Work It Out: Meal Prep

September 3, 2013 By Laura

Tuesday is the new Monday.

Why can’t this be a permanent thing?

Since Monday was a holiday, it became food prep day (usually Sunday). I get a lot of questions about what I prep for the week, so I am doing another kitchen-themed Work It Out.

I am diligent about prepping proteins and carbs on food prep day. Veggies most often I do as the week goes because I like then fresh and they don’t take long to put together.

Breakfast

First up is breakfast. This is a place I half-prep, often making bars or Baked Oatmeal To Go. This week it was bars. I’m going to see how this recipe keeps before I share it, but it was a Carrot Cake Protein Bar creation. Half I keep fresh and the other half I freeze to have as a quick grab in the future.

Carbohydrates

Then It’s on to the carbs. I always have Ezekial bread and edamame in the freezer for a quick add to lunch. Then I prep some sort of grain and my sweet potatoes and/or winter squashes.

This week I make kaboacha squash (this often gets the twice-roasted treatment), quinoa, and sweet potato.

Proteins

My proteins are a mix of turkey, chicken, and seafood. This week I baked a ton of chicken (some of which I will freeze – it was a LOT) and made turkey burgers.

Chicken is most often baked, and the turkey burgers are done on the George Foreman grill. This chicken recipe was another new experiment that I promise I’ll edit pics for and share. The burgers are a simple mix of salsa and onion.

If anyone can care an easy way to clean the George Forman, I’d love you forever.

The seafood this week is a yellowtail snapper and salmon sashimi. Most often, I bake seafood with a simple seasoning. Tonight I just drizzled it with lemon juice and added minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper.

You’ll see a few of my veggies in the pic too. I made more of my Tabbouleh Salad and cut up celery.

It may seem like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, the whole prep takes less than 2 hours. Plus you can do other things (like laundry) while you wait for the food to cook/cool.

Preparing my food at the beginning of the week saves me time (and stress) in the long run. When you eat 6-7 meals a day, food prep is a life saver.

For more on my staple foods, flavor adds, and typical grocery store buys, check out the No Shit Diet post. 🙂

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Yes, these pics are all via iPhone. This is another time-saver. #sorryimnotsorry

Do you prep food for the week? How much time does it take you?

What your favorite things to take to lunch?

Will Labor for Food

September 2, 2013 By Laura

I wasn’t going to blog today.

Labor Day is about NOT laboring, right?

Then I realized that work isn’t always a thing to be avoided. I have a lot to share, and blogging isn’t “work.” It’s the perfect day for a short and sweet ~~over-share~~ blog post. This weekend has been all about fun work!

Job #1

My mom asked me to watch her dog, Honey, for the weekend. I am not home enough to have a dog, but a part-time dog is awesome! Honey and I walked until I was practically dragging her. Those short legs get tired. 🙂 She is a Golden Retriever and Corgi mix.

Did you see her video debut on Instagram?

Job #2

Waking up at the ass-crack of down to play make-up artist for a friend’s first Bikini competition. Chelsea has an amazing transformation story – check out her before pic! She trains at my gym, and I’m so happy to have met her.

Chelsea’s dedication and unwillingness to settle of anything less than her dream is inspiring. Visit her blog to read about her journey.

Side note: having to let the dog out at 5:30am felt like actual work.

Job #3

I workout like it’s my job when I have the time. After Chelsea’s pre-judging I came back home to hit the gym. I slacked on my laundry job and didn’t have a clean tank top to wear… so I cut up an old Georgia Tech tee to represent at the gym (we won the season opener 70-0!).

After killing my back and tris, I ate that green smoothie like it was my job. Then I took a nap.

The next day’s workout was eventful. I went for a bike ride. I am not a cyclist, and I am especially not a smart cyclist. As soon as I got the bike outside I heard a rumble in the sky. A smart person would have waited or stayed close to home. Hahahaha!

I headed down the Beltline, pausing to enjoy the art. The sky darkened, but still I thought maybe I’d ride around it. Notsomuch. I was 5 miles from home when the bottom dropped out. After hanging out under a bridge for a while, I got impatient and biked home through the rain. I arrived at my building looking like a drowned rat (see pic).

Job #4

Being a chef for myself is my favorite job. Some people dread being in the kitchen, but I find it relaxing. It’s art, not labor! I cooked ALL weekend long and couldn’t have been happier.

Clockwise from the top left:

Dessert porn. Cocoa-roasted kabocha topped with a mix of Greek yogurt, coconut flour, cinnamon, and stevia. Drizzled with cocoa powder sauce (cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, and stevia), then sprinkled with cinnamon toasted quinoa and a crushed Adora calcium disk
Cinnamon Roll Coconut Mugcake cut up over a sweet potato with peanut butter and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. The cake was based on Morganne’s mug cupcake recipe, but i amped up the protein. Here’s what I did: 1.5 T coconut flour, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 3 T applesauce, 1/4 C egg whites, 1/2 tsp butter extract, 4 drops English toffee stevia. Microwaved for 1 min in a cereal bowl
Meyer Lemon Roasted Brussels may be my new go-to. I roasted them to a crisp in coconut oil, Meyer lemon, cumin, and pepper
Overnight TVP Oats were a must since I was up early for the bikini comp. This was a TVP creation – 1/4 C TVP, 1/4 C oats, Greek yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, stevia, and unsweetened almond milk. With extra blueberries
What’s a weekend without #yolkporn? In addition to the egg, this tortilla pizza had salsa, spinach, tofu, jalapeno, purple peppers.

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I’m spending the day pretending like tomorrow isn’t the return of “real” labor.

What jobs did you have this weekend?

What do you enjoy that most people view as work?

Work It Out: Motivation & Inspiration

August 27, 2013 By Laura

Motivation is a key success factor in a fitness program.

And in life, for that matter.

We aren’t always 100%. That would be super human. When I’m struggling with motivation, I look for things that inspire me. That inspiration gets me fired up to Work It Out.

The need for motivation and inspiration isn’t limited to working out. I seek it out as it relates to recipe creation, work, relationship building, writing… even to fighting off procrastination.

There’s no better way to procrastinate than to surf the web seeking inspiration!

Places I Find Inspiration:

Magazines – I like Muscle & Fitness Hers, Food & Wine, Gourmet; I rip out the pages of the articles/pis I want to keep. Some are taped to my fridge…
Websites – In addition to a million blogs, check out sites like Lifehack and Greatist
Other People – Do you have a boss or friend that has a particularly positive energy? Call them up for a chat!
Your “Idols” – We all have a few people we want to be when we grown up. I have a couple related to fitness, and a few in the business world. Follow them on Facebook or Twitter; you get a “surprise” tidbit in your feed, and you can ~~stalk them~~ check in to see what they’re up to when you need a boost
Pinterest – Don’t laugh. I have a board just for Inspiration, and I browse it when I’m needing a boost
Music – You know the song that gets your foot tapping? The one you can’t help but bob your head to? BLAST IT!!!

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In addition to my general suggestions, here are some quotes that light a fire under me:

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” -Socrates

“Your biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells ‘I CAN’T’. But you do not listen. You just push harder. Then you hear that voice fade away and start to whisper ‘I can.’ That’s the moment you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are.”

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” -Anais Nin

“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don’t ask what seat. You just get on.” -Sheryl Sandberg

I mentioned in my list above that I take inspiration from other blogs. Below are a few recent posts that have made me think:

Bonnie’s post on body image and her new motto, “Fitness for a Fuller Life”
Amanda’s 20 Ideas for Socializing Without Food (so timely as I head into competition mode!)
Thomas, a competitor and trainer at my gym, sent me a link to this post on his blog when I mentioned I was struggling with motivation (side note: dude is a beast)
Calee is always so good at keeping it in perspective; from her post: “Stop working out like it’s your job… Fitness should work for YOU. YOU should not be working for fitness.”

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I also love before and after stories. As hard as the path my seem, there’s always someone who’s come further. #noexcuses

Where do you find motivation/inspiration?

Who are your “Idols” – for fitness, career, life, etc?

Getting Big is Marvelous

August 26, 2013 By Laura

This weekend was especially marvelous.

Not that all weekends aren’t good.

After several weeks in a row of go-go-go, it was nice to be in town and left to my own devices. One might say it was absolutely marvelous.

Click the image for Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up!

Saturday I had brunch with some friends from grad school. We had a great time catching up and resolved (again) not to go some long without a reunion.

On my way home, I stopped at The Fresh Market and picked up a few treats. Apparently I was feeling ginger?

Then I hit the gym. Hard. I am finally feeling comfortable lifting again, and seeing some good progress. A guy I don’t know, but had seen around for a year or so know agreed… he stopped to tell me I was making some good progress and looked a lot bigger than I did a year ago. ~~I almost hugged him.~~

Just a couple of years ago I would have killed someone for telling me I look big. On Saturday I was flattered and thrilled. So much so that I had a photo shoot in the locker room… paying no mind to the lady changing and giving me the “WTF?!” look. #sorryimnotsorry

When I got home, I had a package. The timing couldn’t have been better. It was a delivery of my favorite protein powder from Growing Naturals!

I immediately busted out the vanilla and made a smoothie with spinach and raw sweet potato. It was good, but I want to perfect before sharing.

That night I went to see an artist I used to listen to in college – Melissa Ferrick. The group of friends was totally random; they all responded to my plea for a concert buddy via Facebook. Crowd sourcing concert buddies. 🙂

The venus is a listening room where there are tables and a full menu. I brought my own food in. It was really good! And I saved some carbs to have a Guinness. The best part about bringing your own healthy food to a show? Coming home to a healthy dessert in an almost empty Greek yogurt container! This was my favorite Carrot Cake Protein Batter, topped with granola and cocoa powder sauce.

Sunday I got up and made my Fluffy Cauliflower Protein Pancakes and a broiled grapefruit. Is it just me or are pancakes are the perfect way to start the day?

I semi-homemade my own syrup. It was 1 tsp sugar-free syrup, 1 tsp peanut flour, cinnamon, and a little water to thin. I’ll be doing that again!

There was a little snafu. I left to run errands and forgot to turn off the stove. The black beans I was cooking for the week turned to a char. Oops.

No matter! I had a date with some new friends to run sprints up Stone Mountain! Even more fun was getting to introduce them to my favorite market, where I bought some things to make the dish below.

I will share later. Bwhahaha…

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In other marvelous news, it was actually sunny and warm in Atlanta most of the weekend. A nice change after our monsoon season.

What do you do with a “do what you want,” agenda-free weekend?

What was the last thing you burned? After burning those beans, my condo smelled like a giant fart. 🙁

Keeping it Healthy in San Francisco

August 22, 2013 By Laura

Vacations are an important part of staying healthy.

Mental health is no joke!

I took Monday off of blogging because my friends and I impulsively decided to extend our stay in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My sanity and I needed it.

It was a fun-filled weekend… there was plenty of debauchery, but we stayed active too. Curling giant bottles of wine counts, right?

We braved rain and chilly weather to go paddle boarding. It was my first time! I think it would be more fun if it had been warm amd sunny… and you best believe I’ll be trying again!

I didn’t fall in once! Fear of cold water will give you balancing super powers.

The dog (Milo) went down the river too!

The more “traditional” relaxation activities ensued as well.

The cabin’s hot tub was well-loved. We refueled with a feast cooked by the lovely Latina women on the trip. And we played board games that involved poetry writing. Have you ever heard of Quelf? Good fun!

The poem for me. 🙂

I may not be a natural at everything, but relaxing? Relaxing is my jam.

Kat is having her own relaxation time after taking the Bar Exam. Of course, her version includes winning races in San Fran and running a 50K. You know, for fun.

Read on for this force of nature’s adventures and healthy travel tips!

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My San Francisco To-Do List – Keeping it Healthy

Because I’m not working full-time yet, I am actually taking some time to relax, enjoy life, go on a couple of trips and maybe do a little conferencing. This week I am in the San Francisco Bay Area (Editor’s note: Color me jealous. This is one of my favorite parts on the country!) for the annual Lavender Law Conference, but I tacked on the weekend to do essential “Kat” things.

As many of you know and experience, it can be hard to stay healthy on vacation. Laura did a great job on her birthday trip with running, and some healthy meals (Editor’s note: Shameless plug… this is the post I did about that on my California trip).

I’m having a similar trip, and still enjoying cool food (Editor’s note: I’d break up with you as a friend if you didn’t 😉 ). I’m also enjoying the cider, wine, and cocktails, but nothing to excess.

My favorite tips for keeping a healthy vacation:

Find rock-star baby-sitters for your fur-babies. It can put your mind at ease, and keep stressors low. I could not be here with out Khristina and Tara helping me out.
Try to stay with a friend, if possible. It makes many of the following tips easier. (My friends Sara and Jenny are angels for hosting me for 10 days).
Go to the grocery store and pick of some of your favorite healthy staples! (I immediately got apple cider vinegar and bee pollen).
Plan a few nights to have meals at home. You know what’s in your food, and can make healthy (and delicious) choices. (Doesn’t hurt that Sara is also an awesome cook!)
Make or find fresh juices and don’t have a heavy breakfast every day. (Oh, and Sara juices with fresh fruit and veggies every morning… I’m in heaven).
Plan to be outside! It’s the easiest way to stay active – weather walking, running, biking, hiking, etc. (I planned two races and 3 other day trips!)
Breath Deeply.
Actually try not to think about work! I didn’t check email all day today. Laura can attest to this, as she thought a blog was not coming for Thursday!
Give yourself a break.

I know a lot of them overlap, but how many of you still sometimes work (even a little) on vacation? I bet more of you than want to admit it. But time off, to renew and regenerate is key to happy, healthy living. It can help you be a better girlfriend, wife, employee, mom, friend, etc., etc. when you get back.

I know breathing deeply doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is. (Editor’s note: I have to remind myself of this on the regular.)

Sara and Jenny have taken me to 3 overlooks, just to enjoy the views, breath, smile, and relax.

Wildcat Canyon Road Overlook from Berkeley

San Francisco From Twin Peaks – check out how the fog opens up!

(all photos taken from the same spot within 5-7 minutes)

San Francisco from Sausalito

I also decided to keep it active and fun by exploring tons of new trails! I first had a Cinderella 30K race at Joaquin Miller Park and the Redwood Regional Park on Sunday (and I placed in my age group!), then I did some exploring in the city on Monday (who knows how many miles Jaime and I walked).

Tuesday I ran/hiked all the trails on the southeast side of Tilden Regional Park, and Wednesday I went to Half Moon Bay for a walk on the beach, and to Huddard Park for the MOST FUN run of the week. I was flying.

Joaquin Miller Park

Tilden Regional Park

Halfmoon Bay & Huddart Park (redwood central)

Halfmoon Bay & Huddard Park (redwood central)

Next weekend, I get to participate in the Mount Tam 50K. It’s got limited entries, and I got in off the waitlist! yay!

I could go home now and not be disappointed. But the conference starts today, and I’m super excited to network, learn a bunch, and maybe even party a little with the folks from the conference! (Editor’s note: My career counselor in grad school taught a class called “Networking or NOT working” – SO true.)

I feel compulsive about wanting to share my adventures with you guys (Editor’s note: Welcome to being a blogger)! But I guess there will be more in two weeks!

Random Vacation Pics

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Kat’s post this week is making me want to go back to SF! Also, I giggled while posting the hot tub pic… 😉

How do you stay active and healthy on vacation? Do you turn off your cell phone?

Any tips for more stuff to do in the San Francisco area? There might be zip-lining in Sonoma on Sunday!

Work It Out: Chest and Biceps

August 20, 2013 By Laura

It’s wrong to play favorites.

You know you have one.

There are ~~children~~ foods you like more than others, and the same goes for workouts. Try as I might to love leg day, my heart lies with Chest and Bicep day.

After last week’s Work It Out FAQ post, I received a lot of questions about what a typical week of workouts looks like for me. I thought it would be an easy post to throw together until I realized I’d actually neglected my favorite Day!

A typical week of workouts will come, but today’s Work It Out couldn’t be delayed – its high time I post my favorite workout.

And you all have to try it as a personal favor to me because I’m not allowed to do chest yet.

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Working out Chest and Biceps on the same day may seem odd to some of you. The more traditional school of thought is to do Bis/Tris and Chest/Back. I used to subscribe to that theory too.

The idea behind doing Chest/Bis together and Back/Tris together is that you use your Biceps as a secondary muscle for Back day, and Triceps as secondary on Chest day. By splitting them up, you are about to get more out of each muscle group. For example, if you do Chest with Tris, you will be fatigued before you should be on your Tri exercises because you used them while doing bench presses first.

People will argue any number of ways is “right.” Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to experiment and figure out what YOU like best.

On to the fun part! This is my favorite workout of all time. I hope you like it too!

Click the names for explanations:

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Check out my free Macro Calculator, which helps time your meals to get the most out of your workouts!

What is your favorite workout?

Which muscle groups do you like to work together?

Work It Out: FAQ

August 13, 2013 By Laura

Does anyone ever look at the Fitness tab?

(Look up. There. On the menu bar.)

Recently I’ve had a few questions that I’ve addressed at one point or another. While I would loooove to think everyone has my Fitness page memorized ~~(I don’t even know what’s there)~~, I realize that’s a lot to look at.

Today for Work It Out I thought I’d highlight a few of the posts that answer some frequently asked questions, and some of my favorites.

Click each title below to link to the detailed post…

1. The Ab Edition

So how do you get abs? I hate to say it… it’s true what they say – abs are made in the kitchen. This post has some specific diet tips to get your abs poppin’.

2. Top 5 Core Exercises

While abs ARE made in the kitchen, a strong core can make daily activities easier, reduces risk of injury, helps your posture, and protects your back. This post has my top 5 favorite moves.

3. No Excuses NOT to Work It out

Think you don’t have time to workout? Think again! No one has time… you have to make time to workout. This post includes ways around barriers, and a few workouts you can squeeze in quickly at home.

4. Tips for Improving Workout Focus

Eliminating wandering thoughts, gym distractions, and general rushing is important to getting the most out of your workout. My tips for purposeful lifting.

5. Work It Out with Supplements

Supplements are an area of mystery for many people. This post details the 5 supplements I take to help keep up my energy, reach fitness goals (i.e. build muscle), and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

6. Healthy Eating on the Road

I travel a lot for my job. This post is how I survived on the road 3 weeks out from my competition, eating 7 meals per day while navigating airport security, conference rooms, and clients. It’s my Top 10 Survival Tips.

7. Attack of the Killer Sodium

This is a soap box for me. Before I needed to start tracking my sodium pre-competition, I had NO idea how much sodium is added to foods – breads, protein powders… even spice blends! A little education, and some idea for making your own spice blends for use on protein, veggies, and beans.

8. Vegan Protein Sources

If you are new-ish to this blog, you may not know that I went vegetarian and then vegan for a hot minute. It made me a lot more creative in the kitchen, and allowed me to answer the common question: “How do vegans get protein?” (Click through for an awesome pin-able grocery guide.)

9. 15 Detox Foods

Many detox “diets” focus on elimination. Rather cutting out foods, I decided to focus on what I needed to ADD to my diet to boost energy and help my body get back on track. This post includes the foods I make sure to add to in when I need a reset.

10. The “No Shit” Diet

This is my favorite post ever. My take on diet (hint: it’s about common sense), Diet 101, my weekly food buys (the most FAQ), flavors adds, and where I shop (you know you wan that peanut flour 😉 ).

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This is one of those posts where I wonder if anyone will read it… those always feel like a little leap of faith. Seems to be a common theme lately…

Do you have a Fitness question/area of interest? I need post ideas!

What is your #1 fitness tip? It can be about food, workouts, motivation… anything!

Work It Out: Is Fruit Bad?

August 6, 2013 By Laura

Why do people become scared of certain foods?

Butter. Carbs. Egg yolks. Milk. Meat.

If you remember my No Shit Diet, you know I think these fads are… well, a load of shit. 😉

There are so many schools of thought, you really have to find something that works for you and your body. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Play with your food! Create your own nutrition philosophy; one that makes you feel good. And don’t ban foods for no reason.

Today’s Work It Out is about fruit. One of the most asked questions I get about my figure competition prep is “why are you still eating fruit?!”

I’m still eating fruit because I like fruit. Fruit is good for you. Love your fruit.

Is fruit bad? NO! Fruit does have sugar. This is why it often gets slammed by the fitness community. Not all sugars are created equally! Eating a piece of fruit is NOT the same as eating a bowl if ice cream. ~~Mmmm… ice cream..~~.

This doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. It does have fructose, a type of sugar that cannot be directly utilized by the muscles. The liver must convert fructose into glycogen (carbs). When the liver glycogen levels are full fructose gets converted to fat and that helps to increase the size of the fat cells. Which is why fruit gets a bad rap.

You can’t know when the liver is full, but you can be smarter about your fruit.

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1. Eat fruit in the morning

Because you’re fasting while you sleep, the liver burns all that glycogen. When liver glycogen levels get low, your body begins breaking down muscle protein to convert amino acids into glucose for the brain. All that means is that first thing in the morning your body is straight up burning muscle and you NEED to replenish some of that fructose. At this point the fructose is used for good – restocking the liver glycogen levels and switching off the signal to burn muscle protein.

One of my favorites is this Blueberry-Basil Egg Bake. Lots of protein a fruit to fuel your morning!

2. Fuel your workout with fruit

Eaten before a workout, the fructose helps to prevent muscle fatigue that usually comes on strong as muscle glycogen levels begin to fall. Eaten after workout, fruit is used to replenish glycogen levels in your muscles and your liver.

3. Use fruit to your advantage

Fruits offer many health benefits beyond fuel. Here are a few of my favorites:

Grapefruit – High in enzymes that burn fats and has high water, a combination that makes it a perfect food for increasing metabolism. It also contains a dietary fiber called pectin, which is good for digestion.

Oranges – High in Vitamin C, oranges are a great pre- and post-workout snack because the vitamin C helps protect nitric oxide (NO) from being broken down by free radicals.

Apples – Polyphenols have been proven to increase strength and fat loss.

Cherries – Perfect for post-workout, as it reduces inflammation and enhances recovery (which is why I concocted this Cherry Ginger Protein Smoothie).

4. Know the GI score

The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbs based on their effect on blood sugar levels. Those with a lower GI score, the more steadily its burned throughout the day giving you lasting energy. Higher GI foods are more quickly transported to fat cells if you don’t burn them right away (these are the ones you may want to eat surrounding a workout).

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I’m happy to see cherries are low GI and good for recovery. They are my favorite!

Have you ever gotten “scared” of a certain food?

What is your favorite fruit?