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).

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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?

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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Eating for Abs + WIAW

May 1, 2013 By Laura

This is the point where food gets really fun.

And by “fun” I mean weird.

I’m 3 days out from my figure competition. The asparagus started, (click here for the reason behind that), but I have a bit more variety this time. Broccoli and green beans have never seemed so exciting!

People comment a lot about my diet. They are surprised that I’m still eating carbs, that I waited so long to cut hard. What you have to remember, my little snowflakes, is that every body is different. I didn’t start out with a lot of body fat, so my cutting is different. If I did eat like this for weeks on end… I’d be tired and skinny!

There’s not one right or wrong way to do it. (Ok, there is a wrong way… people go nuts but you know what I mean.)

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My WIAW meals were strange… but (mostly) good. After yesterday’s ab post, I got a few questions about what exactly I’ve been eating. Here it is! Eating for Abs: 101.

Note: I was still eating Greek yogurt up until Sunday. Water depletion hasn’t started as of this post (that beings today – the real Wednesday). Sodium is super-low.

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!

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Meal 1:

My day still begins with my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). This morning I drank half, ran my sprints, and then drank the second half. If I had a full glass before running I’d cramp up!

Then breakfast. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I found some a curious new coffee flavor this weekend at TJ Maxx:

Which lead to one awesome #strangebutgood creation! Chocolate-Peanut Butter Coffee Oats with an Elvis twist – I added banana extract and Smoked TVP Bacon Bits. The King would have been proud.

I took the Southern further with chicken. Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken and oats is really just a healthier version of the classic chicken and waffles. Sort of.

Anyway, this sweet and smokey banana creation was legit good. (The chicken is certainly optional.) Topped with mashed strawberry “jam.”

Peanut Butter-Banana (Elvis) Mocha Oatmeal

1/4 C oatmeal
1/4 C water
1/4 C coffee
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp banana extract
1/4 tsp butter extract
5-6 drops liquid stevia
Strawberries
Smoked TVP Bacon Bits
Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken (optional)

Bring oats, coffee, and water to a boil. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Add in spices, powder, extract, and sweetener (can adding additional water/coffee if needed).

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

Place in a bowl and top was desired. I used my bacon bits, mashed strawberries (warmed in microwave), and chicken. Mmmmm… protein. 😉

Meal 2:

Turkey. It’s not just for dinner. This breakfast-y version will be this Friday’s #strangebutgood! Eaten with strawberries and a sprinkle of smoked paprika (I’m obsessed)

Meal 3:

Lunch was pretty normal… or so I thought. My coworkers seems to think my colorful plate was strange. Either way, it was good! Swordfish (a.k.a. the “steak of the sea”) with broccoli, red pepper, and the dreaded asparagus.

The eggplant chips may be a little weird. I used this method, but made them dessert by seasoning with stevia and cinnamon. They are better when I crisp them back up in the oven, but the microwave was my only option at work.

Meal 4:

Rainbow Trout, baked with dill, lemon juice, and red onion. With a crunchy side of sugar peas and broccoli. I really like trout, but their teeny little bones are annoying.

Of course I had a little dessert. Gum. I bought this because it was on sale – I love the Apple Pie flavor, but Sorbet never appealed to me. I was pleasantly surprised! The flavor seemed to have lasted a little longer.

Meal 5:

This meal was scarfed down at the gym after working out back and triceps and an hour of posing. Swordfish with chopped broccoli and red pepper. I would have eaten my hand, but this was decidedly better.

“Dessert” was my carb – sweet potato cubes sprinkled with cinnamon and cocoa.

Meal 6:

I was desperate for dessert. So I made cinnamon and ginger roasted asparagus. And chicken. It was strange… not so sure it was good. 4 more days.

Not one of my proudest moments.

Meal 7:

After that last meal, I’d had enough. Bed time.

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Protein count for the day: 145.9g; Sodium: 457.4mg

Is there a food you burnt yourself out eating too much of?

What would be the first thing you’d at post-competition? I’m still deciding…

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!