Hi Friends! Who’s pumped that tomorrow’s Friday? This girl! This weekend I’m off to San Antonio to visit my sister and attend a workshop. I was doing my regular blog reading this morning and stumbled on Tina Reale’s Healthy Living Survey.  I’m a sucker for surveys and immediately jumped on board! I think it’s always fun to see people’s answers to questions and learn a little more about them.

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

I’ve been trying to branch out from my breakfast staple of toast, peanut butter, agave nectar, and bananas but I can’t! The combination of sweetness and nuttiness is just too perfect.

I’ll occasionally try to cook some eggs and pancakes but when you’re cooking breakfast solo (Rj leaves super early for work) it’s much easier to throw some bread in the toaster than worry about making too much breakfast.

2. How much water do you drink every day?

I don’t keep track but know it’s a large amount. I’ve been off of soda and sweetened drinks for about a year and half now so the main beverage of my day is water. If I ever get bored with the ‘flavor’ of water, I squirt some lemon juice in my bottle or make this Sassy Water overnight.

3. What is your current favorite workout?

Definitely Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp!

I’ve been doing the bootcamp for the last seven weeks and absolutely love it. Each phase is different and pushes you to a higher level than before. The schedule is also phenomenal and allows you to substitute other workouts (i.e. yoga, pilates, Cross-fit) if you prefer to do that. Registration for the next round starts April 25th and you bet I’m signing up again!

4. How many calories do you eat each day?

I’m trying not to keep track but it’ll probably be more ideal if I did. I try to remember to log in my food in MyFitnessPal on my iPhone each day but feel that the caloric count they give me (1260 per day) is too low. The days I eat under 1260 calories, I find myself extremely hangry (hungry+angry) and ravenous. Generally I try to eat everything in moderation and to think about the bigger picture when I’m choosing what to eat.

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Protein shakes (with almond milk), fruit, vegetables, or Chobani yogurt. Generally I try to balance my snacks with my meals. If I’ve not eaten much vegetables for breakfast and lunch, I’ll try to have a cup of carrots as an afternoon snack.

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?

This differs from day to day since I’ll have leftovers from dinner (if Rj hasn’t inhaled it all ), a sandwich, or some cereal with a protein shake. Sometimes I’ll head out to eat with family members or friends and often we’ll go to a deli place where I try to include protein and vegetables in my meal. It’s sometimes difficult to include vegetables in every meal but at least I’m trying!

7. What is your favorite body part to train?

My shoulders, legs, and arms. I love their challenge and how you can see the outlines of my muscles once I’m done. It makes me feel even more of a beast!

8. What is your least favorite body part to train?

My back and core. I struggle with increasing weight for my back. For some reason, doing back exercises are painful and often result in me lifting lighter weights for less results. I need to research some back strengthening exercises since it’s a place that would get severely neglected if I wasn’t doing Tina’s Bootcamp. Working my core is frustrating just because I’ve not reached the ideal place I’d like to be but this could be largely because of my diet.

9. What are your ‘bad’ food cravings?

Ice cream and frozen yogurt. Done. We drive by a frozen yogurt place and I turn into a whimpering puppy begging people to go in with me for a cup.

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?

Yes! My parents are both in the medical field and big believers of vitamins and I’ve inherited that trait. I don’t take a general multivitmin but I take Calicum and Vitamin D since I’m strength training. I also take some other supplements such as Biotin and Vitamins E, C, & B.

11. How often do you eat out?

This often varies weekly as sometimes Rj and I will have multiple plans with people that involves eating out several times a week, then have a week where we make dinner at home everyday. I think generally Rj and I both eat out about 2 to 3 times a week but we’re more likely to eat out on the weekends.

12. Do you eat fast food?

No. I’ve done my research enough to understand and appreciate the cons of eating processed foods. However, if we’re down the the 11th hour and extremely starving, we tend to hit up Wendy’s more than any other. I’m kinda over Subway right now after eating it almost daily during college.

13. Who is your biggest supporter?

Rj! I’m blessed to have him as my husband and partner in crime.

We have the same interest in eating and living healthy and I’m grateful for that. I know if he didn’t show much interest in living healthy, it would be much harder for me to reach my goals.

14. Do you have a gym membership?

Yes, we found a gym that’s a decent size and has a variety of weights and fitness tools to use. There are some things we would like to improve but for the current time, it’s great for us.

15. How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

I love to sleep! I tend to hit the hay around 9 p.m. each night and get up between 6-7 a.m so I guess 8-10 hours a night? If I have a crazy schedule, this time frame will change but I do like crawling between the sheets and getting ready to conk out.

16. Do you have a cheat day?

I don’t have an established cheat day since I don’t want to deprive myself and get in that ‘no you can’t’ mind frame. Instead, if I want something, I’ll try to have it in moderation and then balance the rest of the day’s meals. If I slip and have too much of something, I’ll definitely feel guilty but it’ll help me pour more intensity in my next workout.

17. Do you drink alcohol?

Not really much anymore. I used to drink like a whale in college but nowadays I’m not much of a drinker since I prefer to eat my calories than drink them. However, I’ve been known to drink on special occasions.

Rj and I are not aggressive drinkers but we do like to have our fun!

18. Do you have a workout buddy?

Rj and I frequently go to the gym together even if we don’t share our workouts. I’ll be doing my bootcamp exercises while he focuses on his macho training . However, once arriving at the gym, we meet up on the treadmill to warm up together and chat about our work-days. It’s nice to know that you’re meeting another human at the gym as a motivational factor.

19. What’s the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

Feeling better about myself in general. Growing up I struggled big time with weight issues and trying to balance a weak thyroid with my caloric needs. Now that I’m focusing less on the food aspect and more on a larger healthier perspective, I definitely feel better about what I’m doing and putting in my body.

20. What is the last healthy thing you did?

Right now I’m reading a book called The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite which has opened my eyes to the effect our brain has on how we view food. I’d recommend it for anyone curious about how or why our bodies respond differently to various kinds of food.

That was fun. Head over to Tina’s blog to see her answers and comments or comment below. What are some ways you try to live healthily?