Rollercoaster Blogging

I’ve been quite PC on the blog, especially the 2nd half of the year. I’m always honest here, but I guess I just leave things out sometimes; things that could be controversial or not particularly kind, or that don’t fit the ‘I love everything!’ train of thought. It’s one of the reasons I wasn’t posting much for a while. As I referred to in the post ‘A Year of Lessons’.. 2010 was a rough one. So I subscribed to the blog version of the motto, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Except for in the blog version, it’s been, if you can’t say something, positive, motivating and encouraging, then don’t say anything at all.”

But not long ago, I had a great conversation with a fitness friend, who picked up on the fact that when I’m not bloggin, it often (not always) means that things are going fantastic. And she also reminded me that it isn’t just sunshine and rainbows that people want, but instead they want upfront honesty. That perfect and always happy is boring, and frankly it’s not realistic. I guess it’s the A-type, perfectionist side of me coming out.

When I first started blogging it was pretty fitness & competition-prep diet specific. But as it should, life, and therefore the blog evolved. It can be pretty daunting to be so open, honest and personal in a public setting, but at the same time it’s so rewarding and cathartic, and just pretty much awesome.  So I guess that’s my long way of saying that one of my goals this year, is to be more consistent with blogging no matter what.. that sounds so dramatic.. but you know what I mean.. blogging regardless of whether or not I feel guilty for missing workouts, or have lost a little motivation.. but to just be more open about all aspects of the process.. cause it sure is a roller coaster!

FITNESS

Pretty decent workouts this weekend. I’m still struggling to get back into respectable cardio shape. Usually once I get into a routine with it, and my cardio starts to improve, the time seems to go by faster and it’s not quite as boring.. unfortunately I’m far from that point right now! My answer for the time being is to do as many classes (my faves are Spin and Kickboxing) so I can at least keep it interesting.

Do you guys have any suggestions for getting into a pattern with morning workouts? I’m not a morning person, and really need to give myself extra time to slowly wake up, and enjoy a slow breakfast (while drinking coffee and reading blogs of course), in order to feel ready and energetic to start my day (haha, ‘slow’ showed up a couple times in that description). It is completely reasonable to get up at 5am to get my workout in before work.. I know so many people who do.. but I really struggle to make it happen. Help! Any tips or tricks?

NUTRITION

Slow & Steady

In a slow cooker that is! I have been all about the slow cooker lately. You know I’m a huge proponent of weekend food prep. I make meals in big batches then pre-portion into tupperware, so all I have to do is grab & combine when I’m running out the door in the morning. Here are two CRAZY SIMPLE slow cooker recipes I’ve made this week, that cut down on those epic cooking sessions:

Vanilla Cinnamon Steelcut Oats

4 c H20

1 1/4 c Steelcut Oats (I used Coach’s)

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 Vanilla Bean

It all goes into the slow cooker, give it a little stir, set on low, and go to sleep.. well that’s what I did.. but 6-8 hours should do it.

Salsa Chicken

Chicken Breast, cleaned & trimmed (amount depends on the size of your slow cooker.. so whatever amount can fit spread out on the bottom)

16 oz Salsa (pick a fun flavor!)

Lay chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour Salsa on top. Set slow cooker on low for ~4 hours.

I think I originally saw the Chicken “recipe” (quotes because it’s so darn easy!) on Janetha’s blog at somepoint. I use to be so intimidated by the device, but you really can just throw anything in there and let it do its thing!

Hope your week starts off wonderfully!

FITNESS

Another good day! My legs were just the right amount of sore today :p You know what I mean though?.. sore enough that I know I had a good workout, but not too sore that I sentenced to the couch. Ugh that’s the worst, have you ever been so sore that making any movement hurts so much that you start feeling sick? haha.. yes I have issues with pushing myself too far at times, but usually I don’t even know it when it’s happening. Any who.. check out the Workout Tracker (Fitness Tab –> Tracker).

NUTRITION

Completely on track meal-wise today too!  One more meal left.. think I’m going to have another Green Monster, it’s just such an easy and delicious way to get in both protein & veggies

Inspired by a recent care package delivery of TJ’s Peanut Flour, today I had hot oatmeal for the first time in months! I can’t believe I’m saying that, but for whatever reason, I’m only been craving oats as a smoothie topper.

Well prepare yourself for a couple not-so pretty pictures..

I made 1/4 c Coach’s Oats, stirred in 1/2 an Apple and Apple Pie Spice, then topped that with Peanut Flour Mapley Sauce (2 tbsp Peanut Flour + 2 tbsp Walden Farms Maple Syrup) and 1/2 c Plain Goat’s Milk Yogurt..

Soupy

This winter (though I guess it’s not even technically winter yet..) I have been obsessed with Butternut Squash Soup. It’s so easy to make, filling and healthy.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

• 1/2 Butternut Squash
• 1/2 Onion
• 1 Portobello Mushroom
• Minced Garlic to Taste
• 12 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Just throw the above ingredients into the crock pot, cook until the squash is soft. Puree in the blender.

I promise this tastes better than it looks! Tonight I reheated a cup of soup, mixed in Chicken Sausage & 1/2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast, then topped it with Avocado. Delicious!

FUN

So I saw ‘Black Swan’ last night. If you’re looking for a light holiday ballet movie.. run the other direction from this one! I knew it was going to be a dark sort of movie, but wow, it surpassed that. With all that said, however, I enjoyed it and if you don’t mind that sort of movie, I recommend it. The acting really is pretty amazing, and it’s one of those movies that I think you’d pick up different tidbits each time you watch it.

Seen any good movies lately? Besides ‘Black Swan,’ I saw ‘Burlesque’ (I’m usually easily entertained with movies, but I honestly thought it was awful and didn’t even stay to the end), and ‘Morning Glory’ (cute but with cast I guess I expected a little more).

Welcome September! If you’ve been following my blog from the beginning, you know I love fall.. a big part due to a minor.. ok maybe major.. obsession with Pumpkin..

This morning there was no better time to bring back Pumpkin Oatmeal! I stirred in 1/3 c Pumpkin into 1/3 c Steel Cut Oats and topped it with a ~1/2 c plain Goat’s Milk Yogurt (sweetened with Vanilla Extract & Stevia), Unsweetened Coconut and Craisins..

My trip to Washington last weekend was fantastic! A girl could have no better family and friends to celebrate with. I got into Seattle late Thursday and we hit the road early Friday to head to Richland, WA (east side of the Cascade Mountains) for the wedding. The weather was perfection! We stopped at a winery along the way..

The wedding was Saturday evening and was so much fun! We danced and sang and perhaps I did a little overindulging.. haha.. but it was worth it and simply a blast!..

Me and my Mom with AnnMarie and her mom the night before..

The whole thing was outside on the grass.. she’s brave!

Monday I spent the day playing tourist in Seattle by wandering around Pike Place Market, and the flagship Nordstrom :) .. not going to lie, I wasn’t particularly excited to head back to Phoenix.. but not for long..

The biggest news.. I’m moving to AUSTIN, TX

Remember a while back when I mentioned craving a change of scenery.. well Austin was at the top of the list for a number of reasons, and in the last week everything that needed to just fell into place. The syncronicity that went along with this simply could not be ignored, it feels right and I’m super excited! No better time! I’ll most likely be moving next weekend sometime. Which means I have a lot of packing and cabinet clearing meals in my future!

In Austin I’ll still be running Your Nourished Life, but am also looking for a marketing position in health, wellness or sports business. I’m at a point with YNL where I can see clients on the weekends and in the evening, and am looking for a full or part-time position. .. so if you know of anything!!!

As for my blogging future.. I’ll be back to normal posting with a few tweaks to add more topic posts, and not just my daily workouts and meals, as soon as possible… probably a couple before I leave (since my computer will be the last thing in the car).. then in full force onces I’m settled in TX.

Thank you all so much for your support, I’m excited for the future!

Ok, so this accidentally became an awfully word heavy post..

First a Preview

I’d seen the various CSN Store promotions & giveaways on other blogs, but hadn’t really browsed around. I finally did, and wow, I didn’t realize they have over 200 online stores with pretty much any healthy living product (and some not so healthy, I skipped over the deep fryer) you could want, ranging from dining room sets and cookware to fitness equipment (I spent a little too much time browsing around that last one :p). Look for a product review, and subsequent recipe creations (hint hint) coming soon!

And the current going’s on..

FITNESS

Refresher

Sometimes we need little refreshers about what’s really important in life… and perhaps when pursuing such a selfish, egotistic and narcissistic ”sport” such as Physique competitions, you may need them more often (I don’t mean to offend any competitors by saying that, I am one after all.. it’s like making fun of someone with red hair & freckles.. we get teased a lot as children :p).

Nothing dramatic happened, all is wonderful in my world.. but something reminded me recently of how truly silly it is for me to ever get upset about something as meaningless as a number on the scale not going down, or whether or not a caliper measurement went down one or two millimeters this week. I mean really?! This is one of the many things I’ve been contemplating/realizing lately.. and it’s a great thing.. I’m just thankful to be able to train like I do, and it really makes me not stress quite as much about competition-prep. I can be so type-A sometimes, that I am thankful for refreshers.. they come in so many forms: talking to friends, reading blog posts and yoga.. they snap me back into what’s really important.

But with that being said.. today was..

Check-In

As of today the competition is 2.2 weeks away.. all I gotta say is, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when I cut water! Oh and don’t worry, when I “cut” water I’m still drinking more than the average person. I drink well over a gallon on a daily basis, so cutting down to half a gallon or on the last couple days, 1/4 gallon, makes a difference to me, but I’m not exactly dehydrating myself. So specifically, yet again, my weight remains the same, but my body fat % went down. It’s all relative, but for comparison purposes, my trainer had me at around 7.5% the weeks of my two shows last November (I tracked it here), and right now I am right around 8.25%. Am I really exactly 8.25%, no, of course not, but relatively speaking I’m <1% different from what I competed at last time. Weight you wonder..

Well let me say this first, I am completely 100% happy with how I look and feel right now. So this isn’t, at all, a weight complaint post, it’s more of a “what, really” post, haha… So I am actually right around 130 lbs right now.. oh I’m 5’4″. Crazy right?!  That’s up just over 12 lbs over what I was at this far out last time.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been going back & forth a bit with regards to whether or not I’d compete August 28th if I didn’t feel ready. Well I think I’ve decided that I will compete no matter what. I always say that I want to get on stage knowing I did everything I could do be my best up there. If my best is good enough to win, then awesome, if it’s not good enough that day, then I won’t be disappointed as long as I know that I did my best. Have a been 100% perfect on my diet the last 6 weeks.. no.. could I potentially fit in more cardio.. yes.. but have I done my best with the situation I’m in, while trying to stay as healthy as possible.. mind & body.. YES!

Over the last week I had wonderful conversations with my Dad, a close friend and my trainer over me competing in physique competitions and my future in it. I am in just such a wonderfully positive place right now, that I want to stay there, and I want to prevent any unhealthy emotions and physical issues after the show. After going to watch NPC USAs a couple weeks ago, a number of things made me think long and hard about why I do this. And I was very pleased with my conclusion.. I know I do this for all the right reasons. I have an amazing support system in the form of family, friends and all of you! I want to win of course, but for me it’s not about getting reassurance about how I look or that I’m “the best.” I truly enjoying working out, challenging myself, and especially meeting amazing people and having fun at shows. Heck I’m a Leo, and an only child at that.. there will always be a part of me that enjoys being the center of attention.. so put me in the micro-suit and give me some heals and I’ll go play on stage.. crap.. I mean that in a very, “I”m not seeking a career as a stripper” sort of way.. though they do make bank! :p I digress.. I do it because it’s fun! .. But I’d be lying like crazy if I didn’t admit that this dieting part is not fun.. no, it’s not fun at all, and I’ve definitely had a few rough moments this last week, where it all of a sudden got A LOT harder, and I seriously questioned “what the hell am I doing?” Basically, I’m hungry about 75% of the day. I’ll eat a meal, and an hour later I’m hungry again. Not “oh I could eat” hungry, but “holly crap, give me food now!” sort of hungry. It’s incredibly distracting when you’re trying to get work done, haha.. We made a couple changes to my diet today that I hope will help. After all, it’s only 2.5 weeks away, and I’m looking forward to having a blast with teammates who have worked so hard to be there!

As for after that show.. I have no idea.. maybe Ironwoman NPC, maybe Fitness American.. we shall see ..  And I’m completely ok with that.. for now..

As far as the rest of today.. I finally made it to Yoga (it’d been over a week) for a noon-time Power Hour class.. it was awesome, and just what I needed. Then there will be Spin tonight!

NUTRITION

I started making one thing, then changed my mind half-way through.. this is what I was really craving..

Savory Oats! This was 1/3 c Coach’s Steel Cut Oats mixed with 1/2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast & 1 tbsp Salsa, topped with 3.5 oz Chicken Breast, 35 g Pinto Beans and another tbsp of Salsa.. totally hit the spot

FUN

A Few Posts

Here are a few posts I’ve dug lately:

1) From Eat, Live, Run, “ELR Food Philosophy.. Again”

My comment on this post:

I think if someone glanced at my blog they would think I would be one of the ones on the other side of the fence on this one.. but that SO isn’t true! I absolutely couldn’t agree more. My biggest struggle is the moderation part. I tend to be an extremist with whatever I do and have trouble finding the off-button with sweets (alcohol, fried food, etc have never been a problem there, just sweets.. who knows why). But perhaps it’s because I do attempt to restrict myself too much. I think life is far far too short not to have a cookie when you really want one!

2) Alison Either’s, “Europa Texas on the Horizon,” talking about Fitness and it’s demands

3) And just because apparently I’m a masochist: How Sweet It Is’ “Better than Crack Brownies“

FITNESS

Today was check/weigh-in with the trainer… My waist measurement and body fat % are down (9% give or take 0.5%), but my weight is staying stubborn (only down slightly from last week). What’s the heck, where’s it going?! .. Well it probably/might/perhaps mean that I’m holding water. This whole process is so crazy, but interesting. It’s an every changing process. I weigh a whole lot more than I did last prep, but my body fat is right on track. So we’re making a few adjustments to my nutrition this coming week to see if my body responds. Basically I’ll be sticking with the same overall calories but playing with macronutrients to add in more low-glycemic index/load carbs and less protein.

I actually did legs again today (messed up my split) but focused more on Hamstrings & Glutes. I’m not lifting particularly heavy right now, since I’m doing so much more cardio and just trying to maintain, so even though having a recovery day in between would have been better, at this point.. no harm done Besides, legs are my weakness (i.e. where I hold weight till the last moment), and it doesn’t hurt that it’s my favorite to work

Cardio was 15 min. Sprints (jog at 5.8 for 1 min. Sprint at 9.0-10.0 for 30 sec), followed by a 60 min. Spin class. Spin was a bit rough tonight after 2 days of legs and Sprints, but it was made better by a great new playlist.. people where dancing on the bikes and singing, it was fun!

NUTRITION

Glycemic Values

I wrote this brief article recently, and it ended up coming in handy when needing to figure out this upcoming weeks meal plan

Glycemic Index: What & Why

Eats

Today’s eats were a little mixed up, but this week I get to attempt to be creative with the new food options, so should be fun! But for today..

A plain & simple Protein Waffle with WF Maple Syrup..

A Perfect Match

Peanut Butter & Chocolate are just meant to be together (I always think of those Reese’s commercials, hehe). Post-work, after receiving the orders to add back in more carbs, I had this beauty..

1/4 c Coach’s Oats + 2 tbsp Oat Bran + 1/2 tbsp Hershey’s Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa (mixed in at the end), with a side of PB Protein Ice Cream (made with 1/2 scoop Protein Powder)..

Later in the day I snacked on Cinnamon Sweet Potato Bites (oh, I always call them ‘sweet potatoes’ out of habit, but these are really Garnet Yams)..

I also  had a little Oatmeal mixed with a tbsp of Cake Batter Protein Powder & Cinnamon, and roasted Chicken Breast this afternoon.

Dinner was a great mix! 2 oz Tilapia, 1/3 cup no-salt-added Pinto Beans, 2 tbsp Salsa & 1 tbsp Fat-Free Feta..

I thinking dessert will be Yogurt Almond Milk Ice Cream of some sort of another. I’ll post the specific recipe tomorrow!

FUN

Shopping!

And check it out. Here are two great coupons for my Shop. Both are good through July 31st, but can’t be used at the same time:

• Free Shipping on any product – Code: JulyFreeShip
• 20% discount on any product – July20pct

Blogroll

I started making updates & changes to my blogroll (under ‘Fun & Faves’ tab). I made a bunch of additions and am adding in my favorite products/companies too. It’s a work in progress but a starts a start.

On the positive side.. Figure competition-prep measurements went down slightly AND it was carb day! woot woot

FITNESS

Today was Arms and what ended up being plain old SS cardio, on inclined treadmill. I really wanted to get cardio done early so I could get to Yoga, but the events of the day messed up my schedule and I ended up settling for cardio at my complex’s gym. I hadn’t worked out there before because it’s just pretty ‘blah’ but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

Tomorrow, on the other hand, will be great.. I’m determined. It’ll be Shoulders & Back, HIIT Cardio, then Poolside-Sunset Yoga at a gorgeous Scottsdale resort that overlooks Camelback Mountain! They have these events every month or so but I haven’t been able to make it yet.. and of course with it being Arizona in July, it’s automatically hot yoga. Here are pictures from past events.. cool right?!

(Source: InterContinental Montelucia Facebook Page)

NUTRITION

Yay for carbs

Pre-workout I just had a usual Protein Pancake, which went un-pictured because my camera battery died.

But I was ready for Oats after! I give you PB & Chocolate Yoats: 1/3 c Coach’s Steel Cut Oats + 2 tbsp Oat Bran cooked in 1.25 c H20, stirred in 2 tbsp Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Syrup, then topped it with plain Greek Yogurt that I’d mixed with 1 tbsp Special Dark Cocoa Powder & Stevia..

It’s crazy, my body is definitely adjusting to the diet, and on high-carb days my metabolism just kills it! I ate this giant bowl of oatmeal, was comfortably full for about 45 min. then was ready to eat again. A month ago I would have eaten this and would have been full for hours. The other noticeable thing is when I eat more carbs I feel noticeably hotter within 10 min. It’s funny how much more aware I feel with regards to how my body’s responding to food… moving on to more carb-tastic tastiness..

Lunch was Cinnamon Sweet Potato Bites with a PB Protein Ice Cream Sundae (yes, I’m satisfying my nut butter obsession through purely chemical means)..

For dinner I tried another one of the Tasty Bites Indian Entrees. This time I went with Jodphur Lentils and added Cod and a bit of Hummus (sorry for the messy look, it exploded a bit in the microwave)..

This was good, but I like the Madras spices better.

I also snacked on Baked Oatmeal Bites. I used a recipe from Recipes for Gals in Figure and Bodybuilding for Baked Oatmeal and just cooked it in muffin tins..

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal Bites

1/2 c Oats

3/4 c H20

2 tbsp Sugar-Free Coconut Syrup

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Stevia to taste

Cinnamon to taste

1/3 c fresh Blueberries

Mix everything together. Let sit for 5 minutes. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 F for 35 min.

This was pretty good! I love baked goods with Blueberries, even though I actually don’t like the texture of Blueberries alone. Any who.. after taking the above picture, I drizzled it with a bit of Unsweetened Almond Breeze.. that made even better

Preppin

I also did a little food prep for the next food days including roasted Chicken Breast, Diet Spinach Bars and Protein Waffles (same as the pancake recipe.. these worked much better not adding any H20)..

For dessert I whipped up a Berry Tofu Pudding. The flavor on this wasn’t particularly strong, but it was still sweet & good. I’m just totally diggin’ the texture of this protein. I only ate a few spoonfuls, but think it’ll be perfect as a protein pancake topping tomorrow!

Berry Tofu Pudding

1  12 oz package of Mori-nu Silken Lite Firm Tofu

~1/2 c frozen Strawberries

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Stevia to taste

Blend everything in a food processor until smooth. Chill for an hour.

FUN

I’m just happy we’re over the hump, and I get a little Yoga in my life tomorrow.

Oh and I’ll announced the Giveaway winner tomorrow!

Good day, bad day? How was yours?

Have you done hot yoga or yoga outside?

FITNESS

I had a killer Leg & Abs workout today!

Abs: Hanging Leg Lifts, Weighted Situps, Full Situps.. I’m forgetting something.. and I didn’t write it down :p

Legs: Lung Walk Skips, Weighted Lung Walks, Resistance Band Side Walks, Hack Squats, Leg Press, Bosu Ball DB Squats, Speed Stepups, Box Jumps, Hamstring Curls, SB Hamstring Curls

I usually go to a Kickboxing class on Tuesday nights, but it’s been 2.5 weeks since I’ve been to Yoga, I’ve been craving it (no better way to describe the feel), and boy did I need it mentally. It worked out perfectly, because my body was already feel pretty tired and achy. I did an hour long Power class. It wasn’t pretty, and I definitely wasn’t moving as smoothly and wasn’t as focused as I was just a few weeks ago (when I was going 5+ times a week), but nonetheless, I left feeling refreshed.. both body & mind. I really need to be better about making sure to get to Yoga a couple times a week, even when I’m increasingly cardio & intensity.. it’s worth it for my sanity

On a side note: It’s funny.. I hadn’t been to Yoga since our Arizona whether went from a cool & calm 95 F (yes, being completely serious that that is calm around these parts), to our current 110 F days. The Yoga I do is heated and the room is often around 100 F, so when I walked out of class today, it didn’t really feel all that hot out. Just another reason to get my butt to class!

NUTRITION

I knew exactly what I wanted when I woke up this morning.. I’ve been on such a Protein Pancake kick!

Today it was beautiful Blueberry Protein Pancakes. In the mix: 1 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder + 2 tbsp ground Oats + 1/2 tsp Baking Powder + 1/4 c Egg Whites + 1/2 tbsp Udo’s Oil + Cinnamon + H20 + ~1/3 c fresh Blueberries).. yum

FITNESS

Check-In

Today was Shoulders & Back, Spin and.. check-in! I haven’t made major changes to my diet quite yet (carbs are above 100 g, just keepin everything clean), just increasing cardio. Since my last measurements (about 1.5 weeks ago), weight stayed pretty much the same but body fat went down slightly. What’s crazy is when I started dieting down for my last competition, my body fat % was right around the same as it is now, but I was 10 lbs lighter! Measurement wise, everything is up.. arms, glutes and legs.. My natural inclination is to not be happy about that, but then I have to stop & remind myself.. oh wait.. that was my exact goal, add muscle! So, all in all, even if I’m still adjusting to how I look in the mirror.. I’m pretty happy.. just can’t wait to be able to compete again!

NUTRITION

Pre-workout I snacked on a Protein & Oat Protein Pancake.. but post workout breakfast #2 was fantastic..

Strawberry Ice Cream Oats! I made 1/3 c Coach’s Steel Cut Oats stove top, then topped it with 1/2 of an Ice Cream Protein Shake (1/2 scoop MGN Ice Cream Sandwich Whey Protein Isolate + 1/2 c UVAB + 1/4 tsp Xantham Gum + Ice), and fresh Strawberries!.. perfect

For lunch I went with leftovers.. a slice of Lentil Walnut Loaf, Seitan, a little Artichokamole and fresh Tomatoes..

Perfect on a hot day.. a Matcha Fit-uccinno (1 c UVAB + 1 tsp Matcha Powder + 1/2 tsp Guar Gum + 1/4 tsp Xantham Gum + Ice)..

There was also mid-day snacking on reduced-sodium deli Turkey wrapped with Cottage Cheese & Hummus.. so simple.. so healthy.. so tasty!

Dinner was a new mix. I saw a Vegan Cheesy Hemp Nacho Sauce from Kristen’s Raw, and made a few adaptations to create a single serving version to go with Shirataki Noodles. I blended the follow ingredients in the Magic Bullet using the flat blade: 2 tbsp Hemp Seeds, 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast, 1 tbsp Hummus, 2 tbsp H20 and dashes of Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Soy Sauce, Salt & Pepper. I mixed that with the noodles and topped it with 4 oz grilled Chicken, Sundried Tomato pieces and a little bit of fresh Basil..

I am loving this Chocolate Frozen Yogurt (1 c Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Breeze + 6 oz plain Greek Yogurt + 1 tbsp Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder + Stevia + 1/2 tsp Xantham Gum.. blended, then mixed in the Ice Cream Maker for 20 minutes)..

Yawn.. I’m spent. Have a great night!

FITNESS

It’s been a good couple of days! Right now I’m really trying to get refocused and consistent with my training. With all the festivities of the past couple months.. and recent sickness, I’d been pretty good about getting in my workouts but haven’t really gotten into a steady routine. So right now I’m all about getting into the workout groove Unfortunately I haven’t been to yoga in almost 2 weeks! I miss it, and hopefully will get in this weekend.. but I know that unfortunately Yoga isn’t what gets me in the shape I need to be in on stage… silly cardio

In an effort to keep dreaded cardio interesting, I’ve been trying out a new classes. Yesterday I tried a new Kickboxing class called ‘Strike’ and it was fantastic! It was fun, non-stop, the instructor was energetic & motivating (but not annoying) and I burned over 500 calories! Then today I tried another new Spin class. It was just ok, but we did a lot of hill work, which I like, and even though my heart rate didn’t peak, it was a good 60 minutes of steady state. Tomorrow I’m starting the day with a leg workout, my fave as you know, and planning to try another new Kickboxing class!

Exercise of the Week

Today I did a new exercise that was surprisingly hard… Incline Shoulder Press. Lay face down on an incline bench, and do shoulder presses. Because of the position, you have absolutely no momentum or ability to recruit other muscles (subconsciously or not) to cheat.. you’ll be surprised how far down in weight you have to drop, but it’s awesome!

NUTRITION

I tried a new (for me) twist on my usual Overnight Oats. Following Angela’s guidance I made a Veganized version.

The night before I mixed together:

Vegan Overnight Oats

3/4 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (UVAB)

1/3 c raw organic Oats

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

In the morning I stirred in 8 drops of Vanilla Stevia and topped it with

2 sliced Strawberries

1 tbsp raw Coconut Butter

Summer breakfast perfection!

I tried a new Chocolate Protein Waffle mix today, but clearly overestimated the amount of batter needed :p

But it still turned out great.. and tasted pretty darn good too. The following makes 2 full-sized Waffles:

Chocolate Fibered Up Protein Waffles

1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder (I used MGN Rocky Road Whey Isolate)

1/4 c Wheat Bran

1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

1 tbsp raw Cacao Powder

1/2 c Egg Whites

topped with: 2 tbsp Walnut pieces and o-calorie Maple Syrup

Mid-day snack was a Protein Green Monster (1 scoop Vega Sport Vanilla + 1 c UVAB + 1/2 c frozen Strawberries + 2 oz Baby Spinach + 1/2 tsp Guar Gum)..

I need serious work on my plating and food photography skills. I am amazed how some bloggers can make another look like pieces of art.. me.. not so much :p

But I promised, this tasted much better, and was much more interesting than this looks.

It was a Low-carb Wrap filled with Baked Tofu, 1/3 Avocado, Salsa, Hummus and Spinach, grilled on the Foreman..

For evening snack I was craving something sweet.. so “Ice Cream” it was!

Mocha Chip “Ice Cream”

1 c UVAB

1/2 c decaf Coffee

1 pack decaf Starbucks Via

1/4 c raw Cacao Powder

1/4 c 0-cal Sugar Substitute

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tbsp raw unsweetened Cacao Nibs

In a saucepan combine first 5 ingredients over medium heat, mixing frequently to make sure Sugar & Cacao dissolve. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let sit for a couple minutes. Pour into a blender, add Xanthan Gum & Vanilla Extract, and blend on slow for 1 minute. Pour into Ice Cream Maker and let it do it’s thing for 30 min. Add Cacao Nibs at the end.

Again.. not the prettiest picture.. ok fine, it’s a giant brown blob, but it tasted rich & delicious and totally fulfilled my sweet-tooth in only 120 calories :p

FUN

Lots of big Fitness, Figure & Bikini events going on this weekend! Fitness Universe is in Miami and will be webcast (unfortunately for a $20 fee), and NPC Jr. Nationals is in Chicago! A couple girls from my trainer’s studio (Lara & Christine), along with the beautiful & smokin hot Genie and Rebecca are competing at NPC and Stephanie (aka FitPunk) is out in Miami representing with so many of the amazing Savage Girls.. HUGE GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU!!!

Oh, and for those who have signed up for the Your Nourished Life Newsletter, it is still coming! I had hoped to have the 1st edition out the 15th of this month, but I’m waiting on my new website.. but it will be soon (hoping July 1st at the latest!). Thank you so much for your support

FITNESS

I debated making today a rest day, because I’m aching from the last couple killer days, but I was in the mood for lifting, so I headed to the gym to work Shoulders & Glutes:

Shoulders: Push-Press, Arnold Press, Lat Raises, Rear Delts

Glutes: DB Step-ups, Sumo Squats, Leg Press high & wide, Lunges, Glute Kickbacks, Adductor Kicks

Gotta get cardio in tomorrow.. leaning towards Spin, and either doing Legs & Back tomorrow or Sunday.. playing it by ear.

On another note, gym pet peeves.. I think my biggest gym pet peeve is people “resting” between sets by sitting on the machine/bench/rack for 10 minutes. Seriously drives me crazy! That, and I’d really like to go over and hand the girl doing 5 lbs 2-arm triceps-extensions a 20 lbs dumbbell. I promise ladies, lifting “heavy” won’t get you big unless you eat enough extra calories to make it happen. Not lifting enough to break a sweat is wasting your time. Kick it up a notch and I promise you won’t regret it.. unless you have something against toned arms :p

NUTRITION

I had a couple inquiries as to what a low-carb (50 g) day looks like. For the most part, I try to post everything I eat, but often little snacks on-the-go don’t get pictured. I’ll do a couple posts next week listing everything, along with macros, for the fun of it. Once you get into the swing of it, eating low-carb isn’t really all that hard.. just a matter of adjusting

It was carb day!

So naturally I started my day with oatmeal In case you missed it, a while back I did an ‘Ode to Oatmeal’ post, with a bunch of recipes.

This morning I went with Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Oats..

Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Oats

1/3 c Steel Cut Oats cooked in 1/2 c UVAB + 1/2 c H20

2 oz Unsweetened Natural Apple Sauce (stirred in at the end)

1/2 c Egg Whites (whipped separately, then stirred in at the end)

Cinnamon to taste

Look how big, they’re taking over the pot..

I topped mine with more Cinnamon and 0-cal Walden Farms Maple Syrup..

Mid-day snack was a Berry Protein Green Monster (1 packet Berry Vega Sport + 3/4 c UVAB + 1/4 c H20 + 1 c frozen Spinach + 1 tsp Glutamine + Ice + 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum), topped with Goji Berries..

Lunch was another serving of Oatmeal This time I mixed in 1/2 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder and topped it with a dollup of plain Greek Yogurt. I put it in a tupperware to take with me, but ended up eating it then, it just tasted so good!

Afternoon snack was a Turkey Apple Sausage with 1/2 c cooked Qunioa (which exploded a bit in the microwave, woops)..

Post-workout I swung by the store and stocked up on sugar-free syrups. I know, I know.. I’m so addicted. This is seriously one of my last major vices, eeck.. but I guess admitting it’s the first step right?.. but any who.. checkout the fun flavors..

I’ve never tried Watermelon or Lemon.. already have a couple great Shake and fitness-friendly treats in mind for those!

Dinner was a new mix for me. I sauteed Kale with minced garlic & onion, then mixed in 4 oz cooked Ground Turkey, and topped that with 1/3 Avocado and 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast. Over the next couple weeks I’ll be taking out Avocado, but I’d picked some up earlier in the week, and there was no way I was going to let it go to waste..

Dessert was a PB & Chocolate Protein Shake. Not interesting enough to picture (drank it straight from the Magic Bullet cup), but it was just 1 scoop PB Protein Powder + 1/2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa + 3/4 c UVAB + Xanthan Gum + Glutamine + Ice. So tasty!

FUN

Today I went to the fair! I haven’t been since high school at some point. This one turned out to be rather small but it was still fun to see the animals..

And don’t forget, the Scivation Xtend Giveaway is still going on!

Any fun weekend plans?!