Channeling Wonder Woman + WIAW

September 10, 2014 By Laura

Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero.

If you know me, this is probably no surprise.

Mind over matter is a very real thing. I find myself being able to “will” myself to do more than I should be able to both in and out of the gym. It’s kind of fun to push yourself to do the (previously) impossible. To me, this is Wonder Woman.

My inner Wonder Woman is especially channeled on leg day. 20 reps with 6 plates on the leg press? No problem. Well, yes a problem… but not one I couldn’t handle. My reward was going to the gym the next day and having a guy say (awkwardly) “Your legs have gotten bigger! I mean… that’s a compliment… you know what I mean…”

Only in the weight room could you say that to a woman and get away with it. HA!

…

Pre-Vacation Food + WIAW

May 7, 2014 By Laura

Wasting food is one of the 7 deadly sins in my house.

There are starving children in Africa!

Before leaving to go out of town I make it my personal mission to eat everything perishable in my house. If it’s not eaten before I leave, it’s eaten on the road. I’ve done a couple of travel food posts before; while I’m not in competition mode this trip I still would rather have my own food from home than eat nasty airport food. I’d also rather not pay a ton of money for nasty airport food. ~~That money is better spent on chocolate and wine in Europe!~~

Often people are surprised by the food I bring through security. You CAN bring food! Just avoid the liquid.

Pro Tip #1: Protein powder will not be mistaken for cocaine.

Pro Tip #2: If you freeze yogurt, it’s a solid!

This WIAW is a crazy mix of leftovers. I’m not even going to try to separate it into meals!

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…

Sexy Food + WIAW

October 30, 2013 By Laura

Food is sexy.

Food porn is a real thing.

But what about food costumes? Forget the “traditional” sexy cat. This article brought to light a new concept: sexy food Halloween costumes.

With costumes like this, sriracha has no need to invest in advertising!

Then we have bacon. Whats sexier than a salty piece of meat?

Sure, they’re good for a laugh… but would you really wear one of these costumes? I guess a lot of people would. If they didn’t make money, no one would sell them!

GiGi clearly thinks salad qualifies as sexy. (← hilarious video!)

________________________________________________________________________________________

This WIAW I am 10 days from my next figure competition! My food may not be sexy in the traditional sense of the word, but it tasted pretty good! 🙂

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast:

As usual, I started the day I with my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail. I swear it’s more energizing than coffee.

My breakfast was a new effort to have a quick hot meal in the morning. I normally make my oats the old-fashioned way in a pot, but I decided to try a (partial) overnight protein-right creation. Overnight oats, microwaved in the morning with egg whites.

It worked really well! Even better was the almost-empty Nuttzo jar I transferred it to. Easy to eat in the car and even more decadently delicious when I reached the hot, creamy, nutty butter at the bottom. Food porn at its best!

Peanut-Coffee Oats in a Jar

1/4 C rolled oats
1/2 C coffee (I used peanut butter mocha flavor)
1 T peanut flour*
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Stevia or other sweetener, to taste
1/2 C egg whites
Almost-empty nut butter jar (optional, but highly recommended)

In a small bowl mix oatmeal and spices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, add egg whites and microwave to cook. I cooked mine in 3 30 second intervals, removing to stir each time so eggs blended in rather than scrambled

Pour into a jar, if using, and top as desired. I used strawberries.

*Peanut flour from iHerb. Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!

Mid-Morning Snack:

I have a serious addiction to my Chocolate Beet Protein Shake. Perfect post workout cool down, topped with rice cakes.

Protein shakes are great to make in advance and freeze to take to-go during the week. I pop it in the microwave on defrost of about a minute and a half and it’s the perfect spoon-eating consistency.

Lunch:

I’ve been craving red meat lately, so I bought super lean ground beef and mixed it with pico de gallo to make burgers.

Eaten atop an arugula and cucumber salad with a side of cassava (yuca) chips. ZooPals ears make for the perfect sexy chip holders.

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I tried another new fish from the farmer’s market this week: perch. It’s pretty commonly found (I think), but I’ve never chosen it before. I love its richness, but perch is a small fish so there were quite a few teeny bones. At least I didn’t have to floss…

The veggies were a pre-roasted mix of carrots, purple sweet potato, asparagus, zucchini, and garlic. Eating the rainbow is sexy, no?

Dinner:

Dinner was a quick saute of white asparagus, turban squash, sugar peas, and sage in lemon juice, coconut oil, and paprika, along with baked chicken (made during Sunday food prep) and some unpictured almonds.

Dessert:

No more diary before my competition means no more Greek yogurt bowl desserts. And no more peanut butter (goodbye, Nuttzo).

This isn’t going to stop me from having dessert though! I made a Banana-Peanut Butter Mugcake using peanut flour and banana. I topped it with cocoa powder sauce. What’s sexier than a peanut butter, banana, and chocolate ménage à trois?

Banana Peanut Butter Mugcake

2 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
1/2 small banana, mashed (~50g)
1 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3 T egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
~4-5 drops NuNaturals vanilla liquid stevia
Optional: cocoa powder sauce

Place dry ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add banana and wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Transfer to a large, greased (I use PAM) coffee mug and microwave for ~1 min.

Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired. My cake was topped with cocoa powder sauce (cocoa + cinnamon + stevia + water), cacao nibs, and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Makes 1 cake.

***

Don’t forget to enter the ThinkThin protein bar giveaway – contest ends at midnight!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Do you prep breakfast in advance? What is your favorite?

Happy Singles Awareness Day

February 14, 2013 By Laura

I like being ~~married to the gym~~ single.

I couldn’t even handle having a cat in my life.

What I can handle is eating red food. I’ve been traveling too much to make anything special, but if I make it to the grocery store today I may eat something red.

In the meantime, I did manage to round-up my favorites… and separate them into courses. ~~This is what happens when you blog on an airplane.~~

Then I couldn’t help myself – I made a new sugar-free, high protein microwave cake when I got home from the airport. It was late, the pics are dark… but this is what happens when you are without chocolate cake and Nuttzo for days. Cravings must be satisfied! Recipe at the end.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast

Raspberry Baked Oatmeal (To-Go!)

♥

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

♥

Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie

♥

Mains

Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

♥

Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

♥

Veggie Sushi with Beet Wasabi Sauce

♥

Dessert

Beet Protein Frozen Custard

♥

Strawberry Smoky Almond Tart

_______________________________________________________________________________________

This last dessert is the one I made upon arriving home last night. I had a fierce peanut butter and chocolate craving, and this sugar-less treat fit the bill. And did I mention it has 30g of protein???

If you stop the microwave while it still looks a tad jiggly on top, you’ll have a gooey, molten cake. Which is exactly when I did, and highly recommend. Then I topped it with a healthy serving of Nuttzo (which I am obsessed with), and a festive strawberry heart.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Microwave Cake

2 T peanut flour
1 scoop (2T) chocolate protein powder
1 T cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 T pumpkin puree
1/4 C egg whites
1/4 unsweetened almond milk (or water)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8 drops chocolate liquid stevia (I used NuNaturals)

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and stir to combine.

Transfer to a small, greased bowl (I used coconut oil). Microwave until just done, ~ 45-60 secs.

Transfer to a plate, top as desired, and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritionals: 180 calories, 4g fat, 150.8mg sodium, 11.2g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 1.5g sugar, 31.5g protein

I received this jar of NuttZo free of charge through participation in a FitFluential campaign. I was not otherwise compensated; all opinions on the product are my own (I already ate the stuff religiously). Check out NuttZo on Twitter and/or Facebook!

***

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I think this is the perfect night to curl up with a glass of red wine, some popcorn, and dark chocolate while watching Grey’s.

Do you have big Valentine’s plans?

What is your favorite Valentine-themed food? I dig those Reese’s hearts… the shapes have more PB!

Nuttzo Over Nut Butter + Giveaway

November 8, 2012 By Laura

Lame jokes are my favorite.

Q: What did the fish say when he hit a wall?

A: Damn.

I’ll spare you more jokes and get right to the point. Remember my post competition treat of choice?

NuttZo was a big treat for me because I hadn’t been “allowed” nut butter on my training plan for a while, and because at ~$15 it’s a pricey jar of creamy, nutty deliciousness (worth every penny, btw).

That’s not a problem for one of you… The lovely people at Nuttzo have offered to give away a jar of the good stuff! this is a jar of the Original flavor (my favorite). It contains peanuts, cashews, almonds, Brazilian nuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, sea salt. All organic. No added sugar or oil.

Other reason NuttZo rocks:

Legumes + nuts and seeds = a complete protein (all your amino acids)
Provides 50% of your DV of ALA Omega 3 per serving (650 mg)
A 16-ounce jar of NuttZo Original provides 14 servings – less than $1 per serving of organic nut-nutrition

Receive up to 4 entries by:

Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win a jar of nut butter in the @NuttZoCEO giveaway at @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1hN #giveaway
Be Social: Facebook Like NuttZo, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
Comment: What is your favorite way to eat nut butter?

Please leave a separate comment for each entry!

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, November 13th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 14th.

Just in case you need some ideas for using nut butter, here are my top 5:

(Note: many of these call for peanut butter or peanut flour, but you can sub in NuttZ or your favorite nut butter.)

1. Nut Butter & Aggs

All-time favorite breakfast invention.

2. Nut Butter-Baked Oatmeal

Perfect on a cold morning. Like now.

3. Chili Nutty Tofu

Lauren can vouch for me – baked tofu is fantastic fluffy goodness.

4. Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These are only 100 cals and have just 2g of sugar. And you’d never know it.

5. Sweet Potato Nut Butter Ice Cream

To my fellow addicts: this is also amazing with pumpkin.

***

I get my new nutrition plan today… I’m at once relieved (this has been a junk food bender) and sad.

What’s the most #strangebutgood way you eat nut butter?

What is your favorite lame joke?

Learn Something Every Day

November 6, 2012 By Laura

You learn something new everyday.

Some days you learn lots of “somethings.”

#1 When it comes to hotels, trust but verify. Especially when I comes to hotels. Next time I choose. And it will NOT be La Quinta. That place is filthy.

#2 If someone wants to keep your bikini bottoms in place by sticking them to you skin with craft glue, say no. I lost at least 2 layers of skin peeling my bottoms off.

At least I had my post-competition Nuttzo treat to make me feel better.

#3 Cupcakes and greasy cheese after following a very strict diet will give you a rumbly in your tumbly. #sorryimnotsorry

Thank you to Jenn Hendershott for having these backstage!

There are no pics of the nachos… but I ate 2 plates. The first plate had tofu on it. I also drank a beer. Or two. Thanks to my cousin for coming out to cheer me on a for sponsoring my post-competition treat-fest.

#4 Fake eyelashes feel like little aliens on your eyelids.

#5 Never say never. Just 5 years ago if you had told me I’d be walking across a stage in stripper heels and a bikini doing a fitness competition… I would have laughed in your face. This former beer-guzzling girl refused to wear a bikini for years (it took me until grad school to do so willingly). Anything is possible.

#6 Keep it simple. Sometimes there’s nothing better than toast with peanut butter and sliced banana for breakfast. Don’t fight it.

#7 When the heavyweight winner stops to get 3 BBQ sandwiches and a milkshake on the way home, do not be surprised if he doesn’t offer you a bite.

I was perfectly happy with my Subway egg and cheese sandwich. Mmmm… eggs…. add avocado, jalapenos, and tomato.

#8 There are no excuses. The man in the picture below is in a wheelchair. This is his second competition. Any time I think about slacking or making an excuse, I’m going to remember him and the “sticktuitiveness” he displayed.

***

The professional pics aren’t up yet, but I’ll post them when I get them. You guys are going to be SO sick of me…

Can you tolerate a sub-par hotel? I’m a hotel snob… my idea of camping is the Holiday Inn. #sorryimnotsorry

What have you learned lately?

YO-RUN-GA and One Chore a Day

November 1, 2012 By Laura

Who’s sick of my repetitive posting?

I know I am!

Today we have my friend Kat back (see her intro post here) to talk about how she fits it all in. As I said before, she may be the only person I know who’s even busier than I am. Today she has so great tips on how she does it all, and encouragement for those of us who struggle to stretch (I have TERRIBLE discipline here!).

Meanwhile, I’ll be eating asparagus and packing for this weekend’s competition! And packing my post-competition treat of choice:

$15 nut butter. I think I earned this one.

________________________________________________________________________________________

I’ve been so excited to post again! Ever since my first post, I’ve been brainstorming, writing down ideas, taking pictures of my food and random self portraits, like me in a mirror at the Stonewall Bar Association Awards dinner on Thursday night (who am I?).

I have a TON to share with you guys, but I will have to pace and limit myself. Really, I should write a novel, but who has the time!?

If I learned anything from my 30-day-challenge, I learned it was super hard to fit in as much running as I like while doing at least one yoga class a day. Solution? Yo-RUN-ga.

Yes, running incorporated with yoga. I had to run commute the 5-ish miles to and from yoga, or show up to yoga about 30-45-minutes early, throw my mat down, and go for a short run. I also made a couple of run dates immediately after yoga to make sure I fit them in. I had to cut back to running about 40 miles per week during the challenge, but I would be insane without running. As most of you know (and some have pointed out), you make time for what’s important.

Like I tell my sister when I give her a pep talk, you don’t have to run/walk/workout/lift for an hour to get a workout. You can spend 15 or 30 minutes, and you’re still beating someone who is sitting on the couch!

A friend of my from my Ultra-running group, GUTS, had a status update one day that said “Yo-RUN-Ga”… I didn’t get it.

My thoughts exactly: “I would never do yoga. I don’t like it, I don’t have the patience for it.” (Editor’s note: That is my sentiment toward yoga!) And look at me now!

My attempt at a self portrait after running to yoga last week.

What changed? That friend who started to yo-run-ga got me to come to her yoga studio, Atlanta Hot Yoga (yes, all the classes are hot, even the flow classes—I don’t like classes that aren’t hot). I started on a 20-day Groupon, and I was HOOKED! I realized that yoga is really great for ANY athlete. I was stretching for the first time (a lot of runners are notorious for lack of stretching), I was sweating my ASS off (a clean sweat), it caused an increase in my metabolism, an upping my immune system, and I was “coming down” for a minute. Honestly, it’s an escape, where I just think about my breath, and not my go-go-go lifestyle.

I also set an intention as part of my practice, which helps me to work on things I typically wouldn’t just work on—patience, seeing beauty in myself and others, accepting imperfections, getting out of my comfort zone, “just being here”—sitting with a feeling that might be uncomfortable and accepting it, and being grounded and strong.

Besides, run-commuting to yoga, work, and various other places, one of the other major time-savers that I practice is one-chore-a-day. I don’t know when or how it started but it works!

I almost never have to clean my whole apartment. (Editor’s note: Good… can you come clean mine?) Sometimes my one chore is as small as picking up my bedroom, emptying the dishwasher (my least favorite chore ever), a load of laundry, a quick sweep of the floor. If you make a decision to do ONE chore a day, whenever you do a bigger clean, it is much more manageable and takes far less time. Cleaning the bathtub is a prime example of something that if you put off too long will take twice the amount of time. (Soap scum gets stickier over time, doesn’t it!?!) I get to mine at least once every week and a half, and it takes me about 5 minutes to thoroughly clean.

This really helped me last weekend when I had to go to three yoga classes, shop for a bridesmaid dress for my cousin’s wedding, attend a wedding in Tennessee (my beautiful friend Kelly is a WIFE!!), and still get all my school work and other work in! Yay for a clean kitchen and freshly mopped floors! Although, what I really need to do is give my cats a bath! Seriously, they’ve been giving me the, “Mom, we need some more attention, please,” faces all too frequently lately!

I am already looking forward to my next post! You have no idea the amazingness of the 15-page single-spaced Word document with ideas that has accumulated on my computer! All fun stuff! I hope you want to tune-in again!

In the coming two weeks, I will be dog-sitting for a friend, taking the MPRE, going to Arizona to bridesmaid for my cousin’s wedding, writing a 14 page paper and a 35 page paper, and still going to class and working. AYE!!!!! But I seriously love the way I feel when I get it all done! Yay for sleep! (Editor’s note: And having a celebration dinner with me!!!)

***

Kat’s Questions:

What keeps you sane when you are busy? Running? Comfort Food?

What is your least favorite chore?

Have you ever tried something you didn’t think you would like and end up loving it!?

Are you totally excited to hear about Laura’s competition next week!?!??!

Channeling Wonder Woman + WIAW

Pre-Vacation Food + WIAW