Protein Waffles

Want something that tastes incredible and its still super healthy? Here is a great breakfast recipe:
1/2 C oats
1 whole egg
1 scoop low carb whey protein (chocolate or vanilla) you can't taste the flavor of it anyway
1 C soy flour
1 C water

Blend ingredients and cook in a waffle iron until crisp. Serve with sugar free syrup and fat free spray butter. :)

Quinoa for Dinner

Quinoa, pronounced (keen-wa) is a powerful superfood I mostly recently dabbled with. Quinoa are small seeds that are versatile for cooking. Typically you eat them like you would a pasta, rice or other grain. It is a complete protein, packed with 9 essential amino acids. It is loaded with fiber, potassium, folic acid and iron. It is most known for its cardiovascular benefits and many compare it to the equivalent of milk.

It is quick to make, simply rinse the seeds in water then boil. Let the seeds simmer until they absorb all of the water. Tonight I prepared them with ground turkey and edamame with a touch of soy sauce and garlic. They are extremely filling as well, packed with 8g of dietary fiber! Once prepared they are extremely light and fluffy, a texture similar to tabouli.

Did I mention it is gluten free? I have been all about gluten-free foods lately. There are many recent cases of celiacs and gluten intolerant diseases and because of this I have become cautious when selecting foods. I highly recommend this seed, especially if you are in search of substituting a protein OR carbohydrate source. It is been around for thousands of years, but it certainly is new to me.

Trial & Error

I will be dieting in 3 week phases. This first phase, my calories will remain low (under 1200) and I will substitute my carbohydrates for substantial, enduring ones i.e. bread & pasta for sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Also, I will refrain from any cheat meals during this first 3 week period. Cardio will consist of 5, 30 minute sessions per week and weight training full body 3x a week for one hour.
My focus is on recharging my metabolism. I feel by dropping my calories really low, it will give me the opportunity to see how my body responds. Will I become hungry? Should I add in a meal or two? Ideally, after the first 3 weeks, I would like to add in a small amount of calories. However, I may have to wait until week 6 to do this. I have a feeling my body will be slow to respond.
If, indeed, this fails and I have NO results to show for dieting....well then I will order a saliva test to re-test my hormones.

So my goals over the next 3 weeks:
To become hungry every 3-4 hours (in between meals)
To become hot and possibly even sweat while eating
To drop 5lbs of water weight and fat
To be able to slowly increase my calories

weekend treats

Before I embarked on my summer-bod diet, I indulged over the weekend. I made a warm, cheeseeey batch of french onion soup and 2 dozen lemon-poppy seed muffins. I had a little help devouring the food, so don't judge me! ;)
The french onion soup:
2 2lb boxes of low sodium beef broth
2 2lb of low sodium chicken broth
3 medium white onions
4Tbsp worsterchire
provolone cheese
roll of french or ciabatta bread.

First slice the onions and cook on medium in a skillet with pam, a little olive oil. cook until tender and transluscent.
heat all 4 boxes of broth, add cooked onions, spices and seasonings. u can add salt but it defeats the purpose of the low sodium idea.
preheat oven to 400 toast the bread,
place a toasted slice of bread on top of a soup fillled bowl (oven safe), add a slice of cheese and broil in the oven til the cheese melts and slightly browns. tada!

muffins:
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 c splenda
2 lemons zested and squeezed
2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 c applesauce unsweetened
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon extract
2 egg
1 c skim milk


mix dry ingredients first then wet. add dry to wet. measure 1/3 c portions into greased muffin pan, bake 400 for 12 min

I'm blogging via phone so please ignore my grammar. :)The muffins didnt turn out as sweet as I'd have liked. dont hesitate to ade more splenda or lemon!

Guacamole

My awesome guacamole recipe that even the pickiest of avacado Eatfrs will enjoy!
4 ripe avacados
half of one white onion chopped
one lime squeezed
one ripe, firm tomato chopped
finely cut cilantro (optional)
coarse salt

Begin by cutting avacados in half, then remove the seeds (save the seeds for later to prevent from browning).
Next mash the avacado with a utensil until creamy.
Throw in vegetables and lime juice. salt to taste. voila!
Dont forget, avacados are a healthy fat source! Try it smothered on toasted whole wheat pita bread or a turkey sandwich.

It's that time of year

It's that time of year when the sun starts shining, the snow starts melting and we starting DIETING. The last time I attempted dieting (without being in contest prep) was probably 3 years ago. I alway's had the philosophy, 'Go hard or go home". This time I am approaching leaning out a little differently. By starting in mid-march I feel I will be giving my body a nice slow introduction and progression into slimming down. After all, Bikini season really doesn't set sail until Memorial day, giving me plenty of time to drop 15lbs or so.

How will I drop weight you ask? Well the next week I will be planning my nutritional menu as well as my exercise program. My training will stay relatively the same. An example of my training split now:

Monday- Chest & Tri's Cardio
Incline Dumbell press 3x20
Cable Fly 3x20
Bosu Ball Pushups -or- plyo pushups (tough for me blagghh)
Flat Bench or Dumbell press 3x20
Tricep Dips 3x15 (sometimes weighted)
Tricep Extensions w/ rope or straight bar 3x20
Overhead press or Overhead extension 3x20

Tuesday- Back & Bi's Cardio
Pull Ups 3x12 ( with a little assistance from my training partner...;) )
Stiff arm pull-down w/ straight bar 3x20
Seated row or one arm row 3x20
Lat pull down 3x20

dumbell bicep curl 3x20
dumbbell hammer curl or w/ rope 3x20
preacher curl 3x20 (Biceps are my least favorite to train)

Wed-Cardio only
Thurs- Alternating weeks Legs/ Cardio
I've dropped a lot of muscle on my legs the last couple of months...which I thought was a good thing but I feel like they seem mushier. I shouldnt have wished for less muscle! So I am going to start training them again.
leg extension 3x50
lying leg curl or seated 3x30
box jumps 3x20 (atleast)
stiff-legged dead lift 3x20
walking lunges or progressive lunges-no weight 3x20
horizontal leg press 3x20
Fri- Shoulders Cardio
Lateral raise 3x20
front plate raise 3x20
pec-deck rear delt 3x20
reverse pull up 3x15
rear delt fly or cable pull 3x20
seated military press 3x20

Cardio is running 3 miles or 20-30 min on elliptical 4-5 days a week. very relaxed now.
Typically it is done in this order, my work schedule is not consistent which alters my training days some but a girls gotta work!


From a nuritrional standpoint, I would call myself a slacker. A typical M-F day goes like this:
Breakfast- 2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites
1/2 C oats measured uncooked w/ water
(sometimes I sub a bran cereal w/ skim milk for the oats)
snack- apple
lunch- Mixed greens w/ fruit
3oz tuna
Fat free dressing or balsamic vinaigrette
OR
turkey stir fry
OR
tuna sandwich made with whole wheat bread,
3oz tuna, mustard, hardboiled egg, and piece of fruit
dinner-turkey meatloaf, or protein waffle, Or whole wheat pasta w/ turkey

or cereal w/ a protein shake and scoop of peanut butter

post workout- protein shake and apple or orange sometimes peanut butter

On the weekends I enjoy the occasional cookie or two-typically don't go tooooo crazy.
Once I make my dietary adjustments I will post them for ya!

Easy Stir-fry for dinner

1 package of lean ground turkey cooked and seasoned w/ season all or salt & pepper
1/2 bag of frozen stir fry veggies, sauteed
1 cooked boil-in-a-bag of brown rice

combine and finish off with a little low-sodium soy sauce