HungryFitness

New Blog

2011-09-09T08:18:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! We moved to Wordpress! :) All of our old posts are on the new page, go check it out!

Hungryfitness.com

Thanks for reading.
-Michaela

My favorite season: FALL

2011-09-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

It’s almost fall (September 23^rd it’s official) and nothing gets me motivated like a seasonal change. (not to mention, my birthday is in the fall and fun holidays, so it really is my favorite time of year ) I just mapped out my new fall workout program and I’m REALLY excited. I’m kind of a nerd in that I love writing down plans and checking things off and all that. :) I’m going to start the Monday after fall begins (September 26th)-I have my first marathon next weekend and my first crossfit competition the following weekend. So I think the Monday after that will be a good time to start fresh.

I have enjoyed the marathon training, but I’m ready for less duration and higher intensity training now (it’s what I’m best at and it’s WAY more fun). I also recently started working out at Wasatch Crossfit and LOVE the Crossfit world and have only been able to dedicate one or two times per week to this due to the heavy running schedule I’ve had. So I’m extremely excited to finally dedicate the majority of my workouts to Crossfit and see where I can go with this sport and what benefits I see from this workout style. I’m looking forward to getting to know more people in the Crossfit community at my gym and immersing myself in the culture (those of you who do Crossfit know what I’m talking about) as well.

I also start my 8-week boot camp series in a week, so I’m going to keep that in my schedule as well. It’s an AWESOME class taught by my good friend Kelly Sivulich and my hubby Craig at Crossroads Fitness in Ogden. I like this class because I get feedback on my food journals and am guaranteed an INTENSE, awesome workout once a week. It is sort of like multiple crossfit workouts strung together (for a 1.5hr workout) I love it. Anyway, here is to new goals, new beginnings and a new season (my favorite season)-FALL. Good luck to you and your workout goals for the rest of the year!

My Weekly Plan:

Monday: evening: Crossfit WOD + 2 mile run

Tuesday:morning: spin (at my other gym) evening: Crossfit WOD (if I'm not dead)

Wednesday: morning: Bootcamp (at my other gym)

Thursday: evening: Olympic Lifting Class and Crossfit Yoga

Friday: evening: Crossfit WOD + 2 mile run

Saturday: 2-5 mile run

Does anyone else have a new fall schedule they are starting up? What are your goals? Fill me in.

-michaela

Kickin' Cobb Salad

2011-09-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Cobb Salad. We had Craig's family over for dinner yesterday and I tossed this together. It was so easy and fast and did I mention I love Cobb Salad??? :) It was really good.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
6 eggs (three egg-whites only)
9 pieces turkey bacon
dash garlic powder (optional)
2-3 avocados
8 oz kalamata olives
4-5 roma tomatoes
6 oz feta cheese
2 medium heads romaine or green leaf lettuce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tsp olive oil
2 lemons or 1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
4 tsp dijon mustard
4 tsp raw honey
salt
pepper

Directions:
-fill sauce pan with cold water and bring eggs to boil. Once boiled, remove from stove and cover for 12 minutes. Rinse with cool water, peel and cut up eggs to place in salad, keeping only half of the yokes.

-Heat oven to Broil. Place turkey bacon on cooking sheet and season with salt, pepper, and a tad garlic powder. Heat in oven for about 8 minutes until almost cooked on one side, flip bacon and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until desired crispiness ( I like them REALLY crispy). When finished cut into small pieces.

-Get large bowl or platter and lay lettuce in it.Chop tomatoes,avocados and add those, eggs, bacon, feta cheese, olives, to lettuce.

-Get small bowl and wisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, dijon and honey. Pour on top of salad and serve!

Rosemary Balsamic Chicken and Veggies-Slowcooker Style

2011-08-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Clean Eating Magazine

I LOVE Clean Eating. Have I said that before? :) I just ordered the Clean Eating cookbook and I'm really excited to get it. It should be here today. I made this Balsamic Chicken and Veggies recipe from the Clean Eating magazine the other day and it turned out really good! Not to mention it was super easy to just throw everything in the slow cooker and come back to it a few hours later and it was ready to go.This recipe is also really healthy, so it's basically a win-win for everyone right? :)

Serves: 8
Hands-on time: 20-30 minutes
Total time: 4 1/2 - 8 1/2 hours, depending on slow cooker setting.

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil cooking spray
6 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Sucanat
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
6 oz sliced white mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
2 cups finely chopped kale

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove lid from slow cooker, mist interior with cooking spray and place chicken inside.
In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, rosemary, soy sauce and Sucanat. Add remaining ingredients, except for kale, and stir well to coat.
Pour vegetable-sauce mixture into slow cooker, over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5. One hour before serving, stir in kale and replace cover. Before plating, use a fork to lightly shred chicken in the slow cooker. Serve over brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat angel hair pasta.(I used quinoa and cooked it in chicken stock)

Nutrients per 1-cup serving: Calories: 144, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 13 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 14 g, Sodium: 93 mg, Cholesterol: 37 mg

September Food Journals

2011-08-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Starting tomorrow I'm going to be back on my food journals. I start my boot camp classes up again the week of September 18th, so I'm going to try to keep track of my meals on here until then. Fall is a great time to get back on track from all of the parties and temptations during summer! It's also good to learn some self control before the craziness of the holidays! :) I have had interest from people on what I usually eat along with questions on snack ideas, etc. So i thought this would be a good place to provide examples. Let me know if you want to see anything else, or have any questions!
-Michaela

My personal Eating Goals:

Eat 5-6x per day
Be better at measuring my portions!
Eat fresh vegetables/fruits 5-6x per day
Combine lean protein and complex carbs for every meal
Drink 8 cups of water per day (no diet soda or juice!)
Never miss breakfast
Consume healthy fats, avoid saturated
No white breads or sugars
Allow myself 2 cheat meals on weekends
No food after 9pm
Take my vitamins daily

Protein Packed Sausage and Veggie Frittata

2011-08-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

Sorry it has been forever since I have posted! It has been a hectic summer! I'm glad fall is approaching though, and we can get back to our regular postings of 3-4 times per week. I'm excited for a new season of cooking and working out! Below is a little breakfast goodie I thought up this morning. I have never attempted a frittata before, and I'm happy to say it turned out really well! We'll definitely be having this again for breakfast soon!

Ingredients:

6 eggs
4 egg whites
3.5 small links "nitrate and msg free" chicken sausage (i used andouille style)
3/4 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup diced broccoli
1/2 cup lowfat milk
4 oz cheese (I used Swiss, but Parmesan would be good too!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil
In bowl mix eggs and milk and set aside
In oven safe skillet, spray pan with olive oil, and saute sausage, broccoli, mushrooms on med-high heat.
Pour egg mixture over sausage, broccoli and mushrooms
Sprinkle cheese on top of eggs and cook for a few minutes until eggs set
Place skillet in oven on broil for about 5 minutes until browned
Enjoy!!!

Serves 4
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 288
Fat: 15.3g
Saturated: 4.4g
Polunsaturated: 1.9g
Monounsaturated: 4.4g
Protein: 32g
Carbs: 5.3
Sodium: 234mg
Potassium: 321mg

Triple Chocolate Protein Shake

2011-07-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I concocted this protein shake the other day and it TOTALLY kicks my chocolate cravings. What more could a women want right? It is a little high in sugar about 11g, but not too bad and has antioxidants and protein, so-it is MUCH better than an ordinary treat. :) It makes for a great thing to have before hitting the gym, with the protein and healthy fats from the almond butter-you're muscles will have plenty of recovery help. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Ingredients:
1/2 serving chocolate whey protein
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk (use water if you want to eliminate the sugar)
1 TB unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 TB almond butter (you can use PB if you like)
Ice cubes

Directions:
Blend ingredients and enjoy!

What makes a nice butt (this article is for the ladies)

2011-07-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Erin Stern-Michaela's favorite IFBB Figure pro

In response to a request we had this week, we decided to post today's blog on what it takes to develop the ultimate lower body. Many women think that working the glute muscles specifically will result in a nice, toned butt. While this may be somewhat true, there are other factors that are equally as important in making the perfect back side.

Four contributing factors to a nice backside:
-Lean waist (we'll address this many more times down the road through eating and proper core training)
-toned inner/outer thigh
-toned hamstring
-development (hypertrophy) of gluteus muscles

We feel like it will be most beneficial to list our top pics for perfecting each of these areas of your body. Mix them in one by one in your lower body routine, or feel free to compile them all together for an all-around backside workout.

Inner/outer thighs:
-Sumo Deadlifts (Go heavy, where failure is between 8-10 reps)
Description: Feet shoulder width apart, pointing outward. Squat down, grab bar, with hands inbetween legs. Keep back straight, and pull bar up so hands are at waist, stand up with hips forward and chest out. Push hips back, bend knees to set weight down, and repeat.
-45degree Lunges (10-15 reps-hold 10-20lb dumbbells in each hand)
Description: Instead of stepping straight forward, step out and back at 45degree angle.

Hamstrings:
-Straight Leg Deadlift (Go med-heavy where failure is 10-12 reps)
Description: Stand in front of bar with feet shoulder width apart, bend over at waist (keeping back straight, legs should also be straight, but do not lock knees) grab bar just outside of feet, extend back upward to lift leg up along legs. Stand tall with chest up and hips forward. Push hips back and lower bar back down (keeping it close to legs) to the floor. (For you flexible ladies, you may need to stand on a box to extend past your feet so you feel the stretch in your hamstrings)
-Hamstring Risers (Mic's favorite) (8-10)
Description: Find somewhere you can kneel down and lock ankles in place (or have partner hold back of your heels while you do this exercise). With back straight, and in-line with hamstrings, lower your chest AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE to the floor, as you begin to fall, brace yourself with your hands (the lower you can go without using yoru hands the more effective), lightly push off the floor with your hands and pull your body up back to straight with your hamstrings, repeat.
-Exercise Ball Hamstrings (15-20 reps)
Description: Lay on back with legs straight in front of you, and feet resting on top of medicine ball. Digging heels into the ball, keep hips, torso, and thighs in a straight line. Curl the medicine ball up under your butt, keep everything in line as you bring the ball back out in front of your body with your legs straight in front of you. Repeat.

Glutes:
-Single leg pistol squats (mic's other fave) (6-10 each leg)
Description: Hang on to something in front of you (a squat rack bar works well) about waist high. Extend on leg out straight in front of you, while keeping body weight on the other heel. Sit back in a deep squat position, keeping your knee behind your toes, push through heel to stand, and bring extended leg back down. Switch legs after set, and repeat.
-Deep Leg Press (Heavy, 8-10 reps should be failure)
Description: Use leg press machine. Be sure to put feet at top of leg press plate, and bring weight down until you feel your butt slightly raise off the seat. Focus on your glutes as you do this exercise.
-Donkey Kicks (15-20 each leg)
Description: Lay on medicine ball, stomach down, with both hands and feet on the floor. Lift one leg, bending at the knee, and press heel straight up in the air as high as you can, flexing the glutes. Lower the knee to the medicine ball so you maintain the same angle of knee bend during entire set. Do this exercise slowly so you can feel your muscles contract. Finish set and switch legs.

Enjoy your workouts this week!
Thanks,
mic and craig

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

I just made some really awesome cookies tonight. They are low in sugar, but didn't taste like it! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. :)

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
2 TB almond butter
2 scoops whey protein powder
2 egg whites
4 packs stevia to taste
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients with clean hands
3. Ball up cookie dough and place on non-stick cookie sheet
4. Bake cookies about 10 minutes

Nutrition Facts (Makes 12 servings):
Calories: 60
Total Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 30mg
Carbohydrates: 6g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 4g

Saturday morning Body Burn

2011-07-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Knock your cardio and strength training out of the way for the day in one workout.
For all of you that feel the need to work up a sweat Saturday morning, here is a quick one that I estimate at about 500 calories burned. You can fit this one in before your boating, gardening, or whatever else you plan on doing tomorrow.

10 Deadlifts Ladies:105lbs Guys: 135lbs
-Keep back straight, butt out, and bend your knees.

10 Overhead Squats Ladies: 25lb bar (use dumbbells if no bar is available) Guys: 45lb bar
- Arms fully extended with hands wider than shoulders, holding bar above your head. Squat as deep as you can go, but make sure your knees stay behind your toes.

10 Pull-ups (Use assisted pull-up machine, or do jumping pull-ups if needed)

6 Full Man Makers Ladies: 10-15lb dumbbells Guys: 20-25lb dumbbells
- Standing with dumbbells at your side curl both arms up in bicep curl, then press above head, lower dumbbells to the floor and and extend legs. Do one pushup then row each dumbbell to your chest one at a time. (elbows should raise above back when rowing) Stand up and repeat.

300meter Row (substitute 200m run if no row machine is available. That is .125 on the treadmill)

Do 3-5 rounds depending on your fitness level. Be sure to rest as little as possible, this should be cardiovascular. We hope you enjoy this. We'll be in Soldier Hollow for The Spartan race. Pictures and report to come. :)
-Craig and Michaela

Healthy Protein Options

2011-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Running in the sun

I just finished a great morning of working out and I'm trying to decide what to eat for lunch. :)

This might be something that comes easy to a lot of us, but I find it can be tough to make sure I get in enough protein in a day. So #1, I always try to be prepared and cook in bulk whenever possible, but #2, it helps to know my options. Below are some good protein sources that will keep you/or help you in your quest for a lean body. You should be getting 6 servings of protein each day. Protein mostly comes from animals, but you can also get protein from dairy sources and vegetables and grains as well. Feel free to add comments on ways you get your protein, I would love to hear!

Grains and Veggies:

Beans of all kinds (low sodium preferably)
Chickpeas (this is what Hummus is made from)
Lentils
Quinoa (this is like rice, but actually has a lot of great protein)
Natural nut butters (almond, cashew peanut, hazelnut)
Non-dairy beverages (fat-free almond, coconut, rice, or soy milk)
Unsalted raw nuts and seeds
Tempeh and Tofu

Dairy:

Whey protein (protein shakes are a must for me!)
Dairy

Fat-free plain greek yogurt (great with berries and fruit)
Kefir
Low-fat cottage cheese
Low-fat mozzarella string cheese

Meat:

Red Meat

Beef tenderloin
Bison
Sirloin

White Meat

Chicken
Pork Tenderloin
Eggs or egg whites (I usually HB a dozen or so and have them throughout the week)
Turkey

Seafood

Canned tuna, packed in water (not oil)
Canned Salmon, packed in water
Fresh Fish (Cod, tilapia, Salmon, tuna, etc)
Scallops
Shrimp
Mussels

About 1/3 of your diet should consist of protein. Also, in order to keep your blood sugar low combine protein and complex carbohydrates for every meal!
Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

What are your fitness goals?

2011-07-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

I'm Craig, Michaela's husband. We have decided to team up so we can cover all aspects of health and fitness for both men and women. I have many years experience in personal training and fitness management, so I hope I can be an additional source of knowledge for you on this blog.

I see people every day that say they "want to get in shape" or "get fit" and after asking them a few questions, i realize they don't have a clear understanding of what "being fit" means to them. Five years ago, my goals were to run a 4.4s 40yards and being able to cover any collegiate wide receiver. Now, my focus has shifted to being able to excel at the activities I enjoy (and of course, being able to see a six-pack when I take my shirt off).

So the first step in reaching your fitness goals is to decide exactly what they look like. For Michaela, and many other women I have trained, it's lowering your body fat percentage, and for some guys, it's building bigger biceps. For others, it could be having a six-pack by summer, not losing your breath when playing a pick up game of basketball, or bench pressing 300lbs.

Whatever your goals are, we will discuss topics ranging from nutrition recipes and food journals to sample workouts, specific exercises, personal opinions, advice, and any anything else that might help you reach your fitness goals. Some of it may be applicable to your specific goal, and some may not, but all of it will benefit your overall health and fitness.

If you have a specific topic or any questions that you would like covered, feel free to email us or comment on any of our posts.
HungryFitness@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading.

Here is a little 5 minute ab blast to do at the end of your next workout.

Dumbbell Abs (hold a 5 or 10lb dumbbell)

20rep DB Crunch

Lying on back, legs flat on ground, extend dumbbell above chest and crunch up pushing dumbbell to ceiling

20 each side: Russian Twist

Sitting up, lean back to 45 degree angle, let feet come off floor and touch dumbbell to right side of body on floor, twist to left side.

20rep Lying Leg Lifts

Lying on back, place weight between feet, keeping legs straight lift legs straight above hips, and lower back down coming as close to the floor as possible without touching.

20rep V-Ups

Holding dumbbell in both hands, extend overhead as you lie back, and bring toward feet as body folds into "V"

All four exercises are without rest.
Rest 1 minute and Repeat if possible.

7/1 Food Journal

2011-07-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

Happy July everyone!

Sleep 11:30-6:30

Biceps and triceps lift with Trina and Ally
I honestly can't tell you what we did today! It was one of those mornings where I just followed the workout Trina had planned and I was super distracted. :) it was fun though!

8:00am
Protein shake at the gym-chocolate whey, oats, PB, 1/2 banana.
Super yummy and since I spaced breakfast I was starving!

12:00pm
Cafe zupa's
1/2 chicken summer salad (lettuce, cashews, chicken, vinaigrette dressing, strawberries, cranberries, grapes)
1/2 white bean and veggie soup
1 strawberry

2:00pm
Mango

3:00pm
1 fruit muesli bar
1 light muscle milk

Swimming

6:15pm
1 turkey burger with grilled pineapple and veggies on top
8 oz sweet potato w/yogurt Dijon dip

9:00pm
1 fresh Mango (from my bountiful basket)
1/2 cup honey Greek yogurt
I froze this, and it was awesome!
*I probably didn't need this, but after watching everyone eat custard I wanted something fun! I thought this was an okay alternative... :)

Thursday 6/30 Food Journal

2011-06-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

5:15am
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 TB walnuts and raisins

***Wasatch Crossfit workout
-I tried out for the Wasatch Crossfit
Team this morning and made it! It was so much fun working out with a team and having people to compete with!

Warmup run (about 1 mile)
30 wall balls (used soft 14lb medicine ball)
30 box jumps on 20" box
30 calories rowing
Rest 30 seconds
200m run
Repeat with 20 reps and 200m run
Repeat with 10 reps and 200m run
***I finished in 12min 14seconds***

9:00am
1light chocolate muscle milk (100cal)
2 celery sticks

11:00am
1 Carmen's fruit muesli bar

2:00pm
2 cups green salad 1TB balsamic vinaigrette
1 leftover chicken sun dried tomato basil sausage

5:00pm
1 HB egg (while driving to work out)

***Olympic lifting class
1hr of Olympic lifts with coach (this was at Wasatch crossfit, and was a blast)
-squat cleans, snatches and jerks.
30 minutes of tire flip/5 pushups

8:30pm
1/2 banana, 1 Milton cracker
Small cafe rio salad (mini wheat tortilla, romaine lettuce, tomato,
Avocado, chicken, black beans, 1tb ranch tomatillo dressing)
*I was STARVING after the three hours of working out today! :)

Food Journal Wednesday 6/29

2011-06-30T07:16:00.001-07:00

Okay, I overdid it on the calories a tad today (too many carbs as well). I think it's because i didnt get very much sleep last night, so I was extra hungry. Tomorrow will be a better day! :)

6:00am
1/3 cup fiber cereal
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 banana

*Upper body lift (with miss Ally Dean):

400m row
Dips 15
Pull ups 15
3 rounds

Skull crushers 12
Kick backs 12 each arm
3 rounds

Barbell curls 12
Alternating db curls 12 each arm
3 rounds

Upright rows 10
Renegade rows 10
3 rounds

7:45am
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1tb raisins and walnuts

11:00am
Leftover turkey burger with veggie toppings

2:00pm
1 apple 3oz NF plain Greek yogurt, 1tb PB, sprinkle of Stevia
1 egg white, 1/2 yolk

4:30pm
1 carmen's fruit muesli bar (190 cal)
1 light chocolate muscle milk (100 cal)

**Sprint workout (with Marissa):
100m sprint, 100m walk x4
Walk 2 laps
Repeat

8:45pm
1.5 pieces chicken tomato basil sausage
1 cup Greek salad
1/4 cup sweet potato

Best Way to Burn Fat Fast

2011-06-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Some people still think that hours on end walking/using the elliptical is the best way to burn fat. Well...I can save you a lot of time, and BORING workouts if you are ready for a more effective, fun, and fast way to burn that unwanted fat-AND increase endurance.

***SPRINTING***

The body burns more calories when doing anaerobic exercise. Even though less of those calories burned comes from fat, the overall calories burned is much higher than that of aerobic exercise. Did I also mention that sprinting is WAY more fun to do?? :) So, if anyone wants to get rid of that extra fat, and tone up your body while you're at it, I highly suggest adding sprinting to your weekly regime. I'll be posting more sprint workouts in the future but here are a couple to try for now:

Booty Builder
100m sprint (straightaway on track)
100m walk (corners on track)
Repeat 4x

150m sprint
150m walk
Repeat 2x

200m sprint
200m walk

1 lap around track walking lunges
2 laps cool down

Sculpted Lady
100m fast jog (corner) right into 100m sprint (straight)
walk 200m
Repeat 3x
Rest 5 min
Repeat 3x

Go get on that track and burn some fat! Grab a friend to join you. I promise, you'll fall in love with sprinting-and be finished with your workout MUCH faster than a long boring jaunt on the elliptical. :)

Tuesday food journal 6/28/11

2011-06-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

Tuesday

Sleep 11-5
Pretty tired today.

5:15am
1/3 cup oats, 1tb pb, 1/4 cup almond milk

*1hr spin class

7:45
2 eggs, 1/2 banana

10:30am
1 Carmen's fruit muesli bar (pretty good-from health food store) 184 calories
1 HB egg (egg white only)

12:00pm (lunch was brought in for company)
turkey sandwich with tomatoes, peppers shredded lettuce and mustard-removed the bread (equal to about 1cup total)
1/2 cup mixed fruit

3:00pm
100 calorie muscle milk light
3 large celery sticks

6:00pm
6 strawberries

8:00pm
1 large turkey burger w/lettuce, grilled pineapple, tomato, green onion, salsa
2 cups Greek salad

I was super hungry this evening, and I ate more than I should have for dinner. Dangit! I'm going to be better tomorrow!

My Beginning Stats

2011-06-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post my beginning stats on here as well.

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 149
BF %: 15.5%
Waist: 29"
Hips: 36.5"

I would like to eventually get to 139-so that is what I have in mind when I'm training/eating healthy! :)

My Food Journal

2011-06-28T07:56:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to get in shape for the Spartan race i'm competing in in about 2 weeks, so I'm on a fairly strict eating plan. My friend Marissa and I have been emailing our food journals to each other to help ourselves stay on track. I thought I might as well post mine on here as well for anyone interested. Let me know if you have any questions. :) The basic fundamentals of what I am doing are as follows:

* 1 complex carb a day from fruit
* 1 in the form whole-grains
* 1-2 at most from veggies: (sweet potato)
* 2 cupped handfuls of vegetables eaten 5-6x/day
* 1 palm-sized portion of protein eating 5-6x/day.
* 1 gallon per day of water
* AVOID:
* Dairy, juice, bread, salad dressings (except lemon and balsamic vinegar), spreads and high sodium foods

**I am probably going to be having one serving of dairy per day in the form of NF greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or LF feta or mozzarella cheese.

Day 1 (sleep: 11:30-7:00)
Monday 6/27
8:30
1/3 cup oats
1 tb: NF Greek yogurt, applesauce, whey, raisins, walnuts
1 tsp agave

11:45
1 cup mixed grilled veggies
1 HB egg

2:45
2 cups green salad (lettuce, spinach, grape tomatoes, celery, artichoke, HB eggs) w/ 1/2tb balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 slices rotisserie chicken

4:45pm
1 green apple
3oz NF Greek yogurt, 3tsp PB 1/4 tsp Stevia
1 light muscle milk (100cal)

1hr body attack cardio class

7:30
4oz grilled salmon
2 cups Greek salad (romaine lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, Greek dressing)

Lazy Lady Greek Salad

2011-06-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine made greek salad the other night, and it was soo yummy I had to re-create it. It only took me about 10 minutes tops to make this, and it was amazing. Great for a hot summer day. :) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:
6c Romaine lettuce (as much as you want, I did about 6 cups)
1 Cucumber
1/2 Red onion
1.5c Cherry tomatoes
3/4c Greek olives
1/2c Feta
1/2c Litehouse Greek Dressing

Directions:
Wash veggies, cut up lettuce, onion and cucumber.
Toss lettuce, onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, greek olives
Top with feta cheese and dressing

Lower Body Sculpt

2011-06-22T09:15:00.001-07:00

Warm up
Light leg extension 1x20
Medium leg curl 1x15
Split squat jumps 1x15

Leg press
Heavy(failure x 6-7)
Drop at least two plates x 15
4 sets try to increase heavy set each time keep light set same

Pilates Ball Glute extensions (lay on ball and slowly kick knee up in air until you feel your glutes squeeze, bring back down) 3x12 each leg

Straight leg dead lifts x8 (fairly heavy)
Calf raises x7 out x7 in x7 straight

High box jumps x8 reset each time 3 sets

Beach Legs

2011-05-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

So I have this awesome picture in my Oxygen magazine that makes me REALLY want to get my legs toned up. Craig can always think of a good workout when I need one, so he gave me "The Kill" to do on Saturday morning (invented by an Vietnam veteran name Bernie). My friend Lynndsey Miller (awesome workout partner BTW) braved it with me, and I have been having trouble walking up stairs ever since. I can't wait to do it again next week!:)

"The Kill"

Horizontal Leg Press (15reps x 5sets) I did about 75lbs on each side.
-20 seconds in-between each set
-The weight should start feeling heavy mid-way through the second set
-it should be REALLY heavy for sets 4 and 5
-This should be FULL extension, and bring the weight down until your knees almost touch your chest

---60 seconds Rest---(use this time to set up the squat rack)

Squats (12reps x 3 sets) I did about 45lbs on each side to begin with.
-This should be VERY heavy on the first set
-Drop weight by 5-10lbs each set
-20 seconds in-between each set

---60 seconds Rest---

Repeat Squats (Try to use the same amount of weight)

Laying Hamstring Curls (12reps x 3 sets) I did about 70-80lbs to start
-This should be VERY heavy on the first set
-Drop weight by 5-10lbs each set
-20 seconds in-between each set

---60 seconds Rest---

Repeat Hamstring Curls (Try to use the same amount of weight)

Give me some love on my blog, and let me know what you think of this workout!

Mini Turkey Meatloaf

2011-05-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fitness models Jamie Eason posted some of her recipes on BodyBuilding.com, and of course I had to try them! I made these turkey meatloaves and put them in plastic baggies so I have protein options for the week. They are REALLY good, and so convenient for lunches! Let me know how you like them! :)

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Calories: 80
Fats: 2 grams
Carbs: 4 grams
Protein: 11 grams

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
3 egg whites
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.

3. Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl.

4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.

5. Bake for 40 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Serving Size:
Women: 2 muffins
Men: 4 muffins

Tighten up those glutes!

2011-05-24T08:51:00.001-07:00

So i signed up for Oxygen magazine a few months back, and they have the BEST recipes, advice, workouts, etc. I tried the glutes workout by Jamie Eason (my fitness idol) yesterday (modified slightly) and LOVED it. I really want to get my legs defined (like they used to be back when I was running track...), and this workout is one step in the right direction. Feel free to modify the amount of weight as needed, I'll list the amount of weight I used. GOOD LUCK!

Two rounds through (with a minute rest in-between)

15 in and out squats 45lb bar, with 25lbs on each side (one squat with legs narrower than shoulder-width, one squat with legs outside of shoulder width.)
12 Dead lifts 45lb bar, with 25lbs on each side (hands outside of knees, squat low and lift weight up to hip height, repeat)
15 hip extensions (I held onto the bar, and brought one leg straight back until i could feel my glutes tighten, did 15, and then switched the other leg)
12 single leg body squats ( i put the bar about hip height, and hung onto it as I lowered one leg into a squat, keeping the other leg straight out in front of me. Go as low as possible, then stand up straight, and repeat 12 on each leg, then switch legs)
15 Bulgarian split squats 30lb bar, can use body weight though. (this is basically a lunge, with the bar on your shoulders and your back leg behind you so your foot is resting on a bench. Make sure your squatting knee stays straight above your foot when you squat down. Do 15 on each leg, then switch).
REPEAT!!!

Thoughts today-my simple plan for body success.

2011-05-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

If it isn't hard it probably isn't worth it.

When I wake up in the morning and tell myself I WILL be successful that day, it makes life so much easier. I don't set myself up for failure by telling my self i can't say no. etc. I visualize myself being healthy, and making healthy choices, take it one day at a time, and it becomes more possible.

Since being healthy, and fit is something that we are always working on and trying to be better in, it helps to get all of the advice we can! A few things that I focus on daily that help me see the biggest results.

Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night (this is PROVEN to help us lose fat! For more details on how important sleep is for our body's fat loss see here.)
Combine protein and complex carbohydrates for every meal (this slows down the digestion process and keeps our blood sugar levels low-hence, less fat storage!)
Have two servings of whole grains per day (ex. oats, quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato etc. Stay away from any white breads!)
Eat 5-6 meals per day (small meals and eating often make it easier for your body to digest what you eat, and keep your hormones/blood sugar levels low, which makes it easier for your body to burn fat).
No food after 8pm!-Unless it is protein. (You don't need energy from carbohydrates before bed, so what you eat just goes to fat storage. Since your body synthesizes protein while you sleep, it can be beneficial to eat protein before bed as it will aide your body's muscle recovery).

What things do you focus on so stay on track and maintain/better your physique?