Great day today! I must admit, I started out in a foul mood this morning. I’m still getting back into the swing of things after last weekend. Even though I didn’t get crazy with drinking or eating, since I usually stick to a pretty standard diet, when I do eat &/or drink anything out of the ordinary, it takes me days to get back to my normal feeling self.
This motivational post on the wall at STS helped me realize I was being a moron for being in such a funk..
FITNESS
Finally I made it back to boxing! I love this class, but with all the events & changes going on in my life, it just hadn’t fit into my schedule. It was great to get back today! Unfortunately half-way through class I tweaked my ankle. Nothing serious, just an old gymnastics injury, and I could walk it off after a while, but it made me realize that these..
just weren’t cutting it. So please welcome a new addition to my life..
Ok fine.. they don’t look that much different :p But they have much more support than my last pair.. and what can I say, I’m pretty loyal to Asics 
Then this evening I hit up an 80 min. Power Yoga class. This is the 2nd time I’ve taken this teacher’s class and I really enjoyed it. In the Power classes we hold poses longer than in Flow, so althoughthere’s not as much movement, you still sweat a ton, and it really helps to make progress with some of my weak positions (for me that would be anything with glutes). Because of my gymnastics background I have some not-so-good-yoga-form habits, and quite a bit of asymmetric flexibility. For example, I can slide right into splits (Hanumanasana) but can’t do tree pose (Vrksasana) on one side, and my pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) is pathetic. I am starting to see progress, and I love that it’s a never ending learning process. As you can tell by the links, I’m trying to learn the names of the poses better. Just like with any foreign languages, I’m starting to usually recognize what to do when I hear it, but I can’t remember/say them on my own. So I thought I’d share my education with you!
Ok can you tell I’m falling more and more for yoga everyday?
But I’ll be starting tomorrow off with cardio. I’m trying another new Spin class.. hopefully it’s better than last weeks..
NUTRITION
Want to know something a little sad.. sometimes I go to type this section, and have to be reminded up what I had for breakfast :p
This morning I heated up a couple Protein Muffins, which I enjoyed with a PB Vanilla Protein Shake (1 scoop Nectar Vanilla Protein Powder + 1 tbsp PB2 + 1/2 c UVAB + 1/4 c H20 + Ice)..
Lunch was a healthy Taco Salad of sorts. 4 oz Chicken Breast with ~1/4 c Pinto Beans, ~2 tbsp Salsa & ~2 tbsp Hummus on top of Baby Spinach.. loving this right now!
Yesterday’s Protein Muffins were successful, but I wanted to try out a lower carb version. So I made one easy substitution..
Low-Carb Bran Muffins
1/2 c Wheat Bran
1/2 c Egg Whites
1/2 scoop Protein Powder
1/4 c Fat-Free Cottage Cheese
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 packets Stevia
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Mix-in: I used ~1/3 c Blackberries
Mix everything together. Pour into 6 Pam-sprayed muffin tins. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
These turned out really good, and I highly recommend including a berry of some sort to keep them interesting. And since the whole recipe only has 225 calories / 1.3 g F / 27 g C / 31 g P, you can eat the whole batch if you want and not feel the least bit guilty. I think these are going to be the perfect quick pre-workout snack on the go.
Stats for 1 Muffin:
After Yoga, Amanda and I went to my very favorite Phoenix restaurant.. True Foods! I actually went there yesterday too :p, so I knew exactly what I wanted to order. Every time I go, I try something new, the menu is that fantastic! I had the TLT.. Tempeh, Lettuce and Tomato on top of a Whole Wheat Bun. I also added Avocado. And when asked what side I wanted, I couldn’t decide between Kale Salad or Sweet Potatoes, so they gave me a little of both. SO GOOD! ..
So are ya’all tired of seeing “Ice Cream” every night? .. Well I have another new one!
Mint Caco Nib “Ice Cream”
1.5 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (UVAB)
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 c 0-Cal Sugar Substitute or Stevia Extract to taste
1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract
1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 tbsp Raw Cacao Nibs
Heat UVAB, Cinnamon Stick and Sugar in a medium saucepan. Once it reaches a slow boil, remove from heat and take out Cinnamon Stick. Let sit for a minute, add Mint Extract, then transfer to a blender. Add Xantham Gum and blend for a minute. Pour into Ice Cream Maker and let it do its thing for 30 minutes. Pour in Caco Nibs and let mix for another minute. Enjoy!
This huge, gorgeous & crazy tasty dessert only has ~127 calories / 10.5 g F / 8.6 g C / 3.5 g P .. I know, I know hard to believe
FUN
Yawn, right now ‘fun’ sounds like heading to bed. Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!
Fun Links
Did I read that right? 38 cals per muffin? YOU ROCK!
Eat the whole batch! Those are my kind of muffins
Ok, seriously???? The entire batch???? I may become a muffin convert after all!
i NEED you to come make some protein ice cream for me! it looks SO good!!!
and I made muffins almost exactly like that before! they were SO good! i <3 wheat bran it is so versitile
Wow those are awesome muffins! I'm not going to lie- I probably would eat the whole batch! LOL. And I'm not getting tired of these ice cream recipes.. I think I might try one tonight!
Oh my god- that lunch looks amazing; so do those muffins! Might just have to bake some up today!
Happy to hear your day turned around for you, and you were able to make it an amazing one!
Wow, that True Foods plate looks absolutely incredible! It's a collection of all things good on one little dish
And heck, with those stats on the muffins, why NOT eat them all?
I LOVE THAT Motivational post board!!!!! Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will share in a future post but link back here!
And those muffins.. GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thx! Love the new shoes too!
What’s UVAB? you always mention it and I tried googling it but nothing
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
It's just Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
i want an ice cream machine SO bad!! i would seriously be making mint chocolate chip ice cream like every day of my life hahaha
those muffins are a GREAT recipe!! i will definitely be making those as soon as i restock my wheat bran drawer
38 calories for 1 muffin!! I can't wait to try those!! Also, I'm looking forward to getting an ice cream maker so I can start enjoying some "ice cream" for dessert as well =)
Wow, thanks for the muffin recipe, this is just what I've been looking for! Finally found UVAB in my grocery store, loving it!
Thanks for the awesome muffin recipe. They look great! I'm interested in making a dairy-free version — could I sub the cottage cheese, or just leave it out?
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
Maybe try adding Almond Milk in place of it.. it's really just to help with texture.