Monday Updates!

Happy Monday! I first want to thank you all for following MoonFitness. I love each and every one of my readers and the messages I receive from you guys. I’ve had one of those weeks were SO many great things are happening, as well as some rough things. Every time one of you guys message me with a question or comment, I remember that I’m getting to do what I love and that feels absolutely fantastic. This post is a little short and sweet, but here are a few things going on with myself, as well as Moonfitness.

1. One of my awesome clients is a really great photographer and we had a whimsical photo shoot planned for a few months now and finally made it happen yesterday. Our “costumes” were seriously awesome and I’m pretty sure the pictures are going to come out great. No this was not a fitness shoot! Something more along the lines of Alice in Wonderland….and I’ll let you guess which character I am:)

2. I am reading two great books right now that I want to recommend. One is called Lights Out by T.S. Wiley and the other is called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.. You can buy these here and here. Lights Out is really enlightening on the subjects of sugar, sleep and health concerns. We eat more sugar because we have less sleep. We have abandoned nature’s natural clocks by tricking our bodies into thinking the extra sunlight is summer, and as we all know, most animals eat a lot of food in the summer so that they can hibernate safely in the winter when food is scarce. Our ability to produce artificial light at 2:00 in the morning tricks our bodies into thinking it’s just summer time, which means the more food the better. This is obviously not the case for us human folks. I hope I’ve caught your attention on the subject, and you’ll look into reading it yourself so that you can learn how to adopt nature’s natural cycles once more. The other book, The Four Agreements, is really short but also powerful. It’s about finding freedom from the world and other people’s words. One of the best things I’ve learned so far in this novel is to not take others’ seriously. Whatever cruel things they say are said because of THEM not me. Everybody speaks out of their own personal experiences and it has nothing to do with anybody else. I already feel a little bit more free from others.

3. I don’t have a lot of physical possessions that I really “love” but the few things I do, are all breaking. The things I care for the most are related to the kitchen and the gym, obviously. My phone broke last week, my ridiculously expensive headphones broke, a piece of my crock pot broke, my favourite purple water bottle that I carry everywhere with me broke, my gym iphone arm band broke and my only good knife broke. Am I stressed about this?! Yes, I’m human. But it’s a good reminder that things are just that, things. I can have a moment of self-pity and then move on because everything will be okay. I just have to make-do with what I have and focus on the things in life that are eternal:) Cause those won’t break on me! (oh and in case you follow me on facebook, this indeed doubled as a status update….I wrote it while I was slightly flustered).

4. My health coaching program has changed. I want to develop more personal relationships with my clients and really help them create life-long habits. One month is not nearly enough to do that, so I will now only have 3 and 6 month programs. A lot of communication will be involved in these programs, as well as individualized meal plans based on your schedule and personal needs/habits. Message me at madelynvmoon@gmail.com if you’re interested! The 3 month runs at $150/month and the 6 month program is $125/month.

5. I’m making bone broth for the first time right now and I’m super nervous and excited. I’ve never had to buy beef knuckles before, so that was fun. But I am cooking it in my crock pot, which is a lot smaller than the normal ones that are used to make broth so I don’t know if my water to knuckle ratio is spot on. I’ll keep you updated!

6. I’m writing my first article for Paleo Magazine and I recently wrote one for Austin Fit Magazine. Yay for writing for awesome companies!

7. Last week, I started writing about my obsessive tendencies in regards to health and fitness and how I’ve finally come to find balance in this lovely world of ours. I have covered a lot about my own past and where I am now, hoping that it will really help some others who have struggled to live in “moderation” instead of 100% all day every day about ONE thing. I love living a balanced lifestyle. I’ve stopped putting emphasis on having the perfect body and have started focus on having the perfect relationship with my body. If you have any concerns or personal issues you would like my to talk about, I’m open to suggestions. We all have a different story but we can still learn from others’ experiences.

8. Watch this for a laugh.

9. And click here to watch Ellen Degeneres stick up for women and put down Abercrombie and Fitch for their terrible tactics. (if you don’t know about the Abercrombie and Fitch controversy yet, this will be a good place to be enlightened).

10. In regards to the group I have been trying to put together for my What’s Beautiful campaign, there have been a lot of technical difficulties going on and I still have yet to be able to make one. Nonetheless, all of the goals I talked about in this post are still going strong! All of my chest exercises have been increasing and I feel major progression in my arms, even after a few weeks. Make a goal for yourself and join in on the fun! Let me know what yours is and we can keep each other updated on our progress:)

11. Last but not least, curry and cinnamon make an awesome combination, not to mention they both have insane health benefits. Try these two together on your yams, it’s awesome! Or maybe I’m just so super weird. Or possibly both? I don’t know but this is definitely a new obsession of mine.

Hope you’ve had a great start to your week!

Clean Orange Chicken Quinoa Stir Fry

Day one of my What’s Beautiful challenge and I’ve already increased my weight in close-grip bench press from 75 lbs to 85 lbs and my dips from 8 reps to 11 reps per set…I don’t know if my triceps were feeling extra good or something but today they were doing WORK.

I also accomplished something that has to do with the “balance” challenge I have for myself. Usually after my workout, I rush home to prepare my post-post workout meal at least an hour after my protein shake. If I don’t get the carbs in that time frame, I get anxious and nervous that my muscles will have lost that optimum carb/protein intake time frame for muscle growth. Today, I took my time. Instead of going home immediately, I went next door to Whole Foods to buy some of those Japanese yams I love so much. And then, instead of going home after that, I knew I had a lot more grocery shopping to do so I went to my next grocery stop, and finished the rest of my  shopping. By the time I got home, instead of whipping up something fast, I decided to put on some music and make a new recipe I’ve had on my to-do list for awhile. Usually when I cook recipes for my website it takes about an hour, with plenty of dishes to do, veggies to cut and lots of loving care:) Regardless of the mess and time it would take, I decided to go for it. So an hour later after making this delicious meal, I finally got those post-post workout carbs in and it was at least 2 hours after my workout. I’m so proud of myself for listening to my body, relaxing and enjoying cooking stress-free.

Now, on to the recipe. Step by step directions are at the bottom but I’m thinking we should look at some pictures first. Chyes? I think so.

The orange extract, looking as lovely as ever.

The ground cloves, doing a little mixing and mingling.

The chicken, hot and sizzlin.

The quinoa, fluffy and luscious.

Oh heyyy chicken, you lookin gooood.

Just a little love makin.

B-E-A-utiful colours.

The final masterpiece.

A little extra orange squeezed on top…just for additional perfection.

AND PLENTY OF LEFTOVERS!

Orange Chicken Quinoa Stir Fry
(**paleo, serves 3-4)

Ingredients for the orange chicken:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
2 tbs orange extract
1/3 cup water
a dash of ground cloves
a dash of cinnamon (a big dash!)
1-2 packets of Stevia depending on how sweet you like it

Ingredients for the stir fry:
1 cup quinoa
Thinly sliced carrots
Mushrooms, chopped
Broccoli
Chopped onions
Sugar snap peas
Red pepper slices
1 orange (optional)

**I’m sorry I don’t have the measurements for the veggies. Just add accordingly to the number of mouths you need to feed! I would start with 1/3 cup for each veggie and add more of what you like the most!

Directions:
On a nonstick skillet, place the chicken strips on medium to high heat. Mix all of the other “orange chicken” ingredients in a small bowl and pour the mixture on the chicken (you could also marinate the chicken beforehand if you want more intense flavor but I thought it was awesome as is). Prepare the quinoa by boiling 2 cups of water with the 1 cup of quinoa. After about 15 minutes (time varies) the quinoa should be fluffy and cooked through. When the chicken is cooked through, add the chicken to the pan with the quinoa but try to keep as much of the marinade inside of the pan. Add as many veggies as you would like into the pan with an additional spoonful of coconut oil if needed! Saute the veggies and then add them to the pan with the chicken and quinoa. Serve hot with a few additional orange slices or get more creative by adding avocado slices, bragg’s liquid aminos or some toasted almond slivers.

What’s Beautiful?

I’m so excited to a part of the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Challenge with the rest of my friends from Fitfluential. The reason why I promote this campaign and think it is such a beautiful movement is because it pushes women to perform better and challenges them to do whatever it is they have been wanting to do but haven’t been able to make the commitment. Last year when this challenge first started, my goal was to compete in my first NPC Competition. I didn’t sign up online for the Under Armor What’s Beautiful Challenge, but I did mentally. I was so busy with training, I didn’t think I could have had enough time to do video logs and blog about it on both the Under Armour website and my own blog….but I wish I did! Regardless, this movement helped me to pick a goal and DO IT. No thinking, no pondering about it endlessly, just doing it. And it was ultimately and amazing experience. (By the way, this post might look slightly familiar to one I wrote in October of 2012 about self-worth….check it out here!)

This year is different though. As much as I wish I had one goal to work towards, I’m focusing on two slightly broad things. Balance and muscle growth. I believe balance is a challenge in itself, but it’s one that I’m learning how to master. Muscle growth, as you probably know, is a HUGE challenge for me. I tend to psych myself out a lot because I think that the reason why I’m not growing is because I don’t eat enough, but honestly, I think I eat just fine. I have a very well rounded and balanced diet and I would much rather eat when I want instead of having to time everything and eat to the point that I’m stuffed. I hate feeling stuffed. Usually, that’s when my energy is the weakest and I would much rather pick awesome energy over a uncomfortably full belly.

So my training techniques are what I’m focusing on for this challenge. More power lifting and compound movements. Not only do they increase mass, but they also make you feel like one tough cookie. Who doesn’t love to see their PR increase in deadlifts and pull ups?

So my goals for the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Challenge are as follows:

1. Continue to seek out balance
2. Learn proper power lifting etiquette and form
3. Continue to do sprints once per week (all other cardio has been cut out)
4. Increase my strength
5. Increase my muscles, duhhh

Here are my PR stats for the compound movements I’m already comfortable with:

Straight-legged deadlifts- 170 lbs
Normal deadlifts- 155 lbs
(Decline and Flat) Bench Press- 100 lbs
Back squats- 115 lbs (I used to be much higher but then I realized I wasn’t even going parallel…now doing booty to the ankles!!)
Overhand barbell rows- 70 lbs
Military press- 60 lbs
Barbell curls- 65 lbs
Dips- 10 per set
Chin ups- 8 per set, no assistance
Assisted pull ups- 10 per set (with 60 pounds assisting)

All of these exercises in particular I would like to see at least a 10 lb increase within the next month or so.

And then of course, there are the movements I’m not too familiar with that I would really love to get better at…such as:

Overhead Squat, Cleans, Snatches (ahh), Pulls, Jerks, Presses, etc…..I’d mostly like to learn the basics and then all the different variations. The names are confusing in themselves to me…power clean vs. high-hang clean vs. clean and press vs. clean whatever. Yeah, maybe I should look into Powerlifting for Dummies. I’ll think about it.

I’m working on putting a group together on the Under Armour Website, where my females friends can join and push themselves with me! Because of some technical difficulties, I’m having to post-pone the creation of this group but I’m hoping I’ll have it running asap. So please stay tuned to my facebook page for details! I’ll most likely be posting it there.

The first step is to go to the Under Armour website, create an account and upload your goal. Easy peasy. And feel free to give yourself completely different goals than mine! If you’re a runner, pick a race and start training for it! If you are a competitor, pick a show and join in on the fun!! We all have different goals for our bodies but we can encourage each other every step of the way! And you can follow individual athletes’ pages so be sure to follow me by clicking here and then clicking “follow athlete” 🙂 I’ll do the same for you!

By the way. I really wish I could take pictures and videos of myself doing particular exercises in the gym and post it on my group’s page. I know a lot of people post pictures of themselves working out but how in the world do you muster up enough courage to ask somebody to take a snap shot of yourself?! I just don’t want to be that person!

Fitness: Putting to Rest the Controversies & Confusion

I’ve been talking and thinking about this topic a lot lately and getting different perspectives on fitness through other fan page accounts, twitter, instagram and it’s pretty easy to see how different people view fitness. There are many definitions of fitness. The one in the dictionary is the ability to reproduce…but I don’t really think that’s what most people have in mind when they’re throwing 65 lb dumbbells up and down the gym, gulping down protein powder and tweeting about their massive pump (#fitness #health #swole).

You know how health is one of the most controversial topics today? Well, that’s because people have different views on what works and what doesn’t. That could be for many reasons. It could because our bodies are made differently and a certain way of eating for me may not work for my neighbor and vice versa. Some people can look at a weight and grow biceps. Others can look at a cake and gain 5 pounds. We all have to adjust our routines to figure out how our own bodies respond the best.

I’ve believed in every single kind of diet at least once in my life. High carb/low fat, no this, no that, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, 6 meals a day, 2 meals a day, and yes, I’ve even tried NO meals a day. I’ve made all the mistakes in the book. I used to over-train and underfeed. I used to kill my body slowly with massive amounts of cardio. I’ve switched around my diet so many times trying to figure out “what works best” for me and my head spins just thinking about it. All the controversies out there have a huge part in my dietary habits, I was constantly listening to what one person says I should and should not eat but then I would hear another very convincing claim that states just the opposite.

You should see my massive pile of nutrition and diet books.

But today I’m going to let you in on a little secret. One many people may want to argue with…but truthfully…if you want to know my opinion….I’ve come to believe that..

EVERYTHING WORKS.

Circuit training works. Crossfit works. 5 by 5 workout routines work. Eating 6 meals a day works. Eating 2 meals a day works. IF works. No IF works. Skipping breakfast works. Working out on an empty stomach works. Working out on a full stomach works. Yolks work. Chicken works. BCAAs work and pre-workouts work. Paleo works. Vegetarian works….(eh…kinda). Everything works as long as it’s enriching and healthy for your body.

Not healthy as in “I’m going to eat zero calorie foods all day cause that’s me being healthy.” But healthy as in….”This banana came from Mother Nature. Therefore I will stuff it in my face, enjoy every bite and then use it to fuel my workout.” Now we’re talking.

So I want to put to rest some of these questions about health and fitness. There will always be controversies. But it’s your job to not let it get to you. Do not fall into the trap of thinking only ONE thing works and everything outside of it is a fail. That’s limiting yourself too much and eventually you will grow tired. And confused.

I’m not saying you should turn away from listening to what people have to say. Quite the opposite actually. Learn what you can from smart people. Read nutrition books. Study the art. Figure out what benefits are coming from the food you are consuming and read about different training strategies. Knowledge is power. The part where things get tricky (for me) is implementing that knowledge into my own life without letting it control me. I’ve been switching my attention over from listening to what others say will work, to how my body responds to the things I do each day. I still absolutely love to hear about what coconut oil will do on an empty stomach or why it’s best to eat simple sugars post workout and all that fun good stuff. It’s exciting and enriching to learn more. But once you have the gift of knowledge, don’t abuse it. Have fun with testing out new things but take it a day at a time. If you hear a theory that goes against the same one you heard yesterday, it’s probably true. Everything is true in some way. it just depends on how you look at it, your goals and your own beautiful body.

The Negative Side to Achieving Female Abs

With all this talk about summer and needing to be sexy in a bathing suit, I felt the need to share a little bit about my own experience with working towards those gotta-have abs. If you’re looking for the secret to abs, please stop reading immediately and continue to search through the Oxygen Magazine sitting on the coffee table nearby for the answer- because I promise you, what I’m going to tell you will either disappoint you or bring you relief and peace. I’m hoping it’s the second option.

I’m going to share a little bit about my story on the quest for perfect abs. But before we go into that, I am going to be blunt and tell you that I am still on that quest. Everything I am about to tell you is for both your benefit and mine, because I too forget the truth behind what it takes to get a six pack for females. I often look at photographs of my favourite fitness models and competitors and drool over those tight tummies, and then get a little infatuated with reaching that level of chiseled..ness.

As you all probably know, I was 100% dedicated for my fitness competition last year. No fruit. No sugar. No almond milk. No gluten. No dairy. No cheese. Honestly, the only foods I had for 20 weeks were egg whites, chicken, brown rice, oats, protein powder, broccoli, green beans and asparagus. Oh and one tablespoon of peanut butter per day. Every once in awhile I switched out oats for a little sweet potato. But there was NOTHING ELSE. If you think I’m kidding…well, I’m not kidding so just believe me.

At first, this post may seem like I’m dissing myself or aggravated at my fitness prep but that’s definitely not the case. There is more to this, I promise. I have a point and a message I want to send but first I want to recap last year’s quest for the perfect shredded physique.

This was my grocery cart for 20 weeks.

This cooler was with me every where I went, whether it was to a party, to a meeting, to a study group or what have you.

I mean, the water bottle still goes everywhere with me but that’s still a downgrade from what I usually carried.

I spent my Friday nights in the fitness room of my gym wearing my heels, walking up and down checking out my smile, turns and making sure my booty was “poking out” enough. This was indeed a little fun for me, but at the same time, I do remember turning down a few really fun parties to do this instead. Oh, and I had to retake this picture several times before I posted it on Instagram because I thought I looked fat in some of them.
I was eating calorie free chocolate dip, dressings and pancake syrup. Calorie/carb/everything free dips….do you know how many chemicals were in this thing to make it taste so good but be so guilt free? My body HATED me for this. I was not “healthy” I was skinny..and this was my secret. Deathly, disgusting fake products.

This became the only thing I read because it was the only thing that I was really interested in any more.

Now PLEASE do not get me wrong. I LOVE FITNESS MAGAZINES with my life. It’s actually been a dream of mine since I was little to work for a fitness magazine. It’s a huge passion for me. But it definitely shouldn’t be my only passion, right? I was become information-overloaded and it was all I was starting to think about.

Until I started to look like this.

Now, you may not know my face very well but I’ll just tell you, I have a very round face. I have always kind of had that child-like face and even my body tends to want to be a little on the softer side. This picture here scares me. You probably can’t tell, but this is not what I look like. My legs look like twigs here and I have absolutely NO muscle development. All gone! Thankfully, this was mid prep and I ended up filling out a little better right before my show and developed a little more muscle definition.

So dieting+no social life+ eating out of Tupperware religiously+ no freedom in food choices+cardio every day+fake food= MY abs. I’m not saying this is how you got your abs, but I’m saying, in 2012, this is how I achieved my abs because I did what I was told by my coach and followed the fitness competition norms.

There are different ways to achieve abs I’m sure. Some people have awesome genetics. Some people take fat burners. Some people diet and don’t need to do much cardio to get abs. We are all different. But this is my story, so I’m sharing how I got them. I would love to think that eventually I could learn how to have them again by doing it differently but for the mean time, I’m not stressing. I enjoy being lean just from choosing whole, clean foods and that’s good enough for me. I absolutely LOVE getting stronger and seeing muscle growth. As a matter of fact, my face is getting fuller. My arms are getting bigger and stronger. My abs actually FEEL stronger, even though they are less noticeable. I get to cook fun meals and post them on my blog! I could never do that before because I was too scared to eat outside of my normal diet.

If you are about to follow or thinking about following a similar approach to getting abs you need to simply ask yourself…is it worth it? Are abs worth giving up 90% of everything else? That’s the question I have to ask myself from time to time. I need to channel my energy elsewhere, like developing stronger relationships, getting lost in music, calling my family to tell them I love them, help others learn how to be more than just LEAN but how to LIVE.

My dream is to help females STOP fantasizing and drooling over fitness models and their perfect abs and thinking “Oh if only I looked like that.” or “I’ll never be that skinny.” Because I promise you, those ladies had to make some serious sacrifices to get there and that’s because to them, it’s worth it. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. They had to give up some things and work really freaking hard. I know this because I had to do the same. And after my competition, I remember telling my mom exactly this, “Mah, I had the perfect body for a few weeks. The one I’ve always wanted. In return, I lost social skills, missed out on relationships and had nowhere to go with this ‘perfect’ body because i was so terrified of messing it up. I will never again sacrifice my life for a lean set of abs.”  I do not have a 6 pack naturally and I never will. I was not born with those genetics. It’s easier for some than others and if you’re one of the “others” you need to decide what you really, truly want in the one life you have. Laughter and stress free dinners with family and friends? Or sweat-inducing nervous breakdowns because you’re scared of what that banana might do to your body fat levels. Maybe you can have a little bit of both. And if you can, that’s amazing. That’s called balance. It’s a point I have finally reached. I am conscious of my food choices but I allow myself to live in the moment.

These days when I find myself fantasizing, I just remember what it took for me to get to that “dream” level of leanness. It’s not what I want for my one and only life. I want to be happy. That’s where my heart truly lies these days.

Fiesta Lime Chicken & Cucumber Noodles

If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram and Facebook page, you know I’m trying some new methods and tactics to achieving my fitness goals. Basically, you’ll be seeing more low-carb paleo recipes from now on and soon enough I’ll write a post about my current routine and how it’s been working for me. No information on that quite yet but I’m really REALLY excited about it. I also have some amazing things in the works that are taking the front seat of my life right now, with graduation around the corner. My future is coming together exactly the way I’ve always wished it would and I’m counting my blessing and hoping to continue trekkin down this fresh path:)

Speaking of fresh. Cucumber and lime, anyone?

Fiesta Lime Chicken and Cucumber Noodles

Ingredients:
4-6 oz chicken strips/chunks
1 cucumber
2 T lime juice
1 T Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning

Directions: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook your chicken however you like. If you know me, you know I bulk prep chicken for the whole week so I already had mine prepared. Still, i threw about 5 oz chicken in a skillet with my lime juice, braggs and seasonings. While it was warming up, I whipped out my spiral vegetable slicer and started to “spiralize” my washed cucumber. I left the skin on for additional nutrients. If you don’t have a spiral veggie slicer, you can use a mandolin or vegetable peeler. But I highly suggest you get one! After I sliced open my finger, threw an unnecessary fit and constructed a homemade band-aid, I spiralized my beautiful cucumber, tossed it in a bowl with an additional dash of paprika and threw in the chicken. It’s a great paleo, spring-time dish and you can fully enjoy knowing it’s low carb. Enjoy!

Oh and can’t forget to share what I had for dinner. Homemade taco salad! 5 oz longhorn (grassfed beef), 1 tomato, 1/2 avocado, shredded lettuce, sauteed onion, 2 T salsa and paprika.

Friday with the Fam

This week I accomplished a lot. I had some insightful meetings, I put a few thoughts into action, had some amazing workouts and yeah did some of that thing called…uhh….school, I think. The end of my senior year is 4 week away. Let me repeat. Four. Weeks. Away. It’s crazy. Of course, I have one summer session after the spring semester but it will be done mid July and I’ll be finished with school forever. With that said, I’ve had some really fun senioritis where my mind wants to neglect everything, my attitude towards school is rotten and I just want to be out. So much time has been wasted sitting in those classes and I’m ready for to get some real experience under my belt. As most of you know, my real passion in life is fitness and health. I want to “simplify your diet and fortify your body” with delicious, simple and clean meals that are attractive to every kind of person. I’ve started to coach people one on one but I have FINALLY made some more concrete programs. I am now offering a 3 month transformation package, a month-to-month package, a one time nutrition program and a 12 week workout routine. WHAT WHAT! I really hope some of my readers will be interested in these packages because my dream in life is to be a health coach. Check out my pricing and program details here. I’ve already had several clients lose 10 pounds each in under a month. I LOVE seeing my clients succeed with hard work and effort. Congrats to all of you that are doing so well!

Sweet! So other than that my parents came into town last night and we had some delicious feasting to do. In case any paleo peeps in Austin (really, not just paleo- anybody that even remotely likes meat) read my blog and are interested in a new restaurant, try out Lambert’s BBQ. It’s located downtown so it’s fairly easy to skip over amidst all over the other fancy pants sushi bars and tex-mex places. Lambert’s BBQ is absolutely divine. For an appetizer, we indulged in some spicy paprika deviled eggs, which I ate way too fast, and then I ordered the natural black Angus brisket with a side of Brussels sprouts smothered in brown butter sugar and bacon. Sounds pretty raunchy, I know. It was.

Afterwards, stuffed, sleepy and happy, we waddled over to the Book People and REI just cause that’s always what I do with my parents when they come to visit. My Dad is a big outdoorsy guy and my mom is a bookworm. Since they’re right next door to each other it makes a nice little stop.

Saturday morning we visited a little place called the Snack Bar which is actually known for having pretty bad service, less than decent food and ridiculously over-priced plates. We usually have good experiences there but this morning all those little known rumors surfaced and proved to be absolutely true. There was absolutely nobody there, yet they made us wait for 45 minutes. The food was okay (actually…mine was great but my parents weren’t so lucky) and the service was stanky.

This is called the Avocado Quinoa. It has pineapple, avocado, red quinoa, arugula, chicken and some very light citrus vinaigrette. I actually love this dish. And I plan on making it myself sometime.

Afterwards, my sweet mom was trying to think of some place I really like that she could treat me to and of course (she knows me so well) she took me over to Vitamin Shoppe for some new protein.

New Myofusion peanut butter cookie dough whey, coconut oil and probiotics!! No manicure, leather jacket, MAC eyeliner or fashionable purse could even close to this little package here:) My parents are so cool.

Unfortunately they could only stay for the morning and had to be on their whey. Womp womp. So now I’m watching the Oxygen channel (It’s Complicated, Just Friends and now Juno) passing the time away as I put some touches on my new programs. So glad to have this blog to give me a mental break from my oh so terribly busy weekends;)

What have you been doing this fine Saturday?

Red Velvet Protein Pancakes

My favourite kind of cake is red velvet. One of my new favourite veggies is beets. So why not make some protein pancakes, my favourite food, to look like my favourite cake and taste like my favourite veggie? BOOM.

So I bought some beets (canned, since I was in a hurry) and whipped up these bad boys when I should have been studying for my exam this Wednesday. Food always wins.

These pancakes serve one and they don’t exactly turn out the way tradition pancakes do. They are extremely moist and almost mousse like in the middle. Or actually, I’d compare it to a bread pudding texture. Not very flour-like but extremely delicious. Just make sure they cook for a decent amount of time on the first side before flipping.

Ingredients:
½ cup beets
½ cup liquid egg whites
½ scoop vanilla protein powder
1 T coconut flour
2.5 oz mashed sweet potato
Cinnamon (generous amount)
Pumpkin pie spice (generous amount)
Dash of salt
Coconut oil

Directions:
Mix everything except for the coconut oil in a blender or food processor until it’s reached a thick batter consistency. Melt a dollop of coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and pour on the batter. This batter took awhile to cook and it was still pretty soft when I flipped it, so make sure you don’t flip too early. Once it starts to bubble, it’s usually about ready to flip.

This made 2 medium sized pancakes for me:) Top with fruit, more beets, honey, nut butter, nuts, or anything else that may sound good! Just be sure to enjoy every last bite. This recipe is a keeper.

My Fitness Testimony

I often like to exemplify a strong-willed and determined persona because that’s the woman I am today and that’s how I always want to be. But I wasn’t always like this. Like many young girls, I struggled with body image and diet growing up throughout high school, some college and even today I have my doubts at times. I try to remain positive because I know what it’s like to dwell on the negatives in life and it can pretty much eat you alive, psychologically and even physically.

When I was in high school, I adopted a vegetarian lifestyle. It was mostly for animal rights but I also thought it would help keep my weight down. I was (still am) a good 5’6″ height and I weighed a pretty average amount. But compared to the Victoria Secret models, the popular girls in my school, the beautiful movie stars and my high-school girl crush, Keira Knightly, I was what the media would probably call “fat”….or at least in my mind I was. Looking back, I was not. I was not at all, and if you struggled with self image in high school you probably weren’t either! I was spending an hour on the elliptical each day and fueling up on cinnamon toast crunch, white bread sandwiches, goldfish, the occasional salad and sometimes, nothing. I thought the less you eat, the quicker you lose weight.

What was I thinking?!

So after my junior year, I went straight to college (fun fact! never got that senior year experience…but I am so happy I made that choice!). I joined a sorority, where I made great friends but also realized that I wasn’t being the person I wanted to be. In a sorority, the pressure to drink is EVERYWHERE. At first it was fun, and I loved it. It was new, exciting and “cool”. I even lost 15 pounds during this time period because I spent most my weekend nights drinking, and only ate when convenient. Being a veggie, I couldn’t snack on the usual freshman pepperoni pizzas, but instead I ate a lot of yogurt, granola and veggies. Those are healthy things but the fact that I was drinking so much took away all of the health benefits of my diet. Also, where was the protein?! Nowhere- that’s where! I had no idea what macros were, what calories really meant, how to use them properly and of course I didn’t know how bad those vodka sprites were for me.
Freshman year came and went, and I was spiraling down an unhealthy road, drinking like a typical college kid, fueling myself unproperly, going crazy on the cardio, seeing no results…..but unfortunately, I didn’t really care because I was excited to be getting “skinnier.” (this confession is not easy for me to share).

I was a mere 112 pounds.

That’s not sexy.

I made some good friends, and I had some great times, but I was definitely selling myself short. I had so much more potential, and my conscious was NAGGING at me to get out of the rut I was in.

I definitely do not want to pretend like I didn’t meet some terrific people along the way, I did. I just knew this wasn’t where my heart was. Behind all the glamorous togas, Greek mixers and greasy cheez-its, I was stuck in a place that I knew wasn’t healthy for my mind, body and spirit but yet I couldn’t quite change my habits.

So sophomore year comes along and I discover the power of a treadmill. I ditched the elliptical and transferred my ONE HOUR of cardio to the treadmill. Yes, I ran for an hour each day on the treadmill for about 4 months. Was I doing it to be “healthy?” Psh, of course I said yes that’s why but it was because I wanted to keep losing weight.I knew that weights were for boys, and big ole muscular unattractive girls and that cardio was for skinny petite women. Women who eat nothing but carrots and broccoli and drink at the cool parties.

My knees started to hurt. My knees started to hurt real bad. I wasn’t getting any protein in my body, I was running hours on end and I didn’t rest OR stretch. Simply thinking back on those days is making me cringe.

Let’s skip ahead a bit. I transferred from the University of Arkansas to the University of Texas my junior year and didn’t look back. I did not affiliate with my sorority because I already knew that was not for me. Instead I searched for my special “niche” and gained/lost friends along the way trying to figure out where I belong. One day I made an online order to bodybuilding.com for some Optimum Nutrition Whey because a friend recommended that I look into protein powder if I wanted to start making some gains in the gym. I had already started to lift weights, I ditched the massive amounts of cardio and I was sporadically reading things about “eating clean.” Lifting weights was new to me and I hadn’t yet learned anything about doing bodybuilding splits or rotating or muscle confusion….I was basically doing all the machines I liked every day in the same order, with no kind of structure. Anyways, I got my package from bodybuilding.com and inside was a free book called Body by Design. It was filled with recipes, diet tips, workouts and real life transformations. This simple, little book inspired me so much and literally (as dramatic as this sounds) changed my life. I became fascinated with clean eating and everything it represented. I discovered Jamie Eason, the power of oatmeal, why it’s important to eat salmon and what the heck a skull crusher was. Needless to say, I became addicted. I picked up every issue of Oxygen magazine I could find and became fascinated by the bodies of those healthy and strong women. I was inspired by their physiques and I knew that was what I wanted. I wanted muscles like Jamie Eason and curves like Amanda Latona. I wanted all that but I wanted it to be personalized to me….I wanted to become a healthy role model just like those women. So I made some big changes. I cleaned up my pantry, I wrote down my weekly workouts in a journal, I started this blog, created a twitter/facebook page for connecting with other fitness freaks, interned for Austin Fit Magazine, hired a trainer, made some snazzy fitness business cards, started school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, became a part of some amazing fitness groups like Sweat Pink, Fitfluential, and EmpowHER, Austin Food Blogger Alliance (more recently), got sponsored by the amazing supplement company Apollo Fitness, competed in my first NPC bikini competition and basically set out to make a name for myself in the fitness world. One thing kept leading to another and I found myself pushing to get deeper and deeper into this new lifestyle. This was where I belonged. I finally felt at home…I felt happy….even in a town completely new to me, with almost no friends, I knew that I was working towards something I believed in and there was a future in it for me.

Not only do I LOVE to eat clean, cook, blog, tweet (guilty pleasure), workout, drink extra chocolatey whey and network with other fitness addicts…I also want to help others find this passion too. It’s a struggle at first and it’s definitely a learning process. I consider myself really lucky for having discovered all of this on my own because it was a world that was so covered up before I really dove in. A genuine, raw, passion for fitness is really only found when you give yourself over to it. No, I don’t mean that in a cultish way- but you gotta dive in and do some research! And if that’s too much trouble- reach out to others and don’t be afraid to ask for help. That’s the beautiful thing about the fitness community. We’ve all been there, confused and lost. And the people that I trust the most with my diet and exercise questions know that I am still constantly asking questions about EVERYTHING. I second guess my methods at times, but that’s simply human nature. I’m still trying to figure out what works for my body, but I am so happy I can enjoy this process regardless of what phase I am in.

I’m thankful that I no longer want to be skinny but that I want to be strong. Lean, yes, I still like that for sure. But not skinny. I want more muscle and I want to be a beauty with brains and a strong body. Cause strength is beautiful!

A Recipe to Kickstart Your Spring Tastebuds- Broccoli Slaw Salad!

In case you didn’t already know- I’m secretly obsessed with dried fruit and nuts. I want them in EVERYTHING. Salads, oatmeal, trailmix (duh), protein bars, protein pancakes, etc. I love dried fruit but unfortunately I never really treat myself to much dried fruit these days. I had bought some craisins (dried cranberries) in a moment of weakness a week ago and was wondering what kind of recipe I could use it in so that I could eat it a little bit of a time instead of 4 handfuls at once (it can easily be done!). During this initial period of brainstorming, I was having an odd craving for broccoli slaw and then boom. I realized this would be a perfect combination. I had some almond slivers in the pantry too that I needed to use so I quickly got to work making this scrumptious summery dish.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
1 12-oz package broccoli slaw
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp Greek yogurt (I omitted this because I’m not eating dairy but this would give it a creamier texture)
1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 packets Stevia
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:On a nonstick skillet (or in a toaster over), toast the almond slivers on medium heat. Remove the almonds and place them in a small bowl with the dried cranberries.
Next, mix the rest of your ingredients in a bowl (except for the broccoli slaw) and whisk together until everything is completely mixed. Add your cranberries and almonds into the bowl.
Place your broccoli slaw in a dish and pour over/stir in the dressing. Place the salad into the fridge to chill for a couple hours and then enjoy!

Doesn’t that just look so fresh and delicious?! I love broccoli slaw made this way. Some other things you could add into this would be golden raisins, onions, balsamic vinegar, orange slices, cucumber or any other ingredients you like in your salad!

Anyways, there’s some other stuff I wanted to share with you today. I’ve kinda kept this on the DL because I don’t want to appear fickle jumping back and forth on diets but for the past week I’ve been doing paleo once more. I did it for several days a month ago and then quickly jumped back on the grain train because I thought I wouldn’t be able to gain any muscle without stuffing my face with brown rice and oats. After 3 weeks of doing just that I felt sick, tired, sleepy, puffy and worst of all- I was counting calories and macros every single day and it was driving me….CRAZY. I can honestly say, after 2 years of counting calories, I need a big break. I’m supposed to be bulking, hello?! This is the fun part where I get to eat CLEAN and train MEAN without having to count every ounce of food and measure all my portions. For bulking, I’m still eating very healthy of course and I have a good idea of portion sizes just by eyeballing it, but now that I haven’t had grains for a few days I’m starting to feel a little hungrier than normal. I think my body is starting to realize carbs aren’t going to be my main source of energy now, but fats as well. I’m planning on eating 1 piece of fruit in the morning and then a little over 1 cup of sweet potatoes after my workout. The rest of my carbs will come from veggies and maybe a few other startchy veggie carbs here and there like yams, if I get particularly hungry.

One of the main reasons why I am doing this is to 1. feel better on the inside and 2. take a new approach to building muscle. I’ve done the average 40-30-30 zone diet and it hasn’t given me all that much improvement so maybe with my body type more fats will do me some good. This may not work out perfectly, but it’s worth a shot. I at least FEEL better. From what I’ve read, the paleo diet is GREAT for maintaining muscle and getting lean and if done right- putting on size as well. Most likely, I’m not going to be a “paleo purist” though. I’m going to continue to use Stevia and occasionally honey in my recipes (like this one), I’m not going to eat ALL grassfed/organic foods because I can’t afford it (college life…ahh) and the closest I’m going to get to bacon will probably be turkey bacon. I just don’t think I can mentally wrap my mind around bacon being okay, not for now at least! I AM going to start eating a lot more beef though. Animal fats are indeed great, especially when all other processed foods have been exiled. If you’re a caveman who’s building muscle give me a shout out and let me know what your experience has been like:)