Is That Your Final Answer?

Yes. No. Maybe. Aghhh! Ask anyone who I have come in contact with this week and they will probably tell you that I am the most indecisive person on earth. Well you know what, it's the damn truth. And you know what else, I'm allowed to be. I've gone from doing this competition to not doing it to do it to not and back and forth ten times more. Have mercy. It's been a cruel bout of whiplash for myself and all others involved- sorry to all those involved, love you guys for putting up with it!

I had gone through peak week without a glitch up until last night. I hit one of those mental points where I thought to myself, "okay, no matter what I do or how much I dehydrate myself, sit in the sauna or deplete my carbs until the night prior to the show, I will not look like I want to. Plain and simple. If I don't look how I want to then I don't want to do the show". The more I repeated this thought process in my head the more I went with it. Finally midnight rolled around and sometime around then I decided that I didn't want to do it. Final answer (hah. right.). I figured I would compete at an October show or better yet maybe just wait until spring. That way time was at my disposal and I could even make a few gains before cutting time. Now I'm getting frustrated that I wasted a week on steady state cardio, light leg workouts, NO CARBS and all of the other components of peak week. 

Today I went back to my usual clean diet that I've been training with starting with a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter this morning. Went to the gym, did HIIT, came home and had a protein smoothie and a handful of almonds. Steamed chicken and vegetables for lunch, an apple and almonds for a snack and orange roughy, sautéed onion and olives for dinner. All things not peak week friendly. After all, I decided I wasn't competing.

Today at some point I began realizing I needed to tell all of the people that have been supporting me through this that I wouldn't be competing anymore. Easier said than done my friends. You never know how much people truly do stand behind you and support you until it comes to a moment like this. I got responses like, "No Bailey, you are going to do it. Don't even think about where you will place. Stepping on that stage is an accomplishment in itself! I will be proud no matter what, and I know you will be too after :)" and "Don't worry about the other girls! You're doing this for yourself! Everyone will be so proud of you when you step up on that stage, including myself! :) I know how hard you have worked. I'll be here for you before and after :)". Man. These kids are persistent. After multiple responses like this I'm left feeling like a quitter. A big ole baby. Now I'm wanting to do it again. It's just like they said, and I've said in previous posts, I've worked hard for this and it's not about the other girls and regardless of what happens I will be okay because I have love and support behind me. Blast.

If you thought this post would have some sort of answer or closure then I am sorry, you are sadly mistaken. I will wake up tomorrow and see how I feel, how my body is reacting to my sub par peak week behaviors today. Maybe I'll go get my spray tan on and feel like I can conquer the world or maybe I will decide that waiting is best. Ultimately I know that whatever I choose will be the right choice because no matter what everything is going to be okay and this is not the end.

Let Peak Week Commence

Today was technically Day 2 of peak week but it was the first day that the "fun stuff" happened. For starters I tweaked my diet. I reduced my diet from around about 100g of carbs per day to 50 grams. That whole 50g came from 1/2 c oats and spinach, broccoli, kale, and green beans. My meals went as follows;

MEAL 1- 1/2c oats, 1 Tbsp almond butter, 3 egg whites & 1 whole egg
MEAL 2- Tilapia & green beans
MEAL 3- Chicken & broccoli
MEAL 4- Chicken & spinach
MEAL 5- Egg whites, spinach & onion
MEAL 6- Egg whites & kale

So far I don't feel deprived or weaker or anything. Then again my body is still running off of the carbs that I took in on Saturday & Sunday. Even my workout felt pretty strong. I don't expect this for the whole week though. In fact I predict that my workout tomorrow will be pretty strenuous. The purpose of depleting carbs early in the week and working out is to cause the muscles to work and deplete all of the glycogen they are storing. Then later on in the week when carbs are incorporated again they go straight to the muscles and not so much to the surrounding tissues. This is what gives the muscles the "full" look after the carb load. Tomorrow I will reduce my carbs yet again to just 1/4c oats in the morning. That puts me at about 30% of my usual intake.

My workout was just steady state cardio. 20 minutes on the stair master and 10 minutes walking at an incline. Followed by some stretching. Nothing too crazy. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be my last two lifting days precontest. And they will only be light upper body workouts. Other than that I am on a strictly steady state cardio workout agenda through Thursday. Friday will be an off day and then before I know it, it will be SATURDAY!

I also began taking my Xpel (water pills) and drinking my 2 gallons of water. Today and tomorrow are both 2 gallon days. Then 1 gallon Wednesday. 1 quart Thursday. Then none Friday! I am pretty sure that all of my coworkers are ready for contest prep to be over so I can actually go 15 minutes without having to leave to pee.

Lastly, this morning was posing practice. Yikes. Posing. Is. Everything. Posing will make or break you in NPC world. You're poses and attitude are what can and will determine how well you place. I have not been proficient in practicing my posing. As in I haven't hardly practiced at all. So you could say I had a rude awakening this morning! That being said I ended up practicing for 30 minutes this morning and another hour tonight. I had Charlie horses out the ying yang but I feel like I made some mad progress! It was hard to loosen up at first and just go with it, walk with attitude and put on a big grin for pretend judges. It seemed so silly! BUT I found my ticket to loosening up. The song Porn Star Dancing was just the thing I needed playing in the background to get the little pep in my step that I needed! Hey, after all, I'm strutting my stuff in stripper heals anyways so why not practice to a song that fits the part? :p

Off to bed for me now! Work, core & cardio and posing tomorrow! Adios :)

-B

God Helps Those Who LOVE & Help Themselves

So yesterday I had a meltdown. The day started out fine, followed my same routine. Oats and egg whites, work, pre-prepped meals. I then headed back home to mom's for our hair appointments (lawd knows I wasn't going to get up on stage before taming my mane :p). Somewhere along the way I let my thoughts catch up with me, probably when I was on the just long enough car ride back to my hometown. That's where the day took a turn. I came to a few final realizations. I've been dodging these thoughts for a while so it's not like they just hit me and bam I had an epiphany.

I've realized that in the last 10 weeks I have slowly slipped into this unhappy, lost, confused mess. In the beginning of my contest prep I was so excited to tackle this new challenge. Little did I know it would entail more detailed work, expenses, planning and changes than I was prepared for. Not to mention the emotional downfalls. If you recall, I was mentioning how I have been having trouble sleeping recently. Looking back, ever since I started contest prep I haven't been able to sleep. I'm constantly stressing and thinking about what I could be doing different or if I should try different approaches to various things or if I should give a new supplement a try. My mind has been so wound up that I can't even sleep.

I haven't been loving myself through this whole process. In fact, it's more like I've been punishing myself. I deprive myself of what I want. Then on top of that I get upset when I don't see fast enough results and turn around and slip up on my diet or beat myself up even more. Slowly but surly I have been sucking myself into a dark hole of hate, disappointment and unhappiness.

 I've gotten my head too wrapped up in this competition. That's not to say that I don't want to ever compete or even do this show I've been training (up until now also known as torturing) myself for. I've learned a lot in this process. And I DO enjoy pushing myself. But I have learned that I need to really visualize patience. Not lose sight of why I honestly love fitness. Putting an expiration date on my progress was one of the biggest mistakes I've made. That is probably what caused the largest portion of my stress. My journey doesn't end on September 14th at my first competition. That is just a mile marker. A stepping stone in the grand scheme of things. The second biggest mistake I've made is comparing. Comparing my physical progress with other first time competitors. Comparing my training and diet outline with others. Comparing what works best for other competitors with what might work best for me. In all the comparing I've lost myself in a cluster of what will actually work best for me and what won't. My body isn't like all these other competitors and what works for them might not work out for me and my body won't respond in the same way that theirs do.

I'm unsure how I'm going to do this yet but I've decided that I need to incorporate ways to remind myself every day to love myself and be patient with myself and the process and lastly to not forget why I am passionate about fitness. My ultimate goal is to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle and to push myself to new limits. Balance and other lifestyle changes don't happen overnight so bear with me while I go under construction. That's all for now.

Xoxo
-B



I've learned that I need to do what I've

Where Did This Week Go & What is my Life About?!

Oh my goodness. I woke up on Sunday, blinked, and now I'm like what's up Friday? So that being said, good thing it's Thursday beacauseeeeeee that means... THURSDAY THOUGHTS! Woot woot :p

1. My new obsession is One Tree Hill. Errrmuhhhgerdddd. SO addicting. I'm not a huge TV junkie, and this isn't even a newer show but woah dang. I have been so caught up in it that I've been brought to tears at least five times. In the first season. Dear lord what is my life about.

2. Today I dropped $50 bucks on stripper heels. What is my life about? Granted they are for the bikini competition but still. If you asked me a year ago if I saw that in my future I would have said hell to the no!

3. Also, today, I shaved my arms. SO weird. What is my life about? I did it as part of the competition prep but I'll be honest and tell you that it may be one of my least favorite things. Not because of how it looks, I think it makes my arms looks pretty sleek and a bit more defined. What I'm more concerned about is when the hair grows back. Will it be thicker? Darker? Pokey? I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it! Meanwhile I'll just feel like I'm playing the part of Silence of the Lambs living in someone else's skin suit.

As for a recap of the other "ness" that went down earlier this week, Monday I was fortunate enough to have the day off work and Bayli and I made a day trip to Lake Erie with her family. After lots of begging and pleading, the sun decided to finally come out and make an appearance.

And as for What I Ate Wednesday..

Breakfast was a stack of delicious protein pancakes topped with almond buttaaa :)

It may sound crazy but this was my mid morning snack, chicken, avocado and veggies!

Lunch was a can of tuna mashed up with avocado, red onion and tomato. SO GOOD.

Afternoon snack was flounder, carrots and almonds. I topped it with orange ginger seasoning and cinnamon. It was a very pleasant surprise and semi sweet tasting :)

Dinner hit the spot, Green beans, almonds, cauliflower and tilapia. Om nom nom :)

Well I am beat now. HIIT cardio earlier today and a crazy lift this evening. New PR of 380 on the leg press! Yeeee :) I'm ready for these gams to be toned and tight right MEOW! One Tree Hill is calling my name.. tehehe. Tootles!

Not all roads lead to rome, but if you're lucky...

They can lead you somewhere even better. I decided today will be a post of my fitness (or not so fit-ness) journey. It's been a long road and it's nowhere near over yet! Thank goodness. Nutrition and fitness kind of saved me in a way. It allowed me to see my true passion in life and taught me a better lifestyle. My junior year in high school landed me into multiple doctors visits with an auto immune disorder. Unfortunately its much easier to just say you have an auto immune disorder than actually figuring out you have one. It was a long six months but finally we figured it out, and so it began. I changed my lifestyle. My habits. My diet. Everything. It was hard, depressing at times. Heck, I still have my moments where I feel like I'm hitting bottom. But this lifestyle is one I wouldn't trade for any other in the world. Anyhow, below is a little timeline of my journey.. :)

Junior year when everything was pretty normal. Ate what I wanted, no fitness agenda, basically just did my thing and was happy.

And so begins the weight gain after junior year.. my diet was changed at this point and I was back and forth on steroids for inflammation. I always felt deprived. You try telling a teenager she can't have pizza, burgers, or pasta anymore and see what happens. Or keep reading and I can show you.

At this point I realized the change taking place and my weight gain so I then went into crash diet mode through my senior year. I lost 15-20 pounds that year. (none of which stayed off).

I absolutely loathe the way I look in the pictures above. I hate what my mindset was at this point in my life. I look weak, scrawny,  and I sure as hell wasn't happy.

 

Following graduation I got my mind in a healthier place and started to gain some necessary weight back.

Here I was just beginning the process of a break up. I channeled my energy to Zumba. Zumba was a life saver. I started doing pilates too. I loved them both and my body did too. I finally had everything right how I'd been wanting it, my happy medium. Then I moved out. Began drinking more often. The drinking led to snacking, you know how it goes. The pounds started piling back on.

 

Needless to say I was becoming fat and unhappy -__-

 





I finally met this gem and things have never been the same :) This is when I really started turning things around. Trading the booze for weights, paying closer attention to what I was putting in my body and stepping up the intensity of my cardio.

 

 



The most recent picture above is the one on the left (approx. 2 months ago). The one on the right is from November of last year. I've still been making progress since then so stay tuned for those pics. I've got to keep you wondering a little bit about what's changed in the past month! ;p

 



Through this whole time (high school days until now) I was still going to the gym 2-3 times a week. Goes to show that weight loss is 70% diet, 30% exercise and 100% dedication.









WIAW 8/28/13

Boy has it been a while since my last WIAW!! I'm excited to be back and with lots of goods :D Today was full of new things. New workout, new foods, new people.. :) All of which are good things!

Lets start with the workout since that's where my day began at the ripe hour of 5:30am, cough cough dedication cough cough. I met the ever so lovely Kassandra, aka my lifting buddy, partner in crime, herbalife advocate, fellow bikini competitor in training & BFF, at the gym. We both have finished Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer and so now to really cut up we are doing Ashley Conrad's 21 day Clutch Cut program. Its only three weeks but man do those three weeks count. It's going to be brutal. I suggest checking out the plan at bodybuilding.com! Today was day one and I feel great about how it went. It's mainly high intensity interval training and ploymetrics. Technically you don't even need a gym for this program. It's fantastic. The workout went as follows:

Warm up for 5 minutes walking at an incline
Stretch
Repeat the following circuit 3-6 times doing each set for 15 reps (30 seconds rest between sets):
Clean & Press
Overhead medicine ball throws
Dumbbell rear lunge
Push ups
Bench dips
Sprint in place (30 seconds)
Bodyweight squat
Wide grip lat pull down/pull ups
Medicine ball jumping jacks
Incline push up
Dumbbell bicep curl
Side lateral raise
One arm dumbbell row
(repeat 3-6x)
Cool down for 5 minutes walking at an incline
Stretch

We were seriously DRIPPING in sweat after this, it was fantastic.

While burning our bums in the gym we came across another fellow competitor. She is competing in Kassandra"s height class and was so incredibly nice! We actually ended up planning a few times to practice posing and working out together. This will be her first time competing too and she looks GREAT. She's actually a trainer at our gym.

Next, for what I ate today:

Meal 1- 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp. Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter, 6 egg whites
Meal 2- Buffalo chicken wrap made of 1 Rudi's GF spinach tortilla, 1 can chicken (drained), Frank's Red Hot and 1 Tbsp Oasis Garlic Hummus.
Meal 3- Spinach salad with chopped peppers, onion, 4oz chicken and 1 oz raw almonds
Meal 4- 4 oz ground turkey, 1 cup steamed cauliflower, 1/4 cup brown rice
Meal 5- Balsamic marinated portabella mushroom stuffed with tilapia, chopped asparagus, red onion and 1 tbsp. Oasis Garlic Hummus. (SOOOOO GOOOOOD)
Meal 6- myofusion probiotic protein shake, 1 tbsp. Justin's maple almond butter, and 1/3 cup oats.

My last drill for the night was sprints. Oh sprints. Walk a minute at 3.5 MPH and sprint for 30 seconds at 9.0 MPH. Needless to say, my gams are pooped! As is my brain so I will now be off to bed. I'm one cup of Yogi Bedtime Tea deep and I'm hopeful that it does the trick tonight. 4 out of 5 nights that I have drank it, it seems to have helped. I've noticed if I can make it through the first hour of the night then I can make it through the whole thing. If I wake up after only being asleep for an hour, I'm doomed for the night. Alright, wish me luck!

XOXO
B

pro-pro-probiotic protein?

Oh protein powder, how I love thee. All the things I can do with you, sometimes I wonder if I could ever need anything else in this life.. kidding.. for the most part. But really.. <3

I have tried numerous protein powders. Some make my body react in different ways than others. For instance one brand makes my face break out in all types of nasty (same with quest bars :'( as much as I love those things they just don't agree with the complexion.. I still sneak one in every once in a while though. shhh hehe). The whey in certain powders don't always agree with me. Other powders promote a better recovery and others digest poorly.

I have found that my favorite protein powders in regards of digestion are Maca Up by Paradise brand. It's a vegetarian energy protein (not to mention it increases stamina and libido ;p). Another good one that digests easy is Brown Rice Protein my Jarrow. The only drawback about these two powders is the taste. I won't candy coat it, they taste "earthy". But that's only to be expected from organic and vegetarian protein powders. Taste aside, they both are powerhouse powders and I highly recommend them. Especially if digestion is problematic for you.

Now, I just started taking a new powder and I think I'm in love. Not only does it mix well, taste great, promote great recovery and come in multiple fantastic flavors but it's laced with probiotics!! Probiotics are small organisms that help maintain the natural balance of organisms in the intestines. The exist naturally in the intestine but some people don't have enough of them or need extra for there to be proper balance. I usually take a probiotic supplement called acidophilus but now I'm killing two birds with one stone while I have this amazing protein shake filled with healthy probiotics. Yeeeee :) You know how I like that efficiency.

The new protein powder is called Myofusion Probiotic Series by Gaspari Nutrition.

 

Yes, that IS cinnamon roll flavor... YUM. After toying around with this powder, I've found a way to make what I've decided to call a protein fluff. It comes out so light and airy, almost with the consistency of marshmallow fluff! Today I woke up and did biceps and back and 30 minutes of HIIT before work. After work I did 20 minutes on the stair master and 20 minutes walking on an incline. My reward was a delicious chai fluff protein shake :p

 

 

Chai Fluff

1 scoop Myofusion Protein

1/4 c sugar free Oregon Chai Concentrate

1/4 c water

3 ice cubes

dash of cinnamon

splenda to taste

 

Toss it all on a blender and let 'er rip until it just sounds light and fluffy. I know that doesn't seem like a correct amount of time but if you try this you'll understand what I mean. It'll be approx. 60 seconds.

 

Tomorrow I plan to use this as a topping for my pancakes, we'll see how it goes :) Hooray for making it through another Monday!

 

B.

 

Stop, Colaborate & Listen.. To Your Body

This past week has been hard. Tremendously hard. I exhausted my cheat meal "allowance" not once, not twice, but three times. Wow. At first I couldn't figure out what the deal was? Why was I simply feigning for anything and everything? After the second cheat meal I took a serious step back and just thought. I needed to figure out what the heck was different now than previous weeks where I was just fine with my standard one cheat meal.

I finally realized that I am burnt out. It's been 12 weeks now of strict dieting, intense workouts, and less than great sleep at night. I know some people are capable of doing the competition prep for even more than 12 weeks and not having the urge to jump off the deep end. But you know what? I'm not them. I'm me. And me likes ice cream and playing in the kitchen with new fun recipes and going out to eat or to cookouts with friends. It's who I am. It's what I love. And being deprived of that for 12 weeks won't only slowly kick you into a state of mind where you want EVERYTHING, but it will also put you in a mental funk. The more I think about it, it's no wonder I couldn't sleep at night. I've not only deprived myself of "normal food" but also activities that I love. Don't get me wrong, I love having a goal, eating clean and treating my body right, working hard and having something to train for. I've pushed my body to do things I never imagined possible but in doing so I lost a healthy balance.

Fast forward to the third cheat meal this week. This one was planned. I went to a cookout and had the usual cookout type food. (BBQ chicken, potato salad, baked beans, the works) But why would I plan ANOTHER cheat meal after I already had two?! Shouldn't I punish myself? Do hours of cardio at the gym and only eat chicken and spinach? No. No punishment. Just love. I just need to love myself through these challenges. In the end they make me stronger. I needed this weekend to regain my thoughts and figure out where I stand. Did I want to compete in this show still? Should I wait until a later show? Have I cut as much weight as I wanted to for this competition? The answer is no. But I HAVE worked my butt off. And I'll be damned if you think I'm not going to step up on that stage and give it what I've got. It'd be easy to just postpone competing until another show rolls around in a month. Too easy. And that's not what I have been training for. I'm not going into this competition with the hopes of winning anything, being a first call out or looking better than all the other competitors. I'm going in to prove to myself that I'm fantastic and I, me, Bailey, have come a long way and that is ultimately all that matters. Plus, it's not like there won't be other shows following this one. It's only going to get better from here. :)

Well there you have it, that's what has been in my head space. It feels good to have gained a little sanity and figure out a new plan from here. As for the rest of this beautiful Sunday, I'm going to spend it in the sunshine with people I love and simply relax :) After the leg day I just had, I know I deserve it! Along with those delicious PWO protein pancakes I had ;p Here's to Sunday funday & a stellar week!

Not Your Ma's PB&J Pancakes
1/2 cup oats (made into flour)
6 egg whites
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp ground flax meal
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon to your hearts content
dash of baking soda and powder, each

Topping
2 Tbsp Justin's Maple Almond Butter
2 Tbsp sugar free preserves (I used Polaner seedless Blackberry with fiber)
2 Tbsp Sugar free pancake syrup

Directions: Whisk the pancake ingredients together until is forms a better consistency. By the 1/4 cup, pour mixture onto a griddle/skillet over medium heat. When the cakes start to show bubbles through the center, flip.

For the topping, I mix the almond butter and blackberry preserves together in a ramekin and then use a spoon to layer and spread between the cakes as I stack them. To finish them off I drizzle the syrup on top and viola!

XOXO
-B.

Trial. Error. Repeat.

I have tried multiple approaches to this competition prep diet. Low carb, no carb, carbs with every meal, you name it. I've found that the best method for me has been the carb cycling method. It took a lot of patience and trial and error to figure out that it was the method my body responded to best. At least for the last month and a half of prep. After prep is over I will go back to IIFYM, I absolutely loved it and the way my body responds to it and the fact that I feel ZERO deprivation (I'll cover the madness behind IIFYM in my next post). But for the sake of the competition, I want to do things right, eat clean and keep my body on it's toes, hence the cycling.

Carb cycling is a method designed to make your body use stored fat as energy because you are essentially depleting the carbs from the body by diet and exercise. The body prefers to use carbs as its primary source of energy but if they aren't readily available then it will choose the second best contender, fat. So, that being said, here's how the diet goes; for every two low carb days I have one high carb day. On the low days, the body dips into the fat cells to obtain energy. After that second day though, the body becomes more exhausted. Fact of the matter is carbs do it better and that is why we throw a high carb day in. It gives the body a little jolt of boosted energy and as an added bonus it keeps the body guessing. Studies show that weight loss is more effective when the body is basically thrown for a loop, our metabolisms like to be kept on their toes.

High carb does not mean 300+ grams of carbs or anything ridiculous like that. I hover around 130 grams of carbs on a high day and around 70 grams on a low day. The diet goes as follows:

Low carb day (x2)

Meal one- 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup oats, 1 Tbsp nut butter
Meal two- protein shake
Meal three- 4 oz chicken, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz almonds
Meal four- 4 oz ground turkey, 1 cup frozen veggies
Meal five- 4 oz tilapia, 8 spears asparagus
Meal six- protein shake, 1 Tbsp nut butter

High carb day (x1)

Meal one- 6 egg whites, 1/2 c oats, 1 Tbsp nut butter
Meal two- Protein shake, two rice cakes
Meal three- 4 oz chicken, 4 oz sweet potato, 1 oz almonds
Meal four- 4 oz ground turkey, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup frozen veggies
Meal five- 4 oz tilapia, 8 spears asparagus
Meal six- protein shake, 1 Tbsp nut butter

Up until two weeks out I will still participate in one cheat meal per week. Not only for my sanity but again, it keeps the body guessing. But there you have it, that's my diet as of now. Weight loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise and 100% dedication. You won't get rewarded for the work you don't put in and staying consistent is key.

On that note, two rounds of cardio and a massive session on the boulder shoulders to be, I'm out for the night! It's a strictly mental health, nail painting, face mask doing girls night in the Hanley-Hess household. I bought a new tea that I'm HOPING will help me fall asleep and stay asleep for the night. For the past few months my sleeping has been very hit or miss, mostly miss. I've tried melatonin and a number of other strategies and they haven't seemed to help so it's time to get herbal on my nocturnal mess. Wish me luck!

Xoxo
B

Enzyme Love

Since contest prep has begun, I have been eating like a mad woman. What you say? Eat? When I'm supposed to be cutting weight?! Yes. I eat 6 times a day and space each meal out by about 2.5-3.5 hours. Eating so frequently keeps the metabolism revved so the body can constantly burn baby burn. Now, that being said, most people who compete and eat like this take enzymes. Digestive enzymes exist in the stomach naturally. They break down the foods we eat so they can move along and be digested and absorbed. Butttttt, adding the extra dose through pill form helps speed up the break down of food even more so the nutrients can be absorbed and used quicker. Then the body is ready for that next meal.

I've learned that enzymes are a small miracle for me. Having issues with my gallbladder, I should steer clear from fats. In order for my body to do and preform the way I want and need it to, I need fat in my diet. Simple as that. So, I really rely on these enzymes to help break down the fat in my diet.

There are many different types of enzymes out there. Some that help particularly with the breakdown of carbs, some that are best with fats. You name it, there's a visene enzyme for that. I take one called Lipo Gold which is made by the Digest Gold brand. That particular brand speaks high volumes. It is a top of the line enzyme. Though it is a bit pricier than other enzymes I can honestly say that I notice a difference between it and the other brands I have taken.

Prior to every meal I take a capsule of my Digest Gold and I am good to go! My stomach is at ease, digestion is a breeze and I am always ready for my next meal. I recommend enzymes to anyone, not just competitors. It really gives the body a sense of ease.

Well there you go, there's my food for thought for the day :) Happy Tuesday!

MIA to the Exreme

Soooooo.. I have been a horrible blogger this past couple of months. Between my job transfer, my health and diet complications and training for this NPC Bikini Competition I've had my hands full and I'm still working on finding a good balance. That's right though, you read it correctly.. I entered a figure competition!

I don't think it's possible for me to condense all that I have learned and gone through in the past couple months into one post. Actually, I know it's not possible. I will however have a steady blog flow for a while as I try to update all of you on the things I've learned :D

For this post I am going to focus on where I was when I came to the point where I realized I wanted to begin a fitness challenge. I had just finished the marathon. In the span of 6 months (November to May) I gained about 11 pounds while training for this marathon. Something was up. It is not normal to run miles upon miles every day and gain weight. At first I thought I didn't have a balance between my calories in and calories out, perhaps I was eating too much? I keep a food log and after further research that wasn't the problem. Sure I had a little more peanut butter than I probably should have from time to time but not 11 pounds worth.

I talked to a gastro neurologist and it turns out I have a gallbladder problem. I think I briefly touched on this before, honestly it's been so long that I don't remember. The gallbladder is what processes the fats that we eat. Mine was being faulty and wouldn't process fat that was being taken in through my diet so it was just storing it in my body tissues! Long story short I needed to alter my diet, yet again, and eliminate almost everything. Egg (yolks), dairy with fat, oil (except coconut oil), soy, corn, and basically all other allergens. Once I did this it was like a miracle had struck. I began loosing weight, having more energy, my skin began to clear up, I wasn't having stomach pains and indigestion. It was great.

On to the fitness side now. I wanted to rid my body of the weight I gained over this 6 month span. I decided I needed a plan. I needed a set goal and structure to follow so I could be accountable for my results. I started Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12 week challenge from bodybuilding.com and so it all began. I won't go into detail about that plan but I will say that her program really got my feet under me and without it I wouldn't have ever dreamed of entering any kind of fitness competition. I highly recommend checking it out! A few of my friends have started it themselves and are loving it!

I began following body builders in instagram and their lifestyles fascinated me. Enough so that I decided to take a plunge. I had all the necessary tools and plenty of knowledge right at my fingertips to play with. I decided to enter The Ohio State bikini competition on September 14, 2013. Stay tuned and be ready for pics because with how hard I have been working, you had better believe there will be a slew of pictures! haha :)

Fast forward to now. I am down 8-11 pounds give or take depending on the day. I've learned that the number on the scale is nearly irrelevant because muscle weighs more than fat and I'm certainly higher in muscle mass now. I don't let the fact that my weight is at a plateau bother me too much because I still see physical changes in my body regardless of what the scale says.

The picture on the left was about 2.5 months after the one on the right and I can see a solid change in muscle tone. However I actually hadn't lost but about a pound at this point in my journey.

 

 

I have so much I want to share, so much I have learned. I'll finish out this post on one note; patience. Patience truly is a virtue. And I've had to learn patience throughout my journey and I still have more to endure. Much, much more. But, it's important to realize that progress is progress, no matter how big or small.

 

^^ Nothing more true has ever been said.

Well that's all for today folks, sorry again for my disappearance. But I'll be back tomorrow, don't you worry ;)

 



Oh Glorius Day

Today is going to be magnificent. I don't have to work, the weather is nice, I have some of my favorite things to do planned and I even tried out a new recipe last night that I can share with you today!

I was paroozing on the interweb a few days ago looking through recipes and found one that really caught my eye. It is Carrot and Chickpea soup and I found it on this blog here. I love carrots (especially in soup), I love chickpeas, I love Indian spices such as Garam Masala, which is used in this recipe. I love it all. All of it. So, without further adu, I give you the recipe;


Carrot Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil for sautéing

1 onion chopped

3 celery sticks chopped

1.5 pounds or so of carrots chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger chopped

1/4 teaspoon of Garam Masala spice mix

1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

6 cups of vegetable broth

1 can of chickpeas

Directions:

1) Heat oil in a large sauce pan on medium high.

2) Saute onions and celery. When they begin to wilt add the carrots. After a few minutes add ginger, garam masala, rosemary and salt and pepper.

3) When vegetables are all wilted and beginning to brown turn heat to high and add vegetable broth and chickpeas. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. The longer you can let it sit the better.

4) Before serving puree the soup with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender. Check salt and pepper to taste. A dollop of yogurt or sour cream is nice on top of this soup. Serve with crusty bread, naan, pita, or over basmati rice.

Hokayyy, next order of bizznass. Today I am doing lots of marvelous things!

First, mi amigo y yo are going to go to a nearby park and do HIIT running and Plyometrics. It's a beautiful day outside, we would be crazy to go to the gym and be cooped up inside all day when we have the whole day off, ya heard?

Next, we are going to make some homemade Jeni's ice cream (not for me but so they can take it home, pshh dairy eaters). Even though I can't eat it, I still love to play around in the kitchen with it :p We're going to make the Sweet Corn and Blackberry ice cream.

By this time we should be approaching dinner time so I will be making the Yellow Curry recipe I posted a little while ago. It may seem like I've been doing Indian food a lot lately and let me tell you why, it's because I am. They adapted to and perfected cooking with coconut milk long ago so they know what's goin' on with the good food and flavor department and let us not forget the spices!

Now we commence in Netflix time, gotta wind down before we make our way to RITA'S :D Rita's has Italian ice. Italian ice is dairy free. I am dairy free. Are you picking up what I'm throwin' down yo?

Hope y'all have a great day! Tootles :)

WIAW 5/8/13

Today was a grand day. I didn't work at my usual branch but instead at a local high school educating students about expenses, bills and other things of the like. I got to sleep in a bit (the high school I went to is roughly 26 miles closer to home than my usual work place) and then made my way to the high school.

Fro breakfast I had a protein shake (made with Amande "yogurt", 1 scoop protein, half a banana and pineapple cubes). What say you? A protein shake? Yes, a protein shake! I know it seems impossible but there is indeed a gluten, soy, dairy, egg, corn, and wheat free protein powder. Multiple kinds actually, much to my surprise! I got one called Nutribiotic. It's a vegan rice protein. Now, if you were looking for a protein based on taste, don't pick this one. It definitely has that "earthy" quality to it.. luckily I can tolerate that, if not enjoy it most days. I'm not 100% sold on the powder only because I have found a different one I may want to try out even more. Stay tuned for results in that department. Moral of the story, do extensive research before investing in the vegan, raw and everything "free" protein.

Since I was at the school today, my mid morning snack consisted of what the cafeteria had to offer. In this case, it was celery, cucumber, carrots and apple slices.

Lunch was a piece of gluten free millet chia bread topped with hummus, chopped peppers and turkey lunch meat. Also, a side of crinkle cut carrots (my secret love <3).

Once I got home from the high school I grabbed a quick snack which consisted of the other half of my banana from earlier and a handful of almonds. I wanted something quick and easy because now I was off to the gym!

At the gym I did some core work and HIIT (high intensity interval training) on the treadmill. I really need to be incorporating more core exercises in my daily shebang. I followed the intense workout with a mega sauna sesh. Dripping sweat is an understatement for what was going on all up in there, sheesh. It felt good though!

I came home, HUNGRY. So, with no prior plan I went to the fridge and looked for things that I really needed to use up. It's so rare that I am home to make dinner at 5:30 or 6 so instead of just putting together premade foods, I actually cooked something and it was awesome. I made sauteed egg plant and onions topped with salsa, black beans (okay you got me, these were left over from cinco de mayo), and tilapia. I seasoned the tilapia with a tikka spice mix that I picked up at an Indian grocery store and it was phenomenal. I love spicy food but woahhhh dangggg, this dinner was enough to get my nose running.

I wound up hungry again just two hours after my dinner so I made a nice bowl of oatmeal with apple pie spice and ground flax meal. Mmmmm :)

Bad, Bad Blogger..

This past week I have been a lousy blogger. For that I'm sorry but everyone needs a little break here and there. I was pretty busy and by the time I would get around to it I would just crash. I was pretty exhausted last week. However, I have exciting news! Well, lots of little exciting things to share. I suppose that's what happens when you take a week off of the blog.. oops.

Firstly, I completed the half marathon! You know, that one I started training for back in November? Yeah that's the one. Back then, I had made it my goal to finish in 2:40. In actuality, I beat my goal. By 20 minutes! My official time was 2:20:29. I was so pleased with myself. I didn't stop running once. Well, except to grab a cup of Gatorade to drink and by drink I mean pour down the front of me because I wouldn't stop running to drink it haha.

Next order of business; deprivation. I have been feeling so incredibly deprived this past week. After a couple days, the no dairy, no wheat/gluten, no soy, no egg, and no corn diet catches up with you. I want ice cream. I want omelets. I want yogurt. I want my green protein shakes. But you know what, I'm not going to have it. I've been feeling good physically and things seem to be working out a little better health wise for me. I know that I'm not going to miraculously be all better in two days, I have to be patient. I didn't start feeling horrible all in one day, it was a gradual process so I'm certain that's how it's going to be in order to feel completely better.

I did however find something to give me a bit of hope. A few things actually. After the marathon, Mom and I hit Earth Fare to grab a raspberry chia kombucha (Best running recovery drink. EVER.) and I thought I would check the ice cream section to see if they had a frozen dessert that would meet my laundry list of necessary criteria. And guess what? THEY DID. And they are completely delicious flavors! I'm not so hot on the price but you know what, I'll take it. It's better than nothing at all at this point. I can't quit ice cream cold turkey, after all I was basically on a once a day ice cream diet.

The brand is called Coconut Bliss. If you couldn't guess, it's made of coconut milk. And it is delicious! I bought three flavors, the Mint Galactica, Ginger Cookie Caramel and Mocha Maca Crunch. I noticed last night that the "ice cream" is really rich. So It didn't take much for me to be satisfied. Maybe that'll make up for the price because it could potentially last longer?

The fun didn't stop there. We also found "yogurt" that I can eat. One brand is coconut based, like the ice cream. It's made by SO Delicious. The other one is made of cultured almond milk. I had never heard of it before. The brand is called Amande It has a good flavor but a bit of an odd texture.. I haven't tried the SO Delicious brand yet but I'm hopeful that the texture is a little more.. yogurt like.

As for the rest of today, I scheduled myself a facial and massage. You know, because I deserve it. I thought it would be a good way to celebrate finishing the race yesterday. And what better way to release some lactic acid? One more thing before I leave you..

My mom has sworn by this mustard bath since 1999. It's a therapeutic mustard bath and releases toxins from the body. So much so that the directions recommend that you take a shower after you take a bath in it because your body will have released toxins that need to be scrubbed off. We stumbled upon this bath during our Earth Fare excursion yesterday. I got some and decided what better day to try such a thing? I was becoming sore and tired from the race so I took a bath in it for the advised 20 minutes. It felt amazing. Once I finished with the bath and recommended shower I plopped down in bed, completely relaxed. I then proceeded to take a two hour nap haha. I can't tell you if it would have made a big difference on how my body felt post race if I didn't use it seeing as this was my first half marathon but I can tell you that it left me feeling great and that's all that really matters here, right?

Have a happy rest of the weekend peeps :D

Breakthrough!

Hello people :)

I am so thrilled to be blogging at you today! It's been 3 days of my allergen free eating (corn, wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy, soy and high oil/fat things such as peanut butter and olive oil) and I am feeling better and better by the minute. No uncomfortable stomach pains or poor digestion. No acid reflux. It is so great!

I have also had somewhat of a breakthrough.. I have been researching this whole faulty gallbladder situation. The gallbladder is what breaks down fat. Since mine wasn't/doesn't function properly, fat that I obtain through diet hasn't been broken down correctly. In turn, it's actually getting stored in my muscle and other tissues. Hence why no matter how much I'm working out or counting grams or calories, I can't drop weight.

Today, for the first time, my leg muscles (that I worked out yesterday with Tom & Nolan) felt sore. Not that they aren't normally sore but this was an entirely different type of sore. They were sore deep into the muscle tissue. I can feel a difference in how my muscles are preforming and tearing (the good way, that they should). I'm really excited about this development.

Don't mistake the way I am eating as fat free, that is very much not the case. I am still getting fats through nuts, seeds, etc. Just not from oils, butters, soy or dairy. Many people are asking, "What do you eat..?"

Well I'll breakdown how yesterday panned out;

Breakfast- oatmeal cooked in banana pureed with almond milk, cinnamon and dried cranberries

Snack- cubed melon

Lunch- turkey and spinach sandwich on GF bread with sliced strawberries

Snack- rice crisps, hummus and grape tomatoes

Late snack- sauteed spinach and mushrooms and a rice cake (normally I don't do two snacks but mom was lolly gagging and our time to meet for dinner got pushed back)

Dinner- Chipotle with brown rice, black beans, chicken, fajita veggies, tomatoes, green salsa, guacamole and lettuce

Late night snack- Oats, pb2, almond milk and a tbsp of granola.

I felt completely satisfied. My mom said that my skin is looking clearer and that my eyes appeared brighter. I'm not sure if it had to do with what I was wearing, how I did my makeup, the fact the sun was shining or if my body is detoxing and maybe things are actually starting to lighten up? Who knows, I won't complain though! :)

Today I premade lots of goodies for the week ahead. Chicken, brown rice, jasmine rice, sauteed peppers and mushrooms, vegetable soup, sweet potato wedges, balsamic mushroom and chicken sausage and Mexican black beans. I made things that I could easily throw together in to meals. With my schedule I don't have the time to come home after work and spend an hour cooking, no sir-e. I had some of the the balsamic mushrooms and chicken sausage for lunch today over brown rice. It was delish!

Balsamic Mushroom & Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's
1 Cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, chopped
handful of spinach
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
1 Tbsp lite balsamic salad dressing
dash of cinnamon

Put everything (except rice) in a skillet and cook for approx 10 minutes. Stir throughout the 10 minutes. Serve over the brown rice.

Well I am off to do other Sunday shenanigans ie laundry, schoolwork and cleaning. Au revoir :)

A Fasted Run?

You mean a fast run right? Nope. Fasted. I had heard of fasted runs a couple of times and at first didn't realize what they really were. Its when you get up and go run on a completely empty stomach. No breakfast (those two words should never be used conjoined in a sentence in any other circumstance, mind you). The purpose of this is to dip into your fat stores during the cardio exercise rather than using the food that you've fueled your body with.

After I tried the fasted run the first time, I was STARVING. I certainly wouldn't recommend trying this before a marathon or anything but maybe before a couple mile run. The second time I tried this I was on my way to the gym and ended up having to eat a LUNA bar. My body is just so used to breakfast that it doesn't do well at a certain point in the morning when it hasn't received any. Moral of the story; Listen to your body. If you can go without eating breakfast, go ahead and do it. What've you got to lose? But if you can't focus because you are just so hungry, eat breakfast, The end.

The adventures of finding good allergen free food are still going. I project a lot of Indian dishes in the near future. And possibly Mexican. I cleaned out my cabinets and fridge last night. Goodbye fro-yo, peanut butter, popcorn, bliss.. just kidding. I shall still be blissful :) I replaced all of the foods I got rid of with lots of beans, rice, vegetables (nothing more crazy than what I already get) and fruit. I feel like I'm going to OD on carbohydrates though. Oats for breakfast since I can't have eggs or protein powder. Rice and beans or sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Thank goodness I can still have meat. I never thought I would say that since I'm not a huge carnivore but alas, when all other things are gone I will turn to meat. My only hope for high protein with all this carbage going on.

Since I skipped WIAW this week I guess I can substitute with a WIAF(riday). That was the first fully successful day of my new eating regimen.

Breakfast:
Carrot Cake LUNA bar

Morning snack:
Apple

Lunch:
Chicken soup with brown rice

Early afternoon snack:
Raw string beans & a navel orange

Late afternoon snack:
Red garnet sweet potato wedges

Dinner:
Turkey & avocado sandwich and steamed veggies from Jason's Deli

Late night snack:
oatmeal with craisins, cinnamon and flax seed meal

It looks like I ate that of what a rabbit does yesterday.. well I did. But I felt satisfied. All of those foods were real and full of nutrients that didn't leave me feeling starved or deprived. Time to get my thinking cap on and see what creative things I can get to cooking this week.

I know one dish will be a yellow curry. I went to this restaurant in the Short North called Basil and it was amazing! It is Thai food. I hadn't really gone out for Thai food before, which is why we chose this place. That and because they are allergen friendly :) I got a yellow curry with sweet potato chunks, peas and carrots in it. I think it may be one of my new favorite things on this planet. That right there gives me hope an lets me know there is still good food to be had. So, I went to the lovely Trader Joe's and got a yellow curry sauce to play around with. Wish me luck! Ill be using mom as my guinea pig with it tonight.. muahaha.

I'm off to work now and then to train with Tom after :) Happy Saturday! Yay for the weekend!

Bad News Bears

Well instead of the usual WIAW, I am mixing up the post on Wednesday this week. I spent most of the day with a stomach ache. These have been frequent lately so I've been in contact with a specialist so I can try to get my digestive system up and working the way it should.

Turns out I have a bit of a gallbladder issue. It doesn't seem to be functioning properly. Things that can trigger this are foods normally found on an allergen label; wheat, peanuts, milk/dairy, eggs, soy and eggs. So you know what that means? Take a guess. It means I need to cut ALL of those things out of my diet.

I was really bummed upon hearing this. But the more I think about it, the more anxious I am to see if this helps. I can't wait to just feel good. Not have to worry about my stomach being inflamed or swollen. Not have to deal with painful digestion.
Thank goodness I like to cook is all I've gotta say. I am going to have to get creative. I'm seeing a lot of rice, quinoa, beans, and lentils in my near future. I'm definitely going to have to premake meals. No more grabbing a yogurt on the way out the door. Or protein shakes. Or edamame for snacks.

I'm going to have to take some serious one on one time with my cabinets and fridge this weekend and clean them out.

I must admit, I was very sad to realize that I would no longer be able to have ice cream. So, Bayli and I made one last trip to UDF so I could indulge in 2 scoops of peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. It was delicious. It doesn't taste as good as I'm hoping to feel again though. And through the first couple weeks of that I will just have to remind myself that no matter how good something tastes, I just want to feel good again and it'll all be worth it.

Troublesome Tuesday

Well I woke up today.. half heartedly.. and put on my gym clothes. Grabbed a clif bar and hit the road. I. Felt. Miserable. I made it to the gym and instantly wondered why I was about to do this to my body. My body didn't want to work out. It wanted sleep. In mass amounts at that. I basically just coasted on an elliptical for about 20 minutes and decided to stop being cruel to myself. I hit the showers and made my way in to work. I just kept feeling worse and worse until eventually I thought I was going to fall asleep right at my desk. At that point I ended up going home.

Once I got home I slept for 4.5 hours. It was glorious! I am normally a terrible nap taker but today it was just so right. After the nap I got up and felt a bit better. I grabbed my school book and made my way to the gym to climb some mad stairs and learn about metabolism. I found this chapter to be one of the most fascinating so far. Ironically, it is also the shortest chapter I have come across so far.. no coincidence there. No, but really, it was interesting to figure out what stores your body retains energy from and what it prefers to use.

I got home and had some din. Then Lauren and I walked to Rita's to get Italian ice with the pup. The cold felt miraculous on my throat. I got chocolate chip cookie dough flavored ice with vanilla custard. Mmmmmm :)

To finish off the night I decided I needed to get my bake on. Again. I've been all about it recently. I forgot that it calms me. The idea sparked when I looked at these two, beautiful, ripe bananas that the wonderful Tom brought me today. He likes his bananas more on the green side so these were just going to go to waste at his house. I put on a little Mat Kearney and got lost in my bliss. I made banana bread muffins. Which is just individual servings of banana bread, portion control at its finest. If I don't do this I will sit down and eat a whole loaf because it's just so darn good. So moist. So delicious. Especially when slightly warm <3

Here's the recipe;

Ingredients:1 cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon butter (regular or nondairy)
1 cup mashed overripe bananas (2 or 3)
1 egg
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 cup oat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Line a muffin tin (be sure to spray the liners with cooking spray) and divide the batter evenly. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
3. Allow to cool and then serve. Save extras in an air tight container :)

Today started out a little rough but shaped up to be a pretty solid day. I'm off tomorrow so hopefully I will fully catch up on my rest. I'm getting my hairs cut and hanging with Bayli too :) Yeeee. Happy thoughts y'all, adios!

In Sickness & In Health

Last week Lauren came down with something awful which came with a cough and stuffy nose. Basically the worlds most brutal cold.. pah. Well long story short, I managed to catch it too :( I've been taking vitamins like they're going out of style. Still working out every day, I have to be certain that I am still getting enough sleep while my bod tries to fight this off. In lew of my feelings of le poopyness, I made homemade chicken soup. It turned out great! And I made enough that it would last throughout the week to take for lunches and such.

The recipe is super simple and super delish.

8 cups chicken broth
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
rosemary, sage, italian seasoning and salt & pepper to taste

Throw everything into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer for an hour. Viola.

I personally think the recipe tastes better day old. As a matter of fact, I think all homemade soups are that way. The extra time to let the flavors join together makes all the difference.

Today I omitted my usual run and did back, bi's and tri's. Tomorrow I am going for a run with a friend so I didn't want to completely exhaust myself today. After the lifting, I did 30 minutes on the adaptive motion trainer and then made my way to the treadmill. I brought my school textbook to the gym so I could walk and read/study at the same time. I've never done this before but I have heard that some people have positive results with retaining information when they are moving while working. Final verdict; I liked it and I will do it again! I absorbed the information that I read and as a bonus I got an extra hour of walking on an incline as opposed to sitting potato-like on the couch. :)

The rest of my evening will consist of vegging out on the couch and recharging with a cup of frozen yogurt at hand.

Ladies, I will leave you with this little gem. I stumbled upon it on Instagram and absolutely loved it;

Lastly, I caved. You can now find me on Facebook.

Have a great week!

Thursday Thoughts

So many things were going through my mind today. I was almost tortured by being stuck inside at work whilst the bootyful sunshine was out. But I managed to get out in it eventually for a run :)

I've been debating getting a Facebook again. For networking purposes of course. With the fitness and nutrition industry it's almost crucial for networking and communication. Stay tuned for that outcome.

This has overall been a really good week. I've been energized, motivated, relaxed, all rolled into one. I can't believe it's almost Friday!

I've decided that I am going to bake healthy chocolate muffins tonight. The recipe is as follows;

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp canola oil
3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a muffin tin to make eight muffins. Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Portion the batter into the tins and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely and remove from the tin. Enjoy!

I can't believe the marathon is 16 days away. It's coming right up! Eeeeek.

I have decided to do a mud run this summer! All proceeds will go towards autism. I better get my upper body strength at it's prime because there is going to be lots of pulling myself up, climbing and things of that nature. All while covered in mud. Can't wait :)

Today was chest and shoulders at the gym, speaking of upper body strength. I was very pleased with how hard I pushed myself. After all was said and done and it was time to get ready for work, my arms were even quivering while I was trying to do my eye makeup. Boom. I'll take that.

Well I hope y'all have a great Friday! Make it a great day. After all, life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.

WIAW 4/17/13

Breakfast:

Egg white omelet with Mexican beans, pepper jack cheese and spinach.
I made a hugesque amount of taco soup last night so I spooned some of it into the innards of the omelet. It was super nummy, even though the picture doesn't do it much justice. I was hungry and in a rush, can you blame a girl?

Mid Morning Snack:

1 raspberry carbmaster yogurt and an apple.

Lunch:

I had left over taco soup and some broccoli florets. SO GOOD! And that soup is seriously the easiest thing ever to make.

1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
2 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can chili hot beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can golden corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch salad dressing mix
1 onion chopped

Saute the onion and once it's translucent add all of the canned ingredients. bring to a boil and then let simmer for an hour. You can add ground turkey or tvp to this recipe if you're craving more protein.

 

Afternoon snack:

 

1/2 cup old fashioned oats with with 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin

 

Dinner:

 

Dinner was awesome. And pretty quick to make! I topped a few broiled slices of graffiti eggplant with spinach fontina chicken sausage, cottage cheese, spinach and pasta sauce. I had some asparagus with it too. :)

 



Late Night Snack:

Chocolate Nutty Moose Tracks ice cream. <3

Today was a great day. After work, Tom and Nolan (Tom's partner) and I went to the gym for core work and cardio. Those boys worked their butts off today and recognition is in order. Kudos boy's! Keep up the good work, you're doin' me proud :)

Done Me Proud

Ladies and gentleman; BIG news. Tom has weighed in and since his initial weigh in at his fitness evaluation he has lost.. drum roll please... 5 pounds! I am so so so proud of him! With changing the way he eats to whole foods, healthy ones, and adding some exercise in the mix he has already lost five pounds!

This weekend was the perfect mix of eventful and uneventful. Sunday I went to the gym early before church and got a run in. Then mom and I went to church, lunch and out for mani-pedi's. We went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch and I got the fresh vegetable salad. It was really good and loaded with tomato, asparagus, beets (yum-O), edamame, grilled chicken and mixed greens.

I was very fortunate and got Monday off so my weekend was actually a little extended and very much appreciated :)

Monday I got up and went to the gym to work on back, bi's and tri's and then went for a nice run. Then Bayli came over and we attempted making Chicken Tikka Saag. It all started out about a week ago when I went to this amazing Indian restaurant in Grandview called Aab India. I ordered Chicken Tikka Saag and it was amazing. I decided I had to try and make it. My go at the recipe just didn't compare to the restaurants but it wasn't totally hateful. Not flavorful enough though. It had spinach, chicken, yogurt and loads and loads of spices including turmeric (which is great for inflammation), cardamom, coriander, paprika, chili powder and even more.

Next Bayli and I hit a little coffee shop here in town to do some school work. I had an exam to do so I could finally kiss the strenuous Fat and Lipid chapter goodbye! The weather was so nice that we just had to sit outside and bask in the sun while we worked :)

Once I finally finished with school priorities I met with a friend for Northstar Cafe. One of their most popular menu items is the Northstar Burger. It's a vegetarian patty made with brown rice, beets (mmm more beets <3) and black beans. I got mine bunless and it was still delish :)

I couldn't have asked for a better start to the week! Here's to yours :)