Movin' on up!

I'm super excited about my new website and BLOG!  Come follow me at my new location---->>>> reneeyeoman.com!

Renee Yeoman Fitness

I'm thrilled to announce that I have started my own business!  Help me celebrate great beginnings for Renee Yeoman Fitness.  I will have a new website up and running soon, so keep your eyes on reneeyeoman.com!

In other great news, I'm now training out of a locally owned gym right in my neighborhood gym, Dialed In Fitness! If you would like to come check it out, email me at reneeyeoman@gmail.com to set up your free consultation!

See you at the gym!

Expectation VS Reality

Let's take a minute to talk about fitness expectations vs fitness reality. When you look at fitness magazines or fitness pages on social media you see a lot of photos like this one.

While it's an honorable goal to want to be the best you that you can possibly be, one should keep in mind that the athletes you see prepared especially for either for a competition or specifically for that photo shoot to look this way! We don't walk around looking like this all the time! (Of course there are genetically gifted folks who can walk around jacked and shredded all the time, but let's just assume you're normal folk like myself.) It's not healthy to maintain such a low body fat percentage. And in all honesty, you don't feel very good when you're this lean.

Of course, everyone is different and their experiences with being extremely lean will vary. Let's just go over a few common side effects (side effects that I have experienced as do many other athletes) of being so lean: lack of sex drive, loss of menstrual cycle, brain fog or feeling mentally drained, exhaustion, constant hunger, feeling weak, feeling emotionally unstable, irritability, and more. You get the picture. Sounds great, right?  Not so much.  There is something to be said for a little bit of body fat!

Remember that what you see in magazines is not always reality. Remember that although this look is attainable, it is not realistically maintainable. And of course remember to love your body at  every stage of your personal fitness journey!

Fitness Photo Shoot

Along with competing for my 40th birthday, I bought myself a photo shoot with Lyman at l1quid Studios. Since being shredded is rad, but you just can't walk around that lean all the time I wanted to document it!  If you're looking for a photographer, I highly recommend him.  He was very professional, and well, the work speaks for itself. 

 If you know me, you know I have to throw some tomfoolery in there!

 My trophies!

 And it seemed only fitting to throw in some birthday cake!

 It was SO good after months of dieting for my competition!

This was seriously so much fun!  Beware, if you come to my house there may or may not be poster sized prints of these plastered all over my house.  Just sayin'...

Eat this now! Fruit

Ten fruits that will stick to your ribs.  Well, at least they won't spike your blood sugar.  These beauties are low on the glycemic index.  Why is that important?  Because when you eat foods that cause a large and quick glycemic spike (read: sugar rush), you may feel an initial burst of energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger! Not so pretty, really.

1. Cherries

GI Score: 20

Cherries are high in potassium, and are packed with antioxidants, which will give your immune system a boost. Because cherries have a short growing season, it can be tough to get them fresh. However, canned tart cherries, which have a GI score of 41, are a fine substitute, as long as they are not packed in sugar.

2. Grapefruit

GI Score: 25

The mighty grapefruit packs in well over 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Something to watch out for: Grapefruit affects how a number of prescription drugs work. Check with your doctor about eating grapefruit (or drinking grapefruit juice) if you’re taking prescription medicines.

3. Dried Apricots

GI Score: 32

Apricots bruise easily, so you sometimes can’t find the best fresh apricots. (They get shipped while they’re still green to avoid bruising, but they don’t ripen well off the tree.) Dried apricots are a great alternative when eaten in small amounts. Because they are dried, the amount of carbohydrate they provide is higher than the whole fruit. However, they have one-fourth of the daily copper requirement and are high in vitamins A and E. Try them with pork dishes, salads, or grains like couscous.

4. Pears

GI Score: 38

Enjoy the rich, subtle sweetness of pears, whether fresh or gently baked. They’re healthiest with the peel on, providing over 20 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake.

5. Apples

GI Score: 39

There’s a reason why apples are America’s second favorite fruit (after the banana, of course). In addition to satisfying your need for crunch, one sweet-tart apple with the peel on provides nearly 20 percent of your daily fiber needs.

Keep it Fresh!

Enjoy fresh fruit rather than processed, when possible: Processed foods tend to have higher GI scores, according to the American Diabetes Association. That said, there are a few instances in which canned or dried fruits make excellent choices.

6. Oranges

GI Score: 40

Oranges will boost your vitamin C. There is plenty of healthy fiber in an orange, too. Substitute red blood oranges in this recipe for bright color and a new taste.

7. Plums

GI Score: 40

Plums bruise easily too, making them hard to get to market. You can enjoy the nutritional benefit of plums in their dried state as prunes, but be careful with portion size as dried fruits have the water removed and thus have more carbohydrate. Fresh plums rank at 40 on the GI, while prunes rank at 29.

8. Strawberries

GI Score: 41

Fun fact: Strawberries are so high in fiber, eating them can get rid of coffee stains on your teeth! There are many varieties of strawberry that you can grow yourself in the warmer months. Enjoy them raw for a healthy serving of vitamin C.

9. Peaches

GI Score: 42

The average peach contains just 68 calories, and is packed with 10 different vitamins, including A and C. They’re also a great addition to smoothies, whether they’re mixed with blueberries or mango!

10. Grapes

GI Score: 53

Grapes, as with all fruits where you eat a lot of the skin, provide healthy fiber. Grapes are also a good source of vitamin B6, which supports brain function and mood hormones.

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/low-glycemic-fruits-for-diabetes#4

http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index

Salt City Championships 2016

This day was everything I wanted it to be!  It was the best birthday celebration ever!  During my finals routine the announcer had the crowd sing the happy birthday song to me.  You'll notice I'm giggling and grinning in a couple pictures when they were singing!  I'm so grateful for amazing friends I made back stage that day!  These ladies are so supportive and uplifting, it's really awesome!  I'm still honored to have placed so well among these badass athletes!

Prejudging individual quarter turns

 Prejudging quarter turns, Masters Figure A

Quarter turns Novice Figure B

Quarter turns Open Figure C

 

 Finals Individual Routine

 

Masters Figure A Winners 

Left to Right 4th, 2nd (Me! Yay!), 1st, 3rd Place

Novice Figure B Winners

Left to Right 4th, 2nd, 1st, 3rd (Me! Yippee!), 5th

Open Figure C Winners

4th (Me! Hooray!), 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th

 

Backstage shots!