Beach Countdown

And so it begins...25 days until I hit the beach, yikes! Time to hit the gym at least 5 days/week and NO CHEATS! Today I did good, day 1 is always the hardest. Here's a breakdown of my meals and snacks as well as my gym workout. Enjoy!

Breakfast
Egg white omelet with spinach and 1oz fat free cheddar
1 slice Ezekial bread with spray butter
small apple

Workout - Arms/Cardio
30 pushups

Superset 3 x 8
Bent over barbell row
Seated cable row

Regular sets 3 x 10
Lateral pull down
Bent over dumbbell row
Tricep cable pull down
Back extensions

Step mill 1:1 speed intervals - 20 minutes

Mid-morning snack
4 homemade protein bars
Small banana

Lunch
1/2 cup brown rice
Honey Chipotle Ground Chicken
Zucchini

Dinner
Oxygen Mag Shake
Roasted Broccoli

I think the day ended up being around 1,100 calories which is a low day but I am trying to drop lb's fast for the beach so this is okay. Normally I eat around 1,500/ day.

Some quick tips if you have a beach trip coming up:
+ No carbs after lunch
+ Limit fruit to 2 servings/day
+ Eat your veggies!
+ Have protein at every meal
+ Drink your weight in water. For example: 164 lbs = 64 oz water. Minimum of 64 oz per day. The more you drink the better. I try and get as close to 1 gallon per day as I can. Yes I said 1 GALLON! It's hard but really makes a difference.

Recipe of the Day: Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies

courtesy of PopSugar

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax meal (ground flaxseed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Sucanat (or sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups quick oats
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together oil, Sucanat, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in the oats, apples, flour mixture, and nuts.
4. Spoon out cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cook seven to eight minutes, or until edges are slightly brown. Place cookies on a cooling rack.

Clean Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I adapted a Vegan recipe to make it "clean." They used white sugar which is a NO NO!

1 1/2 cups shredded raw zucchini
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 large banana
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Sucanat
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Set oven to 350 F. Grate one medium zucchini and set aside.

Mix flour, cocoa poweder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a separate bowl and set aside.

Mash the banana with the Sucanat, oil, and vanilla. Fold in the grated zucchini. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into a lightly sprayed bread loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Serves 8.

6 Pack Summer

Get your bikini bod with this 6 pack in 30 day workout! It looks intense...
Check out the full breakdown, with videos, on the Women's Health Mag site.

Ultimate Leg Workout

Sunday Morning Brunch

Oatmeal Blueberry Protein Pancakes 

Ingredients

• ½ cup Oatmeal (Old fashioned kind)
• 1/3 cup Egg whites
• 1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder (23grm protein per scoop)
• 1 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed
• ¼ of a ripe Banana
• 1 tablespoon Greek Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of good Vanilla extract
• ¼ cup frozen Blueberries
• Makes 1 serving of 2 pancakes, 30 grams protein, 30gram carbs (approx.)

Directions

Throw everything except blueberries in the blender and blend until smooth. Spray pan with safflower (or other) oil and get it hot like a griddle, pour half of the mixture into pan, and place a few blueberries on top. These pancakes won’t “bubble” on top like regular pancakes, so you need to watch the bottoms. When bottom is lightly brown and the pancaked is cooked halfway through, flip and cook the other side – this will also heat the frozen blueberries. When done, remove pancake and pour in the rest of the batter, repeat.

Weekend Warrior

The hardest time for anyone dieting or eating clean is the weekend! Going to the movies, eating out at a restaurant and hitting the bars make it difficult to keep up with a clean eating lifestyle. Here's some tips to avoid those temptations and even squeeze in some exercise!

Pack a Snack!
If you are going to a movie I know how hard it is to resist the smell of buttery popcorn...don't give in. Bring a small zip lock of nuts, dried fruit or one of my favs, SmartPop Popcorn to munch on. Fresh Market and Whole Foods sell individual 100 calorie bags of the SmartPop (easily hidden in any purse) Grab a bottled water or Smart Water instead of soda.

Stay Busy!
The busier I am on the weekend the less I am thinking about eating. Sitting on the couch watching TV makes you want to snack and "graze" all day. Get up and clean your house, go outside and do some gardening, take your dog for a walk or even go for a drive. Anything that keeps your mind off food and away from the kitchen is good!

Smart "Fast Food"
If you're on the run all day, forgot to pack enough food and have to stop somewhere to eat DO NOT think the drive through is your only option.

• Stop at a local produce stand and buy some fruit. They usually have nuts and other healthy snacks you can eat on the go.
• Grocery stores like Whole Foods have a prepared food section. Sandwiches, wraps, salads, and pre-cut fruits and veggies.
• Grab a smoothie. No not from Smoothie King. Even their "Skinny" smoothies are loaded with calories and sugar. Try to find a place that offers protein shakes with a Whey Isolate Protein base at around 80-100 calories. Then you can add in fresh fruit, peanut butter, spinach or whatever you choose. Stay away from Turbinado it's pure sugar. Ask how they sweeten the smoothie before you order!
• Worst case scenario you are in the middle of "Fast Food Nation" and have no other choice than the drive-thru, order a plain grilled chicken sandwich (or 2 if you're starving) and toss the bread. Skip the fries and order a large bottle of water. That should hold you over until you can get somewhere to eat a better meal.

Triple Threat Cardio

Triple Threat Elliptical Stepmill Treadmill Cardio Routine He and She Eat Clean by Tiffany Stein Staples

Recipe of the Day: Meatloaf

Jamie's Monster Meatloaf Recipe

Nutrition Facts: Makes 24 servings
Single serving = 83 calories, .7 g fat, 3 g carbs, 15 g protein

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz package chopped onions and peppers, thawed (or 1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or paste)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp tomato paste (no salt added)
• 3 lbs extra-lean ground turkey (or chicken breast)
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup reduced sugar ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prep a 9-by-13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray. In a large sauté pan, cook the onions and peppers with salt, pepper and thyme until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Next, add garlic, soy sauce, chicken broth and tomato paste, mixing until heated through.

Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg whites, oats and sautéed mixture (cooled). Mix by hand until all incorporated and press flat into the 9-by-13 prepared Pyrex dish.

Spread ketchup in an even layer on top of the prepared turkey and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

My Killer Playlist

I would not get through a workout without good music to motivate me. Enjoy!!

Sexy Sculpted Arms

Now that's a bicep! Want arms like these? Well you gotta work and you gotta work hard. Here's a great gym workout to get those super sculpted arms.

3 sets of 12 for each exercise

Wide pushups

Alternating bicep curls

Narrow pushups

Tricep push down

Standing tricep extension w/ dumbbells

Dumbbell bench press 

Cable flys

Seated cable row

Wide grip lat pulldown

Don't lift your maximum amount just do 60%-70% for the first 2 weeks.  Also, don't be afraid to really lift. Ladies you will not "bulk up" like a guy. It's a myth! You want to really see results, increase the weight I promise you won't regret it.

Recipe of the Day: Dessert

Curtis Stone's 100 Calorie Greek Yogurt Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting

photo courtesy of A Daily Does of Fit

Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes about 14 cupcakes
Ingredients

• 5 organic egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the raspberry frosting

• 1 cup nonfat cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• Fresh raspberries to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and using a handheld mixer whip the whites on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until the whites begin to lighten up and hold their shape.
3. Increase speed to high and whip in the salt and honey until the whites hold a soft peak, then add the vanilla extract.
4. Fold in the yogurt.
5. In a separate medium mixing bowl combine the flour and baking powder and mix well.
6. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites a little at a time, gently folding them in with a rubber spatula.
7. Once fully incorporated, scoop the batter into cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers.
8. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes or until they have colored and gently spring back when pushed with a finger.
9. Remove from the oven and cool the cupcakes at room temp.
10. While the cupcakes are baking, puree the raspberries in a blender until smooth.
11. Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the puree reduces slightly.
12. Cool completely.
13. Place the cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl and fold the puree into the cream cheese until fully mixed.
14. Once cupcakes are cool, spread a little of the berry frosting over the cupcakes, garnish each with one raspberry and serve.

8 lbs Gone in One Week!

Wow! Hard work and dedication paid off and I lost 8lbs. in 7 DAYS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C'mon guys!! You know that is never gonna happen. Not unless you are on an unhealthy, super restrictive diet or starving yourseld. I did however drop 3 lbs whoop whoop!

 

Stick to a healthy diet and workout 4-5 times per week and you WILL see results!



Recipe of the Day

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
courtesy of A Kitchen Addiction

Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into thin strips
• 2-3 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 – 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how much heat you want
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat.
2. Place cut sweet potatoes in a large bowl and toss with olive oil or place on baking mat and spray one side with an olive oil mister, give the pieces a stir and spray the other side.
3. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and spices. Sprinkle over pieces and toss or stir to evenly coat.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until fries are lightly browned and crisp. Give the fries a stir halfway through baking time to allow for even cooking.
5. Serve immediately.