Competition Blues

November 26, 2013 By Laura

When a big event ends it’s a little sad.

What do I DO if I’m not planning and prepping?!

Rest is a good thing, but it can be a hard thing to swallow. I’ve heard people talk about feeling down after races, weddings, babies… and competitions. This time around I’m feeling it more than I did before. I think it’s because I know it’s going to be a long time before I compete again (more on that below).

Today’s Work It Out is my attempt to get over it by focusing on lessons learned at Kentucky Muscle and The Rocky, and getting excited to make improvements.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Season 2 Lessons Learned

1. Support is Invaluable

Having my trainer and 2 very good friends around throughout the process made it 100x easier. Surround yourself with positive people, even better if they can empathize. Heather and Lisa are versatile friends – they were the perfect partners-in-crime in Napa for my 30th and for competing!

Check out the transformation from July to November (photo-editing courtesy Heather):

From Napa to the stage

2. Big Shows are Tough

I’m not talking just the level of competition (though it is harder). I’m talking mentally. They are long, long days. The Rocky show was the most disorganized situation I’ve ever seen. They let too many people enter, causing the show to run so far behind that my group was just getting on stage for pre-judging when the evening show was supposed to begin. That show began 2 hours late… by the time we went to stage again I no longer cared even a little bit.

It was an exercise in patience, rolling with the punches. Thank you for the lesson… but never will I ever do a Colorado show again. In near-ish the future I plan to stick to smaller shows. If you chose them right, they are still competitive but you don’t end up wasting so much time. I get that they want to make money, but there needs to be a cut off for entries. It’s not fair to the athletes or the people who buy tickets.

3. Celebrate Small Victories

Not placing Top 5 doesn’t mean you can celebrate the small victories. It’s no secret that I hate posing. It’s as far out of my comfort zone as you can get. Lisa, who has seen me almost since day 1, watched me in Colorado and said it’s the best I’ve never done.

Now I need to work on GROWING…

4. Growth Takes Time

I’ve gained a lot over the past 2 years, but I’m still too small. I feel like I look big in the gym lifting, but then you put me next to the other women and I look tiny. My trainer, Steve, has been telling me I need to take a year off to really grow. Competing every 6 months or so means I cut too often and lose some of the gains I make.

Steve and me

So I’ve decided to listen to Steve’s advice. I’m taking a year off to grow. This is contributing to the “blues” because I love having a goal line.

(I’m not always the best listener ← understatement of the year.)

5. Food is Good

My nutrition plan leading up to competition wasn’t so restrictive that I was miserable. You CAN compete in a healthy way. It doesn’t have to be tilapia and asparagus (click here for the “why” on asparagus) for months. You never need to be hungry (I stayed full!).

Towards the end you do need to keep with super clean and avoid anything that could bloat. For me, that meant a couple of weeks that were heavy on the white fish and asparagus. I cooked 2 pans of it for Heather and me the day before our competition!

Photo courtesy of Heather, whose spice drawer I could move into.

The happy part about a bulk year is that I get to have alllll the foods!

Heather’s husband, Kirk, help me kick it off right when he made smoked salmon and eggs benedict for us the morning after the competition. I am still dreaming of this:

#yolkporn

“I can’t wait to find out what happens on page number two.” ~Jennifer Nettles, Page #2

***

Check out Heather’s Rocky recap here. I’m excited she’s already planning her return to the stage!

Have you ever experience the post-event blues? What do you do to cheer up?

Who is on your support team? Tell them how thankful you are this week!

A Relaxing Weekend

November 25, 2013 By Laura

This weekend was relaxing.

My version of relaxing… which is active relaxed.

This was the first weekend in a long time where I didn’t HAVE to do anything productive. I still did lots of things, but it was nice to not have a set agenda.

Friday night I had an impromptu dinner with my mom at local Italian restaurant Double Zero. We had a great time catching up and eating. I hadn’t seen her since my competition!

My favorite dish was the grilled octopus with pancetta hash, asparagus puree, and citrus vinaigrette, but the lamb farro was a close second. It was a smoke and braise lamb shoulder with apricots, figs, fresh ricotta, and a poached egg. Next to all that the beet salad was underwhelming.

This next morning I woke up ravenous, so I threw together some quick pancakes. I am not the Pancake Queen, so I was surprised when they turned out to be quite good!

I posted this Almond-Chocolate Pancake recipe here. The topping was the icing on the (pan)cake. I used Lorann Oils Irish Cream flavor in it!

Then it was off to the gym for a glute workout with some of my teammates. I normally workout solo and forgot how much fun it is to have a gym morning with friends!

After the workout we stood around talking about food (of course), and my friend Rachael revealed she hadn’t been to Whole Foods before! I suggested a post-workout trip and off we went. 2 hours later, we were full of samples and hot bar boxes and Rachael learned why we lovingly call it “Whole Paycheck.” She Instagrammed her finds – have you ever tried any of these items? Black bean pasta and no-salt mustard are awesome!

Saturday night I had a friend date with Kat. I’ve been looking forward to catching up with her for weeks! We talked and laughed for hours. You know those friends who just “get” you? That’s Kat.

We ate at the bar at Kimball House. Their cocktail program is incredible! Their take on a Manhattan used cola bitters – coolest thing ever! The food was ok… I’d go back for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.

Their take on a Manhattan with cola bitters, sautéed mushroom salad, and beef tartar

I took an “artsy” shot! Sort of:

Sunday was a beautiful day in Atlanta. It was sunny and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! I decided to go for a run and enjoy the weather… as soon as I stepped outside I realized that – despite the sun – it was in the 30s. About a mile into it I thawed out and enjoyed myself.

I love the trees with the red leaves. They look like they’re on fire!

When I returned I had a lot to do in the kitchen. All fun creations! It was kombucha-brewing day. I have been brewing my own for over a year now. It’s really easy, especially if you have a starter kit (you need a “mother” called a scoby). Mine was from Brooklyn Kombucha, but you could also beg a friend who brews for a scoby.

This week’s flavors are cranberry-ginger-lemon and blackberry-lemon-mint.

I also did some baking for the Sunday evening end of season party at my training gym, House of Payne. I’ll share my #strangebugood brownie recipe next week. 😉

This is what happens when a bunch of competitors get together for a post-season party. It’s ok… we’re bulking…

There were plenty of green veggies, clean sweet potato casseroles, and protein. That pic just wasn’t as much fun.

I am so thankful to have found Steve and his gym. This group of competitors is top-notch. Everyone is kind and always willing to lend a hand. They are funny, genuine people who I am proud to be associated with.

Linking up to Katie’s MIMM again – I’d say this “relaxing” weekend was pretty marvelous!

***

I’m 100% enjoying food freedom again. Bulking season is my favorite.

When was the last time you had an agenda-free weekend?

Have you been to Whole Foods? Do you remember your first time?

Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

November 22, 2013 By Laura

Soufflé is really a fluffy egg dish.

Winter makes me want fluffy things.

A soufflé is a “light, fluffy baked dish made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients.”

If you can fluff an egg in the oven, why not in the microwave? It sounds strange… but it’s good! And quick.

Since my competition, I have quick eating chicken first thing, but I have yet to stop running late and ~~shoveling down~~ eating breakfast in the car. A microwave breakfast is just the thing to make on the fly and go.

What better combo than peanut butter, apple, and egg? Protein and sweet, carb-y fruit to begin the day right. I love berries, but I missed heartier fruit during prep!

I scooped this out into a to-go cup after taking pics.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

1/2 C egg whites
1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
1/4 tsp butter extract (or vanilla)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
2 T peanut flour*
1 small apple, chopped

In a small (cereal) bowl, beat eggs, baking powder, and extract.

In another small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, tossing with apple pieces to coat. Add apple mixture to the egg, stirring to combine. Microwave for 1-1.5 mins.

Remove and top as desired (I used more apple and freshly grated nutmeg).

*Note: You can also use coconut flour or a combo of the two here – just as delicious but a more cake-like texture.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Reminder: next week there will not be a #strangebutgood link up. Being around family should be enough strange, and hopefully it’s a good time for all! 😉

What is your favorite quick breakfast?

Do you have a favorite breakfast fruit? I like apples at breakfast and cherries for dessert.

Cauliflower “Meat” Balls

November 21, 2013 By Laura

I can be strange.

If this you news to you… welcome to the party.

As such, my friends are pretty unique too. Today Kat is bringing her A game with some #strangebutgood balls. Today I am grateful for friend like her. Friends that just get it, friends that are there even though you’ve barely spoken for a few weeks.

By that same token, I also appreciate you guys coming back and reading even thought I’m behind on replies and blog reading. I swear I’ll catch up one day! Perhaps with an explanation of my job and WHY things are so insane right now.

Without further adieu… here’s Kat. With balls. 😉

Cauliflower “Meat” Balls

By: Kat

I’ve been a lawyer now for 3 weeks! And now I have to start really generating business. At first this seemed really scary, but now I’m ready to just jump in head-first. I want to help entrepreneurs and small businesses get off to the right start in protecting their intellectual property and getting a good, solid business set-up.

This is the life I have dreamed of. (Editor’s note: this makes me so very happy for you – livin’ the dream!)

I would ideally like to work with people in the creative, holistic, food, and fitness industries, protecting their trademarks and copyrights, and helping with creative and strategic business plans. Let me know if you ever need a lawyer, you creatives! (Editor’s note: Shamless plug. I like it.)

In the meantime, since I’m still not quite full-time, I’ve been experimenting like crazy. I thought this would be a squash-y blog post, but I have a new favorite recipe I would like to share instead (squashing my own squash idea… hehe so nerdy!). Cauliflower meatballs. Random brainchild, since I’d never made any kind of meatball before.

These meatballs are incredible! They are hearty, flavorful and as “meaty” as cauliflower can get. They would go with any kind of sauce, from a Tomato and Pesto Mayo (which I used), to a rich marinara. They are also gluten-free.

Cauliflower Meatballs Over Squashes

½ head of cauliflower, diced finely
½ medium white onion, diced finely
6-7 cloves of garlic, diced
1 egg
1 T olive oil
1 T coconut oil
¼ C Parmesan cheese
¾ C breadcrumbs (I used Glutino’s GF)
Herbs of your choice
1 tsp cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375. Sauteè the onions and garlic over medium/medium high heat with salt first for a bit (about 3-4 minutes) to get them soft, then add the cauliflower. Sauteè for another 10 minutes, until they are almost cooked.

Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the herbs and cumin (I used about 3T parsley, but you can also use fresh basil/oregano/any herb), stirring to combine. Then mix in the bread crumbs, egg, and oils. It should resemble a meatball-like mixture now.

Mold into 1 ½ in balls. Place on parchment paper. Bake ~40 minutes, or until brown on top. You can then submerge in sauce or serve as-is with dipping sauce.

You can also elect to blend the cauliflower/onion/garlic in a food processor if you want them to have a smoother, more chicken-nugget-type texture.

Personally, I really liked the “meatiness” of having little bits of cauliflower comprising my delish balls. (Editor’s note: That’s what she said.)

At least if I’m nervous about starting my own business/law firm, I know there are others out there equally scared to go against the mold, do something different, be an entrepreneur. I also know that I can come home and be as creative as I want without judgment. (Editor’s note: This is why I love you and I cannot wait until we have our reunion date Saturday!!!)

***

Quick note about #StrangeButGood: It’s ON tomorrow, but next week I’m taking a Thurs-Fri Turkey Day break. Save your Strangess for Friday, December 6th!

Who has been scared to start their own business? Me!!!

Have you ever made cauliflower meatballs, or something equally odd? Does my cauliflower pizza crust count? How about the pancakes?

Back to Reality with Sizzlefish + WIAW

November 20, 2013 By Laura

Competition diets aren’t realistic. long-term

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Sizzlefish.

Eating like I have been leading up to my competition was a short-lived reality… again, it isn’t how you should eat forever. This week I’m thrilled that food is back to being fun again this week. I haven’t had time for a proper grocery store run, but I’ve had some help!

Sizzlefish provided me with a Sizzlefish sampler of their Omega-3 Protein Mix. It included Coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, sablefish, rainbow trout, catfish, Atlantic cod, haddock, and catfish.

Did you know that studies have shown that a diet high in fish, particularly fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids, enhances athletic performance and health?

My fish were frozen at the peak of quality, pre-portioned, and shipped on dry ice to have on-hand when I was back to “normal” food. After cutting fat, I couldn’t bust into this fast enough!

I came home late from a crazy work day, it was the perfect thing to quickly cook up. I was surprised by how fresh the frozen fish was! Check out my dinner below for more.

Side note: wouldn’t this make a an awesome holiday gift?! Mamma may be received a Christmas shipment from Sizzlefish…

________________________________________________________________________________________

Since I haven’t done a full re-stock yet, this isn’t quite a normal WIAW, but it’s much improved from last week!

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast:

My healthiest addiction began my day – Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.

Breakfast is not long turkey or chicken – hooray! I traveled all the way from Colorado with this almost-empty jar of Justin’s almond butter in order to make overnight oats in a jar. Can you believe Heather’s hubby was going to throw it away?! All that nutty deliciousness hiding at the bottom of a mixture of oats, Greek yogurt, and goji berries laced with cinnamon and ginger.

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lisa, my competition buddy and co-worker, surprised me with homemade cocoa cookie bites. I asked if they were “healthy” and she said they are all-organic. Works for me! 😉

See the black dot on my pinky? That’s where I slammed a weight on my hand 3 weeks ago! Blood blisters are the gift that keeps on giving.

Lunch:

A quick trip to Whole Foods the night before resulted in a lunch of smoked rotisserie chicken mixed with shallots, paprika, nutritional yeast, ACV, and pepper over a slice of sesame Ezekial bread, mustard, and spinach.

This was the first time I’d seen smoked chicken at Whole Food – it is the best rotisserie I’ve ever gotten there!

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Think Thin was nice enough to send me a little treat a few weeks back. I hadn’t gotten to dive into the box yet, but it has come in handy this week! I really enjoyed the Caramel Fudge flavor as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. With the rest of the cookies from earlier…

Dinner:

Dinner was when I enjoyed my Sizzlefish. I got home really late, but was still able to have a good dinner! I couldn’t decide whether I wanted salmon or trout, so I had both. Life is short, why choose?

I had put them in the fridge the night before to haw, so when I got home I tossed them under the broiler with lemon juice and pepper for about 7 mins along with roasted veggies I’d picked up from Whole Foods.

Dessert:

I feel really lame… but I wasn’t hungry for dessert after eating dinner at 10pm. Instead, I had another holiday kombucha and called it a night.

***

I am so very excited to buy all of the foods at the international market this weekend! Grocery shopping should be an Olympic sport. I’d medal.

Have you ever had frozen seafood? What is your favorite?

Have you started thinking about holiday shopping yet? Would you gift food? I couldn’t believe it when I realized Thanksgiving is next week!

Competition Weekend Through an iPhone Lens

November 18, 2013 By Laura

I don’t even bring a camera when I travel anymore.

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Verizon Wireless.

When I got my first smart phone, it changed my world. I’ve never liked having to carry multiple devices or go to more than one source for tasks.

Verizon offered me the chance to upgrade from my iPhone 5 to a 5s and I pounced on the opportunity. From the solid, light-weight of the metal-casing to the fingerprint-reading lock, I am impressed. I also love the new iOS7 system. It offers iTunes Radio, which is like Pandora but better because you can tag songs as favorites to remember to purchase later. I’ve wished for this feature on the radio SO many times!

The light weight and the radio features allow me to travel light on a plane or the gym – just grab the phone and my in-flight entertainment or energy-inducing jams are there. I love being able shake up my music songs – my playlist was getting OLD after all this competition training.

Since I spent the weekend with Heather in Colorado for our competition, I joined her for a final workout. Radio up and headphones in, I killed the last back/tri workout I’ll do for 2 weeks (it’s REST time!). It was SO much fun to be able to do it with a friend, and to shamelessly ask gym employees to take iPhone pics for us.

Best of all is the super-fast Verizon 4G LTE service. I’m extremely impatient, so being able to over-share instantaneously via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is a must. I did just that alllll weekend long from Colorado!

I’m drafting this on a flight home and the internet is painfully slow, so the full recap will have to wait. In the meantime, here’s the iPhone-powered Cliff’s Notes:

Heather and I didn’t get top 5, but we had a blast. AND we got to cheer Lisa, who placed 4th in Bikini Class C.

We celebrated in style at one of Denver’s best restaurants, Fruition. Kait joined us too – it was so great to meet her for the first time. I ordered pasta carbonara with hand-made cavatalli, pork belly and a 6 minute egg (I ordered that solely for the #yolkporn) and duck conﬁt pierogi with caramelized brussels, kumquat marmalade, and roasted apple pan jus.

The food was great, the service was perfect, and the company couldn’t have been better… but I’m still amazed I didn’t fall asleep in my (unpictured) dessert.

Sunday was a beautiful morning – not a cloud in the sky! Heather, Kirk (her husband) and I slept in and headed out for coffee and a hike.

We headed back to meet Lauren and Greg (her husband) for brunch. We sipped on a Kirk-and-Heather whiskey barrel-aged homebrew (out-of-this-world good!) and shoveled a cheese plate in our mouths while Kirk prepared the meal The smoked salmon eggs benedict was one of the best I’ve had!

I’m sad to leave, but made a ton of good memories… and rekindled my desire to MOVE to Denver! It was all pretty marvelous.

***

I am so grateful for Heather and Kirk putting ~~up with me~~ me up for the long weekend, and to everyone who commented/tweeted good luck messages. It all made the weekend that much more special. Thank you! <3

Are you an iPhone or Droid lover? What are your favorite apps? I’ve become addicted to LINE camera.

Do you like to hike? That’s one of the reasons I want to live in Denver!

Strange But Good: Pinterest Edition

November 15, 2013 By Laura

Eating tilapia, asparagus, and sweet potato is strange.

Not necessarily good.

In lieu of a recipe from me this week, I want to share some of the #strangebutgood creations you’ve linked up that I can’t wait to try!

This list is certainly not exhaustive…. you guys are brilliant creators of strange! Check out more on the Pinterest board. I’ve been collecting them to make post competition.

1. Banana Cornbread from Suzanne. Can you imagine the luscious texture?!

2. Lean Beef Balls… with a twist from the twerking king, Arman. Because you know I love some fruit with my beef!

3. You will NEVER guess what makes this Lemon Shortbread Oatmeal so creamy!

4. It’s been way too long since my last kabocha squash. Or my last brownie. These Fudgy Kabocha Brownies from Sarah are at the top ‘o the list.

5. This is a little bit of a cheat. I’ve made it before, but I want Broccoli Heather’s Peanut Butter Cup Omelette. It’s delicious.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

My last figure competition of the year is Saturday! I'm in Colorado with Heather, who's going to be competing in the bikini division - her first one! Follow our craziness and post-show debauchery on Instagram. 🙂

Have you made any of the #strangebutgood link ups?

What would be the first thing you eat after walking off the stage?

The One Where Food Became Fuel

November 13, 2013 By Laura

Food, in the simplest of definitions, is fuel.

I missed that memo.

Food, for me, has always been entertainment. It’s art. It’s an experiment. It’s what I do when I’m sad, happy, grumpy, tired, bored… I love food. End scene.

You might imagine that a limited diet is my worst nightmare. I’ve been trying to prove you can still be creative on a competition diet. You can… but the last week of cutting is HARD. You’ll notice from last week’s WIAW at 4 days out, I still had a lot of variety. This time around I decided to try something new. Being more ~~boring~~ traditional.

I cut fat and am sticking to lean proteins (mostly tilapia). My main veggie is asparagus. My carbs are oatmeal in the morning and sweet potato after that. I’m not hungry at all… but my palette is bored out of its mind. Food has become fuel.

Why am I doing this? Quite simply, to see if it’s necessary. I want to compare last weekend to this weekend. Will it make a difference if I eat more like everyone else the week before a competition? Only ~~my abs~~ time will tell!

The fascination with experimentation is what’s keeping me on track this week!

I almost feel like I should apologize for the repetitive nature of this WIAW. I am 4 days from my 4th figure competition. It’s the last one for a long while… I promise next week will be more interesting.

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!