I’m BACK!

Hello Everyone!

I’m finally back to my blogging ways:)  It’s been a real rough August. I tried to make her my b*tch, but she just wasn’t having it!  Unfortunately, a few major events got in the way of Operation Hot Body Challenge:( I didn’t cheat though! I just couldn’t follow my plan exactly.  It was New Student Orientation at my school (and that’s a BIG deal in my life) so I had to survive on a lot of granola bars to get through the 14 hour days.  It wasn’t an ideal situation and I knew that OPHBC had already gone down the toilet, so I allowed myself a couple treats while I was on vacation with my family last weekend.  We all have our weak points!  Mine happens to be large quantities of fruit (fresh picked California grapes!) and Trader Joe’s gorgonzola crackers:)

I started this week off strong though and I’m trying to lean out like I did at the beginning of the summer.  This means more cardio (or just actually doing it, whoops) and a little nutrition tweaking! Yay!  I’m not totally sure how I want to go about changing my diet, but I’m going to change a couple of things and see what works for me.  This week I’ve introduced more sweet potatoes and even MORE veggies, instead carbing up with oats or Ezekiel bread.  I’ll let you know how it goes!  Maybe I’ll just post a picture of my six-pack…HA, someday right??

With all the exceptions that I’ve had to make, I’m definitely not progressing like I’d hoped.  It’s a little disheartening, but it really just encourages me to work that much harder at the gym!  As for in the kitchen, I’ve been enjoying a ton of delicious and nutritious meals as always:)

Like this oven baked citrus salmon with steamed veggies….

And my new favorite bedtime snack: chocolate omelette topped with greek yogurt and a little natural peanut butter…

So easy to make! Just pop it in the microwave:)

I also want to say thanks to everyone who reads this blog!  It’s been great hearing from people that they actually enjoy it, and are motivated to do SOMETHING to change their lifestyle.  The next step is just actually doing it!

I’ll Be Motivated Tomorrow…

Hello All!  Just a short post, barely making it through the week as it is:)

I’ve made it through the second day of Operation Hot Body Challenge and I’m still alive!  I’ve realized that it may have been a little ambitious to start leaning out and cutting this week too.  Hey, there’s no time like the present to get started with a goal!  All I’ve heard lately is, “I REALLY want to eat healthy,but not until after school starts.”  WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  It’s hard for me to comprehend why people make excuse after excuse when they clearly want to change.

Is it fear that drives you to stall?

Is it laziness?

NOW is the time to start.  There really is no time like the present to begin the journey of a lifetime.  The changes are difficult and take a lot of time and effort, but the results are incredible and life-changing:)

If you’re ready to start eating and training better to start feeling and looking better, do it today:)

Operation Hot Body Challenge

Happy Saturday!

Of course, I’ve missed a couple What I Ate Wednesdays.  I promise I’ll be back on the blog-writing track once I get started with school!  I did get to go home though and enjoy some delicious powermeals, I’m loving that my mom is now a clean-eater too!  Like this flank steak and spinach salad with micro greens, carrots, bell pepper, cucumbers, hemp hearts, and avocado topped with Bragg’s dressing!  So good with a chia kombucha:)

Right now, it’s been a full-time job just going to the gym, preparing and eating meals, and actually working a full-time job:)  I also got a new roommate who is getting to enjoy SF without me while I’m at work.  Last night, our friends came in to the city and we went to this AWESOME vegan restaurant in the Mission, Gracias Madre.  I’m not sure if it was everyone else’s favorite, but I really loved it!  It was great to order off a menu and not have to worry about hidden oils or butters or any of that sneaky stuff.  I didn’t even have to substitute anything!!

I got the Enchiladas de Mole with black beans and sauteed kale with pumpkin seeds.  The white sauce looks like a no-no, but it’s actually cashew cheese! I think that maybe I was more comfortable with the food because I was a vegetarian for so long, but I also stand by that it was just REALLY GOOD FOOD:)

Now it will be back to resisting the urges to cheat while my friends are in town:)  Starting on Monday, it won’t be too tough though.  Here is my official announcement:

I will be taking the Operation Hot Body Challenge from August 13-September 5, 2012.

This is a feat of 23 days without any added sugar (stevia is an exception), NO junk, and NO cheats.  So basically, I have to follow the nutritional aspect of my training plan EXACTLY.

Have mercy.

Now you all can hold me accountable!  I’m usually pretty good at staying away from cheats, but it’s a slippery slope.  Since I was a little more lenient this summer, I’ve found it more difficult to get completely back on track.  To the average person’s standards, I probably don’t indulge enough, but for me I have been indulging a little too much!  I recognize that I’m hard on myself, but I’d rather accomplish my goals than just watch them stroll away.

Check back tomorrow to see a new Powermeal-a-week for @Powercakes and a little a$$-kicking motivation:)

(mostly I just want to kick some of you, but I suppose inspirational blog posts will have to suffice)

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram bbbhealthy and twitter @bbbhealthy 🙂

Powermeal: Clean Fried Chicken

I hope you all had a great weekend! I came home to a house full of family and a fridge stocked with clean food, so it’s been pretty awesome:)  We had a bbq the last night and wanted to make Little B’s coconut chicken, but were out of coconut.  So I came up with a quick fried chicken recipe to replace it!

Clean Fried Chicken

1lb. chicken breast tenderloins

1/2 cup oat flour

1/4 cup almond meal

2 tbs. nutritional yeast

1tbs. Bragg organic sprinkle seasoning (or any spices you’re feelin’!)

3 egg whites

1/2 tbs. coconut oil

1. Cut the chicken strips in to halves.
2. In one bowl, combine the flour, meal, yeast, and seasoning.
3. In another bowl, place the egg whites.
4. Heat 1/4 tbs. of the coconut oil on medium in a large skillet.
5. Dip the chicken in to the egg whites, and then the flour mixture.
6. Let the chicken rest for a minute or two in the flour mixture.
7. Fry the coated chicken in the oil for about 8-10 minutes per side
8. Add the remaining oil to the pan for the next round of frying!

Don’t forget to check out Powercakes blog for more #powermealaweek recipes!

Apologies & Food Prep

It seems that all of my posts have started with “Sorry” lately.  I’d like to be able to post every day or couple days, but it’s just hard to get online and jot something down!  All I’ve done this week is unpack and work (eat and workout, of course), and I’m finally settled in!  After a long night of desk and desk chair assembling, I’m pretty sure that I’m a home improvement expert;)  Now, I’m heading back home to the valley for a quick trip…more traveling!  Luckily, I prepared a TON of food on Wednesday so I was ready for a 7 hour trip home.  It felt so good to be back in the kitchen prepping my food for the week.  I cooked all summer, but there is something comforting about having all of your meals prepared ahead of time that makes it so much easier to stick to clean eating!  It took away the anxiety of having to figure out what I was going to eat.

After hours of prep, I ended up with:

–Little B’s Buffalo Chicken (SO GOOD)

–Little B’s Tomato Basil Rice

–Little B’s Blueberry Protein Muffins (It was a Little B week for me)

-Steamed veggies

-Red bell pepper strips

-Sliced cucumbers

-Hardboiled eggs

It may not seem like a lot, but that’s because that’s not counting breakfast, dinner, pre and post-workouts, or an evening meal!:)

It takes a lot of planning to stay clean for every meal, every single day while ensuring you actually get enough meals.  I wouldn’t be able to just stroll in to the grocery store and pick up whatever I think I need, because eating healthy obviously requires a lot of food.  Which is what makes it so awesome right?  I personally LOVE to go grocery shopping (even if I’m just grabbing something, it takes forever because I like to browse!), and you’ll rarely find me buying something that’s not on sale.  So, yes, I am the annoying person in the aisles doing price comparisons and matching up coupons.  Even though eating clean can be less expensive, it’s still not as cheap as the diet of apples and pretzels that I use to live on.

Sunday has been my chosen prep day, and I like to go through some of my favorite blogs and websites to find recipes that are:

Appetizing

-You want to enjoy the food that you eat! Yes, many people in the fitness industry do eat boiled chicken, potatoes, and steamed broccoli.  That doesn’t mean you have to!  This is a lifestyle and you need to actually like it:)

Balanced (fits with my macros)

-Macros (macronutrients) are the three main compounds that you need which provide energy: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Everyone has a different balance of macros that works for them.  I’m still looking for mine, but right now it seems that I work better with 40% protein 40% carbs 20% fat.

Clean

-duh:)

So when you’re meal planning, don’t forget those ABC’s of a recipe!  Here are some of my favorite sites:

Powercakes

Clean Eating Mag

Little B’s Healthy Habits

Busy But Healthy

Once I decide what I’ll be eating for each of my 7 meals per day, I make a list of everything that I’ll need.  I’m a bit of an organization freak so I section things off by produce, protein, and dry goods.  This ensures that I won’t need to linger in aisles that tempt me with Oreos or candy or ice cream!  I can just go straight to what I need and bypass temptation:)

Then I get home and dive in to prep!  Remember, you’re making a week’s worth of food so allow yourself some time to make everything and try not to taste test too many dishes:)

When you’re done, you’ll end up with nutritious and delicious meals like these:)

Egg whites and spinach topped with organic ketchup, nutritional yeast, and ground flaxseed with ezekial toast and homemade orange-lime chia jam!

Buffalo chicken wrap with spinach, red bell pepper, cucumbers, lime greek yogurt spread, nutritional yeast, and flaxseed

Steamed veggie and spinach salad topped with a turkey burger (I’ve been lazy with dinner), chia, nutritional yeast, and a lemon greek yogurt dressing

Peanut butter chai protein shake!

And then when you’re done with the meals, you’ll end up with abs like these:

Maybe not exactly like the lovely Rita Catolino, but hey a girl can dream right?:)

Check back tomorrow for another recipe link up with Powercakes!