Meet Luci-furrrr + WIAW

May 29, 2013 By Laura

Lucifer isn’t always scary.

Be honest – how many of you are already horrified at this post? 😉

My best friend has a cat that she named Lucifer. Shortened to Lucy to keep it PC. My friend had a baby and both her and the baby are allergic to Lucy, so I offered to take the cat on a trial basis.

Meet Lucy:

I secretly got her because she matches my rug.

She’s a beautiful grey 9-year-old cat who is NOTHING like her namesake. Thank god.

You may judge me, but I am not a big animal person. I am not home a lot and can’t even keep a plant alive, so the thought of having something that needs constant care doesn’t appeal to me. However, this cat is cool. She sleeps all the time and mostly keeps to herself except at night when she jumps in bed to cuddle with me. Perfect animal for me!

My mom thought it was a stuffed animal and I was playing a prank on her!

To recap: I’m turning 30. I got a cat. The cat is my cuddle partner. I’ll soon be a creepy old cat lady.

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My WIAW meals should be re-title “meals of desperation.” There has been so much going to that I still haven’t done a big trip to the market since Blend! This means I was eating the last of everything in my fridge. By snack time I was 100% out of veggies and had convinced myself to ditch kickboxing for a grocery run.

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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Breakfast:

Forgetting to bring my Aminos to my mom’s house made me realize just how much I crave my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). This morning we were happily reunited. 🙂

Breakfast was an old favorite: PB & Jeggs. After a pretty indulgent weekend finished off with burgers and homemade strawberry margaritas I wanted something simple! The “jam” this morning was raspberry.

This fueled a great leg day workout. The gym was still not crowded!!! I guess people are still recovering from the weekend?

I took full advantage of the desertion and did a little Instagram photo shoot. ~~#bloggersterotype~~

Post-Workout Re-Fuel:

In the spirit of ~~not having groceries~~ old favorites, I turned an almost-empty container of Greek yogurt into a Carrot Cake Protein Batter.

Lunch:

Desperation was setting in. The last of the no-salt turkey deli meat, the end of a jar of salsa, and frozen edamame.

I 100% thought I had a bag of Pirate’s Booty in my desk drawer. Nope… I forgot I ate it last week. Don’t you hate it when that happens?!

Snack:

This happened not long after lunch since I didn’t have my desk draw snack. I had one piece of salmon left and the end of bag of spinach. I topped with the lemon, red pepper flakes, herbs de provence, and nutritional yeast.

That salmon may had been of a questionable age… if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, call 9-1-1.

Dinner:

This is when I caved. I wanted to go to kickboxing, but the need for food was greater. Instead I went to the chiro and then to Fresh Market.

I was craving a million different things, but settled on a ghetto version of carbonara.

Instead of pasta, I used tofu spinach noodles. My sauce was a mix of Greek yogurt cream cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Then I mixed in some shredded turkey, topped it with the infamous runny egg, and drizzled with the a thick fig balsamic. #strangebutgood

Any excuse for a runny egg!

#yolkporn

Dessert:

My favorite meal of the day. I froze some Greek yogurt mixed with half a scoop of protein powder, cinnamon, stevia, and butter extract for about 30 minutes. Then I topped it with cubed butternut squash roasted with cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. And a little cocoa powder sauce (cocoa power, almond milk, cinnamon, and stevia), for good measure.

Translation of this meal: cinnamon roll yogurt with sweet butternut bites and dark chocolate sauce.

***

As much as going back to work after a long weekend hurts, remembering it’s a short week is enough to keep me smiling!

Are you an animal person? What was/is your favorite pet?

What is your typical I’m-desperate-for-groceries meal?

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?

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?

What’s Driving My Marvelous (Monday)

April 29, 2013 By Laura

No one likes regrets.

Especially when it involves wearing a bikini on stage in front of a lot of people.

My favorite uncle likes to say:

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a merry Christmas we’d all have.

My goal is to go into Saturday’s figure competition without thinking “if only I had…” or “but I should have…” No regrets. That’s what’s driving me right now, even though I’m tired, busy, and really hate running sprints.

That’s not entirely true… I have a lot of fantastic friends whose encouragement also drives me. After this post where I admitted to be being busy and more than a little overwhelmed, Jody reminded me that what I’m doing is not easy and I need to give my body time to recover. So I took my first bath in years.

Then, after a particularly hard-to-motivate-for run (I’m doing sprints daily now), Heather took the time to encourage me. She is the queen of training and balancing a busy life (and running), so I especially appreciate her props.

Note: I’m kidding about the fat and happy. I chose this and I AM happy. These last couple of weeks just get hard.

Something else that can drive a workout is new stuff. So often we think of treating ourselves with food, but new clothing or “toys” can do it too!

This weekend I took myself shopping and got new eye cream, eyeshadow primer, 2 new tops, a bra (so badly needed), and my first EVER top from Lulumon. I didn’t get a pic, but it’s this one.

I also brought my own marvelous lunch to the mall: a crumbled Indian-spiced bison burger, sweet potato cubes, broccoli slaw, and red pepper. I held it up proudly for a pic infront of Victoria’s Secret. ~~Bison and Boobs.~~

As much fun as spending money on yourself can be, free stuff is even more awesome. Thanks to Fitfluential and Reebok, I had the opportunity to try out these Bose SIE2i headphones (as always – my opinions is my OWN).

Let me just say these ROCK. I didn’t even know what I was missing out on until getting these high quality ear buds… it was like surround sound in my ears!

Bonus: They aren’t PINK

How do Reebok and Bose go together? They partnered to release first ever Bose in-ear headphones specifically engineered for exercise. Their features are designed with workouts in mind. Click here for a video with more detail on the technology.

Here is what I liked:

They are sweat proof – there was NO sliding about in my ears even when I was sprinting
They didn’t give me a headache. In the past I’ve had some ill-fitting buds that were so uncomfortable I had a headache by the end of my workout. These still felt great 2 hours later!
The buds come with 3 sizes (small, medium, and large), and the small actually fit me
The shorter cable doesn’t get in the way of movement while lifting, but there is an extension cord for when you need length (I used it so I could place my iPhone on the treadmill while running sprints)
There is a remote in the cord that allows you to easily change songs and adjust volume (you can also take calls, but who doesn’t that during a workout?!)

It also came with a stretchy armband to holds your iPhone, but I didn’t use it. I am looking forward to using it when I do some running this summer – it even has a separate pocket for keys! For lifting, I can’t stand having something strapped to my arm. My pythons need ROOM. LOL!

The downside? At $149.98, they are pricey. Here’s how I look at it: I spend 1-2 hours everyday working out. It’s worth every cent if it makes that experience more enjoyable and comfortable. That means a better workout for me, so I consider it another investment in my fitness.

Lastly, the ultimate driver: Progress. It’s not big. But I do believe that is a booty:

Do these Bose headphones make my butt look big? 😉

It may not look like much, but it’s a BIG improvement after a lot of work. I dislike sprints, but I really hate having a pancake butt or a saggy ass. So sprints it is! I can do anything for 5 (more) days.

And all of this is what’s making my Monday Marvelous. Thank you for another week starting out right, Katie!

***

One more bit of awesome – 2 separate friends sent me their progress shots this weekend. I was flattered that they trusted me enough to share those proud (scantily clad) moments!

Do you make a conscious effort to live life with no regrets?

Are good headphones important to you? What is your fitness “splurge” item? Lulumon? 😉

Eggplant Chips + WIAW

April 24, 2013 By Laura

Life gets busy.

I know this isn’t news to any of you, but it’s hitting me hard this week.

I’m 10 days out from my next figure competition. The asparagus (click here for the reason behind that) begins this weekend. I’m thinking next Friday’s #strangebutgood link up will take a twist as my diet gets to the most strict point… not-so-strange but good, anyone?

Balancing work with the competition preparation is not easy. In addition to my 7 meals and regular workouts, I’m running sprints every day. It’s a lot of fit in, especially since I dislike working out at night. I’m TIRED. Cutting a good amount of carbs and basically all sodium and fat leaves my energy level a bit low.

But I’m focusing on May 4th (competition day) and staying motivated. I don’t want to get on stage and have any regrets!

I’ve been taking a couple of products I received from GNC through a FitFluentiual campaign that have helped me maintain my level of activity: Ultra 25 Probiotic Complex and TriFlex.

The probiotics (said to replenish good bacteria needed for digestion) made a BIG difference. Those 25 billion active cultures kept my gut healthy (translation: I have no problem going #2). This make me happy and had prevented bloating! This particular pill also has “enzymes and ginger for additional digestion support.”

The TriFlex I think I need to take longer to say 100% whether it’s made a difference. It is supposed to “promote joint mobility & flexibility” and contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM – all of which are great for joint health. I have been taking it regularly. That, in addition to seeing a new chiropractor, I *believe* have kept my joints are feeling good despite some crazy workouts!

My WIAW meals were still pretty good, despite and lack of yummy, yummy fat. Mmmmm… peanut butter… I digress.

Check out my 7 low-fat, low-sodium, protein-laced meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how more normal people are eating!

Meal 1:

My day began with my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, and Aminos), as always.

I was going to go ahead and run sprints before breakfast, but my metabolism is out of control lately… I am STARVING all the time. Breakfast had to happen before I entertained the idea of working out. I wanted everything at once… so I had it! It was PB&J-ish… with a coffee flair! After adding baking powder to my Mango-Coconut TVP Oats, I’m hooked. I used it again here for an especially voluminious bowl.

PB & Raspberry TVP Oatmeal

1/3 C Textured Vegetable Protein
1 T oatmeal
1 tsp coffee
3/4 C water
2 T peanut flour
1 tsp ground flax
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp maple extract
5-6 drops liquid stevia
Raspberries

Bring TVP, oats, coffee, and water to a boil. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Add in remaining ingredients, adding additional water if needed.

Allow to simmer until water is absorbed and your TVP oats reach your desired level of thickness.

Note: I add 1/2 the berries at the end of cooking and use the other half to top because I can never decide if I like them better cooked or as a topping.

Meal 2:

First, I ran my sprints like a good kid. Then I put a Mexican Sweet Potato Pie in the oven to bake. It only made me wish I made a second one for myself. This was to take to a good friend who is a new mom!

Finally, it was food time. And my continued bison obsession. As part of my Sunday food prep, I made up several burgers to be able to grab quickly.

I ate this one atop a spinach, heirloom tomato and cilantro salad. With red pepper flakes, obv.

Meal 3:

Lunch was my current favorite – sea bass. This is even better than swordfish right now… and that’s a big thing for me to say since I consider swordfish the “steak of the sea.”

Eaten post-workout with a giant mound of lightly sautéed kale and a super-fast sweet potato and shiitakes with rosemary and garlic.

Meal 4:

Clean chicken salad made from the “naked” (nothing added) Whole Foods rotisserie chicken, a little Greek yogurt, vinegar, cumin, and diced cucumber.

Meal 5:

I couldn’t totally cheat on my favorite fish. Steak of the Sea for dinner (swordfish)! Served with my BBQ Roasted Cauliflower and eggplant chips.

Evey time I post eggplant chips on Instagram, I always get a billion questions about how to make them. It’s the easiest thing ever, so I felt silly blogging it… but even simple meals can count a recipes, right? The “secret” is at the bottom of this post. 🙂

Meal 6:

This was a hodge-podge. I had a little chicken left and a little Monchong (fish) from last night. So I made a combo to get my protein in. I had celery sticks and sugar peas on the side. I adore sugar peas – the dessert of vegetables!

Meal 7:

My favorite meal of the day is desert. I took some non-fat Greek yogurt and mixed it with cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and a little stevia. Then I melted some frozen cherries in the microwave with some ginger so my “sauce.” Then I topped all that with homemade popcorn and more cinnamon. Paradise.

Eggplant Chips

1 eggplant
Olive oil spray
Optional toppings: onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, herbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut eggplant into thin slices (~1/8 in thick). Spray with olive oil and spread evenly across a foil-lined baking sheet.

Place in over and bake ~10 mins. Remove from oven, flip slices, and top as desired. Return to over for another 5 mins, or until crisp.

Note: These can be stored in the fridge – simply place them in the oven under broil for 2-3 mins to crisp back up.

I’m linking these up to Heather’s MMAZ – check out all the eggplant love!

***

Protein count for the day: 163g

What was the best thing you ate yesterday?

What keeps you motived when you’re tired/busy/etc?

Work it Out: Double Your Derrière

April 23, 2013 By Laura

This may seem odd, but I need a bigger booty.

You ladies with ba-donk-a-donks are luuuuucky!

Since this post, it has grown a good amount! Even my mom commented on how it’s looking better. 😉 However, we still have ~~lots of~~ room for progress.

While these exercises may not exactly double your derrière, they will help!

For those who want their booty to firm rather than grow, don’t shy away from these. Exercise builds muscle, which burns fat. This leads to a shapely, muscular arse.

No shame in admiring hard-earned progress!

For each of the following exercises, do 3 sets of 10-12. For more advanced rears, try going 4 sets of 15.

1. Floor Jack

Lie on the floor or a mat with your face down. Spread your arms out over your head and your legs wide behind you to form an “X.” Move your legs and arms in and out, much like a jumping jack.

Throughout the exercise, keep your arms and knees straight and off the floor. Think about engaging and squeezing the glutes as you move your legs together and apart. This keeps the focus on the upper and side glute muscle.

Note: If this bothers your lower back, try moving your arms and chest lower (or even all the way to the floor), focusing solely on the leg movement. Once you gain strength, add in the upper body.

2. Lunge jump

Stand with your feet together, elbows bent 90 degrees. Lunge forward with your right foot (A). Jump straight up as you thrust your arms forward, elbows still bent (B).

Switch legs in midair, like a scissor, and land in a lunge with your left leg forward (C). Repeat, switching legs again. That’s completes 1 rep.

This move hits the whole lower body, engaging the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. The added bonus is that it also engages the core and hips!

Need a challenge? Make it harder by holding weights in each hand.

Note: This can be hard on your knees – if you have knee trouble do a regular single legged lunge.

3. Abductor

I love to call these machine the “yes” and “no” machines. You can see why…

The exercise pictured hits the inner thighs and bum muscles. Sit in the machine and grip the handles on each side. Slowly press against the machine with your legs to move them towards each other while exhaling. Be sure your upper body remains stationary throughout the exercise to prevent injury.

Hold the contraction for 2-3 seconds and return your legs back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

These machines are often 2-in-1, or have a neighboring machine where you do the same thing, only you start with your legs together and move them away from each other (i.e. the “yes” machine). This works the outer thighs and glutes.

For a real challenge, apply the 24s method to this one!

4. Fire Hydrants

While these may feel… awkward… to do, they do work. Be confident and rock them out. And make sure your bottoms are providing full coverage to avoid peep shows. 😉

Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Lift one knee up and out to hip-level (or as close to it as you can). Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, ankle flexed. As you raise your leg, take care to not let your weight shift over to your support side. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position for one rep.

Do 10-12 reps on one side, and repeat with the opposite leg for one set. In addition to targeting the outer glutes, fire hydrants engage your core when you take care to keep your tummy tight and your back straight.

Note: Fire hydrants are also great for strengthening the hips. If you have to sit all day at work… do these!

5. Single Leg Ball Squat

You know that bottom part of your bum that gets all saggy and wrinkly? Single leg squats with a Swiss ball will blast that problem area, as the assistance of the ball allows you to engage the glutes even more exclusively than even a “regular” squat.

Place the Swiss ball against the wall, and lean your back against it. Stand on your left leg while pressing your back into the ball with your lower back. Stretch your right leg out in front of you in a horizontal position parallel to the floor. If that’s not yet possible, just raise your leg as much as you can.

Squat down to a sitting position using the Swiss ball as your support. Be very careful to keep the knee of the supporting leg behind the toes to avoid knee injury. Stop when the leg is bent to 90 degrees, then slowly press back up to the starting position.

Need a challenge? Raise your toes off the floor for an even more targeted hit to your thighs, hamstrings, and glutes.

Note: I struggle with balance and find that stretch my arms in front of me and focusing on a point straight ahead helps!

***

I think I’ve officially posted about butts more than another other part in my Work It Out series. This is funny because what I really want to do is work out chest and biceps. Every. Day. Balance…

Bare it all: What are your thought on your bum? Good? Needs work? Big? Small?

Has anyone tried the leg workout without touching the floor? This is oddly one of my favorites.

Travel Meals, Roasted Wins, + Jillian Michaels

April 22, 2013 By Laura

Traveling to pretty locations is fabulous.

And then you come home…

Last week I was in Arizona at the Camel Back Inn with my mom. You guys saw part of my travel meals Wednesday. I made it – and I ate pretty well! In fact, often I was more happy to be eating my food than the resort food! That, the fact that I didn’t give in to the temptation of a tasty margarita in the desert sun… the overall sense of accomplishment… is carrying over today to make my Monday Marvelous.

Breakfast was easy – oatmeal all doctored up with my delicious Growing Naturals protein and berries and cinnamon from the hotel. I also asked for lots of lemon.

Best eaten with beautiful patio view!

Some of my other meals are below: I took lots of fresh veggies, sweet potatoes, bison burgers, no-salt deli turkey, and baked chicken. And my delicious greek yogurt dessert creations.

I was able to get plain salmon and brown rice from the hotel, which helped a lot. I brought my own nutritional yeast, but remember you can always ask for seasonings – lemon, vinegar, red pepper flakes are my standard requests.

Two favorites: the cucumber-mint “mocktail” on the bottom right above was a fantastic refresher at the spa restaurant (See my mom in the background? She was Instagramming her carrot-apple juice!). My last meal (on the bottom right above) was on the airplane. Sweet potato, turkey, and a fresh salad purchased at Wendy’s (surprisingly fresh and tasty!) in the airport before take off.

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Despite all the fun, it was nice to be home in my kitchen. Saturday I got up and went to posing practice, followed by a killer leg day (seriously – SO SORE today). After all my travels there was NO food at my house so I had a great time reloading at the farmer’s market. Sea Bass must be in season because this was some of the best I’ve ever had. Buttery, moist (sorry), and not at all fishy.

Served with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, spinach, eggplant, and edamame.

I also roasted a kabocha squash with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and cayenne. It sounds strange, but it is GOOD!

No real measurements… I just sprayed my squash with some coconut oil and tossed it together. I roasted it at 350 until tender.

Sunday was softball day. We won the game… I slid into 2nd base at one point. Maybe not the best decision 2 weeks before a competition because my knee got a little scraped up.

BUT I was safe. And then I scored.

That didn’t hurt nearly as bad as the split I did off 1st base to catch a ball. Note to self: splits are not a good idea the day after heavy leg day.

I missed the second game because I had to shower off in order to meet a friend to see Jillian Michaels!!! I still had to run my sprints, so I just ran them on the way to the show (about 2 miles away) instead of driving. Haha.

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Jillian was good… but a lot of what she said I already knew. Don’t eat crap. If you want to lose weight, burn more calories than you eat. It was refreshing to hear someone talk about the basics though. No “special” diets.

The secret to being in shape is that there is NO SECRET! Eat good, clean food. Eat it in moderation. Exercise. Why can’t I get paid millions to tell people this?!

My favorite part was when she talked about exercise. She called people out of their half-assed elliptical-while-reading-a-magazine workouts.

Raise your heart rate. If it’s not high enough, move your ass faster.

I also loved that she wore flip flops.

What really got me was what happened in the audience in front of us. These two (obviously drunk) girls were there… which was funny at first that they were drunk at a fitness event. It became un-funny when one of the girls PUKED. I can’t even make this ~~shit~~ up.

They were clearly old enough to know better. They even looked pretty fit. I was embarrassed for them. Cheers to not being that girl. Not that I ever puked in a nice theatre (or anywhere in public), but I have had my moments. What I am grateful for – what is marvelous – is that I’ve gotten past that in my journey and am in a happy, healthy place. one where I know I’ll wake up tomorrow without a headache and sore only from my workouts.

***

Before you think I didn’t rest at all, I did stay home Saturday night at watch Life of Pi. It was ok… I liked Argo better.

Does anyone have a magic trick for healing a knee scrape quickly?

What is your favorite part about where you are right now in your journey?

Work It Out: Limited Legs

April 9, 2013 By Laura

Today is leg day.

Let’s pretend I don’t dread this day each week.

Misery loves company, so today’s Work It Out is a leg day too. You’re welcome.

This is actually kind of a fun routine. I call it limited because you only need 2 machines, and it’s a good one to do if you’re suffering from foot/ankle problems (I do these when my plantar fasciitis acts up). You CAN have a challenging leg workout without ever touching your feet to the floor.

Another reason I like it is that is incorporates many of the previous techniques I’ve written about to shake up your routine. Click the title of each for the post with a full description/benefits of the technique.

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The only equipment you need to do these is a leg extension machine and a leg curl machine.

Do 3 sets of each move, 10 reps per set (unless otherwise indicated). When you select your starting weight, remember that most of these are using techniques that make the move more challenging. If you can, increase your weight with each set

Leg Extensions

1. Traditional Leg Extensions (regular reps)

2. 24s (8 reps from bottom to half way point, 8 starting half way to full extension, and 8 full)

3. Fulls and Partials (10 full, followed by 10 partial reps – 1st and 3rd sets bottom half, 2nd and 4th top half)

4. Drop Sets (10 reps with a medium heavy weight, 10 with 10 lbs less, then 10 more with 10 lbs less = 1 set)

Lying Leg Curls

1. Traditional Lying Leg Curls (regular reps)

2. Super 8’s (8 reps + hold for 8 count, 3 times = 1 set)

3. 1 1/2’s (1 full + 1 half = 1 rep, 1st and 3rd set halfs on the bottom half, 2nd and 4th on the top)

4. Super Slow (6 count going up, 6 count going down)

Caution: It is easy to “over train” with these modifications. They challenge your muscles to work much harder than usual, so these moves are not recommended as a long-term regimen.

***

You guys cracked me up with the gym confessions/pet peeves last week. I’m going to be doing more posts like that!

What’s you most-hated leg move? Hack squats.

So we end on a positive… what’s your favorite leg move? Heavy squats!

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Embrace Your Inner Child with TVP Sloppy Joes

Vegan TVP Sloppy Joes

Work It Out: My 2nd Figure Competition

What’s Driving My Marvelous (Monday)

Eggplant Chips + WIAW

Meal 1:

PB & Raspberry TVP Oatmeal

Meal 2:

Meal 3:

Meal 4:

Meal 5:

Meal 6:

Meal 7:

Eggplant Chips

Work it Out: Double Your Derrière

1. Floor Jack

2. Lunge jump

3. Abductor

4. Fire Hydrants

5. Single Leg Ball Squat

Travel Meals, Roasted Wins, + Jillian Michaels

Work It Out: Limited Legs

Leg Extensions

Lying Leg Curls

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