Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

PB & Pear Eggs + WIAW

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Technology gets me excited.

 

Clearly I need to get out more.

Being a figure competitor means my food scale is my most-used kitchen tool.  I need to weigh my proteins to make sure I have enough, and I can more easily get accurate serving sizes for other items.  Even if you don’t eat like a crazy person, scales are a HUGE help in baking.  I no longer use measuring cups!

countertop and prep pad

 

I read about this Countertop + Prep Pad with glee.  This device can determine the exact nutritional content of whatever you’re making and track your eating habits.  Beyond the traditional accurate weighing of ingredients, it has a BlueTooth connection and an app which displays your data.  You place food on the scales, indicate what it is, and the app shows the nutritional data (with macros, micros, and ingredients).  It even tracks goals for you!

It’s available to pre-order now for $149.95 (delivery in November).  I’m soooooo tempted…

(I randomly ran across this… they didn’t pay me or anything.  It’s just cool.)

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This is WIAW I am back to “normal.”  I food prepped well this week, and was able to keep on track through back to back meetings.  It’s a fun busy though. 🙂

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Read on for my 4 weeks out eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

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Breakfast:

Ever the creature of habit, a had my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.  Sam posted she’s been starting her day with ACV for a year… made me realize I’m at about 2 years.  Whoa.

My meal was a win.  Normally I go to bed thinking about breakfast, but last night I didn’t have an clear vision.  It came in the morning though!  Pear.  Cardamom.  Eggs.  Peanut sauce.  Totally normal.

PB & Pear Eggs to go

Cardamom is one of those “a little goes a long way” spices, but just a pinch can make a dish something spectacular.  Especially when that dish involves pear.

I plated this for a pic before pouring it into a solo cup to-go.  See bottom of post for the prettier pic and full recipe. 

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

Crab salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, hummus, and pepper.  I love crab.  I really love crab that is 20% off.

Crab, arugula, tomato, and hummus salad

 

Lunch:

Dijon Baked Chicken (so glad I made a TON of froze it), roasted bok choy, and yuca fries with salsa.  I am newly obsessed with yucca fries.

Yuca (also known as Cassava) is a thick, starchy tuber.  It’s sort of like a potato, but a little sweeter and drier.  It’s also really hard to slice… but, like kabocha, it’s worth the effort.  I sliced mine into fries and roasted it on 425 til it was crispy (maybe 25 mins?).

Yuca fries

For a funny story about my lunch here.

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I make a lot of food… which means sometimes I forget about recipes.  This week I remembered one I really loved: BBQ Cauliflower Bites.  Yesterday I ate it at work with asparagus and a veggie burger with beer mustard.  Happy girl, I was.

BBQ Cauliflower and veggie burger

 

Dinner:

Dinner was a pleasant surprise.  I was SO SORE after leg day that I decided to take a rest day and detoured to Whole Paycheck Foods on the way home for some fresh fish.  I ended up with flounder, a fish I’d never prepared at home before.

I baked my flounder for 10 mins at 425 with fresh lemon, pepper, and lemon-thyme a co-worker brought me from her garden (thanks Allison!).  Eaten with half a roasted yellow acorn squash and broccoli slaw over a bed of arugula.

Lemon flounder and acorn squash

Dessert:

It’s finally feeling like fall in Atlanta, so a warm dessert was in order.  I Made my 150 Calorie Microwave Chocolate Cake (using pumpkin puree instead of applesauce) and topped it with berries and pumpkin fluff.

Chocolate Pumpkin Mug Cake

Pumpkin fluff is amazing.  It’s just equal parts pumpkin puree, Tru Whip (cleaner cool whip from WF), cinnamon, and butter extract.  Just do it.

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PB & Peaggs

PB & Peaggs

  • 2/3 C egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cardamom

For the Sauce

  • 1 T peanut flour (or nut butter)
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3-4 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1 small pear, chopped

 

Scramble together then first 4 ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until almost done.  Meanwhile, mix together peanut sauce.

Add the peanut sauce and pear, stirring to combine.  Cook just long enough to warm through. 

Devour.

***

Let’s revisit my leg day.  I am so sore.  So very sore.  GROW LEGS!

Do you use a food scale?  Would you buy this hard-core one?

Have you tried anything new lately that you’re loving? I’m a flounder fan now!

 

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl + WIAW

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When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Not until I started competing did I realize how true this saying is.

My food prep is saving me this week, once again.  Starting a new job where I’m in the office every day (I used to work from home a lot) has forced me to be more structured and has tested me mentally.

Planning workouts and meals has become SO important.  Otherwise I’d never get out the door.  Preparation and constantly reminding myself of my goals and why I do this crazy thing is a necessity.

you are intense

I feel more like I’m going it alone during this competition prep.  I’m adjusting my workouts to meet my needs/limitations post surgery, and I have more fat to cut than I did in the past.

It’s new and it’s scary.  It’s also going to be awesome when I prove to myself that I can get out of my own way to reach a goal.

This is WIAW is a little glimpse into how I use my prep to stay in line, despite a new routine and later workouts.  It’ not easy.  But it’s not impossible.  I think.

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Read on for my San Francisco treats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

Breakfast:

You may have seen me post on Instagram that I’m changing up my morning cocktail.  I decided to try out new aminos in my draaaank.  Why?  I still love the taste of the old one, but their customer service is so bad (read: non-existent) I can no longer use the product. Their ingredient list wasn’t the *most* clean anyway.

This new one came highly recommended by my local nutrition store.  It is pretty good.  Doesn’t mix quite as well, but I like the mild taste and it still provides good energy!

morning aminos cocktail

I went on a bulgur kick a while ago with this Blueberry-Green Tea Bulgur… then forgot about it.  It made a comeback in this week’s food prep!

I mixed this delicious raspberry blend up to grab as a ran out the door to an early morning meeting.  It tasted like raspberry cream.

Raspberry Overnight Bulgur

Raspberry Overnight Bulgur

  • 1/4 C bulgur (raw)
  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • Water or almond milk, to mix (I think this was about 1/2 C… you can always add more in the AM)
  • 1/4 C raspberries
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 6-7 drops orange liquid stevia (or other sweetener)

Mix everything together in a small bowl or jar and store in the fridge overnight.

Remove from fridge in the morning, add liquid if necessary, and enjoy!

Mid-Morning Snack:

This was Turbot with a random (salt-free!) Indian spice blend I found at the Asian market and a side of my tabbouleh with hummus.

I had just finished re-heating my fish in the break-room when two ladies walked in. One commented: “It smells like dead fish in here.” #sorryimnotsorry

turbot and tabbouleh

You may find it weird to eat fish before noon and/or at work.  I find it #strangebutgood. 

Lunch:

Turkey on a bed of spinach with my new lentil hummus, Ezekial bread, and raw zucchini sticks.  This was going to be a sandwich before I realized I had more stuffing than bread.  Typical…

turkey salad and hummus

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

This is like a treat meal to me.  If tuna is the chicken of the sea and swordfish is the steak of the sea… sea bass must be like the pork belly of the sea.  Without the fat (or the pig).  It’s absolutely decadent!

The salad with it was broccoli slaw and radish mixed with a quick sauce: nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika.  And I ate it off of a Zoo Pals plate. 😉

sea bass and broccoli slaw

Dinner:

Dinner has become snack-like on my new work/workout schedule.  I now have to workout right after work, so dinner actually is at 9pm and looks like dessert most days.

This is my chocolate-beet smoothie (it’s become a serious addiction), extra spinach blended in.  I left out the coffee since it was late, and topped it with pre-roasted kabocha and granola.

Chocolate-Beet Protein Smoothie

Dessert:

A dessert-like dinner doesn’t stop me from doing it again!  Since declaring this pumpkin pie protein bowl The Most Amazing Bowl of Deliciousness Ever, I’ve had it 3 nights in a row.  After the first night I began freezing it for an hour or so.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 C pumpkin purée
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract (vanilla or almond would be good too)
  • Optional topping: cocoa sauce (cocoa powder, stevia, and almond milk), peanut butter, pumpkin seeds… etc.

 Place ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Freeze for ~1 hour for a frozen custard, or enjoy right away for a more batter-like snack.

***

It’s oddly motivating to be really sore post-workout today.  I guess it’s like feeling the reward of hard work?!  #strangebutgood

Do you have any tips for staying focused and getting out of your own way?  Help.  Me.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve brought to work to eat?

Semi-Normal Eats + WIAW

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Freedom.

 

 

It makes me happy.

After a week of boring, #stinkypee eats, lean white protein and asparagus are NOT What I Ate Wednesday. 

 

My post-competition trip to Whole Paycheck Foods was the stuff of dreams.  I had a list and nothing but time.

2 hours later I emerged from Whole Foods almost $200 poorer and without a single piece of meat in my cart.  I even skipped the bacon (the line at the meat counter was too long).

Of course I had to fuel up properly before making this epic grocery trip.  Toad in the Hole made with P28 High Protein Bread and a local farm egg.  Cooked in truffle oil and topped with sriracha.  Welcome back, #yolkporn. 

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I’m so happy to get to post a semi-normal What I Ate Wednesday!  I say semi-normal because It has been a busy day and I didn’t get to be quite a funk with my foods… and I went to an election night gathering… so I had a bug ‘ol treat dinner.  Woot!

Also different is how my meals are labeled.  No “Meal 1, Meal 2,” etc. this week!  I ate a proper Breakfast-Lunch-Snack-Dinner.  I’ll have another meal plan soon, but these are my days “off” before we start training again.  I hate to admit it… but I kind of missed eating more meals!

Check out my semi-good habit eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else ate on Election Day.

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Breakfast:

Somethings will never change.  I started out with my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

This was followed by my TVP “Oatmeal” done up apple pie-style.  I add apple pie spice and mixed in fresh apple at the end.  Topped with a peanut butter drizzle and cinnamon.

 

Lunch:

I brought my leftover’s from last night’s dinner to work.  Roasted brussels, cauliflouwer, and baby bellas.  I tossed then in salty fish sauce, red peppe flakes, and coconut oil pre-roasting.

 

The noodles are kelp noodles.  I heated them in hot water to soften and toss in a pad thai-ish sauce.  I’m enjoying my freedom from measurement, but here are the ingredients for the sauce:

  • Peanut flour
  • Unsweetened almond milk
  • Grated ginger
  • Lime juice
  • Cayenne
  • 1 drop lemon Stevia

 

Still trying to get my protein in (and because I wanted them), I had a bag of Veggie Pizza Protein Puffs from Kay’s Naturals.  I ordered online; click here to find them and get 20% off your order. 

 

Snack:

Pumpkin hummus, cauliflower, and edamame.

Eating carbs mid afternoon still feels so scandalous!

Dinner:

I spent the evening with my friends Todd and Jeff watching the election results like some people watch football games.  If people watch football with Malbec and cookbooks…

 

Election Day = pizza night!  Mellow Mushroom pizza (side note: I worked there in college for a hot minute) with meatballs, red peppers, and feta cheese with a side salad.  

Look at this plate and that glass of wine above.  Then multiply it by 2.  It was a 2x dinner.  

 

Dessert:

A celebration bowl of pumpkin ice cream (real ice cream – full fat and yummy) topped with a crumbled cinnamon muffin and chocolate syrup.

***

The protein count for the day: KIDDING!!!  I have NO idea.  Freedom from numbers.

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on groceries?

Did you do any election night partying?

 

The Most Boring Food Post Ever (WIAW)

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You don’t want to go to the bathroom after me.

Anyone else having Ace Ventura flashbacks?

In the final week before my figure competition, I’ve cut out all that is good.  My only vegetable is asparagus.  Asparagus is like body building super food.  It is low in sodium and sugar, high in protein, and a natural diuretic. My pee stinks.  I don’t think I’ll ever eat asparagus again.  Until the next competition.

See my veggie drawer at the bottom?  That’s nothing but asparagus.  I spent $40 on asparagus.  Other items in the fridge include sweet potato, spaghetti squash, chicken (5 ways), swordfish, and tuna.  All of these are pre-cooked so I can eat in a hurry.

Below I’ll chronicle the 7 exciting meals I have to shovel down… but first a little inspiration.  Monday I asked what quotes or songs inspired you to push through, and Alexandra shared to following quote:

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” – From “The Last Lecture”

This really resonated with me, and inspired me to keep pushing all day.  If it were easy everyone would be doing it!

This Halloween-themed What I Ate Wednesday is downright scary.  Repetitive meals terrify me.  That’s exactly what today’s post is.  Sorry.

Check out my freakishly boring eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see some more exciting Halloween treats.

Meal 1:

In effort to shake things up, I have been drinking my morning cocktail out of champagne glasses.  It’s almost like a mimosa.  But not.

For breakfast I am allowed a protein (chicken or white fish), oatmeal, and 10 blueberries.

Yes, I said 10.

Thank god for last week’s Cinnamon-Flax Chicken creation.  I think this is the only way I can eat breakfast protein.

Served with oatmeal, which I flavored with almond extract, vanilla, and an ass-load of cinnamon (that’s a technical term).  And 10 blueberries.  10.

Meal 2:

Asparagus.  Protein.  Spaghetti.  Squash, that is.  I only get carbs before 2 pm now (at meals 1-3).  My carbs can be oatmeal, sweet potato, or winter squash.

Here I roasted some asparagus to go with my spaghetti.  While that was cooking, I made a quick sauce of lemon juice, rice vinegar, cilantro, and 1 drop of lemon Stevia (a little goes a long way).  For my protein, I had a serving of my pre-cooked chicken.  This one was done on a grill pan with a Mexican spice blend (sodium-free, obv).

It wasn’t half bad!

Meal 3:

I swear I don’t know what I’d do without Swordfish.  The asparagus I could do without.  At least I get 1/2 tsp olive oil at lunch.  I drizzled my meal with Sweetwater Growers‘ Habanero-infused olive oil, and topped it with fresh basil.

Swordfish and asparagus

Since it is Halloween, I decided to get festive for my carb at lunch.  No candy for me this year, but who needs that when you have sweet potatoes?  (I’m totally lying – I’d kill someone for a Halloween cookie right now.)  

I turned my ‘tater into a pumpkin dessert by mashing it with a little water, lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and maple extracts, and a few drops of liquid Stevia.  His face is made of oats and his stem is – what else – an asparagus tip.

Meal 4:

Seared tuna steak with a green onion, ginger, and lime sauce.  More asparagus. This time in soup form.  I’d like to work on this recipe and post it… it’s not ready yet.

Meal 5:

Surprise!  More asparagus, this time sauteed with garlic and red pepper flakes.  Topped with 1/2 tsp Sweetwater Growers‘ Rosemary-infused olive oil.  And Swordfish.  I miss nighttime carbs.

Meal 6:

More chicken, this one grilled in a Mediterranean spice blend.  And I shook things up with… WHITE asparagus.  Eaten raw with a sprinkle of cumin.  Despite its phallic appearance, I normally love white asparagus; however, at this point I hate all things asparagus. 

White asparagus is nearly identical to green nutritionally speaking, but it is white due to having been kept out of the light.  The flavor is slightly milder then green, and it’s a little softer.  They sort of taste like endive to me.

Meal 7:

No more dessert for me.  Sort of.

Dessert chicken, anyone?  In the South people eat chicken and waffles for breakfast sometimes.  Gladys Knight has a famous restaurant based on the concept!  With this in mind, I tossed this chicken with a little maple extract and cinnamon before baking.  Then I sprinkled everything with more cinnamon… even the asparagus.

Not bad.  Would be better with a waffle.  And syrup.  Mmmmm… sugar…

It’s also Foodie Penpal reveal day!!!

Emily sent me a delicious box of goodies.  At least I think they are delicious… since it’s not asparagus, I can’t eat it until after I walk of that stage Saturday night. 🙂  That chocolate granola is coming with me though!! 

***

The protein count for the day: 192g.  The sodium count: 602.8mg (all from the protein!).  The sugar was 17.7g.

Driving home from posing practice last night I was stuck between a Krispy Kreme truck and a Pabst Blue Ribbon truck.  I subsequently gave the universe the finger.

Do you like asparagus?  Does it make your pee stink?  I heard it doesn’t affect some people!

What is your favorite Halloween candy?  I like Reese’s.  Or Snickers.  Frozen.

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken + WIAW

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You don’t realize how much you love something until it’s gone.

I only endorse this statement as it relates to food. 😉

This week’s diet change s to seriously cut sugar to help my abs come in. *crossing fingers*  This means I go from 3 servings of fruit a day to 1 serving of berries (they are low in sugar) at Meal 1.

Next week I cut fats, which will suck.  I’m cherishing my nuts (#thatswhatshesaid) and salmon while I can this week!

In other news, I finally bought and hung my pull up bar!

  I did 100 pull ups UNASSISTED yesterday.  Don’t be too impressed – I did 10 sets of 10 and it took a while. 😉

I didn’t do so well at making my eats Halloween-themed for  What I Ate Wednesday.  It’s getting harder to do anything super-creative, but I did my best!   Check out my “special” low sugar, low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below (it makes me tired just listing all that), and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how normal people ate in spirit of Halloween this week!

Meal 1:

I’m repetitive.  Yes, I had my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). Followed by TVP Protein “Oatmeal.” 

Today’s was a vegan version (no egg whites).  To get a little more protein, I used Greek yogurt to make it Strawberries ‘n Cream.  All I did was mash up strawberries with the yogurt, stevia, ginger, and vanilla.  Simple and delicious! 

Meal 2:

I made Cinnamon-Flax Chicken!  Does this count as #strangebutgood?  If you don’t eat meat, I would bet money that this would be delish with tofu.  Recipe at the bottom of this post.

It was good, but the sides were even better.  Kale chips coated in a sugar-free simple syrup and apple pie spice.  Simple syrup sounds fancier that it was.  I mixed together some sugar-free maple syrup and water so it was thin enough to coat my kale, then added apple pie spice.  I also tossed in some zucchini, which was also tasty!

Meal 3:

Once again… the steak of the sea makes an appearance in my kitchen!  Every Sunday I make a big batch of protein, and Swordfish is my #1 favorite.  It is such a rich fish that it tastes buttered.. but it’s not!  This was grilled with Herbs de Provence, garlic, paprika, and lime juice.

Eaten with pre-roasted calabaza squash with sage and onion, portobello slices, and parsnip “rice” with celery leaves. I would eat this competition diet or not!

Meal 4:

I had to attend a conference, so into a cooler went a salmon salad.  This week’s salmon was baked with lemon juice, mint, and sage.  I chopped it up and tossed it with chopped celery, beet, and zucchini. 

Meal 5:

It was legs day, so I had a date with my trainer to do my hack squats (blech), followed by posing practice.

I took a liquid dinner to go. This shake is a combo of my Sweet Potato Pie and Carrot Cake shakes.  Sweet potato, carrot, tofu, protein powder, spices… and some celery for good measure.  Oh, and I hand mixed in some oats.  The Vitamix will blend anything.  Literally. 

Meal 6:

Is it weird to crave brussels at 9:30pm? That’s what I wanted, so that’s what I had.  Roasted in a sauce of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, paprika, garlic, and a little coconut extract.  The coconut was the perfect pair with my (low-fat) coconut-curry marinated grilled chicken.  Fun-flavored protein, ftw. 

Meal 7:

Dessert!  No more fruit at night… I’ve missed my cherries on top, but this didn’t disappoint despite the fact that it looks like a giant poop.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding

  • 1/2 slice no-sodium Ezekial bread, ripped into tiny pieces
  • 1/2 C no-salt cottage cheese, 
  • 1T peanut flour
  • 1T cocoa powder
  • 2T pumpkin puree 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cocoa extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Stevia

I added some water to mix it, then microwaved it for a few seconds.  Warm chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding.  It looks odd… but I assure you it tasted incredible.  New protein dessert staple.

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 2 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

 Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (I used convection).

Rise your chicken, and place on a hard surface to pound with meat tenderizer.

Mix together flax, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Coat chicken with the mixture.  It should be wet enough from rinsing for the coating to stick without using an egg.

Place in oven for 8 mins, then flip to bake for an additional 6-8  mins.  If using convection, simply bake ~10 mins.  The chicken is done when it is white all the way through.

Note for my plant-based friends: This would rock with tofu too!

Serves 1, easily doubled (I made 4).

***

The protein count for the day: 170.9g.  The sodium count: 574.9mg.  And my new one to watch – sugar – was 28.6g.

I also want to thank everyone for your encouraging words on Monday’s post.  It’s a little scary, but all of your support means the world.  I did feel much calmer after your comments and tweets! XOXO

Do you pay attention to the sugars in your diet?

Have you had any delicious Halloween treats yet?  Let me live vicariously through you!

My Last Supper

By

I can be so predictable.

 

If only my life could be predictable…

Allie was in town this weekend for a training session with my trainer… excuse me… OUR trainer. 🙂

She came in Friday night and since we are on the same nutrition plan (minus the sodium restriction for her) so I volunteered to make dinner.  Obviously, I made cauliflower crust pizza.

 

 

We had a little pizza-topping party.  Allie’s (in the back) had a veggie burger and asparagus.  Mine (in the front) had tomato sauce, sauteed kale and red pepper, butternut squash, and chicken.

 

And then we went to Whole paycheck Foods where we bought pumpkin hummus.  I also got a kombucha on tap.  Typical bloggers.

 

When we got back home I made PB & Ceggs (Peanut Butter & Carrot Eggs – the vegan tofu version).  I won’t bore you with yet another pic of those.

The next day we woke up and I had what will probably be my last runny egg before my competition before we headed to the gym for a leg session and posing practice.  Obviously, we were armed with a cooler of smoothies, proteins, and veggies.

 

 

This was the most predictable 24 hours 2 bloggers could have.  And it was a BLAST.

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The unpredictable was just as fun.  We trekked up the highway to my hair stylist, Karen at Lava Hair Studio (I drive an hour to see her – that’s dedication).  Allie got a trim too – how cute are those blunt edges?!  Karen decided brown with red undertones were the way to go for the show – I have NO vision; I always ask her to do whatever she think would be cool.  I think she made the perfect color choice!

 

 

Annnnnd… then we had my last supper.  Last cheat supper, that is.  Allie and I met new guest blogger Kat at STG Trattoria,

We started with a bruschetta of butternut squash, ricotta, and arugula.  It was supposed to have cashews but they didn’t make it on our plate.  It was good… but the added crunch and richness of cashews would have made it better.

For our main, Allie and I split a pizza.  Yes, more pizza.  This was an Italian-style crust and was topped with ricotta salatta, sweet onion, mint, and lamb sausage (Allie ordered her half sans lamb).  The lamb sausage was was flavorful without being over-powering or greasy.  I loved the char on the crust; however, the middle was a big soggy.  It was a solid effort.  You better believe there wasn’t a crumb left!

 

 

Of course, I couldn’t pass up one last dessert.  Our chocolate mousse was topped with whipped ricotta, macerated strawberries, sea salt, and olive oil.  This may have been my favorite part of the meal – the mousse was dark, letting the strawberries provide much of the sweetness.  The olive oil and sea salt on top was absolutely perfection.  I love a dessert that is rich without being painfully sweet.

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Workout Recap

I’m starting to freak out a little.  Watching other people prep, I never understood why they were so obsessive and worrying over every little detail… and then I woke up Sunday morning feeling guilty about the last cheat meal and began reading every body building forum I could find.  My abs are not wonderful.  They have always been my most-hated body part.  I blame genetics and a really short torso.

After talking myself off the ledge, I went to the gym and had a great workout.  Apparently 100 daily (assisted) pull-ups develop the muscle under your arms as well as your back.  Excuse the bewildered look.  It was a tough arm day.

 

 

Workout Recap (10/15 – 10/19):

  • Monday – Shoulders/Glutes, 1 mile incline walk 100 pull ups
  • Tuesday – Chest/Bis, 100 pull ups, Calf raises, 1.25 mile incline walk
  • Wednesday – Shoulders/Glutes, 1 mile walk 100 pull ups
  • Thursday – REST, 100 push ups
  • Friday – Back/Tris, (180 pull-ups were part of the workout), Calf raises
  • Saturday – Legs (with trainer)
  • Sunday – Chest/Bis, 100 pull ups, Calf raises

***

OMGOMGOMG… less than 2 weeks!!! I bought my bling this weekend too. 🙂

Are you loyal to a hair stylist?

What would your last cheat meal be?

 

Pumpkin Pie TVP “Oatmeal” + WIAW

By

Just when you you’re getting used to a “special” diet…

…you have to go on a business trip.

I actually like travelling for work.  Airports and hotels don’t phase me one bit.  Unless I’m 17 days from a figure competition and have a diet more strict than I ever thought possible.  Between the protein, super-clean eating, and max of 500 mg of sodium per day the trip I’m taking today has been a lesson in food prep.

#sorryimnotsorry

I’m hoping to put all this together for a fun post… but that requires me remembering to take pics tomorrow!  In the meantime, my friend Kat is going to write guest post for me tomorrow!  She’s awesome – a rockstar endurance athlete, avid foodie, and law student.  I think she unlocked the secret to adding hours to a day.

Kat is going to be doing a bi-weekly feature, so please drop by and say hi to her tomorrow when she introduces herself!

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We’re still rolling with this month’s Halloween-themed  What I Ate Wednesday.  I did alright for breakfast and meal 7…. I’m not sure if the rest ties in, but it was delicious and seasonal!

Check out my “special” low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how festive everyone else got this week!

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Meal 1:

After my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), I downed a grapefruit while I waited for some deliciousness to cook (not that the grapefruit wasn’t delicious… but it can’t compare).

TVP Protein “Oatmeal” has become a low-sodium staple, but I’ve had this particular version 2 days in a row so far.  It’s vegan, gluten-free, protein-filled, and involves pumpkin.  What’s not to love?

The fall spiced TVP “oats” with a creamy protein pumpkin pie mixture swirled in… I can’t even describe.  It’s the most decadent deliciouness!  Full recipe is at the bottom. 

Meal 2:

As much as I’ve been making salmon and fruit mixes lately, I don’t know if I can still call them #strangebutgood.  Strange or not, this was a good mix!

In my not-so-strange but good mix: curried salmon, pepitas, blackberries, and arugula.

Meal 3:

It’s the steak of the sea again!  Swordfish has become a weekly staple for me.  This one I grilled with onion, Herbs de Provence, pepper, and lemon juice.  Eaten with sautéed asparagus and shiitakes, and 1/2 a sweet potato.  On a hippo plate ’cause I was a hungry, hungry hippo yesterday.

Meal 4:

So I braved raw chicken again.  Last night I grilled a bunch to bring for lunch this week.  As much as I hate touching it, I do like the taste when it’s cooked to perfection (read: not dried out).

I always prepare it 1 or 2 different ways.  That way I don’t have  a pound of chicken that all tastes the same.  This piece had onion powder, pepper, oregano, cayenne, and lemon juice.  Eaten with cucumber and carrots. dipped in a quick sauce made of nutritional yeast, paprika, and cumin.  Yes, I recycled the plate.

Meal 5:

Apparently Tuesday night is pizza night.  I’ve become addicted to making a “crust” out of Kamut flour (no sodium, relatively high protein).  I make it just like socca crust, adding whatever flavors I’m in the mood for.  Lat night I added garlic, rosemary, and paprika.

My Indian-ish Pizza:

  • Curried chicken
  • Mint ricotta spread 
  • Red onion
  • Fennel
  • Zucchini
  • Arugula

The ricotta mixture  of the week was simply fat-free ricotta with fresh mint, paprika, and a little water to thin.  Like last week, I sautéed the veggies before topping the pizza and sticking it under broil for a few mins.  That mint in the ricotta was awesome with the curry chicken!

Meal 6:

For once I wasn’t in to mood for something sweet yet!  Probably because I was up prepping food for a business trip.  (Holy mother of planning – travel on a “special” diet is interesting.  More to come on this strategic extravaganza.)

I made one of my favorite simple salads.  Arugula with asparagus tossed with lemon juice and freshly ground pepper.  The protein on top is swordfish (the same pre-grilled batch from lunch).  Three cheers for food prep.

Meal 7:

Guess who’s still under her sodium for the day.  THIS girl.  Woo hoo!  Make that day 2 of successful sodium control.  My reward was a Butternut Squash Pudding.

I mixed no-salt cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and mashed butternut squash with cinnamon, nutmeg, maple extract, and vanilla stevia.  Topped with melted cherries.  #strangebutgood

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Pumpkin Pie TVP “Oatmeal”

  • 1 serving TVP Protein “Oatmeal” (without the egg whites)
  • 2 T pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (1T)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia
  • 1.5 T water (or other liquid)

Cook TVP oatmeal as instructed here.

Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl to make your pumpkin pie “filling.”

Once TVP is cooked, transfer to a bowl and swirl in the pumpkin filling.  Top as desired (I used cinnamon and cacao nibs).

Serves 1.

***

The protein count for the day: 166.1g.  The all-important sodium count: 535.7mg (a little over, but I get some allowance for naturally occurring sodium in veggies).

Quick shameless plug: in case you missed it, check out yesterday’s post for another way to vary your workout.  It’s the 2nd in my “Work It Out” series!

Has anyone started tracking or cutting back on sodium since last week?  Is it harder than you expected?

What is your favorite food to pack for the road?

Attack of the Killer Sodium + WIAW

By

Sodium is in everything.

Except peanut flour, thank god.

With less than 4 weeks to go until my figure competition, my diet has gotten more strict.  The latest adjustment it sodium.  I’m only allowed 500 mg a day.  No more bacon, sorry.

It turns out sodium is everywhere – even in thing that aren’t processed   Egg whites, for instance.  My trainer said I don’t have to cut egg whites until 2 weeks out, but if I eat them my sodium for the day will most certainly be over.  And the super expensive crab in my fridge?  Forget it.

We’ve seen a lot in the media lately about sodium, and how much is added to our foods.  Too much sodium can lead to problems like high blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis (this one was news to me), kidney stones, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and hormonal imbalance.  You don’t need to cut to the extent that I am, but The Institute of Medicine recommends limiting sodium intake to less than 2300 mg per day.

When I first started watching my intake, I was shocked to see how much was in items you’d never think to check.  Protein powder is a culprit – I had one egg protein that was about 500 mg!  Other unusual suspects: coffee drinks, bread, cereal, and pretty much every condiment known to man.

You don’t have to have salt (or fats, or sugars…) to add flavor to foods!  Try some making your own blends for use on protein, veggies, and beans…

  • Italian: I make my own sodium-free tomato sauce with garlic, onion, basil, oregano and, parsley
  • Thai: For a spicy peanut sauce, try peanut flour mixed with rice vinegar, lime, sriracha, garlic, and cilantro (similar to what I did here in my: Chili Nutty Tofu)
  • Mexican: This is an easy one – toss in some lime, cumin, cilantro, garlic, and cayenne like I did in this Mexican “Rice” Bowl
  • Mediterranean: This is a staple-combo in my kitchen with its lemon peel, garlic, mint, oregano, dill, and onion
  • Indian: I rubbed a simple mix of lime, garlic, ginger, onion, curry, cumin, coriander, and garam masala on the salmon I used in Meal 2 below

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Another sodium-free item is pumpkin.  Perfect for this month’s Halloween-themed  What I Ate Wednesday.  See if you can guess how much sodium I took in…

Check out my low-sodium, #strangebutgood (that’s scary, right?) eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is scaring up their food this month!

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Meal 1:

After my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), I enjoyed a protein mush.  Failing miserably with the sodium intake yesterday, I skipped the eggs for breakfast and went for sodium-free pumpkin.

Pumpkin Protein Mush

  • 2 T oats
  • 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 T ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butterscotch extract
  • 5-6 drops stevia
  • Liquid, to mix
  • Topped with banana

Meal 2:

Forget #strangebutgood.  This was strange but amazing.  There are only 4 ingredients if you pre-cook the salmon!

I loved the savory curry against the sweet salmon and the citrus in the blood orange.  Bonus: blood orange is certainly a Halloween-appropriate food.

Curried Salmon and Blood Orange Salad

  • 3 oz curried salmon (pre-cooked with the Indian spices mention in first part of this post)
  • 1 blood orange, sectioned
  • 1 T fresh basil
  • 1 T roasted squash seeds (tossed in coconut oil, cinnamon, and cardamom before roasting)

Meal 3:

If tuna is the chicken of the sea, then swordfish is the steak of the sea.  This is hands-down my favorite seafood.  And it’s fairly low in sodium.  Score.

Served with a Golden Dumpling squash, diced and roasted with thyme, Dora the Explorer edamame, and raw cauliflower.

Know what only has 1.7 mg of sodium?  Sugar-free York Peppermint Patties.

Meal 4:

I am still addicted to this Tequila-Lime Tilapia recipe.  Today I had it with a side of carrots.  Yes, I recycled the lion plate from lunch. 

Meal 5:

Last week I mentioned that I rarely chicken.  Even more rare that eating it… I COOKED it.  Raw chicken is one of the most disgusting things in the world to me.  In my low sodium quest, I pulled out a cooking binder I made years ago and prepared a modified (low sodium, low-fat) version of a marinade I used to love.  It turned out really well!  I still hate raw chicken.

I DO love pizza.  It seemed like everyone on Instagram last night was making pizza, so I jumped off that bridge too.  I was going to make a socca crust, but realized that Kamut flour has less sodium.  I mixed 1/4 C with just enough water to form a batter and cooked it like a pancake in a pan.

On My Pizza:

  • Chicken
  • Ricotta spread 
  • Red onion
  • Fennel
  • Zucchini
  • Arugula

The ricotta mixture was simply fat-free ricotta with fresh herbs, cayenne, and white balsamic.  I sautéed the veggies before topping the pizza and sticking it under broil for a few mins before inhaling the deliciousness.

Meal 6:

I ate meal 5 too late, so I didn’t get to excited about Meal 6.  And I only had 75 mg left for the day.  And I wanted eggs.  I was whiny.

Then something awesome happened.  I remembered tofu.  Scrambled tofu, specifically.  Oh yes… we have VEGAN version of PB & Jeggs.  A carrot cake-inspired PB & Ceggs.

Just as glorious as the “real” thing.  The carrot cake-like spices make this veggie and protein-packed meal a dessert.

Recipe at bottom.

Meal 7:

If you guess I went over my sodium…. you’d be right.  I have to ask my trainer tomorrow, but I’m guessing protein trumps sodium so I went ahead and exceeded 500 mg to get another 20 of protein.

The most sodium-free way I could think of to do this was no salt cottage cheese and peanut flour.  Since I get a carb too I went for some pumpkin in the mix.  Flavorings included cinnamon (it’s sick how much I love the stuff), nutmeg, cardamom, almond extract, vanilla stevia.  Topped with figs.  Nom.

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Vegan PB & Ceggs (Peanut Butter & Carrot “Eggs”)

  • 4 oz tofu, crumbled
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract (can use vanilla)
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia
  • 3 T water (or other liquid)

Place crumbled tofu in a greased (I used PAM) pan over medium-high heat.  

“Scramble” tofu until warmed through (~2-3 mins).  Meanwhile, mix together peanut flour, spices, extract, stevia, and water to form your peanut butter sauce (note: you could always use 2 T of your favorite nut butter here).

Add peanut butter and shredded carrot to the eggs.  Scramble together and allow to cooking ~1-2 mins more until hot.

Plate and enjoy!

Serves 1.

***

The protein count for the day: 169.4g.  The all-important sodium count: 576.5mg.

Quick shameless plug: in case you missed it, check out yesterday’s post for a new technique you can use to bust through plateaus in your workout.  It’s the first in a “Work It Out” series I’m doing!

Have you ever tracked your sodium intake?  Did it surprise you?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

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