Healthy tips and tricks by My Girlish Whims

We love living healthy, staying active and wearing cute clothes and accessories. So it’s no surprise that Rebecca Grafton, curator of My Girlish Whims blog, captured our hearts. She’s everything we admire… She is a passionate creative who makes beautiful and fun jewelry. She is a fitness queen who runs, lifts and gets to barre class weekly. She is also a dedicated woman on a mission to be the best version of herself. Rebecca recently lost 100 lbs and is now motivating others to set and achieve their fitness and health goals. We know that exercise is an important component to fitness. However, what we intake nutritionally through our diet is the most vital element to good health and wellbeing. Rebecca’s journey influenced how and what she ate which contributed greatly to her success. Her hard work and commitment paid off and we want to gain some insight on what worked for her.

A little Q&A with @MyGirlishWhims:

What does a macro day look like for you? What are your meals? A "macro day" for me is a day where I weigh pretty much ALL of my food and track my food so that I eat within +/- 5 grams of 170 grams of carbs, 47 grams of fat, and 145 grams of protein (numbers specifically calculated for me by a nutrition coach). For breakfast I normally eat egg white scrambles with veggies, spinach, and low-fat American cheese with a side of some kind of carb like a low calorie slice of bread with some peanut butter on top. Lunch is normally a big salad with pico de gallo or mango salsa with chicken strips and greek yogurt dressing. For snacks I eat a lot of fruit, Greek yogurt and protein bars. Dinners change all the time but normally include some kind of lean protein with some kind of roasted veggie! I love to make baked fish tacos, chicken sausage mixed with goat cheese and brussel sprouts, or ground turkey or some kind of salmon over a bunch of stir-fried veggies with teriyaki sauce. When you have a craving for something “bad” what do you do? I try to just work it into my diet plan. With the plan I follow now, no food is off limits! If I want to eat something super high carb (like a box of mac and cheese) I just eat very low carb the rest of the day. If I want something high fat (like one time I baked a cheesecake for my boyfriend's birthday and wanted to enjoy a full slice with him at night), I just eat very low fat foods like chicken, egg whites and Greek yogurt for the rest of the day! What does your weekly workout routing look like? What was it when you started your weight loss journey? I typically go to the gym three times a week: I'll do about 45 minutes of cardio on the StairMaster and then do about 15-25 minutes of weights afterwards. I run twice a week, one shorter run for about 5 miles and I try to fit in a long run once a week as well if time permits. I go to a barre class once a week and then normally have one day that I do a workout video at home as well. My routine was similar when I started but I did more Zumba classes for cardio. I still like Zumba but have found the StairMaster to be a little more challenging for my athletic abilities now. What do you do when you have a hunger attack? I try to distract myself - drink some water, do something else...but I'm not perfect and have learned that sometimes I just really need a break. Sometimes giving into one craving when I really need it is better for my sanity in the long run! It's ok to live your life and take a break when you need it. I've never been perfect along this journey, I've had countless cheat meals (both planned and unplanned) but I always make sure to get right back on track after it's done and that is what has made me successful! What is the first thing you do when you wake and last thing you do when you go to bed? There are pros and cons to it, but I do weigh myself every single day first thing after I get up. My weight can fluctuate a good amount but overall keeping tabs on it daily helps keep me on track. Normally right before bed I check My Fitness Pal for the next day. Following the IIFYM diet successfully requires pre-planning your food out most days. It's hard to hit your numbers just flying by the seat of your pants! I plan my food for the next day daily, and always check on everything the night before to make sure I'm ready to have a successful day after I wake up! If you are interested in learning more about Rebecca’s DIY projects, healthy recipes and health journey, be sure to visit her site My Girlish Whims.