Q & A with Jillian from Sprinkle Massacre

When and why did you start your blog and where does the name come from?

Hi! I’m Jillian and my blog is called Sprinkle Massacre. I love food,fitness, nutrition, and fashion. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and spent a few years working in the fashion industry as a planner and buyer. In April 2011, I began my blog after reading other healthy living blogs for inspiration. I felt like I had so many ideas and wanted a place to share all of them. I was always interested in health and fitness, but starting my blog was a stepping-stone to where I am today. I left my full time job and recently became a Certified Personal Trainer through ACSM. I am also enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and will become a Certified Holistic Health Coach in October 2012. I initially want to break into training clients and then offer health-coaching services on the side.

The name of my blog probably sounds really silly before hearing the story, huh? My boyfriend Joe and I both love the combination of peanut butter, cool whip, and sprinkles on a spoon. It kind of feels like your eating an ice cream sundae, but it bit healthier. I know it sounds odd, but it’s so delicious! He always called it a “sprinkle massacre” because we’d use an inordinate amount of sprinkles. One day, I heard noise coming from the kitchen and didn’t know what it was. Joe came into the other room, peaked his head in and said, “it was a sprinkle massacre”. Apparently, Joe had some trouble getting the lid off the sprinkle jar and spilled them all over the kitchen floor. There were sprinkles in every nook and cranny for weeks! I couldn’t help but laugh and decided to make it my blog name. Sprinkle Massacre formed into a place where I share recipes, workouts, and my daily musings.

What motivated you to get into healthy living?

I played sports all throughout grade school and high school. You name it, I played it! Baseball, softball, soccer, field hockey, track and field, basketball, and even cheerleading! I didn’t really understand the importance of health and fitness until college. I was always a stick figure so when I started gaining the “freshman 15”, I realized that I needed to start moving more. I had a phase in college where I was very disciplined with my workouts and eating. This all stopped when I found out I had to get surgery on both of my hips due to labreal tears from hip dysplasia. After many physical therapy sessions, I realized the importance of building muscle and training your core. I met Joe in 2009 and from then on, we both kept each other motivated to live a healthy lifestyle.

You are making a big career transition from the fashion industry into a career as a personal trainer and health coach. What made you decide to make this transition?

I knew that I couldn’t sit at a desk for 10 hours a day anymore. I’d daydream all day about workouts I could put together or healthy recipe alternatives. I was constantly reading articles on the Internet and trying to learn everything I could about fitness and exercise, so I finally decided that studying to be a personal trainer was the right path. I enjoy working around people and love the feeling of making a difference in someone’s life.

I didn’t have the time or money to return to school to become a dietician, so I began looking at alternatives. After reading about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I decided that I liked the holistic approach to nutrition and the flexibility that the program offered, so I enrolled.

I am lucky to have a supportive family and boyfriend to make the transition a bit easier.

How do you stay motivated to work out? Do you have any fitness or training philosophies that keep you moving?

Honestly, I struggle with it just as much as the next person. I admit, there are times when I go through slumps and working out is just not appealing to me at all. That’s usually when I switch up my routine. It’s going to be hard to workout if you’re not having fun, right? When you feel bored, try adding something new to your routine. I always used to bypass other healthy living bloggers workouts because I was so fixated on doing my own, but now I’ll print out someone else’s workout and it makes me excited to go to the gym! If you’re looking for something new and different, check out some of the workouts on my blog.

Another thing you can do is sign up for a race. I just signed up for my first half marathon and I couldn’t be more excited to have a 3 month training schedule lined up for me! It’s new, different, and challenging, which is just what I needed.

What is your workout schedule like?

I usually work out about 5 times a week, sometimes 6, and almost always in the morning. I feel like I get in a better workout as soon as I wake up rather than later in the day. Typically, I lift 3 times a week and try to do cardio on all 5 days. Lifting consists of two upper body days and one leg day. I usually do one long run and a few shorter runs mixed in with some quick high intensity interval training (elliptical, stairmaster, bike, etc.) on days that I lift.

I recently started running outside more and using my Garmin to track my mileage. I love being outside and having a change of scenery instead of being on the treadmill, especially for longer runs.

With a busy schedule like yours, what are some of your tips on how to maximize the benefits of a workout when you are short on time?

One word: HIIT. If I only have 20 minutes on the treadmill, you better believe I’ll be doing high intensity interval training. Basically, you give about 85%-90% of your maximum effort for a short period of time, followed by a longer recovery period at about 50-60% of your maximum effort. For example, I’ll run at 9.5mph for 30 seconds, followed by 6.5mph for 90 second. I’ll repeat that for 20 minutes, including a warm up and cool down, of course! This will leave you sweaty and burning calories for hours after your workout.

In addition to HIIT workouts, what are some of the ways you find time to still workout with such a busy schedule. Any advice or tips you could share?

If I am short on time on a particular day, I’ll try to rearrange my schedule for that week. For instance, if I only have a half hour and I had planned to lift and do cardio that day, I’ll just go for a quick 3 mile run outside and move lifting at the gym to another day. I try to never use “I don’t have enough time” as an excuse. Thirty minutes, or even 20, is better than nothing at all!

One piece of advice for people with busy schedules is to become a morning exerciser. You’re more likely to get your workout in if you set your alarm a little bit earlier, rather than letting the fate of the day decide whether you’ll workout after work.

Can you tell us more about the different supplements you use? What are your guidelines or recommendations for adding a protein powder to your diet?

Most of the time, my post gym recovery meal is a protein smoothie. It always consists of almond milk, fruit such as frozen bananas, spinach, and a scoop of protein powder. I always have Nature’s Best Zero Carb Isopure protein powder in Vanilla on hand because it’s a great basic powder that is easy to digest, but I discovered SunWarrior last year, which is a plant-based brown rice protein powder. I like it because the ingredient list is small and it is sweetened with Stevia, rather than aspartame like a lot of other protein powders out there. Personally, I just really like the taste of it (I use the Vanilla flavor). Plus, the consistency works well in baked goods!

Whether its whey, soy, egg, or casein, I would recommend only using protein powder for a meal replacement once a day. I think it’s important to have a mixture of protein sources including animal and/or plant proteins so that you are getting all the essential amino acids.

I also discovered Fitmixer while at Blend Retreat this past May. Fitmixer amino supports you before, during, and after your workout by increasing oxygen delivery throughout your body, reducing fatigue and improving muscle recovery. I typically mix a scoop with water and drink it before my workouts. I truly feel that it increases my energy level for a better workout! It suggests 1 scoop per 8oz. water, but I try to use less water so that I don’t have to use the bathroom in the middle of a workout! I already bring 24oz. of water to the gym that I finish pretty quickly.

What are your top five health tips for our readers?

1. Balance – If there’s one thing I’ve learned during the last few years, it’s that balance is super important. I’m not only talking about balancing exercise with rest days and healthy meals with “cheat meals”. We all need to practice balance in our careers, relationships, and social life. Everything in moderation, including moderation.
2. No one diet works for everyone. Sometimes, we get caught up in reading about what worked for others or what is “bad” for us and we become confused as to what we should or shouldn’t be eating. I went through a lot of trial and error before I found what works for me. Your body craves what it needs, so listen to it. Don’t restrict yourself.
3. Manage stress and take “me time”. Stress can have negative effects on your health and not to mention your career and relationships. I would totally notice when I went for days without taking any time for myself. How are you going to be a good employee, mother, wife, or friend when you aren’t being nice to yourself? Get a massage, go for a walk, have a cup of tea, read, or do whatever makes you forget about everything and just relax. Everything will still be there when you return, I promise.
4. Get rid of the all or nothing attitude. I used to sleep in and say, “I only have a half hour to workout. It’s not worth it.” It is worth it! You’ll feel ten times better than you would if you didn’t work out at all. Hop on the treadmill and do some high intensity interval training (like this workout!) It will leave you burning calories all day, more so than a 45-minute steady state cardio workout. Plus, it’s a time saver! Every little bit counts.
5. Look at the big picture. I struggled with this for a while. I would get so down on myself when I missed a workout or ate a huge bowl of ice cream. Overall, that’s not going to ruin all of your hard work. Just get right back on the exercise and healthy eating train and you’ll be fine! Sometimes your body needs that shock.

What does “healthy” mean to you?

As I mentioned above, I think being “healthy” is finding the right balance of healthy eats, cheat meals, exercise, rest, career, social life, relationships, and spirituality. I think once you find a way to fit the right amount of everything into your life, you’ll feel fulfilled and healthy.

To keep up with all of Jillian's workouts and get tons of healthy tips and nutrition advice, visit her blog Sprinkle Massacre!