogging past a tamale stand, I spotted a few of the hipsters telling people they were killing animals and participating in the capitalist system that was keeping brown people down. I just don't think that's the way to go about it... Telling them they are killing animals while smoking in their faces. Okay..only one person from their group was smoking but still- just a bad,bad example. Let's just say the message didn't go through.... Now...I don't even plan on telling people I abstain from meat. But almost everyday...like today when I went out for a run, a woman stopped me. She asked me(as have others) what exercises I do and what I eat. You think non-vegans are going to go up to skinny 20-something smokers and ask that? Doubt it. Anyways...the woman said if it worked for me she wanted to try. So I'm workin it. I'm workin it.

My fav gym? The outdoors. I usually like getting my workouts in during the am. So if I have no am clients..I head outside. I love the monkey bars. Usually if I am at work, the campus gym. I used to work at xsport in Lakeview. When I worked there I would do my strength training in the gym but run outside. It was like a zoo in that gym. You had to fight for equipment.

That is all those damn politicians:) Wouldn't cardio first then weight training later in the day be better? It seems like recovery from cardio is very quick, but weight training needs more time to repair. As a pt I sometimes don't have that option! Sounds odd, right? I work right in a gym. But I have clients in the am...a small window of time to train myself...and then back to training clients. As a pt I have to be careful that I don't forget to take care of my own fitness. I am sometimes in the gym from 6 am....to 9 pm!! So yeah, I do wts first and then cardio in one block of time. No two a day workouts for this chic. But my body seems to be compatible with that mix. When people ask me how long I work out...they are dumbfounded. not to toot my own horn...but people think I spend hours at the gym. Well...I do training clients. As far as my own training- 20 min to 45. That's it. My abs are the proof...

My personal trainer cert is from NCSF. The National Council on Strength and Fitness. The course is also approved for college credit. It was very cheap...or shall I say, inexpensive compared to the others I researched. It was accepted by both my gym jobs. Xsport accepted it...and now the University of Chicago.(I am a pt at the gym on campus.)

I'm in the same boat. I bike to work - it takes me between 30 min on a good day...45 if the wind is really kickin it! So I know I get a good cardio workout just biking, although I do try to take it easy while commuting. But still I do cardio seperate from biking. I get to work. Train a few clients. Then I have to train myself. During that block of time I will do wts first, just so I have enough strength for my weight routine and then cardio afterwards. I find that when I do cardio first, my strength routine isn't as good. But that's just me. Even when i was in the military we would do our pushups, situps, etc. before our runs.

Sheez...here I thought I was being a mindful eater and I've been hurting bees this whole time....I just threw out my honey.... But hey this is what this forum is for. To learn! Thanks fallen!

eek...yes! Let me change that! or maple syrup. (I'm a new vegan so I'm still learning...I think that's ok?)

Ok. I actually had what a restaurant here in chicago called a jamaican omellete. I tweaked it because I like my eggs(tofu) scrambled. But I kept the rest of the ingredients. 3/4 tsp olive oil handful of walnuts 1 banana smashed 2 tbls honey(scratch that- use agave or maple syrup !) 1/4 package silken tofu. Drained and mashed. Heat olive oil and stir in tofu. Reduce heat and add the banana,honey and walnuts. Stir, simmer until heated through. Yum!

I am always, always on the go. As a personal trainer I am in charge of keeping people healthy....I have my own small window of time to eat and exercise than most. This is one of my go to's - Just spread 2 tbls of peanut butter or whatever nut butter you prefer on a piece of bread. Top with fresh nopalitos. (not canned!) I sometimes add some alfalfa sprouts if I have them on hand. Place other slice on top. Pair with piece of fruit and there ya go! Easy. I love Nopalitos. It gives my sandwiches the crunch I need and want.

So true! I wanted to go to my high school reunion to show all the girls that didn't want me sitting next to them in lunch and told me to find a seat elsewhere....and show all the boys that didn't ask me out on dates.... that I look FABULOUS. almost all of my classmates are now, ahem,,,much much bigger. People never believe me when I say I never dated in high school. But it's true. I never did go to my 15 yr reunion. I decided that I didn't want to spend money to fly back to my hometown and spend the weekend with people that I didn't really like and vice versa. I have facebook now to show my frenemies what I look like.

You know the girl....the one that no one wanted on their team? Well, that was me many many moons ago. I am now a personal trainer and getting ready to compete in a fitness competition in August. Have been dabbling with being vegetarian off and on for a while. Was a flexitarian where I only ate meat twice a week..... I admit the past few months I had to give up meat due to the cost. Beans and lentils are just so much cheaper. But since then, my physique has actually gotten better. Sharper even. I am thinking maybe my body just responds better on a plant based diet. I gave up a nursing job to pursue my passion- fitness, after my own weight loss. It was hard being a single mom and surviving on a pt paycheck in the beginning. I had to give up meat products and was sure my fitness would suffer. But it did not. I just continued with it even as my finances improved. Thinking about going totally vegan now. Am a little scared of being in the competition in August where I'll be competing against women who probably eat a whole chicken a day.