Pad Thai - Clean Eating Style

Happy New Year!!!

I have loved seeing all of the new goals that people have set for themselves with the holidays behind us and a new year ahead of us.  I have seen and heard a ton of cynical views on new years "resolutions" (which are really just new goals we set, no?) and I think it is totally unfair because on the flip side, I've noticed a lot of people who have set new year's goals and taken action towards accomplishing them.  All of the blog posts and Facebook statuses that I have been reading stating new years' goals have been inspiring and motivating to me, and I am excited to set some goals of my own.  To keep from becoming overwhelmed, and to make sure my goals are attainable, I wrote down three goals for January that play into my goals for the year.  Breaking big goals down into smaller, more attainable goals is a realistic approach that I highly recommend. 

My goals for January are:

1. Eat 90% clean all month -  Not only does eating clean help you stay (or get) lean, but it keeps you healthy and fit too.  I had no focus with my eating this past month - I ate lots of indulgent treats and foods at dinners, parties, and other holiday gatherings.  Both my health and waistline have suffered for this.  Healthwise, I am the sickest I have been in a very long time right now and I strongly believe that this is a testament to how a poor diet contributes to poor health.  When I eat clean, I literally NEVER get cough/colds like I have right now.  Eating clean provides my body with nutrient rich foods that boost my immune system and keep me healthy.  In terms of my waistline, I have gained about 3 pounds this month, on top of about 2 that I had gained in November.  I know that does not seem like much, but look at the pace at which I gained and it actually is kind of scary.  Think about it - if I continue eating like this all year, I would gain about 36 lbs in 2013.  No thanks!!!

2. Drink no more than 2 alcoholic beverages/week - Alcohol not only adds calories, but also impedes my judgement when it comes to eating and decreases my body's ability to burn fat while I am working out.  Therefore, I am limiting my intake.  I originally was going to set this to no alcohol but I think that is unrealistic if I am being honest with myself ;)

3. Lose 5 pounds - I want to fit into all of my jeans again and be able to wear all of the clothes hanging in my closet and right now, that just isn't possible.  I gained 5 lbs in such a short period of time that I am very confident in my ability to take it right back off.  My plan is to watch my portions the way I do when I prepare for a show, and workout 6x/week (5 days of strength training & cardio, 1 day of functional only).

Eating Clean

To help kick start my clean eating habits, I pulled out a Christmas gift that I received two years ago from my mom, The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook.  

I absolutely love this cookbook because there is a ton of variety and pictures of all of the recipes throughout the book.  For me, even just flipping through the pages and seeing all of the delicious, clean recipes helps motivate me to want to eat clean.  Sometimes I think I forget about the variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, nuts, etc. that are a part of a clean eating diet!  A lot of these recipes are very simple to make and/or can be easily modified based on what ingredients you have on hand.

On New Year's day, after a long trek home from New Hampshire, lots of unpacking, recovery, and cleaning, I was more than ready to make a fresh, delicious, healthy meal.  After going back and forth on a bunch of the options, Keith and I decided on Pad Thai - Clean Eating Style.  The final version did not quite resemble the picture in the cookbook since I made a few modifications, but it was good enough to make again.  

Recipe: Pad Thai - Clean Eating Style (with my mods)

Grab these ingredients:

8oz rice noodles

1tbsp Sesame Oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 

2 cups cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips

1.5 cups egg whites (I use liquid egg whites)

1 can Bean Sprouts

1 cup green onions, chopped

For Sauce:

3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

1/4 cup tomato past

2 Tbsp reserved noodle water

2 Tbsp unsulfured molasses

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce (note: can use tamari to make this gluten free!)

Get to work:

1. Cover rice noodles with boiling water in a ceramic bowl.  Let stand for 20 minutes.  Drain, reserving 2 TBSP of noodle water (put it in the bowl you are going to use to mix the sauce together).

2. In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Stir in garlic, cabbage, and carrot.  Stir-fry for 5 minutes.  Make  well in the middle of the pan and scramble the egg whites.  Add noodles and sauce and cook for 5 minutes.  Add bean sprouts and green onions and cook a little longer to and heat through.

4. Remove from heat and serve.  Enjoy!

FAP Boston Results & Empowerment

Results
I owe you all a recap post on the Fitness America Boston show that I competed in last month, and I have been putting it off for far too long!  I'm going to have to get back to you on a full recap as I am still digesting everything that happened before and after, and I am working diligently to keep up with the load of work for my full time job that seems to never end, but for now, I want to share the results!

Before I get to the results, I have to tell you that this show was a TON of fun!  The show had a laid back feel (compared to other shows that I have competed in) for most of the day until the actual show started (which was in the evening at 6pm).  Once the show began, it moved very quickly and having had five different changes of outfits, I was running between the stage and the changing area the whole night.  One aspect of the show that made it really fun for me was that a lot of the competitors in this show were actually girls and guys on my team, Team Savage, who are all just a ton of fun to be around - lots positive energy and adrenaline!  This was the first show for a handful of our girls and I really enjoyed being a part of their first show experience, since I can remember back to the veteran Savage girls who made my first experience something I will never forget.

  Before I knew it, the show was ending - and what an amazing ending it was for me!  I was named 1st place in the Bikini Tall division, and 2nd place in the Model division.  Having never even made the top 5, I was in ridiculously happy, shocked, and in awe of what can happen when you really set your mind to something.

Backstage after Bikini Swimwear Round with Figure Overall winner and fellow Savage girl  Cathee Eria.

That being said, I was sorely disappointed a couple weeks after the show.  There was a scoring error that was found after the scores were posted online and the new scores reflected different placements.  In Bikini Tall, I was placed in 2nd (although myself and the new 1st place winner actually tied for 1st place), and in Model, I was bumped to 3rd.  I think it is unfair to announce placings at a show, award trophies, and then change them afterwards.  My coaches and I are communicating with the Fitness America organization right now and trying to get answers as well as suggest solutions, to make sure this does not happen again.  I will keep you all posted on what happens.

Empowerment

A few days after being named 1st place in the Bikini Tall division and 2nd place in the Model division at the show, I woke up one morning and had a realization.  I truly CAN do anything that I want to do, and I can accomplish any goal that I apply myself to.  This, my friends, is called feeling empowered.

The moment was much more electric and profound for me in my own mind, body, and soul.  For the past several years, I have been searching for what it is that will truly make me happy in this world, for my real true purpose.  In that moment of clarity, I realized that I want to help others feel empowered and inspired to reach their own personal goals.  I intend to spend the next several months researching and mapping out a career path that aligns with my purpose.

I'm Ready

In 10 weeks I will step on the Fitness America stage again - my first show back after taking just over a year off from competing. I've been planning to do this show since early this year but have not actually been excited about it.


Sounds odd, huh? Why would I plan to do a show but not 100% want to do it? 


Flashback to April 2011. I stepped off the stage at Fitness New England (at Mohegan Sun) and shreiked in adrenalin pumping, pure excitement with my Savage sisters who had just walked off stage themselves.  Getting on that stage is nothing short of thrilling - I cannot even explain why.We ran backstage and inhaled some treats, danced to music,and drank in the magic of having just accomplished a big goal we had all spent the past 10-12 weeks prepping  for.  Bikini competition #2 was done and it was another great experience!
  

Waiting for our turn on stage!

 Treats backstage!

Support system: my besties!

More of my support system: my guy Keith!

The day after the show, I was tired but excited to eat some more delicious food and get home to relax.  My boyfriend, Keith, and I went for an easy walk and talked about what was next. Keith isn't generally very serious and he certainly is not vocal about how he feels so our conversation came as a complete shock to me. "I am so proud of you for setting such a tough goal and reaching it but I miss you." There was also talk of how competing fit into our budgets (it didn't).  This brought me back down to earth.  

You see, getting ready to compete is a huge commitment. It takes time to fit in all of your workouts, practice your stage walk, plan for and prepare your outfits, prepare all of your food all of the time, and say no to drinks with coworkers and friends. It costs money to sign up for a show, hire coaches, buy show outfits, accessories, hair and makeup, and consistently spend money on the food you need specifically for your plan. Not to mention how terrible it feels after the show is over.  Post show, when it is all over, is very tough to get through physically, mentally, and emotionally (but it gets better as you get more experienced and understand how to get through it!).  Making the commitment, and being worried that I was not ready emotionally, mentally and financially, are why I was not excited.


At the end of the day, competing is nothing more than a hobby for me. It's an outlet to push harder at the gym than I do on my own, and a challenge to be more disciplined with my diet than I am on my own. It's a chance to get all dolled up and enjoy the camaraderie of reaching goals together with friends with a similar passion.  This is why I want to compete again.  


I love so many things about competing and I have given my approach to training a lot of thought.  I know that I am ready to compete again - ready physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. This week, I am (finally) excited for what lies ahead in the next 9.5 weeks. VERY excited!  The changes in my body, the improvements in my walk, the challenges I will overcome, the time I'll spend with my team, and that moment when I step back on stage.

Stuffed Taco Burgers

Taco night happens pretty much once a week around here because my guy, Keith, and I are big taco fans and they are so simple to make.  One night, as I was taking out the ingredients to start making taco meat, I got a fun new idea.  I wondered how burgers seasoned with taco spices would taste.

They were absolutely delicious, and not just to me, but also to Keith.  If my guy likes something, I know the recipe is a success.  

The only thing that was not a success was my recipe recording skills. I have the worst time remembering to write down how much of what ingredients are going into  when I'm experimenting.  So forgive me but I'm going to tell you what went in, but not how exactly much.

Stuffed Taco Burgers

Grab these Ingredients:

1lb 96/4 Lean Ground Beef

Paprika

Garlic

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Salsa

Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Large Yellow Onion

Olive Oil Spray

Get to Work:

1. Place beef, paprika, garlic, Tony Chachere's, and Salsa in a bowl and mix well.  I usually fold all of the ingredients together with my hands to make sure the spices are mixed in well.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, cut onions into round slices, and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil.  Spray the top of the onions.  Sprinkle Tony Chachere's onto onions.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

3. Take the cover of a nut butter jar and spray it with olive oil.  Use the cover to form patties.

4. Spray a skillet and cook patties through on both sides on medium-high heat.  Once patties are cooked through, place a layer of cheese on top of a patty and then place another patty on top.  Turn heat down to medium and cook until the cheese melts, about 1 minute.

5. Place onion on top of burger and stick a toothpick through to hold the burger together.

That's it!  We didn't have any buns and these don't need them.  For my buy, I served two burgers with a side of Mexican rice.  For myself, I had one unstuffed patty with a side of sauteed vegetables and a roasted onion.  Either way you eat this, you will not be dissappointed!

Quick & Dirty Sprint/Plyo Workout

A couple weeks ago, I took a spin class that had me feeling amazing!  I am not usually into spin but this class is fantastic because the teacher really pushes you in an encouraging way, the music is all popular songs that I know and would have on my own playlist, and the drills are a fun mix of sprints and hills that keep me interested the whole time.  During class, I got that happy, euphoric feeling from an endorphin release (aka "runner's high," except, I was spinning so... spinner's high?) and I left soaked head to toe on rubbery legs.  So this past Wednesday, I planned on a repeat.

When Wednesday rolled around, I was eager to get that same spin experience again, but by the time 5pm rolled around, I knew it wasn't happening since the class starts at 5:30 and I wasn't close to being done at work.  My boss was expecting to find the presentation that I was working on sitting in his inbox by the time he got home and I had at least an hour to go before I could deliver the final document. Complete disappointment.

By 7pm, I had wrapped it up but all I wanted to do was go home and relax.  I considered the thought for a minute and quickly realized how much better I'd feel if I just got to the gym and did SOMETHING.  Sure, spin wasn't happening, but I'd planned on getting in a high intensity cardio session and I knew I would be upset with myself if I skipped the gym altogether.

Sidenote: if my body needed the rest, I would have listened and headed home. But this lack of motivation was strictly mental. I felt defeated from missing class and mentally drained from the presentation I had worked on all day.  A quick physical evaluation had me realize that my legs felt great, my body was not tired, and I was well fueled up with both food and water. So I headed to the gym, contemplating what kind of workout I should do since my original plan was no longer an option.

By the time I'd changed and was listening to my iPod stretching, all I could think about was sprints. I'd taken a rest day the previous day and my legs were ready to rock an intense workout.  It was kind of late at this point so I wanted a workout that would be quick and effective. Well let me just say mission accomplished.

If you find yourself at the gym with only 45 minutes to get in and get out, give this a try:

Sprint Sets: Sprint at the given speed for 30 seconds then grab the handrails and jump feet to the sides of the treadmill for a 30 second rest.  Repeat for allotted amount of time.


Plyo Sets: Do 5 of each, then 4 of each, then 3 of each, then 2 of each, then 1 of each (for an added challenge, start at 1 of each and get back to 5 of each!).
1 - Burpees & Jump Lunges
2- Jump squats & Lateral Lunges

***Feel free to modify the seconds on/seconds off and/or the speed if you need to!  For example, 20 seconds on and 40 seconds off will allow you a little bit more rest, and 30 seconds on and 20 seconds off will give you slightly less rest.  I have a tendency to add this sort of variation depending on how I feel.

If you give this a try, let me know how it goes!

xo

WIAW: Weekly Highlights

Just one day in the life of my eats did not get captured this past week.  Ooops.  But a ton of delicious, whole meals and foods did make their way into my belly onto my camera so I'm sharing food highlights from my week with you instead of one day of eats.  Hope that's ok with all of you WIAW'ers out there!





Today I am mostly just sharing pictures with you but don't worry, I'll be sharing recipes eventually :)

Sweet Potato Corn Breakfast Loaf (topped with peanut butter!) with a Gala apple and 0% Plain Chobani w/cinnemon

Sloppy Joe's with a side of Pop Chips (Keith's plate)

Sloppy Joes over green beans for me.

Lunch the next day: Sloppy Joe beef over Kale and sugar snap peas with a Joseph's Pita

Paleo-friendly chicken nuggets and Brussels sprouts

Chocolate protein bowl (unsweetened cocoa, egg white, kale, stevia, wheat bran, SF maple syrup)

Chobani with Organic Goldenberries (yum!!!)

Organic Romaine with baked chicken and spicy brown mustard

That's all for now.  It was so hard not to tell you all about my eats but I promise to share recipes for the Sweet Potato Corn Loaf, Sloppy Joes, Paleo chicken, and even my Chocolate Protein bowl.

Have an awesome Wednesday!

The 100 Workout

This morning I stepped out on my porch to a crazy beautiful day!  I don't enjoys running but I really wanted to take my workout outside to take advantage of the gorgeous weather.  I wasn't exactly sure what to do but I knew I wanted something quick to get my heart rate up.

I turned to my "Sweat it Out" pinboard on Pinterest where I have been saving some quick hitter workouts that caught my interest.  I immediately decided to use the 100 Workout:

Source: loseweight-safe.com via Jenn on Pinterest

I decided to do this in reverse order and added a 10 min run to the beginning to get warmed up.  The 10 min run took me to a baseball field overlooking a lake where I completed the exercises in the 100 workout.    I loved it and returned home feeling so refreshed and ready for the day.

In total, with the 10 min run added to the beginning, this workout took 30 minutes.  My heart rate was up the whole time and I definitely broke a sweat.  If you have a beautiful day that you want to take advantage of, write this on a sheet of paper, carve out a half hour, and go do this!