We don't eat the same?!

I get many questions about nutrition but the one that I get most come from the women that are trying to get their nutrition on track is that they have to deal with feeding a family or husband on that meal plan! The dilemma is how is Mom supposed to eat when she has kids don't eat what you eat and husbands that tend to eat way more than you eat.  Think of it this way, your kids are growing and run everywhere, they don't even comprehend how to walk through the house, they play sports and are jumping up and down in place because its annoying...I mean...fun. Your husband is, well, a man, and typically he's bigger than you, or taller than you and his metabolism is different than yours. Our needs aren't the same as our husbands' needs.

Here's my situation...my husband is a "hard gainer" meaning, he can pack away 5,000-7,000 calories a day and maybe gain a few. He walks around with a 6-pack because he is so naturally lean, it's really just not fair...some may say he's thin, some say lean, whatever it is, the guy needs to eat more than he does. When he gets on a workout kick (which is few and very far between) he needs even more calories since he's burning some.  I blame this on years of high school and college wrestling requiring him to diet down from small to smaller (we're talking 3%-5% bodyfat at best), so now, he can just "forget" to eat (what?! how does that even happen?)

We went on vacation for 6 days and he gained 7 pounds...he weighed at the doctor, same scale same time of day 10 days apart....the man doesn't gain weight on my food for months! Clearly I need to cook with more oil and fats because that's what we ate all week and that's what he needs. Wait, did I mention his fitness goals are to gain weight? that might make more sense...to those of you whose mindset tends towards the losing weight scenarios.

So back to our nutrition issues.... how does a woman eat when she has a hungry man in the house and maybe even some growing little ones to feed to?  We have always been told that "mom is not a short-order cook" but what if you were, for you? Then you can cook what they need and still eat what you need. That is exactly what I tell my nutrition clients whose biggest complaint is that they can't get the small amount of good food they need because they are always cooking and eating what the rest of the family wants.  I have made it through baby weight-loss, competition prep and normal life now by figuring out how to incorporate what THEY eat and what I eat into one quick and easy cooking process.  It is pretty much an "overlap". We all need veggies, check. We all need a protein, check. We don't all need a filler/carb...so I cook everything together that I can and they get more of the filler (quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice, noodles...) and that would be my measured out portion of what I need or I just don't eat it and I make sure I measure or weight out the portion I need of the chicken/fish/ground turkey....

Here is a meal that I cook often:  (what you don't see is the Amie's GF/organic veggie chili I popped in the microwave for 2 mins. In this case the protein of the meal is different because I didn't want bean/veggie chili so I whipped up some scrambled egg whites...an awesome go-to!)

sweet potato puffs and Brussels sprouts
all cooked on the same pan!

caramelized some onion (totally optional)
and scrambled some egg whites while waiting for oven stuff.

Toddler gets this because she loves
sweet potato puffs and we make her eat the rest

Husband gets this massive pile of SP puffs (almost whole bag)
Brussels sprouts, plus chili and onions

I get this, 4 egg whites, enough puffs to satisfy
 and all the Brussels sprouts I want

See, easy-peasy. Just "overlap" your food so you aren't cooking two different meals. Eat the same healthy, lean protein (and if not then whip up some egg whites for your self, they go with everything!). It is perfectly fine to be a short-order cook if you are doing for your own benefit and health. It won't feel as bad either since you are doing something for yourself. You're eating healthier, smaller portions, keeping food cooking to a minimum and keeping cleaning low because you are using all the same pans.

I will do this with everything...I may have some more suggestions in a few days so keep checking here and Facebook for more meal ideas!

Happy, Healthy Day Friends!

3 day smoothie "that's not food" review...

So here is my theory on detoxing/cleansing/juicing... whatever you want to call it.... As humans, we have a kidney and a liver whose primary job is to clean out, cleanse and rid the body of toxins. As long as they are in standard working order why do you think you need to help them along? Just because you indulge yourself on a regular basis doesn't mean your body isn't working, really, it's probably your mindset that needs some assistance.  Now, when it comes to bloating I have a different view on that, I do believe we bloat based on what we eat, as I'm sure you all have experienced. And some of us bloat WAY more easily than others, to our dissatisfaction.

I did this "cleanse" for many reasons the first being that I have never done one and I am asked ALL the TIME about drinking smoothies, detoxing and cleansing and other things along those lines. The other being that I was asked about blenders and I couldn't even give a recommendation because I didn't own one...so I bought one.  I am a scientific thinking kinda person, I was in the biology track in high school and majored in biology in college (until I was biologied out and switched) and I married a biology major who has worked in research-testing stuff. So I like evidence, research and results. I also don't believe in animal testing so I test on myself, as I feel I'm closer to the average human than a pig or rat.

I did a 3-day smoothie cleanse that is found all over the internet, I found Dr. Oz's website publishing it as well as a well known blogger (who I won't name) also publishing it as her own.... with not one ingredient change so it was identical. But regardless, it is one that many people follow and I wanted to be able to speak knowledgeably about it, based solely on my own experiences.

As most of my friends, family and clients know, I LOVE to eat. Volume of food is important to me, so drinking all of this was hard for me, I'd much rather take the pile of ingredients and eat them all up.  But I did it and for the most part, stuck to it. I was spot on for the first two days. What is hard for me is that I have hypoglycemia so regular eating is important to keep me, um, nice (?) and also upright...I eat so I can be happy but I also eat so I don't pass out, which has happened and it's not fun. Drinking high sugar is not the best way to eat to keep blood sugar in working order. So basically, here's how it went.
Day 1: On Tuesday morning I drank a delicious shake and then for lunch I drank a delicious shake and again at dinner...a shake. This one was a shocker, it was a tad spicy so I warn those of you that don't like spicy, it has got a kick. I like it and it certainly made me not want to snack that night.

Day 2: I woke up feeling much trimmer and very empty. I certainly felt that some bloat was going away, so I kept with the regimen.  I drank all the shakes as I was supposed to but I started to get pretty hungry. Just drinking was not really satisfying me. I was CRAVING some protein. But I stuck to it because I promised myself I would. This was a test of willpower also, something I have a hard time with.

Day 3: I lasted only until lunch. I had a business meeting so I couldn't not eat! Yep, I gave in and had a chicken salad but it was only part of it, no dressing and I ate all the chicken and pecans and not much else. I was about to tell myself, "well, I lost weight and look better so I've proved it, I can eat"... The salad was so small and empty that in the end I didn't really ingest that much. And decided that I wouldn't give up because what I've proved to myself was that this cleanse was very easy to give up on, even when it's only 3 days. So I had the dinner shake coupled with a few bites of enchilada meat and some olives. I was craving fats, more than the tablespoon of almond butter or coconut oil that is included in the shakes.

Observations: I did not do the baths, it's too hard for me to set that aside 3 nights in a row. But I did do the multi vitamin, fish oil and  probiotics (already do those). I also worked out all three days, which would require a bit more calories and why I was really hungry.
           The day the cleanse was to finish was date night and I could tell it wasn't going to be pretty because I was already planning what I was going to eat...and it wasn't a chicken salad! It was one of those moments where you just know you're depriving yourself and a binge was coming on. What I decided to do was allow myself some bites of food so I didn't binge on the next meal that was set in front of me! And I think that is the problem for most people, when we hear "no" or restrict too much we end up going a tad (or more) overboard when we finally allow ourselves to get what we want. Hence my whole "it's a lifestyle not a moment in time" way of living.

Conclusion:  As I sit here sipping my kale, blueberry, green apple shake....  The cleans is only alright. A 3-day smoothie cleanse is not totally for me but it is a great way to reduce some bloat and get your mind reset. This is a mind-reset cleanse not a detox cleanse. My liver and kidney do just fine, blood tests prove that. So what I got out of this cleanse was a great way to reset my mind after Thanksgiving (3 days of it!) and get my mind and body ready to get back to normal amounts of food and a reasonable caloric intake. I do feel good.
        As you can see from pictures, I had some changes but not a ton. I went from 117.6 to 115 pounds. (though I fluctuate by 3-5 on a daily basis). I took the pictures at the same time each morning, after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. (If you noted the sports bra...I have 3, if I find something I like, I stock up, I swear :) )In the 4th picture, the morning after the 3rd day I'm not as lean as you'd think I'd be considering the 3rd day picture.  The day before, during day 3, I truly had maybe 4 small bites of enchilada meat and one bite of tortilla for dinner in addition to the chicken salad with no dressing (so it was pretty uninteresting) for lunch.  So one meal in place of a smoothie made that much of a difference?...it's not worth it to me, I like to eat too much to give up 2 or 3 meals a day. At the same time, I have to admit, I will be adding kale, cucumber and mango smoothies...with protein powder...to my regimen on a busy day. I am no longer opposed to smoothies because they are just good and tasty, and a great way to get in some antioxidants and veggies. But please add a scoop of protein so you aren't missing out on that important macronutrient!

If you want to see the cleanse...here it is, like I said, I've seen this pinned on Pinterest from other popular blogs as their own, so I don't know where it originated but it's all the same. I did the nutrition breakdown and it was way low based on what I normally intake (1600++ calories): 

Calories  1,260

Carbs 204

Fat 48

Protein 28

From the thoughts of my 2 1/2 year old daughter: "Mommy, what are you going to eat for dinner?" Me: "my smoothie" Her: "that's not food! That's a drink. What are you going to EAT?"

Transformers-more than meets the eye!

Wow, has it been a while...with grad  school almost over, Gia getting busier and work at the Studio picking up...not to mention trying to fit in solid workouts...it has been quite a crazy 2 months.  But I see a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm feeling motivated, or is that extreme exhaustion? I can't tell.

But either way, I set a goal for myself (and anyone wanting to join) of transforming into a stronger person both physically and mentally. The mental part has been simple, with all that I have going on there is no room for weak!  The physical part was mostly to push me towards Nationals (physique competition- bikini division) and for personal growth, health and increased fitness. I've been lifting heavy, eating a lot more and putting on some muscle. It's been working...imagine that, lifting heavy weights and timing my nutrients just right has done the trick! It's hard to post pics because there is no "cut" or definition during this time of growth but there will be soon enough...the goal is nearing. But maybe I should post pics...it will let you all know that being "competition ready" all the time is impossible, especially if you are trying to make any kind of gains (while repairing your metabolism/body as I had to do). You CANNOT gain a ton of muscle eating in a deficit (low calories)... so eat more to gain muscle, and eat right to gain it healthily.

Transforming your body, as I tell my clients, is not easy...

This one's for the moms. STRONG ENOUGH?

Life is about balance. We moms have a hard time as it is trying to find ourselves as secure, adequate and successful women once we become "Mom" and then add in being able to feel adequate, secure and successful as a mom and wife (and let's not talk about being an employee on top of that)...that's quite the load. That is three (or 4) nearly separate identities that we need to perfect. You aren't alone if you feel like you have a split personality, because you kinda do. Wife/Mom!? That's kind of an oxymoron, or at the least polar opposites in personality. Isn't it? Let's add to that the "need" to look good and fit that we get from seeing it portrayed all over media. Everyone wants to look good and feel good but how do we fit that in with all the other aspects of ourselves we're trying to dial in?

Balance. Strength. Just get it done. Those are the words of the mantra I repeat to myself... You have to be strong for yourself to make it through the day and you have to be strong to handle what life throws at you. Forget, or at least don't focus on, being a certain size or the number on the scale. Look at yourself in the mirror and assess your muscles. Realize that you are holding up your family and that's why you need to be strong. Not to mention the more muscle you have the better your metabolism functions :) So plan to be successful, execute the plan to the best of your abilities and don't be hard on yourself because. ...YOU ARE AWESOME AND YOU ARE STRONG!

End of the first week of 2013...*workout, snack

Did you set a resolution this year? It's that time of year again, the time when we renew our goals to ourselves, to our lives and to our family. The first week of the new year is ending and I want to make sure we all are able stay on track for the year.  Those that forget by the next Friday that their New Year resolution was to "give up sugar" may need to reevaluate their goals. Seriously, no sugar.  Ever. For a whole year. Seriously? Did you make it a week? Try again.
       Well, I have to admit, I didn't really set a lot of resolutions, no list this year....but it was intentional. I always preach that it is important to set realistic goals, and resolutions are included in that too. I always do a self-check about May and October to see if I've hit my goals or kept with my resolution I made the previous January. In 2012 it was pretty close! (hey, no one is perfect). So this year I set two goals, one that focuses on myself and one that focuses on my family.
    #1... live as healthy as possible but don't live with regrets either. This means if I want a burrito, I eat one (well, if I can find a gluten free one *sad face*) or if I want anything to splurge on, do it but don't think about it days later. Eat it, enjoy it, and live the next 6 days happy and healthy.
     #2... be happy in life, with life and with my family. We are here together and we need to be grateful for what we have, who we have and live our best life..all of the time, not just when we remember. Sometimes life gets in the way of life. I'm going to make sure that I (and in turn, my family) appreciate everything and I don't sweat the small stuff. It's a cliche but it's true, don't sweat the small stuff!

So here's a great snack that I've been eating a ton of, it's simple and fast:
Hummus and sweet peppers!
Any flavor hummus will do, Sabra is my favorite brand because it is GF and I like the spicy because it stops you from eating a ton since your mouth is on fire.

Those little bell pepper like peppers in a bag you see in the grocery store are the ones I'm talking about.
       Dip and crunch. It's a perfect snack when you need to crunch something like a potato chip or crunchy candy.Try it

At-home workout for the week:
10 Donkey jumps with a chair on each side
10 push-ups
20 high knees
10 v-ups
10 jump-squats
***repeat 3 times or more, no less!  And time yourself, do it every day for a faster time- descriptions below

Donkey jumps with a chair- stand facing a chair, the part you sit on is facing you. Bend over and put one hand on either side of the seat, so you're leaning on it. (You'll be facing down with your butt sticking out basically) Then you'll jump with both feet together from side to side lifting from your hips. Keep grabbing the seat, don't let go, but jump right and left 10 times on each side.
Push-ups-  I hope you know what a push up is.... Keep your butt down, body in line and look about a foot in front of you on the floor.
High knees- Stand up and you will run in place bringing your knees as high as possible, slow down a bit so you can get your knees even higher, 20 on each side!!
 v-ups Lay on your back stretched out with arms over head and legs out straight. You will bring your finger tips to your toes, they'll meet above you so your body makes a V. Fingers to toes, then lower legs and arms back down, wash. rinse and repeat. :)
Jump-squats stand up, lower yourself into a squat and jump with your arms reaching high, land in a squat position (this is important! it will protect your knees from damage). Squat down, jump up high and do it all over again.

Locals: take a look at m 10-day Fit program, save your spot now it'll start soon :)

Happy, healthy week :)

The mathematical look at health

The 80/20 rule of fitness:

Shoot for working out 80% of the time (the week, the month and the year) and allow yourself to have 20% of down time. Down time is important!
         That is: workout 5-6 times a week and it will come out to about 85% of the week
                80% of the month and
                80% of the year.
The rest of the time is fun, active, play time!
This means rest and recover your body and your mind. Do not get caught up in the over-training, over-doing-it cycle and burn yourself out or worse, injure yourself. Build rest days into your workout plan!

The 80/20 rule of eating:

Eat well 80% of the time and allow some treat-meals 20% of the time .....don't sweat the small stuff!

Results are in...and life continues

Life has finally settled down and it dawned on me that I never posted my before and after pics (ok, I was avoiding it). I'll do that, I'll also post my placing :)

I wanted to start this blog to motivate others in a real-life way and I realize that the fitness competition atmosphere is not real life, for almost ANYONE...myself included. Especially anyone who has children, a husband and a house to take cate of...successfully. I am a fitness and nutrition enthusiast/professional but I cannot sustain that contest-prep lifestyle for a long period of time without letting something else important slack. Heck, I was only 95% in for the actual prep for this contest, if I'm being honest with myself, which is not good. I enter things to win, not to just try. But it is what it is, I have school and a family that needed me more than my contest did. My husband and daugter are most important, but I did find fun and happiness...and as Steve says, Happy wife, Happy life.

What I do want to do with this post is show people that setting goals is important not only for fitness but for life, accomplishment is a wonderful feeling and something that, I feel, is important for everyone. So the results are.....

Protein crisis fixed- cheap, fast meal included

So it's been too long but I wanted to post an update on my life as a mom-wife-grad student-personal trainer-fitness competitor-in-training- bodypump-memorizing-maniac of a life. Wow, I'm doing a lot but it's fun for me (probably not for the hubs but I certainly appreciate all his help). As you can see, still no pictures posted. This is for two reasons, 1) I'm embarrassed. and 2) Gia lost my camera! Ok, so I've seen progress.... 3% bodyfat gone and no pounds gone. That is my goal, I don't want to lose weight, I actually want to see it go up by 2 or stay the same. I need to loose bodyfat and gain muscle so I'm doing it right so far. I'll tweak it for the next week and keep tweaking until comp time.

Here's the crisis: I ran out of protein powder last week! Call the news station, call the National Guard- we almost had a national crisis. Well, at least that's how I felt! When I ran out of protein I was so low and my muscles just couldn't recover like I needed them to. I tell everyone that protein is important! My friends that have listened have seen results.  It is hard to get a lot of protein sometimes, especially if you are in "contest prep" mode, like myself. And honestly, it's hard even if you just want a normal amount.  I need between 115-140 grams of protein a day and for someone that doesn't like meat, that is very very hard. I was nearly crying while choking down my 2nd piece of chicken after eating 2 fish fillets and a can of tuna earlier in the day :-/

Well, I found a great shake- it's the 4th brand I've trie.... I just want a good one, that's all I ask. I have been in the market for a Gluten-free, sugar free, sucralose free, lactose free whey isolate protein powder that has BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) for recovery- and I think I finally found one. I received it Friday and will use it for one week before I review it... I'll let you know if it's a keeper!


Favorite meal of the day-Cheap, low cal, easy:
Swai fillet (fish) sprinkle with oregano, thyme, basil and chili powder all to taste- baked in the oven 15mins
peach salsa from Trader Joes 1 tablespoon
gluten-free corn tortilla - Mission Yellow corn are gluten free
Green beans or broccoli --- or awesome salad of your choice (watch the dressing, salsa is a good one for low cal and adds veggies :) )
black beans- make sure they are low sodium. Eat 1/2 cup, it's a decent amount!

aaahhhhmazing. Low carb version is no tortilla and only 1/4 cup of beans. But either way, it's a great fish taco with high protein, good fiber and great veg choices.
Follow it up with my favorite protein packed after-dinner snack that I'll post during the protein powder review. So check back in a week or so!

Here's a great pick from our active-recovery day at Ha Ha Tonka state park...400+ stairs one direction, plus a mini hike! (don't mind the post-picnic lunch food baby protruding from my midsection..mmmmm picnics)

Live Happy and Healthy!

Sprung! (and a workout)

It has sprung, Spring, that is.... I'm so excited because now we can do even more things outside. Here is a preview of what the rest of our Spring will consist of! So stoked and I know Gia is too.  I tell all of my spin classes that I am not an outside rider because what I do outside on a bike I don't necessarily call bike riding. It's more...cruising or meandering, but we do it for a long distance and the ride is always great! My FitTip for you all...You pull the kid trailer! It adds weight and creates drag, it's an extra fun workout that includes the whole family. (your workout of the day/week is below)

 This is Gia getting us ready to go ^

This is Gia saying, "I'm waiting!" ^

OK, on the off-chance you'll be busy with kids and household stuff (to be read with sarcasm!)...here's a workout you can do fast and at home but it will get your heart rate up and metabolism flying:

(since this is the "Sprung" post it's a lot of jumping):

Jumping Jacks 40

push up jacks 10

burpees 10

squats 10

alternating lunge jumps 10 (5 each side)

Do it, Love it, Feel it burn!

*OK, I say "workout of the day" but you should do these types of workouts 3 times a week and on the other days (maybe 2 or 3 days) add in another workout that I've previously posted or a walk/jog outside or other active activity, that will make 5-6 days working out and 2 or 3 different workouts. Varying them too much can be less effective because you are not familiar with the moves and if you're focusing too much on working hard and not enough on the motion then it puts you in danger of injury. On the flip side, if the moves are always new and you focus too much on the actions then you don't get a good enough workout. Therefore, the better you know the moves the harder you can work without being distracted by new, complicated moves. So Work, rest and repeat :)*