I'm Baaaaaack =)

It's been a while. I know. Forgive me? Thanks =) Jumping right back in. I need to stop over-thinking this whole blogging thing and just let it flow. Lots going on? Oh Yes! However, I'm so inspired to remain passionate about the people and things I love. Here I go again. Still learning and always willing to share. Anyway, I love inspirational quotes, statements & readings. I borrowed the one above from a fellow fit gals wall. It gave me the reminder and inspirational "jolt" I needed for the day. I hope you find something in the reading that speaks to you as well. Make it a great week everyone. You're only a decision away =)

~fitgirl4life~

Exhales......

It's been a while huh? Yep! I had some set backs that really rocked my world (again) in the last month or so. I realize that no matter what life throws my way that I must keep moving. I must keep living. I must keep trusting God. No matter how challenging things are in my life right now, I still have soooooo much to be grateful for. I need to be better at counting my blessings, daily. I am grateful for grace. I am grateful for love. I am so grateful for the amazing people in my life. I am always so humbled when I think of the people God has blessed me with (old & new). And He continues to bring people in my life who add so much value and life to me. I know it's not of my doing but God! Thank you Father for always knowing exactly what and who I need. I pray that I add just as much, if not more, value and life to those you've blessed me with as well.

Father, in every challenge, I ask that you teach me what I need to know. Please give me the courage to listen and obey. Help me to always stand boldly, without fear and in love. For You are always my solid rock!

And the journey continues........

~fitgirl4life~

Goal 4 this week!

Wowza!!! Spring is heeeereee!!! The weather is warming up (well when houston weather isn't having a bipolar episode)! This means it should be easier for me to get out of bed in the early morning to hit the gym before work. Key word here is "should" lol. It turns out that I'm not always as faithful to my workouts as I should be. Honestly, I believe my savior has been cooking my own meals & eating clean as much as possible. This past winter, there were many times when I made it to the gym maybe once a week, but of course I still ate often everyday LOL! Well, I'm deciding to challenge myself and turn things up a bit....ooow!!! Ooooh this would be a perfect time for a fitness challenge. Anyway, I like setting weekly goals for myself.

Goal 4 this week: NO MISSED WORKOUTS!!! 5 training days with 2 rest days! My goal is to build a bit more muscle/tone, increase overall strength and improve flexibility! I'm a weight room girl and thankfully I don't need a lot of cardio for my current goals. Getting back to my love for pilates as well. Oh yeah, I want popping Abs this summer so I gotta clean up my eating a touch =)

Already on it: Monday 4/4/11 ~Chest, Tri & Shoulder Circuit~

Warm-up: 5 mins Jog (treadmill)
Dumbbell used: 7.5lbs
*Stability Ball bench press 15X4
*S.B Chest Flye 15X4
*Standing DB press 15X4
*Bent over Flye 15X4
*Tri kick back 15X4

Each set included each exercise in the order listed done back to back till the set is finished. Then a 30-45sec rest before starting the next set. 4 sets of 15 reps(each) in total.

Cardio after weights: 20 min on the Eliptical-Interval setting; Cool down & stretch!

Yummy Tuesday: Yumtastic Bean soup with cilantro & avocado...So Delish! Today's lunch & last nights dinner!



Will post the recipe. Really easy & yummy soup!

Do you have any fitness/health goals for this spring? Please share =)

~Fitgirl4life~

"If you fail to plan......hmmph!"

It's tuesday and I didn't do a good job in planning for food this week. Ok I didn't plan at all. I didn't do any grocery shopping on sunday as planned; therefore, I didn't have much in the house to cook. Not even eggs! Yesterday was all about left overs in my cooler for work. Today, I had to eat on the road and I had even less food to pack. Oh boy!

As I left this morning, I made sure I ate enough for breakfast. Actually, I NEVER skip breakfast unless I sleep past it. Even then, I still eat my breakfast whenever I wake up, no matter what time it is lol! Anyway, I used my smaller cooler today. I only had almonds, 1 apple, 1 pear, dried cranberries, left over yogurt and some cereal to put in it. Yes, I always have some kind of food on me; even it's only nuts!

I really dislike eating out (well, except on yummy dates *blush*:) but since I failed to plan this week...yeaaa :-/ Did I still try to eat clean on the go? Yeaaap =)

 

For a filling snack, I had some greek yogurt with dried crans and a sprinkle of muesli cereal. I usually get Oiko's greek yogurt but mommy was paying the day I got this one lol!

About 2.5hrs later, I had to choose lunch; I went with a burrito bowl from Chipotle. It had been a while so I was SUPER excited lol! Now, remember it's not the food but what we put in it. You can make Chipotle as healthy as you want or as fatty as you want depending on how much cheese, sour cream, and yummy guac u add. I chose a bowl with some rice, extra black beans, bell peps & onions, corn, tomatoes, chicken, medium salsa and lots of lettuce...YUM!!!!

BEFORE: They're HUGE! Usually 2 servings for me.

SIDE BAR: Umm...why does my mommy squeeeeze the life out of a bottle when she drinks from it?? Does it propel more water into the mouth for faster drinking or summin'?? I don't get it....smh!

 Check out today's victim!

Ok moving on...

AFTER: I'm full & happy =)

This was enough to hold me over till I got home. I ate the rest for dinner!

Note: I transitioned to plain greek yogurt several months ago when I became more aware of how much added sugars most packaged foods have. Read the nutrition info people! Yes, it's a bit more expensive but now I can't even eat regular yogurt anymore. Waaaay to sweet for my palate now. I find it fascinating that we can re-train our palates! So cool I tell ya. I just add some fruit or drizzle a lil honey to make it tasty for me. I've noticed that I don't have my crazy sugar cravings as much as I used to. Progress! Besides, you can't beat the 15grams of yummy protein each serving of plain greek yogurt has!

I'm cooking tomorrow =)

Upper body and calves are still sore. Doing some yoga tonight! Tomorrow is Legs/Glute day. I'm still a bit rusty so we'll see how it goes.

And the journey continues....

Grateful!

~fitgirl4life~

Today's Workout!

*Happy Sigh* Feeling pretty good right now. Just getting back from the gym. I have so much to do today and starting with an awesome workout always helps me get through. I decided to train Abs/Shoulders & Calves today. I don't always get a chance to train 3 different body parts plus cardio like this in one workout session. Yep, I was so excited! Pre-workout food: 1 scoop whey protein with almond milk and 1 banana. I LOVE Oxygen Magazine. It's the best training mag for women that I've seen so far.

 

I started with Abs. Created my workout from this awesome Mag!

I train Abs at least once a week. It's true that Abs are made in the Kitchen, First! You want Abs, Eat Clean (and of course depending on where your body is, you may need more cardio to help them show through)!

My Workout Today:

Warm up-Treadmill jog for 5mins

Abs:

Scissor Kicks                                30X3

V-Ups (Bench)                             15X3

Basic Crunches (Straight Legs)   15X3

Oblique Crunches (Floor)            15X3 each side

Reverse Crunch (Bench)              15X3

Plank                                            45sec-1min

3 Sets: One set included each Ab exercise, done in the order listed back to back; then a 30 sec break and Repeat from the top till the 3 sets were completed. My Abs were on fire plus I worked up a pretty good sweat this way =)

Next: SHOULDERS (Clipped from another Oxygen Mag)



I did all these except the Bent-over rear d flye. I used 7.5lbs for the one-arm rows and the Shoulder presses. Used 5lbs for the Front & Lat raises. My upper body tends to build muscle very quickly so I prefer lighter weights & higher reps for shoulders ~for today's workout anyway =)

Next, I did calf raises (3 sets of 30...i think). I strongly dislike these. For some reason, it always makes me feel like I'm gonna pee on myself =( I even had to take breaks within reps but it's been super long since I did them so yea :-/

Finished up with a 20min Cardio session on the Eliptical (Interval Setting). Cool down. Stretch. Sweaty. Happy =)

Now off to prep for the week!

~Fitgirl4life~



My body & My "sweet" Luver...

Sooooo my sweet tooth got A LOT of attention this weekend! My favorite part of any event is when my "sweet" luver ~aka CAKE~ is served lol! This weekend wasn't any different as I couldn't wait for the cake to be cut at the wedding. I helped myself to 2 yummy slices *smiles as I re-live the happy moment in my head lol*! When I got home that same night, my baby brother offered me some of his "crack snacks" aka mini nutta butta bites lol! Sure....I had a few and then some more. These were quite addictive. I ended up eating up almost the whole bag. Nope! It didn't stop there. The NEXT day (sunday), I wanted some chocolate chip cookies. Didn't have all the ingredients to bake my own so I settled for some chewy chips ahoy cookies. Yikes! What did I expect? Sugar craves sugar, duh! Oh my "sweet" luvers and I had a great time this weekend & my mouth enjoyed every yummy bite! My stomach on the other hand....not so much!


The Aftermath: Today (& yesterday) I'm definitely feeling the pain. As much as my mouth enjoys sweets, my stomach just can't handle too much of it anymore (especially refined sweets). My stomach hurt so much on monday morning, I felt sluggish and I'm still bloated from it all. I eat clean about 85% of the time; therefore, when I get a little too happy with the sweets, my body lets me know in a painful way. I actually can't remember the last time I had this much refined sugar in one weekend. Now that I think about it, I really wasn't "craving" it either. I've noticed that the less refined sugars I eat, the less cravings I have for it. My greedy eyes saw sweet yummies and my mouth of course wanted some (plus extra).


My remedy: Get right back to eating clean, sweat therapy(aka the gym) and drinking lots of water asap. Simple right? Yep! That's what a healthy lifestyle is all about. It's a journey NOT a destination! When you do fall off (which happens), you just get right back into it. I do not have ANY guilt with food. If I'm eating it, you better believe I'm enjoying it. Guilt does not burn calories lol!  Just to be clear, "falling off" is usually an occasional situation NOT a daily or even weekly habit. Remember, you are what you eat. It all adds up! Moderation is key!

 

 

Ooooh Check out my new gym bag (Wedding favor...LOVE!)...Kaaaayute right?? =)

Congrats the Lovely Couple & Yippieee for a gift I can actually use =)

In conclusion, everybody is different. It has taken time to learn what works for me and what doesn't. My body always lets me know. I encourage you to find out what works for you. For example, when I'm feeling sluggish, it's usually related to what I'm eating or not eating. Nutrition is 80% of the equation. I don't know if this is true for everyone but I know it's true for me! My body only likes my "sweet" luvers once in a while & not all at once. This didn't happen over night. It's a lifestyle baby!!! My body prefers whole nutritious and yet delicious foods. I can live with that =)

 

 

Now back to my regularly scheduled program of daydreaming about what to cook & eat lol!

 

 

~Fitgirl4life~

Back to Morning Therapy....

I had a great start this monday morning! I got up at about 5:15am. Made it to the gym at 5:45am. I was done in 45mins.  I always prefer early morning workouts. Ooooh I LOVE how I feel when I walk into the gym that early. I've missed it! It's so peaceful and it helps set my mind on the right path for the day. I had an AWESOME workout! Gotta love morning sweat therapy!

I ended up working on the road with mom today. I didn't get a chance to show you what was in my cooler. No worries. I carry a cooler most days =) I ate lunch in the car. It looked so pretty that I had to snap a pic. Yes, of course tasty too!

 

My Lunch #1: Couscous with red & yellow bell peppers, fresh oranges(with juice), tomatoes, lil olive oil & fresh basil on a bed of lettuce; Baked Salmon....So YUM!!!

I always get asked what I eat through out the day. It STILL cracks me up when people assume that fit girls don't eat...smh lol! Quite the opposite actually. Fit girls LOVE food just like everyone else =) I just figure out ways to make clean versions of foods I love and I eat often. This keeps my metabolism revving all day!  Nutrition is such a HUGE percentage in a healthy/fit lifestyle (80%) ~will blog about this waaaay more in the near future~!

What I ate today: I drink lots of water through out the day!

I eat every 2-3 hours.
Pre-work out: 1 scoop Whey protein mixed with OJ
Am1: Oatmeal with flax & Wheat germ, dried cranberries, chopped almonds, pinch of cinnamon with Unsweetned Almond milk; An egg
Am2: Greek yogurt with crans and lil walnuts
Lunch1: See pic above =)
Lunch2: Lots of fresh Strawberries & grapes
Dinner 1: 2 Ezekiel Slices Toasted with all natural peanut butter; An apple
Dinner 2: 5 eggwhites scrambled eaten with Ketchup

Today's Workout: Back & Biceps plus lil cardio

Heading off to bed. Another early start in the morning =)


~Fitgirl4Life~

Sunday Prep Day =)

So grateful to be feeling much better! I actually can't wait for monday so I can get back to work and get some therapy(gym time lol)! My appetite is back too....yaaaaay =) I always take 1 or 2 days out of the week and cook a batch of food for at least a couple of days. It really doesn't take that much time to cook up some veggies, a protein source, cut up some fruits and maybe prepare some kind of grains or carb source! The only way I can successfully eat 5-6times a day is if I plan ahead. Here's what I'm about to cook up tonight to start off my week: Total time for everything about and hour & 15mins.

Roasted Asparagus

Baked Salmon with herbs & tomatoes

Couscous with peppers, tomatoes, orange and fresh basil....YUM~Sooo easy!

Boiled eggs~these are a staple for me~



Off to bed! I have an early start tomorrow and I'm so excited =) I'll be showing you what's in my cooler tomorrow. Make it a great week! Hugs & Blessings!

~Fitgirl4life~



Headaches and Muffins.....

Day 3 at home and I'm still feeling the bug especially the headaches :( Anyway, of course I'm restless and thinking of something to cook lol. I still don't really have a taste for anything in particular so I decided to just raid the fridge and pantry...again! Look what I found......
                                                      

EXTRA RIPE BANANAS?? Umm...

For the past two weeks, daddy keeps buying bananas with every quick trip to the store...smh! This has resulted in lots of over-ripe ones in the fridge. He keeps hinting that I should do something with them lol *oh dad* Today is his lucky =) I'm thinking MUFFINS!

Look what else I found.....

I also had some coconut oil, unsweetened apple sauce, eggs and vanilla. Thankfully, I had all the ingredients I needed at home. Hmmm let's see how this turns out, since I'm about to free-style it lol. I started by pulling a basic muffin recipe and then altering it to make it more nutritious for us =) The full recipe will be listed below. Ok here goes....

Preheat oven to 350. Measure out all the dry ingredients(except sugar) and set aside!

Mashed about 4 bananas(made 2 cups) & set aside!

In a separate bowl, first cream the sugar & coconut oil(I used a hand mixer) until combined..~smells sooo good!

Then stir in the rest of the wet ingredients (the eggs, mashed bananas, applesauce and vanilla)

Add dry to wet with a spatula. Combine till all dry is moist. DO NOT OVER-MIX!

Fill the muffin cups and bake =) YUM!

I call these: My Bunny Approved Banana Oat Protein Yummy Muffins...LOL! My sister(bunny) is the PICKIEST eater EVERRR(who hate oats for no apparent reason *side eye* so I didn't show her the recipe lol) & she said these were yummy & requested more....this means they are good =) Mommy ate 3. Daddy ate 4. I ate 3...I think we have a Winner =)

Ingredients:

The Dry: 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour( may use regular flour)

1/2 cup whey protein powder

3/4 cup quick oats

2 Tbsp of ground flax

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

The Wets: 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar blend (I'm not a fan of splenda but daddy likes it)

1/3 Organic Unrefined Coconut oil

1 whole egg + 2 egg whites

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees;

In a bowl, measure out all dry ingredients except the sugar and set aside.

In another bowl, mash bananas and set aside. In a third bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (this solid at cooler temps) till combined then stir in the eggs, the bananas, the apple sauce and vanilla.

With a spatula, gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently combine till all the dry is moist. Be careful NOT to over-mix!

Spoon into lined muffin cups (may sprinkle left over walnuts on top) and bake for 20-25mins or until golden brown. I usually just stick a toothpick in it to check for doneness. Makes 18 medium muffins or 12 large muffins!

~I'll definitely be making these again maybe with some lemon zest next time....Oooooh YUM!!! I'm gonna work out a leaner but still tasty version as well!

I sure hope to be 100% fever & headaches free soon. So grateful for the gift of life =)

~Fitgirl4Life~

Still not feeling too great...so I JUICED =)

I'm really starting to feel more symptoms of the flu :( I'll keep trying to fight it though. This meant another day in bed. I get really restless when I have to stay in bed while sick BUT thank God for my magazines lol! I pretty much spent any time, when my head wasn't pounding, sorting through recipes (always got food on ma brain lol). I have very little appetite and of course I have to stay hydrated. I drink water 95% of the time but for some reason today it just tasted blah. I rarely drink store bought juice either. I prefer to make my own when I do drink juice....*LIGHT BULB* Get up and make some juice, Ogechi!!! Went to the fridge and yaaaay found enough ingredients to whip up some fresh juice =) This is a great way to get in the fluids I need plus the added boost of  yummy vitamins and minerals!

 

 

I found some romaine lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, an apple and a lemon. I try to get mostly organic produce, ESPECIALLY when juicing. The extra cost of avoiding pesticides is worth it to me!

After washing and prepping! You always want to juice way more veggies than fruit (due to high sugar content). I always add some organic apples to sweeten the greens =)

My Breville Juicer = a worthwhile investment! I love juicing =)

The Final Product (made about a glass and a half)! I promise it tastes waaaay better than it looks =)

The only part I dislike....throwing away the pulp! I'm planting a garden soon (Wooohooo SO excited..lol) I will be using the pulp as "garden food" once the time comes =)

Quick Tip: Fresh (organic) produce can be "expensive"...I know. I usually try to buy whatever fruits & veggies that are on sale (or in season) for that week. For example Kale, spinach, collards, sweet potato, cabbage, celery, cucumbers etc. Try shopping at local farmers markets as well. I haven't been able to find one in my area but still searching. I strongly believe that the benefits of healthy eating/living are definitely worth the extra cash spent on whole nutritious foods. Try shifting your focus to the benefits. For example, remember how much more energy you have when eating healthy as opposed to the sluggish bloated feeling when eating greasy fast foods. You don't put cheap crappy motor oil in your car, right?? Yeaaaa, didn't think so! We can do better folks =)


I'm gonna skip on the workout today. Hope to be feeling better by tomorrow!


Live More =)


~fitgirl4life~