Weekend Eats & Food Prep

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love weekend eats. So much more time for food shopping, cooking, cleaning. Heaven…minus the cleaning part.

Poached Eggs

 

If you can believe it, this was my first attempt at poached eggs. Well actually, the 2nd. The first time ended in disaster. White, stringy, gross. I angrily put it aside and tried again. Initially I had boiled water, added vinegar once the water was boiling, then threw in the egg. No good. For my 2nd attempt, I added vinegar before the water started boiling. The other thing I changed was to slowly pour in the eggs. Not sure which one did the trick but it worked!

Sauteed a bit of spinach and salami…and threw the egg on top. Great way to start the AM.

In addition, a green juice (2 servings) – spot the green juice in the upper left corner of the picture above

• tomato
• ginger
• lemon
• spinach
• mini cuke

Sirloin Tips

Shrimp

Ground beef on zoodles (no pic)

Sweet potato/Egg white pancake

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And then we have the food prep…

Meal 1 – Sweet potato/egg white pancake topped with strawberries.

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sweet potato
• 1/4 cup strawberries
• 1T coconut oil

1. Combine and whisk vigorously.
2. Cook in pan over low heat.
3. Top with strawberries and coconut oil.

Meal 2 – Yogurt jar

• 1/4 cup whipped cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup strawberries

Meal 3 – Salad

• spring mix
• 1/4 cup figs
• 1 mini cuke
• 4oz lemon grilled chicken

Meal 4 – Protein & veggies

• hardboiled eggs
• sliced veggies

Meals 5 & 6 will be taken care of at home. Some of my options include:

• shrimp
• tuna
• sardines
• Applegate turkey dogs
• Vega protein shake
• Quest bars (only in case of emergency)

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Today’s Meals

Meal 1 

• 3 egg whites w/ cinnamon (protein)
• 1/4 cup oatmeal (carbs)
• 1/4 cup blueberries (fruit)

Meal 2

• 4 oz grilled chicken (protein)
• 1/2 sweet potato (carbs)
• 1 cup brussels w/ homemade lemon dressing* (veggies)
• 1/2 tbsp Udo’s oil (fat)
• 1/8 cup raisins (fruit)

Meal 3

• Fage yogurt (protein)
• Lightly salted rice cake (carbs)
• 1/4 cup blueberries (fruit)

Meal 4

• Double chocolate Quest bar (protein & carbs)

Meal 5

• 1 fried egg + 2 whites (protein)
• Green beans (veggies)
• Mini peppers (veggies)
• 1 tbsp Udo’s Oil (fat) 
• 0.5 oz pop corners (carbs)
  

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Macros

• Protein – 105 g

• Carbs – 143 g

• Fat – 49 g

Time for the Show

Alright, it’s time for a jump start. I’ve decided to do a show….in 8 weeks. That’s right, I’ve given myself 8 weeks to be stage ready.

With the move, new job, etc, etc, excuse, excuse, I haven’t really been as motivated as I have been in the past. I need a goal. The goal is the NGA show on Oct. 18 in East Orange, NJ. I’m still on the fence about Bikini vs. Figure. The reason for my hesitation is my lack in shoulders. My lifting has left much to be desired and I’ve lost any gains I made on my upper body. It is what it is. Now it’s time to move forward. I’ll lean out over the next 8 weeks and see what happens.

So here’s the game plan – add in cardio, ensure I get in my lifts, and of course meal prep.

Week 1 of meal prep included a trip to Trader Joe’s. Oh, the loot!

Protein

Grilled Chicken

Lemon Chicken

Sardines

Canned Salmon

Eggs

Egg whites

Fat

Mixed Nuts

Olive Oil

Chia Seeds

Coconut Oil and Udo’s Oil – already in the house

Carbs

Sweet Potato – in the oven

Rolled Oats

Rice Cakes (not pictured)

And More

Capers

Lemon Pepper

Salsa Verde

Some Meals

Egg whites

Oatmeal

Blueberries

Chicken

Asparagus

Shredded Brussels

Chicken

Mushrooms & Kale – sautéed in coconut oil and coconut aminos

Roasted Veggies – green beans & zucchini

The grilled chicken has been a complete life saver. I can’t recommend it enough.

I was on vacation all last week…

…just got back on Sunday and there was no way I was going to do any cooking, besides those sweet potatoes. Use your chicken for salads, with roasted veggies, and so on. Chicken all week for me.

Tonight’s Workout 

Back

• Warmup – cable lat pulldowns with inverted close grip cable pulldowns
• Bent over DB row – HEAVY
• Seated Cable rows
• Push-ups
• Face pulls – LIGHT cooldown

Cardio – tempo on the stairmill

• 5min warmup
• 20min – 1min “run”; 2min “walk”
• 3min cool down

Looking forward to the coming weeks…but for now…GOOD NIGHT and happy goal making!!!!

UPDATE!!!

Alright, let’s try to get back into this. What have I been up to? Here’s the quick and dirty:

January

• Figuring out life 
• Dealing with winter
• You didn’t miss anything there

February

• Still trying to figure it all out
• Flowers
• More snow
• …and ice

March

• IRELAND
  
• St. Patty’s day in IRELAND
• LONDON
• The BIG MOVE….suitcase/cat carrier move
• Fancy temporary housing
  

• Fancy pool…that I can’t use

April

• New Sneaks
• New Lab shoes
• New sandals
• Apartment hunting…30 days to find a place to live. Let the panic ensue.

May

• The actual BIG move. Phew, permanent housing.
• Fresh coat of paint on the dresser

• New Vitamix (an early birthday present…super early)
• More new shoes (I may have a problem)
• NEW, NEW, NEW
• All settled

June

• Time to get back into the gym routine
• Painting & building
• Juicin
• Braving a new hairdresser
• Sun
• Starting to feel like home

Food Prep Sunday

The first food prep of 2014. Get excited!!! Wait…don’t….I forgot to take pictures. Well there goes that. Anyways, you’ll get the idea.

THE MENU

Protein

• Cincinnati Chili (recipe from Well Fed 2)
• Cod (2lbs)
• Pulled pork – ready for the crockpot tomorrow
• Eggs – 2 eggs over easy made each AM for breakfast

Carbs

• Roasted parsnips and carrots
• Roasted japanese yams
• Baked sweet potato

Veggies

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Baby kale

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THE BREAKDOWN

Breakfast

2 whole eggs (protein)

roasted parsnips, carrots and japanese yams (carbs)

1/2 avocado (fat) – which I forgot today

spinach

….all in a big bowl…to the face

and an orange (fruit)

Lunch

chili (protein)

baby kale (vegetables)

sweet potato (carbohydrate)

banana (fruit)

Dinner

4oz cod (protein)

broccoli (veggies)

roasted carrots and parsnips (carbohydrates)

1 tablespoon coconut oil (fat)

AND CHOCOLATE….Salted chocolate. Oh so good.

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As for today, it was a complete rest day for me. My legs are shot from this weekend. Deadlift on Saturday and legs on Sunday. I don’t recommend it. And that’s why I had to treat myself to chocolate but only after a full day of work and 2 clients. Ok, just kidding. I have chocolate every night and I don’t need a reason. I’m also not going to apologize. 🙂

So why am I still up? I’m waiting for my stupid computer to update my phone to the iOS 7. Yes, I know I’m late to the party but I really didn’t want to pull the trigger. I’ve heard horror stories. Horror might be a tad dramatic. Then someone said “please”. So here I am…waiting….

Eh, forget it. I’ll let it do it’s thing. Hopefully all is well in the AM. Hope you had a fantastic start to the week.

The Best Version of Me

Who doesn’t make resolutions? This girl! Instead each day I try to be (unapologetically) the best version of me.

The best version of me….

Eats clean (mostly paleo), has a piece of dark chocolate (or two) after dinner every night, prefers staying in to going out, needs 8 hours of sleep per night, one cup of coffee before fully functioning, at least 4 good workouts per week, and quality alone time.

The best version of me is always up for a new adventure or challenge and will always try something at least once.

The best version of me laughs, laughs out loud, laughs at meetings, laughs whenever the mood strikes….and dances!!!!….in the car, in the gym, in the shower…(besides the point)

So this year I plan on continuing to laugh (and dance) while experiencing all the new challenges and adventures life has to offer. I plan on going to bed earlier, meditating 3 minutes/day to keep the stress at bay, and continuing to make strength and muscle gains towards the best version of ME!

I do this not because I have to but because that’s what makes me the best me. So stop stressing yourself out with these unrealistic and rigorous resolutions on your rigid “January” timeline and just strive to be the best version of you…whatever that may be.

What is the best version of you?

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P.S. I also PROMISE to start blogging again. 🙂

There She Is!

So much you’ve missed while I’ve been MIA! My fault…not yours. Let’s catch you up with the main events.

I’m a bad blogger

Ok, maybe you caught that.

Ireland!

I do have pictures…but again…let me reiterate in case you missed #1…since I’m a bad blogger I don’t have time to post them just yet.

Detox pause (obviously)

• Goat cheese on salad
• Goat cheese in tartlets
• Cappuccinos
• BEER!
• Beer!
• Some more beer! …I’m exaggerating….a little

Detox resumed?

• Excluding dairy from diet. No milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese.
• Added red meat back in but in very limited quantities.
• At least one green juice/day
• Feeling AWESOME!
• Skin – still the occasional breakout. Could be stress.

Training for a Sprint Triathlon and hoping I don’t drown 

• ¼ mile swim – swam at 5:30am. For all those wondering…THIS is how good I look that early in the AM. Anyways, back to swimming. I’m not very good…if you couldn’t tell by my “drowning” comment.  I don’t sink but I’m not what you would call an efficient swimmer.
• 8K trail ride – my new helmet finally came in! So cute!!! Isn’t that what’s important? I thought so.

• 5K run – I tried running this week. No good. My knee hurt So. Freakin. Bad. Maybe I need new sneakers!

Ok ok, it probably has to do with my excessively long running gait. But I still NEEDED the sneaks. Back to the knee – as soon as I got home my hip flexor started screaming. Yes, it was screaming at me. Cue roller AND stick to the IT band. Feels a bit better now but I’m going to take another week off from running and focus on the bike/swim portion. I figure as long as I get my cardio up I should be ok for the run. No? It’s just 3 miles. How hard can it be? Never mind that I tried jogging for 15 minutes and FAILED. It’ll be fine. 🙂 At least I LOOK like a runner.  I knew I’d need my running gear again…from my half marathon days…when I thought I liked running.

Tough Mudder

• Yea, I’m an idiot. Tough Mudder Boston on June 1st. Um…WHAT?!?!? Any other dummies out there? I can’t be the only one. How did I get peer pressured into doing this? Especially since I hate to run. Anywho, it’s going to be great! Did I mention by bum knee/hip flexor? 

Work, work, work

• Chemist – busy, busy, busy. Lots of new projects. Just trying to get out of here on time for my evening clients. Not stressful at all.
• Personal training – also busy but I love it soooo much! I become a completely different person when I get in there. I feel better mentally. I really enjoy it.

Sleep Lack of Sleep

• Nope, you didn’t miss sleep. No sleeping going on here. Let’s take two night’s ago for example (the most extreme case): Chemist work until 4pm, 1^st client @ 5:30pm, Small Group class @ 6:30pm, Small group demos @ 7:30pm – 9:30pm. Wake up at 5:15am for a swim. Zzzzz….. sorry fell asleep for a second.

Getting my learn on

• Working on my Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) certification through NASM 
• Reading Anatomy Trains – challenged by a friend of mine who’s already been through it. Must have Chapter 1 read and ready to be quizzed on by Sunday. Only 61 pages of “not so fun” reading. Zzzzz….there I go again. 
• “Peace is Every Step” – getting my meditation on. Ok, not really. I barely have time to read about it. The goal is to EVENTUALLY get into meditating. But I love this book. It’s an easy read and it really puts everything in perspective. Just a few pages and I already feel calmer. Highly recommend!

 For those of you following on Instagram…yes, even though this is an easy read I have been reading it for awhile. As you can imagine, reading only 1 -2 pages/night does not make for quick progress. 

Ok, that’s all I have time for! Glad to have been able to catch you up. HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

WIAW: Detox Update

It’s been one week since I’ve started my little detox. So? Am I staying on track? I sure am!!! No, seriously. I’ve been so good. I’ve avoided so many things:

• Cadbury mini eggs – these are my absolute favorite my coworker has a HUGE bag at her desk.
• Blue cheese
• Bread basket at Saturday night’s dinner date
• Pizza, lasagna, ziti – free lunch at work – ok, this one wasn’t so hard because I find when there’s this many carbs in one place I’m seriously turned off. I socialized for a bit then snuck off to have my salmon.
• All protein bars, including the Isalean bar that sits in my desk, staring at me, saying “eat me”. It really does. It’s so mean.
• Rice cake – I don’t know if this one counts. It was after I tried to deadlift after only having  ¼ cup sweet potato and feeling as if I was hit by a truck. I decided it was imperative that I quickly bring my blood sugar back up.  So sue me!
• No protein powder either

ANY CHEATS?  

Saturday night’s dinner. – 1 beverage & chorizo with figs

Oh, and pork. I decided I’m not going to avoid pork – just beef. Meaning I’ve been having a slice of bacon with my eggs and green juice every AM. I’ll allow it.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Sleep – sometimes I find myself watching crap television and not getting to bed until around 11pm. That needs to stop. I need more than 7 hours of sleep. I’m shooting for 8 here.

Green juice quantity – I have been religiously doing the one green juice/day – in the AM, after my 12 hour fast, and before my eggs. What I sometimes neglect is my afternoon juicing session. Again, it’s just lack of time.

Vitamins – not on the detox list but I’ve been trying to remember my vitamin packs. Fail.

SAMPLE MENU (aka today’s eats)

Meal 1

green juice – orange, lime, kale, spinach, sprouts, mint, and flaxseed(fruit, vegetables, fat)

2 eggs over easy (protein)

slice of bacon (amazingness)

Meal 2

Spinach (vegetable)

Green beans (vegetable)

Turkey meatloaf (protein)

Sweet potato (carbohydrate)

Meal 3

4 hardboiled eggs (protein)

Green juice (fruit, vegetable, & fat)

Meal 4

Isalean shake – looks like I have to break the protein powder rule. (Protein & Carb)

Red pepper slices (vegetable)

Almonds (fat)

Meal 5

Baby carrots to munch on while I wait for my chicken to warm up

Chicken (protein)

Spinach (vegetable)

Sprouts (vegetable)

Olives (fat)

Vinegar & Oil

Zoe was also a fan.

Dessert  – coconut apple paleo bite (fruit & fat)

Here’s the original link for the recipe from paleomg.

Overall, I’m pretty darn proud of myself and I feel great! There are only a couple times of the day where I find it can be difficult. The first, is the morning. I have a hard time waiting for that 12 hour fast to be complete before I have my 1st green juice. Secondly, I still have a slight crash in the afternoon. At about 2/3pm I really start to feel my willpower start to go….and I seriously consider consuming a faceful of Cadbury eggs. But I resist and persist. Instead I have a cup of coffee and some sliced veggies. My tummy is happy.

for your viewing pleasure

I Bought A Bike!

Almost time to start the week again. But first, here’s what I had going on this weekend.

SATURDAY

Clients

Total Body – kettlebell/TR-X workout

REI for my new bike!

Don’t you just love the color? Isn’t that how you’re supposed to pick out a bike? 

30 minute cardio session on the stairmill

Lunch at Whole Foods

Tapas date night. I even busted out the heels.

…and had a detox cheat.

My beverage – Hot Dahlia – jalapeño infused tequila, muddled orange, cilantro, and lime juice.

Even though I did treat myself to a beverage I made sure not to have any red meat, dairy (that was tough. I so wanted the gorgonzola that came with our beet salad), or bread (no thank you bread basket), and no sugars! We got a couple fish tapas, artichokes, beets, and chorizo and figs. Did I say I wouldn’t eat pork for the month? I might have to take that back. Anyways, I’d say the night was still a success. Plus, that drink was phenom!

SUNDAY

Sleep, More Sleep, Laying Around, Puppy Cuddling. I forgot just how comfy my bed was. Laying around until 10am was an AMAZING reminder.

TV Watching – Dr. Who & Orphan Black. BBC is so freakin great.

Finally got up for breakfast and a bit of food prep (ie. hardboiled eggs).

Clients

Workout – Deadlift, Chin Ups, and Abs

Woa, not sure why I thought deadlifts were a good idea during my detox (ie. very limited carbs). I was WEAK. Oops.

P.S. Old pic…very old.

Green juice

orange

spinach

wheat grass

mint

…like an orange mojito

Dinner

turkey meatloaf (a la Whole Foods)

green beans

brocollini (oops…slightly overcooked)

You’ll see this meal for lunch the next 2 days and I’m certainly not complaining. That meatloaf is gooood.

Dessert

Paleo coconut apple bites from Paleomg.com. I somehow managed to eat just one but boy was it HARD. And even as I sit here and type this I want to raid the fridge for the rest of the batch. Must. Resist. 

Alright, it’s time to get ready for the week. Big things happening! Can’t wait to share!!!! Stay tuned. 

WIAW: Must Stabilize – 30 day detox

Ok, it’s happening. I have to go on some sort of detox. No, not some psychotic and limiting juice cleanse – a detox….for the month of April!

Why? Well lately, I’ve been feeling sluggish, I’m getting more breakouts, and I find myself constantly craving carbs/sugars. I feel like I need a reset to stabilize my blood sugar.

In addition, I’ll be MAKING A SERIOUS EFFORT to get 8 hours of sleep, eating carbs (sweet potato and quinoa) only on lifting days, adding in 2 green juices/day instead of my usual one, and ensuring I get in a 12 hour “fast” after my last meal (meaning if my last meal is at 8pm my first meal won’t be until 8am).

So here is my version of a “detox” (a combination of other “detox” diets I’ve researched). Basically I’m eliminating dairy, red meat, processed carbs, and sugars for the month.

Foods to Enjoy

• Vegetables – emphasis on leafy greens and BEETS
• Non-gluten grains – I’ll be using quinoa since I still intend on lifting during my detox. Gotta have my carbs for energy…and of course some sweet potato.
• Protein – fish, chicken, turkey, and eggs
• Fruits – emphasis on berries
• Nuts & Seeds
• Good Fats – avocado, coconut oil, olives, etc
• Whey protein – still ok but stick with grass fed and limit to 1x/day. Dr. Oz eliminates this in his version. Not this girl.  
• Apple cider vinegar
• Honey and Agave – in very limited doses. I’ll be using a bit in my coffee.

Foods to Avoid

• Dairy
• Gluten, Wheat
• Processed Sugars
• Beef, Pork

Dare I say it? It’s basically PALEO – GASP!!!!

Considering how clean I already eat how does this actually apply to me?

• MORE FAT, LESS CARBS
• I’ll have to eliminate my 1 cottage cheese parfait/day – sad.
• No protein bars – sometimes I’m so busy I have to grab an Isalean bar for the road
• No beef or pork. – this will be hard for me as I do love my meat.
• No reward meals – I’m a little more lax on the weekends, which is when the processed carbs/sugars come in. That will stop for the month of April.
• No 1 pump sugar free vanilla with half & half in my weekend Starbucks coffee. Instead I’ll be using a bit of honey and coconut milk or oil if it’s around.
• No boozin’ for the month of April.

In addition, I’ll be emphasizing some detoxifying foods.

• BEETS – good thing I ADORE beets.
• Leafy greens – kale
• Cabbage
• Broccoli sprouts
• Avocado
• Flaxseed
• Blueberries
• Lemons
• Ginger
• Apples – one of my green juices contains ½ a golden delicious apple

Side note: I still have a container of cottage cheese in the fridge that I refuse to go to waste. So let’s ignore the fact that I’m not completely cutting out dairy until that’s gone. We’ll call the first official start date on Saturday. I will still avoid other dairy products – like half & half in my coffee and any cheese. I’m not a complete cheater. 

Sample Menu (and what I ate yesterday):

Meal 1 (7:00am)

• Water with 1T apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of lemon
• Coffee with 1tsp coconut oil, ½ tsp of honey, and a splash of coconut milk
• 1^st green juice – ¼ cup pineapple, 2 mini cukes, handful of mint, 1T flax seed, and several handfuls of spinach.

Meal 2 (9:30am)

• Almond flour pancakes – made with almond flour, banana, cacao nibs, egg whites, and vanilla extract. – leftover from Easter breakfast

Meal 3 (12:00pm)

• Salad with sprouts, zucchini, olives, basil, and quinoa
• 3oz shrimp

Meal 4 (3:00pm)

• 3 soft-ish boiled eggs (2 whites, 1 egg)
• 2^nd green juice – ½ golden delicious, 1 mini cuke, 1 lime, and loads of kale
• 1/2 an avocado

Meal 5 (8:00pm)

• Ground turkey
• Golden Beets
• Peppers
• Cukes

Alrighty. I guess that covers it. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes, including weekly updates. Stay tuned.

What do you think? Have you ever done a detox? What did yours consist of?