Food Prep

This week I'm chowing down on chicken sweet potato meatloaf (same as the turkey sweet potato meatloaf sans the eggs and only a little bbq sauce and ketchup), scrambled eggs/egg whites, tuna with greek yogurt, baked chicken with a little PB2, brown rice, roasted asparagus, roasted brussel sprouts, homemade salsa....

I've been logging everything in MyFitnessPal and keeping my calories to 1800 a day.  The more veggies I eat, the fuller I am and less I need to eat during the day.  I got home from the gym last night and still had 600 allowable calories!  Don't you worry, I made light work of most of the calories and still woke up in the middle of the night hungry and STARVING this morning.  I can not wait to see the results in a couple of weeks....  BRING IT:)  

YUMMM....two meals in one:)

And just for fun, look at that swelling in my damn wrist.  What the heck is going on?!  It felt a little funny when I was lifting last night, but it wasn't until I took my gloves off that I noticed a freaking grape under my skin.  Pretty sure this is the start of another cyst.  Fantastic. 

I Don't Diet

Hallelujah.  It is very frustrating to be questioned about healthy eating.  No I'm not on a diet, I just like to eat food that fuels my body and is not overly processed.  It doesn't make me crazy or obsessed...just means that I care enough about my body to feed it what it needs.  Certainly there will be changes to come as I prepare for a contest, but again it is not a diet but a way to achieve my goals.  I eat a TON of food, but prefer it to be healthy!  I just recently started tracking my meals on MyFitnessPal and it reinforces the fact that I eat to keep my body running efficiently.  I can not believe people "diet" on 1200 calories a day.  I would starve!  I like the fact that I can create goals using this site and adjust even minor details and see how they affect me.  Yay, for having something useful that is EASY to use!

EAT REAL FOOD!

6 more days...

Until the Whole Life Challenge starts!  After indulging in things that I normally don't eat last week (one candy bar, ice cream, and plenty of bread), Rich and I are going to ease ourselves into a grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free challenge .  Starting tomorrow, we are only going to eat grains with breakfast.  That means no bread or pasta the rest of the day.  I really think the hardest part for me will be giving up my oatmeal for breakfast.  It's a habit that will be hard to break! 

Just for the record, I'm not all for cutting out things completely (like grains/dairy), but I am up for the challenge and I'm intrigued to see what the results will be like.  I know the first couple of weeks will be hard, but at least Rich is doing it with me so we can push each other to stay on the right path.  I'm sure there will be some cheats here and there, but that is okay as well (at least for us!). 

If you want to learn more about joining the challenge, check out Courtney's link at Petite Athleat.

Whole Life Challenge

A read about the Whole Life Challenge through Courtney at A Petite Athleat a couple of weeks ago and thought that it sounded TOUGH, and I mean really tough in the nutrition department, but who isn't up for a challenge, right?

From their website: 
The purpose of The Whole Life Challenge is to see what sort of impact you can have on your 
body,your fitness and your lifestyle habits over the course of 8 weeks, and to train in having a
health and fitness practice that is practical and sustainable for the long term. There are three
categories that make up the criteria for the game:

1. Performance - How much can you improve in a workout (faster time, more reps, better score)?
2. Body - How many inches can you lose off of your body (based on circumferential measurements)?
3. Lifestyle & Accountability - How consistent can you be over 56 days in maintaining healthy habits
   and being accountable for your results in your daily life?

The main focus for me would have to be nutrition because the guidelines are extremely strict.  I'm interested to see what would happen if I cut out grains and dairy, which is exactly what a lot of trainers ask their clients to do for 8 weeks when they first start working out and cleaning up their diets.  In fact, I've already opted to cut out a lot of these on my own.  However, I know I am going to be hurting without my morning oatmeal and cottage cheese for a snack.

If anyone is interested in participating, let me know.  Check out the rules on the website first.  I had to sign-up under Courtney's affiliate since I do not belong to an affiliate.  I'll send you her link if you are interested. The madness begins on September 15th.  

Brown Bagged Lunches

This is week two of packing healthy lunches for me and Carrie.  When Carrie told me that she was not disciplined enough to stick to a healthy diet, I offered to pack her lunch.  I really enjoy trying new recipes and coming up with ways to sneak fiber and extra protein into our lunches.  What does this look like? 

Typical snacks:  (we have an AM and PM snack)

• Fruit (chopped apples, celery, dates) and Greek yogurt
• An apple sliced with cinnamon
• Trail mix (almonds, dates, raisins, craisins, walnuts)
• Homemade protein bar
• Homemade energy bar
• Celery with natural peanut butter
• Cottage cheese topped with cinnamon and walnuts (Carrie's favorite! ;))

Examples of lunches:

• Omelet with spinach and low-fat cheese with side of baked sweet potato
• Lean ground beef burger on multi-grain english muffin with fruit salad
• Whole wheat tortilla with bananas, sliced almonds, peanut butter, and honey....with side salad. 
• Egg white pizza with low-fat cheese, grilled chicken, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and bbq sauce
• Grilled chicken, grilled zucchini, and sweet potato wedges
• Whole wheat rotini with ground turkey marinara sauce

What to have in the pantry...

and fridge...and on countertop...  This list helps me when I am shopping, so hopefully it will help you all too!

Dairy

• Almond milk
• Skim milk
• Natural Bliss Vanilla Creamer
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Low-fat shredded cheese
• Chobani 0% Greek yogurt (plain and flavored)
• 2 dozen eggs
• Liquid egg whites

Veggies

• Yellow onions
• Sweet potatoes
• Mixed peppers
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Celery
• Zucchini
• Large container washed spinach
• Other mixed greens - kale, spring mix, etc.
• Frozen broccoli, green beans, spinach, cauliflower, etc.

Fruits

• Bananas
• Braeburn apples
• Any other fruits on sale that week --- this week I bought strawberries and kiwis

Breads

• 100% whole wheat bread
• 100% whole wheat English muffins
• 100% whole wheat tortillas

Pantry- Baking

• Old fashioned oats
• Quick oats
• Natural peanut butter
• Natural almond butter
• 2 lbs raw almonds
• Bag of almond slices
• Bag of chopped walnuts
• Whole pitted dates
• Dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries
• Raisins, I prefer golden
• Chia seeds
• Milled flax seeds
• Unsweetened coconut flakes
• Whole wheat flour
• Whole wheat pastry flour
• Cornmeal
• Spelt flour
• Xantham gum
• Baking powder
• Baking soda

Pantry - Snacks and Quick Cooking Items

• Rice cakes
• Whole wheat crackers (Triscuits)
• Unsweetened applesauce 
• Canned tuna
• Gluten-free pancake mix
• High-fiber instant oatmeal
• Kashi cereal
• Chex corn cereal
• Cheerios
• ---For the kids--
• whole grain Goldfish
• Nutrigrain bars
• 100% fruit/veggie juice
• Applesauce to-go
• Boxed raisins
• Welch's fruit snacks

Pantry- Cooking

• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat spaghetti, penne, lasagna noodles
• Marinara sauce
• Low-sodium chicken broth
• Black beans
• Pinto beans
• Chickpeas

Meats

• Frozen or fresh chicken breasts/tenders
• Lean ground chicken breast
• Lean ground turkey
• Salmon fillets
• Tilapia fillets

Spices

• Vanilla extract
• Almond extract
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Taco seasoning
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Sweetners

• Agave nectar
• Stevia
• Honey

Healthy Cooking Oils/Fats/Vinegar

• Extra virgin olive oil (and spray)
• Extra virgin coconut oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• White vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar

Drinks (other than milk)

• Green tea bags
• Sleepy time tea bags
• Dark roasted coffee
• Water with apple cider vinegar
• Cherry coke zero for mixed drinks

Supplements

• Vitol 100% Egg white protein
• Pre-workout stimulant
• Multi-vitamin
• Fish oil
• Glucosamine/Chondroitin

HAPPY SHOPPING:)  

Meal Planning

I'm excellent at following a plan once I decide on one and take the time to organize it, but if not, I feel like I am all over the place.  Thankfully I was able to plan out today's meals and hopefully I can pull something together for tomorrow.  Mondays are always busy, so there isn't much time for prep and cooking.  

Today:

• overnight oats with chia seeds, cranberries, walnuts
• 1/2 apple with cinnamon and 1/2 cup cottage cheese with trail mix
• mixed greens salad, 2 scrambled egg whites, fruit compote
• whole wheat tortilla with natural peanut butter
• dinner--- roasted chicken and veggies?! 

The verdict at Dr. W's this morning is that I have one more week of crutches and then two weeks without crutches, but still wearing the boot.  I'm cleared to swim next week, but I doubt that will actually happen.  Swimming is not my favorite, but I may be desperate enough to at least try it.  If not, I've got at least 3 more weeks of no cardio.  

In the meantime, I am going to be busy working my upper body like it is my job.  Last week I did 3 sets of 4 pull-ups at the end of my back workout, so I'm guessing I can do 7 pull-ups in a single set.  Nice!

Back=Favorite!

I'm sure you'd never guess from all of the progress pictures, but not only is my back my favorite body part, but it is my favorite part to work as well.  I guess this is because I feel really strong when I work my back and I can see changes quickly.  The problem is that if I don't run after my back workout I get so tight and sore that I get terrible headaches.  Well, you can imagine the predicament I am in right now after taking 7 weeks off from running.  So frustrating, on so many levels.

I have not received my MRI results yet, but it was completed last Thursday.  Give me a break.

Anyhow, back to my back:)  I had a great workout this morning and included a bicep workout as well...my second favorite body part!

Wednesday - Back and Biceps

• 3 x15 dumbbell shrugs (30 lbs, 30 lbs, 35lbs)
• 4 x 10 lat pull downs (100 lbs x 1, 120 lbs x 2, 70 lbs x 1)  Yep, pulling down more than my body weight!  woohoo! 
• 3 x 12 seated rows (1 x 60 lbs, 2 x 70 lbs)
• 3 x 5 hammer strength pull downs (2- 45 lb plates=90lbs)
• 3 x 4 body weight unassisted pull-ups
• 3 x 15 back extensions hold a 25 lb plate
• 3 x14 hammer curls (20 lb dumbbells x 2, 25 lb dumbbells x 1)
• 3 x 10 incline curls with 15 lb dumbbells
• 3 x 10 concentrated curls with 15 lb dumbbells
• 2 sets of 21's with 10 lb dumbbells
• PLYO - 3 x 10 push ups with row (8 lb dumbbells)  woof....

Meals for today:

• Overnight protein oats
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with cinnamon
• Asian turkey burger and 1/2 baked sweet potato with cinnamon
• 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
• Leftover whole wheat ground turkey broccoli spaghetti bake
• Small cup of Kashi cereal with almond milk  

Back at it!

After a couple of weeks of slack routines in the gym, I'm back at it this week.  I was still getting in 5-6 days a week, but I was stuck in a rut with old routines.  Sunday night I revamped my workout sequence and took time to write out this week's routine.  I think I will follow this routine for the next 3 weeks and then switch it up again.  I would really like to do more Crossfit type workouts, but I haven't gotten the results back from my MRI that was last Thursday so I'm a little hesitant to push myself with exploding moves.

Along with the workouts my eating plans weren't quite up to snuff, so they have been revised for this week.  I did a nice job with my food yesterday until we finished up family therapy at 9:00 pm...agh...so late!  I should have been in bed by then, but instead Rich made chocolate chip protein pancakes and I downed two of them like it was my job.

Yesterday's meals:

• Overnight protein oats
• Green protein shake
• Healthy egg salad (3 egg whites, 1 yolk, 2 tbsp avocado, 4 tbsp plain hummus) on sandwich thin with side of fruit compote (celery, craisins, apple slices, figs, dried blueberries) --thanks, mom!
• Sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon and dipped in cottage cheese (1/2 cup)
• Asian turkey burger on whole wheat bun with onions and tomato, served with 1/4 baked sweet potato.  RECIPE BELOW---delish! 
• Those 2 darn chocolate chip pancakes and a glass of milk!

Today's plan:

• Overnight protein oats
• Green protein shake
•  Healthy egg salad (3 egg whites, 1 yolk, 2 tbsp avocado, 4 tbsp plain hummus) on sandwich thin with side of fruit compote (celery, craisins, apple slices, figs, dried blueberries)
• Sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon and dipped in cottage cheese (1/2 cup)
• Some sort of pasta and ground turkey....we'll see!
• Small protein shake 

Monday's Chest/Tricep Workout

• 3 x 15 body weight pushups 
• 3 x 12 dumbbell flat bench press (30 lbs x 12, 35 lbs x 6, 35lbs x 8)
• 3 x 12 dumbbell incline bench press (25 lbs)
• 3 x 10 decline cable press (40 lbs)
• PLYO - 3 x7 push ups on Bosu ball ...AWESOME EXERCISE!!  Check out the video and try these!
• 3 x 12 legs up body weight dips
• 3 x 12 overhead rope press (50 lbs)
• 3 x 10 lying tricep press with dumbbells (10 lbs)

Cardio - 15 minutes on Arc Trainer

Tuesday's Leg and Ab Workout

• 3 x 20 body weight lunges
• 3 x 20 plie squats with 10 lb medicine ball (shoulder press)
• 3 x 75 calf raises, body weight (straight leg, pigeon toe, ballerina)
• 3 x 10 deadlifts (55 lbs)
• 3 x 12 lying hamstring curls (2 sets of 40 lbs, two legs contract and l leg lower weight, 1 set 40 lbs flex toes to contract, point toes when lowering)
• 3 x 12 leg extensions (60 lbs)
• PLYO- 3 x 50 mountain climbers
• ABS - 2 x 20 incline crunches
• ABS- 2 x 15 hanging leg lifts  ** ran out of time and couldn't finish my ab routine

Cardio - 10 minutes on bike

Asian Turkey Burgers (courtesy of Dash of Meg)
Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• sprinkle of ground ginger

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then form into 4 burgers
• Place on foil covered cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes
• Enjoy on a whole wheat bun or on a mixed green salad!  Serve with baked sweet potato wedges. 

Milk: It does a body good

I'm a firm believer in this one.  I likely consume 5 glasses of milk on an average day.  We go through 3-4 gallons per week and there are only 3 of us in the house!  I add it to my oatmeal, my protein shakes, and have a huge serving every night before bed. 

Finally, the rest of the world is listening to me.  I love to drink a big glass of chocolate milk after a workout, before bed or when I am not feeling well.  Check out this article about the benefits post-workout.

There is even an entire Refuel with Chocolate Milk campaign going on right now....Too bad I missed the Richmond race that was sponsored by this group.