My Life Lately: More Iron, Less Yoga, and NEW PANTS!

I haven't updated you guys on my general life in a while. I figured it was time!

Where to even start? 2014 has already brought a ton of changes, mostly for the better.

• To start things off, I am so happy to have become best friends with Abby from Yes To Yummy over the past year. I just returned home from an AMAZING trip with her! Besides the fact that she is a constant motivation for me to be creative in the kitchen, she is one of the most caring, loving, giving, and intelligent people I have ever met. I am blessed beyond belief to have her in my life. How awesome would it be if we could go to college together in the future!

• A while back I posted about starting to count macros. Well... let's just say that's out the window now. Not that I think it couldn't have worked. But I tried it for about three weeks, and while I found it new and interesting, I also became enlightened. I have been counting calories for years. I am only 16! This... I'm sorry, but it is NO WAY to live.

I train hard. And honestly, I have little desire to ever eat something that I would consider processed, fake, or filled with man-made who knows what. So as long as I am eating healthy and pushing myself in the gym, why on earth do I need to count calories (at least at this time in my life)? I want to focus again on eating mindfully, and hopefully that will provide my mind and body with peace.


This was taken back in December! 

• This past year especially, I have cut way back on yoga. I almost say this with regret, because I love yoga and still hope to be able to teach one day. But right now, my heart is in weight lifting. 

I have never been so thrilled to go to sleep, knowing that when I wake up I have an hour to myself... I have never been a competitive person with others, and power lifting/weight training is ALL about personal competition (which I love!) 

I am proud to be able to SHAPE MY BODY the way I have always wanted it to look. It's a mental game for sure, but it is worth every tear and drop of sweat shed. Some teenage girls want makeup and boys...all I want is lifting gloves and a barbell across my back. It's fun to be the only girl in the weight room at times!

 

HUGE thanks to the girls Carrie, Tara, and Staci for motivating me to lift heavy, eat more, and not be afraid of "getting bulky:" (because thats not gonna happen!!) I may not know you personally, but following your blog posts and advice make me feel as if your a friend. I really hope this doesn't make me sound like a giant creeper. 

 

You've probably noticed my increase in lifting if you've been reading my Week of Workouts posts. I have for sure seen improvement since starting this past December when I got a gym membership. I plan to keep you guys updated with any other achievements I make fitness wise. 

 

• Speaking of weight training... I now have grown a butt. Six months of squats, deadlifts, and other heavy work has given me a behind that I never have had! Lol. 

In celebration of my new butt, I have cleaned out my closet and gotten new pants... actually, new clothes!

Okay, well, maybe I was *forced* to do this because none of my clothes fit correctly anymore...

• I am still working on healing my gut, but am more lenient. I think this (getting rid of food stress) has helped ALOT. 

I recently read a post on Marks Daily Apple that made a ton of sense. It talked about a study that was done that proved people's bodies will react differently to food according to how they think about the food. It makes sense! If I THINK my body will feel bad eating something, it probably will.

I still sprout my beans and such, but I am in cooperating more non sprouted beans and have had no nasty reactions. I also eat quality Greek yogurt a occasionally with (USUALLY) no awful side effects.

• I get to DRIVE legally soon! Lol. I get my drivers license in a month!! 

What have you been up to lately?

Natalie 

Lifting Weight Turned Me Into A Man

Yes, you guys. It's true. All this intense training has morphed my once female body into that of a MAN.

You have been reading all about my training these past few months. I've been deadlifting, squatting, pressing (and now benching!) for awhile.

Heck, I even do mud runs!

I guess the proof is in the pudding folks. All the bro-science believers, all the cardio bunnies spending hours flipping through magazines on the treadmill... they were right all along! 


Just look at that. Way to muscular, boxy, and thick for a female.

Lol guys. JK.

I'm writing this post to assure EVERYONE that, no...

LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS DOES NOT MAKE A FEMALE BULKY.

OR MANLY.

OR UNFEMININE.

Since starting my weight training journey, I have had MANY people try to tell me to stop going to the gym. Why?

"You're going to hurt yourself."
"You'll stunt your growth."
"You'll mess up your back."

But most of all...

"You are going to look like a man."



It's usually difficult to try and convince people otherwise. I've learned to simply shake my head and thank them for their advice.

But I think for the rest of us... we can agree that anything could be farther from the truth.

I will write a post soon about the benefits of weight lifting for females!

Do you lift weights? Why?
Have you ever been told/told someone that a girl will get bulky?

Natalie

What Are Your 2014 GOALS?

Hello there Clean Eaters and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I am READY for 2014. The past year has brought many wonderful things...

First and foremost...
I Picked Back Up On My Blog!!

I started Clean Eating Teen back in August of 2012. I didn't post much, but this past summer I became super motivated again and really brought this blog back to life. I am so grateful for this, because I have made wonderful memories through writing here and have found an amazing community unlike any other. 

Working Out With Friends, Teachers and Family

I guess I have made something of a name for myself as the "healthy hippie chick." During the summer, my best friend Taylor and I hosted a boot camp open to anyone. Only one of my teachers (and her husband, at one point!) came, but it was still TONS of fun! 

I have worked out with her after school this year too. I also have worked out with some other family and friends (I got my momma to do a Bob Harper DVD with me once!)

New Gym Membership
Though I have improved my fitness and made progress working out at home all these years, I have been ready for a while to step it up and be able to access heavier weights at a real gym. I am SO HAPPY this finally happened this past month!! 

Now me and Taylor can take as many selfies as we desire. 

New Friends

I am so happy to have met Abby from Yes to Yummy. She is a fellow teenager who eats and cooks healthy, and is SO adorable, and sweet. I hope we can get to know each other better come 2014.

School Spirit 

I didn't do much for Homecoming my freshmen year. This year, I really went all out! This picture, my friend and I dressed up from the 50's for Throwback Thursday. 


I went to the dance this year, too. 

New Workouts 

Thank the heavens for Bob Harper. I love this man. 

I also love Tatianna from Loving Fit. This girl knows how to kick my butt. 

Crow Pose (well, a few seconds of it!)

Some days are better than others. At least I know I can do it without -always- falling on my face!

An Undying Love for MUSTARD

Lay it all on me. 

After all the fun of 2013, what could I be hoping for come the new year?

Well, I have a few goals. I will list them below in no particular order.

1) Stress LESS! 
Thank you Abby for reminding me of this! I am always SO hard on myself. With grades, my training, food... I never seem to be able to just be happy. Sometimes being a perfectionist can come in handy. But other times, it just drives me crazy.

This year, I want to be able to feel comfortable in my own skin, and accept my body, my grades, and myself! I always do the best that I can, and sometimes, that is all that is needed (instead of 'perfection', per say).

2) Gain MUSCLE!
Now that I have a gym membership, I am READY to gain MUSCLE! I hope to start a training program from Krissy Mae Cagney, a super fit, super certified, super awesome trainer that I admire and trust to know her stuff!

3) Heal My GUT! 
I haven't really discussed this much, but my stomach is in need of some repair.

I have always had a really sensitive tummy. I cut out red meat in 4th grade and that seemed to help. However, flash forward 6 years... I still don't eat red meat, yet my stomach seems to still bother me.

(TMI ALERT!) I get bloated. I feel gross. I can't exactly go to the bathroom in an easy manner... sigh. Perhaps I need to cut out grains? Gluten?

Or maybe... rethink my eating all together? I tend to not eat much meat. But I think honestly, my body might react more positively to meat than I have previously thought.

In any case, this year I plan on healing my tummy. I am tired of feeling... tired! ;)

4) Get my DRIVERS LICENCE!
This one is pretty self explanatory! I have finished my class times. Now to tackle those nasty drive times!

I will be blogging all year long, and as I try to complete these goals, I will update you. 

What did you accomplish in 2013?
What are your 2014 GOALS?

Natalie