Sweet Potato Ribbons + Other Marvelous Things

August 5, 2013 By Laura

Sometimes you need a hug.

Other times you need to punch ~~someone~~ something.

This weekend I needed a hug. Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m chasing my tail. I’m frustrated with where I am and I need to ACT. Marvelous is being honest about needing a hug and getting a bunch of love from Facebook land. Marvelous is unplugging with a movie and popcorn on the couch. Marvelous is a wise friend telling you what you needed to hear:

“You have everything you want right in front of you.”

Here are a few more marvelous weekend highlights… be sure to check out the beautiful Diva-Mamma Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up. 🙂

Other things that are marvelous:

A full hour of booty building with a killer butt workout… and camera filters that make you look tan.

Free 2oz tastes of Buchi Fire sorbet at Whole Foods. Its good… but I still like the actual kombucha best.

Brewing your own kombucha at home.

Having dinner with a good friend…

And Instagramming pic from said dinner and receving multiple compliments on my boobs.

Farm fresh local eggs from the farmer’s market.

Branching out. I’ve taken a brief break from kabocha.

Sweet potato may not be an earth-shattering ingredient, but this dish stopped me in my tracks. Let’s put it this way, there was Sea Bass on my plate and I still saved the sweet potato ribbon as my last bite. The privilege of being the last bite is a serious thing.

I have no idea why I don’t cook with coconut oil more. I tend to reach for olive oil… but definitely go the coconut route in the recipe. It’s absolutely delicious with the sweet potato and softens the slight bitterness of the greens.

I enjoyed this with a side of roasted beet that was a great compliment to the sweetness of the potato. The beet was topped with a Greek yogurt curry sauce that I threw together. Just 2 T Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp curry powder, and a wedge of lime juice.

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Sweet Potato Ribbons

1 small sweet potato
1/4 tsp coconut oil
1 T fresh rosemary
1 C greens (I used red spinach)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pepper, to taste

With a very sharp knife or a mandoline, carefully slice sweet potato lengthwise into thin strips.

Once sliced, use a knife and cut them to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness and set aside.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat, grease with a bit of oil, and add in sweet potato ribbons. Continually stir until cooked through to desired doneness (~6-7 mins).

Add coconut oil, rosemary, and greens. Stir and cook until greens are just wilted. Sprinkle in cinnamo nand lime juice to finish.

Plate and top with freshly ground pepper (if desired).

Enjoy!

***

And then I roasted another kabocha squash.

What was marvelous about your weekend?

Do you ever feel like you’re chasing your tail? How do you break the cycle?

Work It Out: Post-Augmentation Exercises

July 9, 2013 By Laura

Resting makes me restless.

I tried to be good. Really.

After my surgery I was forced to rest. I knew it was good for me as my body healed, but as my energy returned I got anxious. Today’s Work It Out is dedicated to easing back post-surgery. Patiently.

These tips may be applied to other types of recovery as well. Use at your discretion. 🙂

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. Don’t do any of this without asking a doctor. Don’t sue me if you hurt yourself. This plan is mine and mine alone. What works for you will vary by your fitness level and how your body heals.

The main concern with working out after a breast augmentation is overusing the pectoral muscles – particularly with those who have implants are underneath the muscle. The actual muscle needs time to heal. After surgery there is a capsule that forms in the pocket holding the implant. Think of it as the body’s way of protecting against a foreign object (this could be any implant). Doing too much too soon can cause the capsule to become hard. The goal is to allow the capsule to form in such a way that it is undetectable.

If the capsule thickens too much, is causes capsular contracture. This is what makes the implant feel like a rock and can make the shape look wonky. Bottom line: Avoid overuse of the pectoral muscles.

Below is a summary of what I’ve been able to do at different points post-augmentation. Again, consult a doctor before you do ANYTHING! Be sure to wear a super supportive sports bra when doing any activity. For the first time in my life I am actually wearing 2 bras at once!

Post-Augmentation Exercise

First 4-5 days 1: Rest (seriously). It’s good to move around a little to keep blood flowing, but I’m talking walking from the couch to the kitchen. Even that will probably wear you out on days 2 and 3.

Next 5-10 days: I started light cardio in the form of walking. I probably went further than they would have liked, but I wasn’t moving to fast and I kept it to the cooler times of day. You don’t want to get hot or elevate the heart rate to avoid infection and swelling (which increases risk of contracture). The girls need to settle!

Week 3-4: After you regain energy, work with a doctor and – if available – a knowledgable trainer to outline an exercise regimen for you and your specific needs. This is my plan:

Low-impact cardio is ok here. My doctor said I could run as long as it was cool and I kept it to 50-70% of maximum effort. There is no sprinting anywhere. The elliptical (without arms) and stationary bike are also good choices.
I was released to do leg work. We have to start slow with mostly body weight. Barbell squats are a no-no.
SOME isolated upper body weight lifting – I was warned that it must be light weight and limited to isolated biceps and triceps.
Lower abs are free and clear!

So with all those limitations what do I do?! Since the exercises I can do are limited, I keep the reps varied. You can go one day for strength (8 to 10 reps) and one day for endurance (15 to 20 reps).

Moves that are easy on the chest:

Legs:

Lunges – walking, single leg, side, and backwards
Leg Presses – wide, normal, and close stance
Leg Extensions (be careful not to grip handles and strain chest)
Body Weight DEEP Squats
Pistol Squats
Standing Hamstring Curl
Adductor/Abductor
Hyperextension
Butt Lifts
Step Ups (no weights)
Calf Raises – toes in, out, and forward

Upper Body:

Bicep Curls
Hammer Curls
Single Arm Preacher Curls (using incline beach)
Cable Curls (2 arms, with straight bar and/or EZ bar)
Tricep Pushdowns with rope and/or bar (if you have the equipment, do the one where you stand with your back against the machine to prevent you from rolling your shoulders in and using your chest)
Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns

Note: Chest, overhead, and any jumping around (high impact) exercises should be avoided like the plague! ~~Damn – no burpees for me.~~

Abs:

Weeks 5-6: TBD! I go back to the Dr and should be cleared for a little more. 🙂

To give you an idea of how I’m using these moves, here’s a workout I did last Friday.

From the above menu of options, I choose 5 leg/butt moves, 2 biceps, 2 triceps, and a series of abs. I adjust the amount of abs based on how I’m feeling at the end of each workout, but 3 ab exercises seems to be a good number for me so far.

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***

I wrote this with the “twins” in mind, but this workout is good for anyone – especially those who’ve had upper body injuries.

Do you have any moves to add to the list? Isolated triceps are not easy to do!

What is the exercise you’re most excited to get back to after a forced rest?

Red Velvet Chia Cheesecake + WIAW

June 26, 2013 By Laura

Summer is here in earnest.

Convenient since I’m not supposed to get hot.

I am a sun baby, so not being able to be outside playing makes me sad. The follow-up with the surgeon is July 1st… I have a leg day scheduled with my trainer that night. If the Dr. doesn’t clear me to do it, I may cry. Restlessness is in FULL force. I do take walks, but have to be careful to keep them to the early morning or late evening when it’s (supposedly) cooler.

On my walks I have learned it’s impossible to “act natural” while taking pics of yourself along a busy street.

A few (more) fun post-augmentation updates:

Shaving your armpits is really, really hard when the girls are in the way. Hopefully this will get easier as they drop… there was a forest growing there until yesterday morning. Gross, I know.
I can now drive a car comfortably – at first I knew that if I had to make a fast maneuver I was a goner. I was very, very careful.
A lady at the mall looked right at the twins. Their first stare. Awwww!
Getting dressed is interesting. At time its frustrating because don’t look right while I’m still “settling,” but this weekend I was really excited to be able to wear 3 tops I (stupidly) bought and never wore because I lacked the chest to keep the tops from sliding down and showing my bra.
Insomnia has returned. I had it bad in my younger days, but once I started working out that changed. I guess I wore myself out! Now that I’m “resting” I’m just NOT sleepy. Also, I can no longer sleep on my stomach which makes it harder to fall asleep.

This WIAW marks my first day back in the office post-surgery. I actually was working last Monday, but there was NO was I could get dressed and be in an office all day. Thankfully, being a consultant means it’s really easy to do your job from anywhere – including the couch.

Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.

Breakfast:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) remains a staple. I’ve taken to adding a shake of cayenne too. Because I’m hard-core.

I took my walk in the early morning coolness. Walking should be relaxing, but really all I could think about was breakfast. Inspired by Kammie’s guest post last week, I decided to turn Red Velvet Cake into a breakfast item. In the form of a cheesecake bowl.

I found beet powder at Whole Foods which gave this its red tint. If you can’t find that, you can use beet puree or simply omit it (Red Velvet cake is just cocoa cake with red food coloring anyway).

This high-protein, low carb, sugar-free bowl of cheesy cake is guaranteed to put a smile on your face to start the day. I’ve had it 2 days in a row. I used cottage cheese to cream it up, but Greek yogurt would work too. Make it vegan by using almond or coconut yogurt!

Mid-Morning Snack:

I love my seafood and fruit combos. This was salmon baked with lemon juice and fresh rosemary, then mixed with blueberries and red pepper flakes. Sweet with a little heat and hint of citrus.

Lunch:

Meal prep Sundays make it possible to bring food that my coworkers openly stare at. I was asked to explain what everything on my plate was, and then was told I bring “elaborate” foods. I was flattered.

Doesn’t everyone eat spinach shirataki noodles topped with ground turkey, broccoli slaw, and a sauce of nutritional yeast, spices, and apple cider vinegar? No?

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I ordered these Keto Slim bars from iHerb.com after reading the good reviews they received. I’m pretty pleased! the sodium is a bit high (200mg), but the sugar is low (2g) and it contains 21g of protein!

It does have sugar alcohols. I don’t watch that too closely (it’s pretty rare I eat processed foods), but if you have problems with them you won’t want this bar. It also has fun stuff like almonds, spirulina, kelp, and beets greens!

Note: iHerb is also where I get my peanut flour and a lot of fun extracts/vitamins/random other things. Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!

Dinner:

It was a long day at work. I struggle with one co-worker in particular and it was a major source of stress today. ~~I wanted a drink.~~ To sooth my nerves, I made pizza and took a twilight walk.

The pizza crust was my cheese-less cauliflower recipe. For a sauce I mixed together beer mustard, nutritional yeast, cayenne, and liquid smoke.

To top it, I sautéed onion and garlic, and wilted some arugula briefly at the end. I put than on the crust with crab and my sauce. Back in the oven to warm before adding cilantro and a drizzle of fig balsamic glaze to finish it.

Gluten free cheeseless cauliflower pizza crust

You can pick it up and eat it by the slice!

It looks like a lot of effort, but I had dinner on the table in under 30 mins. AND I made a second crust to keep in the freezer. Who needs store-bought frozen pizza?!

Dessert:

Still wanting to treat my nerves, I broke out my Quest bar stash! I cut half a Chocolate Brownie bar into squares and baked it on a piece of parchment paper at 350 for 12 mins. I added a schmear of peanut butter to each bite before adding them to part 2 of my dessert.

Part 2 was a bowl of cinnamon–raspberry cottage cheese. I mixed no salt cottage cheese, cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla Stevia, and mashed raspberries together in a bowl. Then I microwaved it for ~15 seconds to warm it a bit.

Yes, I’m on a cottage cheese bender.

Red Velvet Chia Cheesecake

1/2 C no salt cottage cheese
1/4 C almond milk
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 T chia seeds
1 T cocoa powder
1 tsp beet powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 drops vanilla stevia

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover and place in the fridge overnight (or at least an hour).

In the morning, remove from fridge and stir again. If too thick, you may add more milk.

Enjoy!

***

Don’t forget! Click here to enter the giveaway for a FRS Healthy Energy trial kit. Winner announced tomorrow. 🙂

Do you have to wear yourself out in order to go to sleep?

What is your favorite protein bar? Did you try Kammie’s Red Velvet Bars from last week?

Post-Surgery Surprises + WIAW

June 19, 2013 By Laura

I’m baaaack!

You missed me, right?!

Just over a week after surgery, I’m feeling more “normal” (in my own, #strangebutgood way) and the swelling is starting to go down. They say some people freak out at first, but – thanks to many of you and some good friends – I had a good idea of what to expect post-surgery.

That’s not to say there weren’t some surprises…

5 Post-Surgery Surprises

1. All modesty will go out the window. You will not care that you are naked in the shower at your mom’s house and she is (gently) scrubbing the surgeon’s pen marks off of your chest.

Proof that mamma doesn’t mind – she gifted me with a little boobie prize. 🙂

2. Using a knife is impossible. I can cut most* things now, but at first I couldn’t apply enough pressure to cut a pear.

*I still cannot cut the kabocha squash taunting me on the counter

3. Surgery and/or anesthesia does a number on your digestive system. My muscles were so tight it took an effort to pee. And let’s not even talk about the issues with going #2.

4. Not being able to stretch your arms is torture, particularly after being propped up on a couch for days.

5. The boobs will not be a normal shape. I knew this and didn’t really freak out (thanks in part to the pain meds). They have to settle. No matter who warns you of this, it’s still bizarre the first time you see them.

This snack-themed WIAW is dedicated to post-surgery eats. Another observation to add would be my appetite. I have NEVER experienced a loss of interest in food. When I’m happy, I eat. When I’m depressed, I eat. When I’m bored, I eat. When I have surgery… I don’t care to eat. Instead, I snacked.

Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.

Morning Snacks:

This was eaten just because I had to take my medicine. Bribe me with pain pills the day after surgery and I’ll find something to eat! I mixed almond milk with half a scoop of vanilla protein powder and cinnamon, added multi-grain Cheerios, and topped with sliced peach.

Greek yogurt did taste good to me. I finished off a container of Fage mixed with cinnamon and vanilla liquid stevia. Topped with delicious spring blueberries and cereal crumbles.

When you are stir crazy and just can’t get excited for breakfast, a good alternative is to walk to your local coffee shop (relax Mom, it was only 2 blocks) for an Americano and some ~~light-hearted~~ Wall Street Journal reading.

Later in the Day Snacks:

Greens are good for you. I tried to get my fill of the fresh stuff, and add protein where I could!

This salad was baby kale topped with no-salt deli turkey and nutritional yeast. Side of heirloom tomato and basil, shredded butternut squash salad (thank you, Whole Paycheck), and blackberries.

More salad with kale, turkey, butternut, and tomato. This time I added avocado and pineapple (good for inflammation!).

I also sprinkled lemon juice, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin on top for flavor.

That thing about not wanting food? I take that back. I always want #yolkporn.

On my first day home I grabbed a Tempeh Mole Muffin from the freezer and topped it with a delicious local egg. Eaten with a side if cucumber slices.

The nice people The Good Bean at sent me some roasted chickpeas to try out. I sampled them all… most were a bit salty (I prefer to make my own roasted chickpeas), but I really liked the cinnamon flavor! They also sent a few of their fruit and no-nut bars, of which I loved the chocolate (surprise, surprise).

Actual Meals:

I was really proud of myself on Sunday night – I cooked dinner for Mom and me all by myself! I started rattling off my meal idea to Mom and her reaction was “Have you ever made that before?” I said no… but doesn’t it sound GOOD? #strangebutgood

What resulted was a sort of fried rice. Except I used spaghetti squash instead of the rice, and topped the whole thing with sea bass (that wasn’t exactly cooked by me… it was leftovers). I started by sautéing some pre-cut veggies – red pepper, leeks, asparagus, and zucchini. Then I added the spaghetti squash, and then the eggs. Mix it together, plate, and top with sea bass! Easy. 🙂

The other “real” meal I ate was on my first night home. Kat (who blogs here every other Thursday), came over and made me a delicious meal! She made perfect shrimp and served it over a fresh salad of mache lettuce, avocado, raw corn, and cherry tomatoes.

It was all great, but The real star was her baked goat cheese balls (balls!). She simply formed a ball of soft goat cheese, rolled it in a mix of hazelnut flour and curry spice, and baked it. I don’t know if she’ll post her exact recipe next week (Kat???), but I’m going to have her write it out for me at least!

We also enjoyed it with a shared bottle of rosè. My first wine in over a week. Sweet nectar of the gods.

A Treat:

Mom surprised me with fro-yo! Chocolate and strawberry topped with coconut shreds… we added the blueberries and cacao nibs at home. Holla at ~~being cheap~~ saving money!

***

I seriously considered posting a pic that shows how swollen and high the twins were… everything was covered… but that mayyyy be too far even for me. More appropriate pics will come when things calm down. 😉

Have you ever lost interest in food?

Do you ever bring your fro-yo home to add toppings yourself? I thought this was a brilliant move by my mom!

Work It Out: Gym Confessions

June 11, 2013 By Laura

There are a few things I must* confess.

*Not really… I just like to overshare.

When it comes to fitness – or any aspect of life – we all have little quirks. I’ve seen you Ms. I-Drink-Starbucks-on-the-Stationary-Bike. Or Mr. My-Squat-is-Merely-a-Slight-Knee-Bend. As I found myself labeling everyone in the gym Sunday, I realized I needed to call myself out too.

Today’s Work It Out is all about confessions.

I confess…

1. I check my Instagram feed in between sets. While doing butt kicks or high knees.

2. On occasion I use “I’m going right to the grocery store after this workout” as an excuse to drive to the gym. My gym is 3 blocks from my house.

3. At the grocery store post-workout, I purchase men’s body soap. I use men’s deodorant too.

Single lady drug store purchases

4. My headphones aren’t always playing music. I use them as an excuse to ignore people act like I don’t hear anyone around me.

5. I store my phone/music source in my bra while I lift. There’s nowhere else to put it! It not like my boobs take up that much space anyway.

6. My resting heart rate is 47. Because it’s SO hard for me to keep my heart rate up while lifting I go against my trainer’s instructions and have “active” rest between sets. The muscle dudes in the weight room stare as I bounce around doing tuck jumps, jumping jacks, high knees, etc.

7. When – after jogging to the gym – I get stranded by a torrential downpour, I have full-blown photo shoots in the ladies locker room.

Photo shoot

8. When Kristen posted her freshly-washed sports bra pads, I realized I never wash mine. I wash the bras (after several uses), but never the pads. Whoops.

9. You probably figured this out from the previous confession, but I wear padded sports bras. They are by Handful and I love them. They did not send me any free stuff to say that.

This is really leading up to one big confession…

10. I’m getting a ~~boob job~~ breast augmentation on Thursday. There will be an awesome series of guest posts, as I won’t be able to lift my arms easily for a bit. The surgery itself doesn’t scare me. What does scare me is the fact that I won’t be able to exercise at all for 3 weeks. Not even a walk. Even more terrifying is that fact that I won’t be able to do arms for a few months.

Why would I put myself through this? I want boobs. It’s not about the figure competitions (though many competitors have them). I am totally flat chested, and have been my whole life. I’ve wanted to get my boobs done since I was 20, but waited (thank god – 20 would have been far too young). This year I turn 30^,and I will have boobs. It’s my birthday present to myself. I’m sick of nothing fitting me right and of not being able to find a bra anywhere that fits… and then being frustrated that I even have to wear one because I really don’t need it (bonus confession: I’ve gone running bra-less).

So there you have it. This was the big reveal I referred to in yesterday’s post. It may seem weird for me to be blogging about it, but I’m keeping it real with my fake boobs. And when I suddenly stop working out for weeks you would have known something was up. 😉

No, I won’t look like a porn star. I want them to be on the small side.

***

This may be the most nervous I’ve ever been to post something. I know some people have strong opinions on plastic surgery… but know that this is something I’ve wanted for years and I’m doing it for ME. I’m happy to answer questions. Ask away in the comments and I’ll answer in tomorrow’s post!

Would you ever consider plastic surgery?

What are your gym confessions?