Triumph!

I DID IT!

Not only did I actually complete the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, but I surpassed my goals for myself in doing so!  Like I said in my last post, I was afraid for that run.  Terrified doesn’t even begin to describe how scared I was to overcome those 13.1 miles.  I knew that I could finish it, but I wasn’t sure how much running I’d be able to actually RUN, as opposed to walk:)

I’m proud to say that I did not walk one inch of that course! I told myself that I could make it to mile 4 (because I had done a 7k the week before), but when I got there I was feeling great to I told myself I’d take a walking break at mile 5.  Well when I got to mile 5, Call Me Maybe was playing; and for anyone that knows me, that is my song!  So I just kept going and realized how awesome it would feel if I ran the whole thing.  So I did!  I wish I would have trained because I’m sure that I would have gotten a better time, but for not training at all I’m pretty proud of 2:35:00!  Next year, I’m hitting the pavement hard:)

Heading in to my corral, ready to run!

With my swag at the end:) A Tiffany’s necklace given to me by a very lovely fireman from the SFPD, awesome free stuff, and flowers from my family:)

The necklace!!

What kept me going all day! It’s not about what you do or do not have, it’s about what you’re going to get!

Refueling with ginger quinoa waffles with vanilla agave nectar. I’ve never been so hungry in my life!

Even though my feet, calves, hips, and back hurt, I feel incredible!  Overcoming something that had been looming overhead for so long makes me feel as though I can do anything…like stay up way too late before an 8am class writing a post to inform you about nighttime eating:)

James Wilson’s Body Earned Program introduced me to the bedtime snack and I haven’t looked back!  Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle.  Not only to give you energy for the new day, but because it’s powertime for building muscles.  Studies have shown that protein synthesis (muscle building) slows during sleep, and this may be attributed to a decreased amount of amino acids.  I know that I want to utilize as much time as I can to rebuild my muscles so I eat lean protein with a healthy fat about an hour or so before bed.  No more starving yourself after 8pm!! The protein helps repair your muscles and the healthy fat is digested slowly, basically so the protein sticks around:)  My favorite lately has been a cinnamon omelette with natural peanut butter and a little bit of protein frosting.

If you are on Instagram you can follow me at BBBHealthy to see more of my meals!

Cinnamon Omelette

-4 egg whites

-tsp of vanilla extract

-a couple drops of stevia extract

-A LOT of cinnamon (I probably use 2 tbs, but I really love it!)

-1tbs almond milk

-1 tbs natural peanut butter

-Toppings: protein frosting, coconut, nuts, cocoa nibs, whatever you want!

1. Spray a small pan with cooking spray and heat to medium heat
2. In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients until combined. Be sure to whip plenty of air in there for fluffy eggs!
3. Pour egg mixture in to the pan and cook, using a spatula to push the edges away from the pan every so often
4. Flip when mostly cooked
5. Place a tbs of natural peanut butter on one side and fold it over
6. Let the peanut butter melt a litte and you’re done!
7. Top with protein frosting (protein powder mixed with almond milk or water) and unsweetened coconut

Do you eat before bed? Share your thoughts!

A Teeny, Tiny Confession

I’m postponing Insanity. I know, I said that I wasn’t a quitter, but I realized that it’s just not the right time for me to dive in to this program.  Logistically,

-I live in the top floor of my building so I can’t be bouncing around all the time

-I’m already paying for a gym membership through my tuition

And I also had a mini-revelation:

I LOVE lifting weights.  I say it all of the time, but it really is just so much fun to me.  I remembered a post I did during the summer, you can read it here, where I listed everything that I love about this lifestyle.  Reading over those reasons really got me motivated, and reminded me how at home I feel at the gym.  It’s my happy place and I am not ready to go without it for 60 whole days!  So for now, I’ll be pushing back my Insanity start date until June (so I don’t have to buy a summer gym membership), and I want you to hold me to that!

I feel a little bad for only completing one day, but I don’t regret it at all!  I was so happy to put on my gloves and pick up a dumbbell!  I’m going to do Jamie Eason’s 12 week fat burning program (I’m a program freak) with my mom.  It seems like I’ve learned a lot about building muscle, and I’m excited to learn how to lean out safely so that I keep my muscle!

I’ll keep you updated:)  Let me know if you’re doing any type of exercise plan!

Also, if you follow me on Instagram @BBBhealthy, you would have seen my post about the best sandwich ever! I promised you the recipe, and here it is:

Cinnamon Apple Melt

-2 pieces of Ezekial or whole grain bread

-1 tbs. natural peanut butter

-1/2 of a medium apple

-cinnamon

1. Cut the apple in to cubes and sprinkle with cinnamon to taste
2. Microwave the apples for about 30 seconds, or until warm and soft
3. Spread the peanut butter on the bread and lightly toast
4. Top the pb bread with apples and enjoy!

I’m a cinnamon addict so i also put a little on the bread before toasting:)

Have a great weekend! I’ll be back on Monday probably.  I’m running the Nike Women’s Half Marathon on Sunday, wish me luck!

Breakfast for dinner: PANCAKES!

My roommates have been wondering why it smells like breakfast at 11pm every night, it’s me:)  I am completely against the “no eating after 8pm” rule.  If I’m hungry, I WILL EAT.  Sleeping is recovery time right?  So why would you starve your body at such a critical time?  I already wake up ravenous after a good night’s sleep when I eat a bedtime meal, I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I skipped it!  Though carbs aren’t the best idea, it’s important to get protein and fat about 45 minutes to 1 hour before you sleep.  The protein is what will repair the muscles that you’ve been shredding, and the fat will slow absorption.

I’m not really down to eat a piece of turkey breast and some almonds right before bed (I’m more of a dessert girl anyways). So I’ve been trying out pancake recipes every night for the past couple of weeks (tough life right?).

I’ve finally found a winner!

and no they don’t even have protein powder in them:)  It’s real people food, just at the right time!

 

Clean Coconut Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs ground flaxseed

1 tbs coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tbs unsweetened coconut

sprinkle of cinnamon

3 egg whites

1 egg

1/2-1 tbs almond milk

splash of vanilla

couple drops of stevia

 

1. Heat a pan on medium
2. Combine all of your wet ingredients, then slowly add the dry ingredients while stirring.
3. Cook on one side until the side up is bubbly, then flip!
4. Enjoy topped with some greek yogurt or natural peanut butter, or both like me:)

 

Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!:)

 

Do you avoid eating after 6 or 7 or 8pm?  Let us know in the comments!

 

August Foodie Pen Pal

If you haven’t signed up for Foodie Pen Pals with The Lean Green Bean then you are CRAZY.  With over 1,000 participants, I have no doubt that you’re going to get some awesome food while being introduced to some awesome people.  This month I sent a package to Amanda at http://www.semihealthyblog.com/ and received THE BEST PACKAGE EVER from Valerie at http://www.thatswhatwedid.com/.  I think they just get better and better every month though:)  Check out one of her many blogs!  She’s into some bada$$ workouts right now that are pretty interesting:)

Valerie was nice enough to accommodate my super clean eating habits, and also sent along a couple of treats for which I am VERY thankful for:)

1. Roasted Plantain Chips and Local Hot & Spicy Peanut Butter

It took all of my willpower to not rip open that bag of chips and dip them in the peanut butter!  I’ve mentioned quite a bit on here that I’m sort of obsessed with peanut butter, but this stuff is like Pad Thai (another one of my food love affairs) in a jar.  It’s PURE GENIUS.  By the way, plantain chips are even better than potato chips:)  I don’t remember the last time I ate a chip, but I know the next time will be one of those babies!

2. Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute

This little jar packs a ton of citrus-y punch, with no salt!  I seasoned some salmon with and it was the perfect complement to lemon-steamed veggies:)  I’m always looking for new, clean spices and this one is a hit!

3. Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper

I made some classic lemon chicken with this the other day.  My dad used to make it all the time when I was a kid, and this sparked the memory!  Valerie is really helping me build up my spice cabinet:)

4. Zico Coconut Water

So I have to say that I’ve never really been a fan of coconut water, but I realized that I’ve only tried the flavored kinds.  Natural is so refreshing!!  It’s perfect for rehydrating after an intense workout.

5. Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar

This stuff is so good!  I’ve been making a dressing using it, just mix:

1 tsp pomegranate balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup greek yogurt

3 drops liquid stevia

juice of one lime

It’s perfect on spinach salad loaded with fresh veggies:)

6. Freeze Dried Blueberries

Trader Joe’s really is a miracle.  Freeze dried fruit doesn’t taste as sickly sweet as dried fruit and is crunchy so I’ve been putting a palmful on my salad!  It gives that little extra texture and flavor so I don’t get boring eating the same thing every day for a week:)

And it was all wrapped up in a cute little summer towel and accompanied by a very nice card!  Don’t you want to get a box full of awesome next month?  Read the rules below and go check out Lindsey’s blog, maybe we’ll get paired up!!:)

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your pen pal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your pen pal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your pen pal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

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!

PB & Banana Ice Cream

The best part about discovering clean eating and working out correctly is that you get to eat, A LOT.  I spent years trying to eat “healthy” , when really all I was doing was keeping my body in starvation mode.  Being ever so dedicated to keeping me alive, my body would then hang on to any fat I had to sustain itself.  Realizing that your body needs a large amount of nutritious foods is the first step.  Isn’t it great to get quality AND quantity? 🙂 Typically, people think that all I eat is boiled chicken and steamed broccoli.  While I would  never turn down a big plate of broccoli, my diet is actually pretty flavorful and quite exciting!  I’m definitely someone who can go weeks eating the same thing every single day, but lately I’ve been trying to spice up my menus to keep myself from veering off my plan.

When eating clean, it’s important to be aware of how food is prepared.  This way of cooking and eating is simple and most often involves minimal ingredients that carry a lot of flavor.  That’s why it’s so easy to stick with it!  Some random staples that I have come to use almost daily are:

Cinnamon

Don’t underestimate this spice!  I’m kind of a cinnamon freak and throw it on everything from overnight oats to toast to protein shakes to chicken.  I try to make it pretty versatile:)  Cinnamon can also lower your blood sugar and is a great antioxidant.

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

This stuff is AWESOME.  I recently started using it to sauté veggies and once to fry up some clean chicken fried steak (recipe here).  It gives whatever you’re making a sort of nutty-sweet flavor.  Olive oil is still a great choice, but the benefit of coconut oil is that a little bit of it goes a long way so you don’t have to use as much of it.

PB2

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am addicted to peanut butter.  I’m not proud of it (okay maybe a little bit), but I do absolutely love natural peanut butter.  I’ve been known to grab a tablespoon or two from the cafeteria at my school and eat it straight with a little jam:) Fortunately for PB freaks like me, there is PB2!! At the height of modernization, man has finally invented a low cal/low fat peanut butter option.  The cool part is that it’s powdered so it’s easily added in to shakes or oatmeal or anything to peanut butter-ize it!

Whole Flaxseeds

I first looked in to flaxseeds when I was a vegetarian and didn’t want to cave in to taking fish oil pills.  Flax oil seemed like a better option, but I wanted to try the whole foods version first.  Now, I love sprinkling a tsp or two on to salads, eggs, sandwiches, or in recipes that don’t require cooking.  Cooking the flaxseeds diminishes the nutrients and that would be kind of pointless.

There are obviously a ton more that my fridge has to be stocked with weekly-egg whites, almond milk, oats, spinach, lean chicken, ezekial bread, and of course lots of fresh veggies!

One of the new components of the program that I just started is a late night meal, about 30 minutes before I go to sleep.  Since I work out in the morning, I try to avoid carbs later in the day which rules out my very favorite: overnight oats:(  If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life, it would definitely be peanut butter overnight oats!  Anyways, I’ve been trying to make different variations of protein ice cream (since the whey protein that I use has more carbs than I need), and finally found a winner!  It involves cottage cheese and I usually have to balance out the disgusting flavor/texture of cottage cheese with whey so I was a bit skeptical.  It turned out great, however, and you don’t even know it’s protein packed from the cottage cheese!

Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream

Makes 1 serving:

1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 of one small banana, sliced

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 packet of Stevia

1/2 Tbs. of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbs. PB2 or Natural Peanut butter

The makings of a delicious nighttime snack!

1. In a blender combine the cottage cheese, banana, vanilla extract, and almond milk until the cottage cheese is smooth.
2. Then add the Stevia, cocoa, and PB and blend until smooth.
3. Freeze for 1-2 hours, stirring every half hour to make it creamier.
4. Heat an extra Tbs. of natural peanut butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds and drizzle over ice cream once frozen.

I know it’s not chocolate cake or a banana split, but trust me you will enjoy it! For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the kid with the insatiable sweet tooth.  I really don’t think I’ve ever uttered the words “that’s too sweet” or “that’s too rich”.  So if I, the Queen of Sugar, can do this then so can you.