Embrace Your Inner Child

May 16, 2013 By Laura

Change is a good thing.

And it’s inevitable (except from vending machines), so you might as well embrace it.

I’ve been changing up my workouts post-competition, doing things like kickboxing, “real” boxing, and spinning. Yesterday I got back in the weight room for a chest and bicep day. I wrote my own workout, as I haven’t gotten my new plan from my trainer yet. That felt surprisingly intimidating, but I kicked my own arse!

The best part? Even after not lifting as often as I was, I hit 3 PRs!!! Change can be a booster, friends.

After that routine, I was in serious need of recovery. I (like the day before) weren’t for an old favorite: my (vegan) Carrot Cake Batter Shake. I did change it up a bit – this time I used my Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein. I swear this stuff is amazing. I actually forgot to add Stevia until the end, but when I tasted it I realized I didn’t need it. The Growing Naturals has added just the right amount of sweetness – enough to be batter-ish, but not so much that it was nauseating after a hard (and HOT) workout.

Also, check out Laura’s smoothie round up for 34 other fun ideas!

This weekend I am SO excited to get to share Growing Naturals with some of my best blogger-friends at the Blend Retreat in Park City, Utah! Growing Naturals is sponsoring my trip and has sent samples of both their rice and pea protein powders, and their new rice drink!

What I love about these is that they:

Taste good (most important, right?)
Blends well (none of the chalky ick-factor)
Are super-clean (vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and sprouted, and enzymatically processed)
Have 24g of protein per serving
Have very little sodium and sugar
Offer a 96% correlation to whey protein’s amino acid profile… but without the dairy so there is NO bloat

I wish I could share them with everyone!!! You should all come to Blend! 🙂 If you won’t be there, be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram for the live ~~tequila shots with Lindsay~~ weekend action.

Speaking of… I also with the fabulous Kat could come to Blend (I did ask), but she is GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOL this weekend!!!

Read on for her fabulously fearless post, and a great vegan recipe. And be sure to tell her congrats in the comments!! 🙂

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Embrace Your Inner Child with TVP Sloppy Joes

(By Kat)

2012, was a year of healing, mending, and replanting my seeds on so many levels. I began trail running (and became addicted). I was healing from injuries and a number of other personal obstacles. I was healing from life. I learned to accept things, I learned to become centered, and this whole year really has already followed the change.

I started my year with a yoga class, and I am truly living my philosophy.

It’s easy to walk the walk, but to be authentic and fearless is often another story.

Do the rest of you have that same internal dialogue that I have? I’m ready for change… no I’m not… yes I am… no I’m not. Then you realize you just have to let yourself be fearless. In an effort to really keep this in the forefront of my mind… and to really remember daily to embrace my commitment to living fearlessly, I got a new tattoo! Like?! (Editor’s note: I LOVE!!!)

In the spirit of embodying fearlessness (and letting my inner adult-child out a little more)… some trail runs have lately taken me on… well, adventures! Saturday, I went on a run called “Janice’s Wheel of Misfortune,” where halfway through the 8.5-ish run, you meet Janice, spin her wheel and are dealt a “misfortune.”

These took place on some of my favorite trails. (Laura, you’ve totally been here, on a different route! – Editor’s note: YES! That was a great run and I want to do it again!)

Some of my favorite trails – The Tributary

Such an awesome idea! The two guys smiling in the picture below together… yeah, they had to run/walk/struggle to get through 4.5 miles with their ankles tied together. (No, they didn’t know each other before the run).

The girl I’m laughing at in the picture had to eat something. While she started off with a 6-count of Chocolate-Covered Krispy Kremes, she ended up with anchovies wrapped around capers (her other options included an entire can of spam, an entire bag of powdered doughnuts, or two cans of Vienna sausage… yeah….).

Others had to carry life-sized stuffed animals, drink warm beer, take a time out, do trivia, drink buttermilk, among other fun misfortunes. I know it’s not fair that I spun and had to do trail math trivia. (Editor’s note: Warm beer?! Whattt?!)

I would do this trail running event again any day! I embraced my inner fearlessness and my inner adult child.

Embracing a fearless spirit also makes me feel way more comfortable in my own skin… it’s going pretty well! 🙂

Speaking of comfort… I’ve got a great comfort food recipe for the gluten-free vegan that will help you to embrace your inner child! (Editor’s note: Seriously? Where am I when you’re making all this deliciousness?!)

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Vegan TVP Sloppy Joes

1 C TVP
1 C boiling water
1 16 oz can tomato paste
1 16 oz can garlic tomato sauce
½ C honey
2 T Tamari (or soy if you’re not GF)
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne
3-ish T seasoning/dried herbs (mine had some rosemary, basil, thyme, paprika, garlic, onion, and parsley)
Garlic powder, to taste (I don’t know… maybe about 1.5 tablespoons??)
½ large white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
MAYBE extra ½ cup of water at the end (depending upon the TVP)

First add the boiling water to the TVP and let it sit. Then, sauté the onion & Garlic in some oil (and butter if you like), on medium/medium-low heat (~7-10 minutes, let them get pretty translucent).

Then I like to add the TVP to the pan where you are doing the sautéing and add ALL the dry seasonings. Sauté until the TVP looks like it’s drying out a bit, and is completely coated in all the beautiful seasonings (this is how you give the TVP a more “meaty” taste), which should take about 7-10 minutes.

Next, add your tomato paste, tomato sauce, honey and tamari (and I needed an extra ½ cup of water). Simmer for ~15-20 minutes. Then you can adjust the seasonings to taste as you like!

At the end, you know, serve the way you remember loving your Sloppy Joes!

I used Udi’s Gluten Free Buns, toasted, and served with Sea Salt Kettle Chips and roasted brussels sprouts.

I also topped them with the most delicious vegan, soy-free, gluten-free cheese I have ever had, Daiya .

If you haven’t tried their products yet, I highly recommend them, in fact, for these sloppy joes, I liked them better than regular cheese.

This cheese melted like regular cheddar, but seemed lighter and was a bit milder than regular cheddar cheese. A must try!

(Editor’s note: I second this – this is amazing cheeze, especially their pepper jack!!)

You’re welcome – I omitted a photo with my face covered in Sloppy Joe.

***

Again, and HUGE congrats to Kat on completing your law education!!! Kat – I’m so sorry to miss your graduation celebration, but I’ll be thinking of you all weekend! You are truly an inspiration.

What have you done to embrace your inner child? To be fearless?

What was your childhood comfort food?

What’s Beautiful?

May 15, 2013 By Laura

Beautiful comes in all forms.

Much like diet, it’s personal!

There’s no right or wrong definition. When I heard about Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful competition aimed at getting women to set epic goals and prove themselves, I was really excited. You goal, your definition of what beauty is, is totally customized!

I immediately signed up, and I hope you will too! All you need to do is click here and enter some basic info, including what fitness goal you WILL accomplish. You can customize the top pic (like your Facebook header), join teams, and follow/encourage others!

To me, beautiful is embodied by spirits unwilling to settle for less than they are. Strong woman are beautiful to me, so of course that’s what my goal involves. 🙂

Check out my goal and challenges thus far here:

The competition is 100% personalized for you. There are mini-challenges you can participate in along the way, but you can choose those that apply to you.

You don’t have to do the challenges… but you might want to because there are prizes along the way (read: Under Armour schwag bags) and one BIG reward at the end: a trip to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat, complete with massages, spa treatments and healthy, locally sourced meals prepared by personal chefs!!!

Once you create your profile, I’d love it if you’d join my team: Team Fabulously Fit! There are four of us FitFluential Ambassadors headed it up. We have some diverse goals, but the underlying theme is healthy and fitness. We are super excited to cheer for you and motivate each other!

Our team includes: Lindsay @ Itz Linz, Melissa @ Treats With A Twist, Lindsay @ Cotter Crunch, and me!

The competition will be using the hashtags #whatsbeautiful and #iwill. Follow along both hashtags on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to stay motivated and dedicated to achieving YOUR goal!

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Don’t worry – we’re still going to talk about food today! My WIAW meals were right in line with the No Shit Diet principles. Including a little dinner indulgence. 🙂

Check out my eats and treats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious foods everyone else is enjoying!

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Breakfast:

Per usual, I started my day with a cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

Breakfast was a 2 course event today:

Atlanta Farm Fresh Greek yogurt is the best ever. I don’t know if you can get it outside of the Southeast, but you can check out their website and see! In Atlanta, you can find it in Whole Foods and Kroger.

Their plain is really good (I normally only eat plain Greek), but I couldn’t resist this in lieu of a fruit this morning: Strawberry Basil Balsamic. It’s as good as it sounds.

Part 2 was Toad in a Hole. Made with one of my local eggs and a slice of P28 protein bread. Topped with fresh basil, pepper, and red pepper flakes. #yolkporn

Post-Workout:

All of that deliciousness fueled one helluva spin class. Did I mention I don’t spin? This was my 3rd class ever. It kicked my butt. By the time I got home I was ready to eat ALL the foods.

I settled for a Carrot Cake Batter Shake: This is one of my favorites – it was the first time I’d used tofu in a smoothie, but not the last. Gives it the perfect texture!

Lunch-ish:

I saw Janet’s post about Black Bean Tostadas and knew I had to make them immediately. I made a single serving, eliminated the salt, and added onion powder, turmeric, cilantro, lime juice, red bell pepper, and jalapeno.

It fell apart (probably due to the pepper), but it was delicious! I just ate it as crackers alongside my sea bass and broccoli slaw.

Then I had “dessert.” Roasted kabocha squash with coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, and maple extract. Topped with a peanut sauce made from peanut flour, cinnamon, ginger, maple extract, water, and stevia.

Dinner:

I got my tickets. To the Gunshow! Chef Kevin Gillespie lead one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants, but recently left to do his own thing. Last night I got to try it out for the first time. The fact that it’s called Gunshow was just the icing on the cake.

This is an entirely new format for a restaurant – there are no servers and the kitchen and dining room are one. Everything is made fresh. There is no set menu, they aren’t concept-driven. The food served that day is based on what’s available locally and what they’re in the mood to cook. The kitchen brings the food out dim sum-style on a cart or tray as they finish the dish. The chef that made your food is also delivering it to your table and describing the dish. How cool is that?! One thing I love about cooking is seeing the reaction people have. That must be hard for a chef in a restaurant who’s trapped in a kitchen all night.

Gunshow Menu

Our group of 10 ordered one of everything. And it was all amazing.

My top 3 dishes: a goat cheese ball rolled in burnt bread crumbs with a house made strawberry jam, the braised short ribs, and the spring vegetables and ramps with bee pollen.

The great part was that after splitting all this among 10 people, we weren’t over-stuffed. Don’t get me wrong – I was full – but it was a happy amount of indulgence.

My friend Jessica had the description of the night:

The food spans such a spectrum and I love that [Kevin Gillespie] doesn’t box himself, or the other folks in the kitchen, into a defined style. I told someone tonight that it reminded me of a first date. Perhaps he was trying to impress and over time we may learn each other and reach a warmness and familiarity. I was impressed and even more excited that we have somewhere else to discover that is different, although not better

Jessica, Chef Kevin, and me

Dessert:

We had to try the desserts too! I would be hard-pressed to choose between the strawberry cheesecake (top pic) and Kevin’s great grandmother’s banana pudding (bottom right).

***

Obviously #iwill be hitting the gym hard today! 🙂 Join our team by clicking here: Fabulously Fit, or just leave me your email in the comments and I can send invite to our team!

What’s your fitness goal? What WILL you accomplish?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten this week? Anything #strangebutgood?

The “No Shit” Diet

May 14, 2013 By Laura

But what do I eat?!

The eternal question.

I get this question almost daily. Today’s Work It Out addresses the questions. I won’t share my exact diet. I’m still learning what is best for me, and – like I ALWAYS say – diet is personal. Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, “intuitive” eating, carb-heavy, protein whores (guilty)… the list goes on forever.

What I WILL share are some of my staples for keeping (mostly) healthy.

There is a lot of talk about special diets. I don’t buy into any of them for one reason – I think diet is about common sense. It’s a lifestyle. A diet, as we most often refer to it, is a finite thing usually aimed at weight loss or some quick fix. I was just on a pretty strict competition diet. That is NOT sustainable. Your life-diet should be balanced and include a variety of foods. No shit, right?

Therefore, I’m starting a new movement:

Diet 101

Eat 5-6 meals per day – every 2-3 hours, with the last meal being fairly close to bed time (your body needs to fuel to heal overnight)
Don’t be afraid of carbs or fruit – they provide valuable nutrients. Everything in moderation!
Eat your veggies! They fill you up without adding ton of calories or fat, and are vitamin and nutrient rich
Avoid large amounts of processed foods, sugar, and sodium. In excess, they are bad for your health and you just won’t feel good the next day
If you want a “cheat” or “treat,” HAVE IT. Just don’t have it all day, every day. I like wine and dessert, so I have both

Weekly Buys

Veggies – asparagus, broccoli, broccoli slaw, brussels, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, dark leafy greens (like spinach and kale), mushrooms, onions, parsnips, red peppers
Fruits – apples, bananas (no more than 1x day), berries of any kind, cherries, grapefruit, pineapple, watermelon
Complex Carbs – barley, beans, Ezekiel bread, oatmeal, millet, multi-grain cereal (watch the sugar and sodium), sweet potato, quinoa, wild or brown rice, winter squash
Protein – bison, chicken, eggs (yolks in moderation), lean beef, salmon, tempeh, tofu, turkey, TVP, white fish (I love cod, sea bass, swordfish, tilapia, and trout)
Fats – avocados, chia seeds, coconut (oil and whole), flax, nuts/nut butters (almonds and walnuts are the best), olive oil, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower)
Dairy – almond milk (unsweetened), cottage cheese (no salt added), plain non-fat greek yogurt

Cheese-less Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Flavor Adds

Extracts – almond, butter, butterscotch, coconut, coffee, maple, peppermint, vanilla
Spices – black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cocoa powder, coriander, cumin, curry powder, garam masala, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, red pepper flakes
Acids – apple cider vinegar, lemon, lime, rice vinegar, white balsamic
Herbs – basil, cilantro, dill, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme
Sauces/Toppings – BBQ sauce,hot sauce (I love Cholula and Sriracha), hummus, mustard, salsa, tomato sauce (note: make your own when possible – read the labels and you’ll be shocked at the sodium and sugars added!)

Healthy BBQ Sauce on Tempeh

Stuff Most People Think is Foreign

Liquid Smoke (the Colgin brand I buy is all-natural and vegan)
Nutritional Yeast (high in B-12 and protein, has a cheesy/nutty flavor)
Peanut Flour (defatted peanuts; I like this better than PB2 because it has no added sodium or sugar. I order mine here; use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off)
Stevia (the NuNatruals vanilla and chocolate liquid drops are my favorite)

Blueberry Protein Tart (with peanut flour cream)

Shopping

Most of my shopping is done at to following places:

The local farmer’s market,
Whole Foods
Fresh Market
Publix (big box grocer)
iHerb.com (use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off)
Tip: ask your grocer if they can order items for you – Whole Foods is especially good about this!

PLEASE do not take the this as the be-all, end-all list of foods to eat. This is a sampling of my staples. I eat a massive variety of food – it helps me not get bored, which make it easier to keep it clean. I definitely indulge as well. Like tonight – I know I’m going to have an awesome dinner out. Rather than worry about salty, fatty, yummy food, I make more of an effort to keep it clean throughout the day today!

This is life, not heaven. You don’t have to be perfect. Live life, eat good food, and share it with those you love.

***

I don’t mean to poo-poo people’s belief systems. In the name of balance, next week there will be a guest post from Calee with a different perspective. I don’t say vegan, for example, as a bad thing. If it’s tied to a belief or you know that’s the way your body functions, more power to you! What I am against are people jumping of whatever is popular at the moment in hopes of finding the magic fountain for youth and weight-loss. There is no magic, y’all.

What is the craziest diet you’ve ever tried? In college I ate nothing but grapefruit. It lasted 2 days.

Have you found a lifestyle that works for you?

Strawberry Cornmeal Protein Pancakes

May 13, 2013 By Laura

A weekend without plans never happens for me.

I have such good intentions to relax…

This weekend it happened. And it was because I made a mistake. I thought for WEEKS that this weekend was the Food & Wine Festival. Last year it was on Mother’s Day weekend. This year it apparently is NOT. So suddenly I had a whole weekend, wide open. And it was marvelous.

Of course I worked out. My kickboxing streak continued with a lunchtime class on Friday. I rocked some shorts that may have more personality than I do.

I received these funky green bottoms from YMX as part of being a FitFluential Ambassador. More than the unique look, what makes YMX workout gear special is the fabric they use. It’s called MadKool fabric. It’s meant to regulate your body temperature, keeping you warm in cool weather and cool when you’re hot. The boxing gym is HOT. The fabric was as-advertised… AND it was so light and comfortable I felt like I wasn’t even wearing bottoms. Strange… but good. 😉

Totally asked the instructor to take a pic of me. At least I waited until AFTER class! #shameless

To get your own naked-feeling YMX gear click here. You move like a butterfly and sting like a bee comfortably too! Try this quick circuit:

100 jab-crosses
10 burpees
100 upper cuts
50 mountain climbers
20 Side kicks (each side)

Repeat ~~until you pass out~~ 3-5x.

After that you should refuel! To be honest I was a little mad at Lindsay when I received my first order of Healthy Bites. They are so amazing… I was pissed she didn’t MAKE me try them earlier. I swear I’m not just saying that.

These bites are the most delicious snack I’ve had in recent memory. They are filled with good, clean ingredients, they’re low-sugar, and they’re gluten-free.

My custom order included a protein-laced Reeses flavor, Cinnamon Biscotti, Coconut Caramel, and Birthday Cake. They are all amazing… but the Reeses were my top pick. Or the Cinnamon. Tough choices!!!

They are almost gone. Whoops!

Sunday I hung out with my amazing mom and grandmother. Mom is truly a rock. I owe my passion for food and for being active to her.

Before I left her house, my mom and my grandmother asked me to make them overnight oats to have in the morning! I made an oatmeal version of my Cherry Ginger Smoothie.

I’m a terrible blogger and forgot a pic… but I’ll ask her to send me one to post on Instagram tomorrow. 🙂

Speaking of IG… I also reached a marvelous milestone. My 2000th picture on Instagram!

Eggs from my local farmer’s market. If you’ve never had a farm-fresh egg, you must hunt them down. The difference in taste is astounding. They are more flavorful, the yolks are bright orange, and they make the best runny yolks.

These eggs were first used in my favorite way… #yolkporn! I cracked one into half a pre-roasted kabocha squash and put it under the broiler for a few minutes.

Served over a bed of arugula and smoked salmon with Greek yogurt cream cheese (made by Atlanta Farm Fresh, purchased at Whole Foods).

They also make killer pancakes. The creamy, dreamy pancakes below are laced with local strawberries and hints of lemon and then topped with sautéed berries and toasted coconut. I die.

Strawberry Cornmeal Protein Pancakes

2 T cornmeal
1 T vanilla protein powder
1/4 tsp sodium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg (or 1/4C egg whites)
1/4 C fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
2 T water
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 butter extract (optional)
6-8 drops lemon liquid stevia (or preferred sweetener)
2 large strawberries, mashed
Optional toppings: syrup, toasted coconut, strawberries

Heat a non-stick pan medium heat and coat with cooking spray (I used coconut oil).

To a medium-sized bowl, add cornmeal, protein, baking powder, and cinnamon and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Add yogurt, water, extracts, and stevia and stir well.

Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in mashed strawberries.

Spoon batter onto pan and cook 3-4 mins per side or until they begin to bubble on top.

Add toppings and enjoy!

***

It’s also Meatless Monday! Check out all the links at Heather’s blog using this week’s ingredient: Dark Chocolate. I’m linking my #strangebutgood Chocolate Avocado Cookies from Friday!

Have you ever had farm eggs?

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day?

I’m Taking a Day Off

May 9, 2013 By Laura

This is a foreign concept to me.

Rest? What is that?

I’m tired. I started writing a blog for today and realized I didn’t have anything compelling to say. Rather than throw up something half-assed I decided to take a day off of blogging. *gasp*

Instead, I’m catching up on my “real” job and eating tasty foods. ~~And praying the world won’t end.~~

And reminding you to click here to enter the giveaway for some bangin’ Bose Headphones (seriously – they rock).

Back tomorrow with some #strangebutgood cookies!!! Come by and link up your fun creations!

***

It turns out sanity/relaxation are not overrated.

When was the last time you took a day off?

How do you know when to cry “uncle!”?

Bose Headphone Giveaway + WIAW

May 8, 2013 By Laura

Nothing says I love you like presents.

Or cash. That’s what I always ask Santa for.

I don’t have a present for everyone but I do have a fun giveaway! Remember these Bose SIE2i headphones I fell in love with? They are incredible… pricey, but worth every cent. My top 3 highlights:

Sizing options: I have little ears and these buds fit like a glove without popping out or sliding about
Cord length: Short enough, but comes with an extension if you need it
Sound quality: It’s insane – I have a song on my workout playlist that starts with the singer counting off (“1… 2… 3…”). It was so clear in my ears that I thought the dude next to me was counting. LOL!

I know not everyone can spend their disposable income on headphones. Soooo… I asked the Reebok team if we could partner to do a giveaway!

Check out the Rafflecoptor at the bottom of this post to enter! Giveaway closes Sunday night!

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My WIAW meals will be a little more normal this week. Post-competition, I no longer need to try to turn asparagus into dessert. I even had a solid breakfast, lunch and dinner! The 7 meals will return, but this week is time for a BREAK!

Check out my semi-normal eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious spring foods everyone else is enjoying!

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Work It Out: My 2nd Figure Competition

May 7, 2013 By Laura

I like to Work It Out with a purpose.

Yes, being fit is a purpose… but I’m talking about an event.

Sticking to a fitness routine is easier for me when I have a set goal. It’s like a light at the end of the tunnel. Today’s Work It Out is about my most recent tunnel-light.

Last weekend I competed in my second figure competition – The Palmetto Classic in South Carolina. This recap has been difficult for me to write. I’m struggling with being proud of the results. I placed in the Top 5, which is great… but I was #5. In my first competition I placed 4th. Granted, I do feel like the competition was a bit tougher this time around… but I’d been working SO hard to gain. And I did gain… just not enough.

After the competition I asked the judges for feedback. My feedback was “get bigger.”

Lisa, Steve (our trainer), and Me

I know that I should be proud to have even gotten to compete, let alone place. I know that I worked hard and did my best. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful… I just want to be better.

Yesterday I admitted to feeling a little lost – there is a certain melancholy after something your work so hard for ends. BUT I have to remember it’s not over. I am going use the judges’ feedback as a motivator. I will do another competition and come back better.

The only time you should look back is to see how far you’ve come.”

Being better requires a plan. It’ back to the gym for me – heavy weight, low reps. I’m also going to play with my food more, increasing my intake and experimenting with numbers.

Diet changes will be done slowly – if you try to add all at once your body doesn’t know how to react and (if you’re me) you feel so full that you don’t stick to the plan.

Lisa and Me

And now for the positive: I was less nervous and I felt more prepared. I knew what to expect and had a better idea of how to eat on competition day. I also had an amazing team with me – Lisa (who competed in Bikini) and our trainer, Steve. Having a support system and people to laugh/bitch and moan/over-analyze performance with is invaluable.

One thing about my poor abs is that they respond to volume. This means if I even drink a glass of water, you will see it in my stomach 5 seconds later. On competition day you don’t drink water, but some people will eat a combo of sugar and carbs to pump up. Often this means something like a waffle with syrup. For me, this is too much volume. I figured it out though! I took a gel (like the goo that runners eat) to have at pre-judging. It was low volume, but still gave me calories in the form of carbs and sugar. Perfect!

The most difficult thing about competition day is that after pre-judging you have to wait 6-7 hours until the show that night. So what do you do?! Immediately following the pre-judging many competitions have a small treat. I ate my Barney Butter, savoring it like someone who hadn’t had nut butter in years. 🙂

After that, Lisa and I laid around the hotel and talked… and ate a little. Since I had time for my food to digest (read: move out of my abs), I ate chicken, asparagus, and sweet potato. Lisa and I also split a glass of wine. And I had about a quarter of a warm cookie the hotel put out. It was delicious.

Waiting around with my partner-in-crime

The night show is when awards are presented. I loved the statue trophy, and you better belive it is proudly displayed in my living room now!

And then, as you saw yesterday, it’s time to EAT. 🙂

***

I’m supposed to be resting until Wednesday… but I wanted to hit something so I took a kickboxing class. It was SO much fun to go back to an old love.

Do you like to have a finish line or end goal to train for?

How do you deal with feedback? Is it a motivator?

Marvelous Mandible Monday

May 6, 2013 By Laura

Let the food obsession begin.

Oh wait… that started at birth.

I had fully intended to do a recap of this weekend’s competition today… but I’m a little tired and still processing. It’s a huge build up to the event and then it happens… and you feel a little lost when it’s over. Does that make sense? Not that I’m not doing more (I am!). I’m just taking it all in.

For now, I just want to say that I am honored and overwhelmed by everyone’s support via comments, emails, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… this blogging community really is just that – a community. I felt that 100% this weekend. THANK YOU!!

So in the meantime, let’s talk about food! I mean, that’s the MOST marvelous thing about completing the cutting process, right? 😉

After pre-judging I had a little treat – Barney Butter! Kristina swore by it and I’m glad I trust her. This almond butter packet of deliciousness was the smoothest, most fantastic nut butter I’ve never out in my mouth. Absence makes the heart grow weirder.

Do my teeth look oddly large in this pic?

After the show itself, my team headed to a fantastic restaurant in Columbia, SC called The Oak Table. It was absolutely perfect – kind of tucked away in a large building, it had a speakeasy feel to it. Our server was very accommodating, even if we did walk in 30 mins before closing and looking… well, a little like drag queens with our stage make up, fake lashes and glow-in-the-dark orange spray tans.

We downed a couple of draaanks, duck, seared scallops, NY strip steak, roasted mushrooms, salad, a butterscotch bread pudding with salted caramel popcorn and smoked cinnamon ice cream, and homemade s’mores. The food was all phenomenal, but in the end the simplest pleasure won my heart – truffled frites with shaved smoked gouda. And water. Lots and lots of water.

By the time we got back to the hotel and I did the best I could to scrub off the spray tan and bikini bite, it was 1am. I passed out.

Only to wake up at 8am starving and thirsty. I managed to soothe myself with water and slept another 1.5 hours… but them breakfast needed to happen. I was hangry for a ~~trashy~~ favorite: Waffle House.

Chocolate chip waffle topped with runny egg

I like to dip my waffle in coffee. It’s redneck biscotti. 😉

If you thought my trainer would be a better food-influence, you’d be wrong.

On the ride home I enjoyed another (much classier) favorite: Ginger-Peach Greek Yogurt by Atlanta Farm Fresh. I’m not sure you can find it outside of Georgia, but in Atlanta you can get it at Whole Foods and some Kroger stores.

It’s the best flavored yogurt out there. Try the Peach-Ginger and the Port-Cherry. And the plain, too.

We got back to Georgia and I went straight to the Farmer’s Market – didn’t even go home first! I didn’t have a list – I just bought everything that looked good. Lots of veggies, pineapple, eggs, crab, sea bass… and injera!

Injera is Ethiopian bread. It sounds fancy, but it’s really just teff flour and water left to ferment for a few days before being cooked in pancake-fashion. The finished product is a little sour and sponge-y in texture. I know that doesn’t sound terrible appealing, but it really is good!

There may have also been a trip to Whole Foods involved… I was craving my favorite Roots hummus!

When I got home with all my loot, I made a strange but good snack: injera with chipotle hummus, spinach, and crab. What the belly wants, the belly gets!

So there you have it. A little bit of what’s been making my mandible-parts smile in this Marvelous Monday.

Check out my favorite diva’s (Katie) blog to see what’s Marvelous is everyone else’s Monday!

***

I’m still overwhelmed. Thank you again… I promise the recap will be coming as soon as my head stops spinning. 🙂

What marvelous thing has you smiling today?

Have you ever felt a little lost when a big event comes and goes?

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What I love about these is that they:

Embrace Your Inner Child with TVP Sloppy Joes

Vegan TVP Sloppy Joes

Breakfast:

Post-Workout:

Lunch-ish:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Diet 101

Weekly Buys

Flavor Adds

Stuff Most People Think is Foreign

Shopping

Strawberry Cornmeal Protein Pancakes

… Read More »

Follow Me!

Popular Posts

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!

…

Read More »