Prepping for my L2LF 2015 Body Transformation.....

At the beginning of each new year, like most people, I like to make resolutions.  And although we still have few months until we ring in the new year, I am starting my preparations now.  I have invited a few clients to join me in my Love2LiveFit 2015 Body Transformation.  I wont divulge all that it entails yet, as I am still constructing it.  However, I will let you all know that we will be approaching this transformation in phases.

Phase one is simple, no sugar!  I will experience first hand how simple it is or isn't to cut out sugar.  I have decided to use these last 3 months of the year practicing the first 3 phases of the 4 phase program on myself, so that I can better assist and support my ladies as they go through it next year.

Today, October 1st. is day one of the first phase.  I have cut out sugar for a long time in the past, and from what I recall it isn't too difficult.  My rules for the no sugar phase are that if a label reads 2 or more grams of sugar per serving it doesn't go into your body.  However, if there is no added sugar then you may consume the food, such as dried fruit, beets, etc..  Natural sugars that occur in fruits are totally acceptable.  Dried fruits are tricky because a lot of them contain added sugar (so please read the labels if you also are watching your sugar intake).  So far the only dried fruits I have found in food markets that don't contain any added sugar are raisins, and pineapple.  A food dehydrator is the way go if you really want to have a nice selection of dried fruits without any added sugar; but I don't have on at the time, so will be mostly eating fresh fruits.

I went to Trader Joe's this morning to pick up a few snacks and food items for the first phase.  I love Trader Joe's!!!  There are so many wonderful foods to choose from that are healthier and tastier then items found in regular grocery stores.  I purchased all the items below at Trader Joe's, and they all fit right into my phase one eating program.  I don't like to buy packaged foods that have an encyclopedia of ingredients, so I always make sure to read the labels to ensure I know exactly what I'm putting into my body.  If I can't pronounce an ingredient or don't know what it is, it doesn't go in my mouth... because If I don't know what it is, my body won't either and won't be able to metabolize it properly.

Now I'd like to share each one of these products with you individually, so that you can read the labels and see that they are healthy packaged snacks and foods.  The first ones, Inner Peas, are dangerously good!!!  Eat with caution... It is very easy to put an entire bag down in one eating:).  I count out one serving and tape the bag shut and put it away!

Roasted Plantains... Yum!  If you have never tried them, I want to let you know that they taste nothing like a banana chip.  I first bought them thinking they did, and didn't like them at all.  Then a few years later tried them again (I like to give foods a second chance), and realized they taste just like a potato chip... Bam!  Tasty lil' treats that contain only 3 ingredients and zero sugar!!!

 

 

Some day I will own a dehydrator, and when I do, pineapple will be my most dehydrated fruit I make.  I LOVE it so much!!!  And I just discovered today, that Trader Joe's brand is 100% pineapple, no sugar added, and a nice amount of fiber too!

I typically like to make my own hummus, it is so easy to make.  However, now that I am working 7 days a week... my time has been a tad crunched.  So I decided to try this hummus today.  I made a veggie sandwich on sprouted grain for lunch with avocado, hummus, tomatoes, and fresh spinach.. it was delicious.  The jalapeno has a good amount of heat and flavored up the sandwich nicely:)

And only one gram of sugar/serving... thank you!

I love beets!  I don't know a lot of people that do, but I sure hope if your on the fence you will give them another try.  They are good for you and yes there are 7 grams of sugar/serving, but it is the beet's natural sugar... so eat up and give your body and nice detoxifying snack!!!

My last blog post was about lentils... I purchased them again today, and think that I will make a nice pot of spinach lentil soup with this batch... Stay tuned!

Raw whole cashews are a delicious snack with a surprising sweetness to them.  These ones from Trader Joe's only contain cashews.  There are 2 grams of sugar/serving, but this is the natural sugar of the nut:).  Unless the description reads Raw, nuts more then likely will contain oils, added salt, and sugar.  

I usually don't purchase chips to have on hand as a snack, but these colorful tortilla chips are filled with great ingredients, and will make for a great taco salad or to dip into hummus:)   

    Zero sugar and only 2% sodium...not to mention 12% fiber and some protein... Got to Love that!!!

My milk of choice has always been almond milk.  75% of people can't digest lactose, which leads to a number of problems I'll discuss in phase 3.  I love this unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and it has zero grams of sugar and only 30 calories in a cup!!!  

What's in your cupboard?

There is always one shelf in our cupboard that is dedicated to my snacks, and no the top shelf with the mac n cheese is not mine:).  Mine is the middle shelf where I like to keep all my "clean snacks".

I always suggest to my clients who have a spouse and children at home to make a space in the kitchen pantry or cupboard for their snacks only... it definitely helps to stay on track!  

Looking forward to 2015 and in the process of making it the healthiest one yet!!!

Tomorrow is day 2 of phase one, and I have to say that the only anxiety I may have is that Halloween is coming up and my wedding... and this phase is going to put my inner strength to the test... 

Bring it on!

Love2LiveFit

Oh Lentils... How I Love Thee!

These Lil guys are delicious and a very versatile, nutrient-packed, addition too so many meals and snacks!  You can get these lentils at Trader Joe's.  As the label reads, they are ready to eat warm or cold; and in my opinion taste great either way.  You can also buy lentils in bulk at your local grocery stores (if they have bulk bins, there are usually black and/or red lentils for purchase).

 For a 1/2c. serving, Lentils provide 120 calories, zero fat, 20 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fiber (giving a net card of 12 grams), only 2 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

 Today's lunch... Fresh spinach, one piece of nitrate/nitrite-free bacon, tomatoes, fat-free feta, and one serving of lentils, drizzled with a splash of balsamic... SO GOOD!!!  It was hard not to make another salad.

Love2LiveFit

Bulgarian Split Squat = Gluteal Love

I know the quality of this picture isn't the best... but my client and friend I call Stroupie's form while performing Bulgarian split squats is spot on.  To hit more gluteal muscles you want to kick the forward foot out more in front.  To hit more quad muscles you would have the forward foot back a little closer to the bench; in either position the knee should always track right above the ankle.
When lowering into the eccentric position, I tell my clients to mentally push the elevated knee towards under the bench.  Now, it doesn't even go under the bench at all; however, by having them direct it that way targets more gluteal activation, then not.  And we all Love to do that!!!


                                                                         Love2LiveFit

Travel and Fitness!

 It was a hot one in L.A. during the last week of July this year.  I drove me and my son down to Alhambra to spend a week with my 95 year old grandmother who lives alone.  She has lived in the same house for over 70 years, she even told me she paid $3,500.00 for it... Crazy!
Anyway, knowing I would be down there for a week presented me with the fitness opportunity that I teach to so many of my clients... Train while you travel.  Gathering the equipment I could fit into my suitcase, and trunk of the car came rather easy.  I brought two mats, a pair of perfect push ups, resistance bands, a pair of gliding discs, a jump rope, and the most valuable piece of training gear, my bag of sticks!

Sticks is a workout I surprise my clients with randomly, and they always respond with the same dreaded sigh... Because they know that the sticks unveil their fitness fate with each pull out of the bag.
My training plan for the week was to complete each stick in the bag.  Usually when you pick a stick you put it back in the bag, and it can only be repeated two more times, and not twice in a row (stick fitness rules), however my plan was to not put any
sticks back in the bag and try to empty the whole bag by Friday.
Well... I didn't realize how many darn sticks I had created over
the past few years, and only completed 98 sticks, with 42 more
remaining.  I trained with the sticks 4 days with a 20min. warm-
up of jumping rope.
The environment of my grandmas garage was the rawest  gym
I have ever trained in, besides the outdoors.  I honestly felt
like a bad ass, lol; sweating my butt of in 88 degree temps
with more humidity in a day then we get all year up here in Reno, NV.
After my first workout, I went in the house and my grandma tells me that she wants to come out tomorrow and watch me.  I replied, "really?".  She said, "well, naturally, I want to see what it is you do".  She is so darn cute, and I Lo her so much.
Her watching me train, turned into her pulling my fitness fate with each stick; it was awesome!!!
The garage has been completely cleaned out since my grandpa passed away15 years ago, and the only things that remain are the washing machine (no dryer, yes I lined dried all the laundry and me and my son really enjoyed that), the old radio (pictured below), and a few yard tools.  It was muggy, dusty and dark; and I killed those workouts!
I have done my stick workouts before, yet it had been a long time; and doing so, gave me a clearer understanding for what I put my clients through:).

I was amazed how good of a workout I got using minimal equipment.  This just reiterated to myself that you don't need a lot to get a good workout done!!!


      No Excuses Right?  Because that is the only thing getting in our way... Our self.

                                                Love2LiveFit

All the gear that kicked my butt!!!

Sticks I didn't complete.

Sticks completed.

Finally Back into a routine and busier then ever!

This summer I decided to take a trip to L.A. with my son to visit my grandmother (check out the following blog).  She is 95 years old and lives alone.  She doesn't see very well anymore and doesn't get many visitors these days.  We drove down and stayed 6 days.  I cleaned, cooked, took her out to lunch, did laundry, organized her cupboards, etc...
We had breakfast and coffee every morning on the porch, and every afternoon we relaxed on the porch and she really enjoyed watching me and my son play catch.

While I was down there, I was pursuing to get my old job back at a spa I worked at for 3 1/2 years as an Aesthetician.  Working part-time on the weekends would really help out and allow me to continue training, cooking, and being home during the week for my son when on school breaks.  And I had really missed the line of work since leaving in 2012.
The day after I returned home, I went in for an interview and was hired on the spot... Yay!  It has been so good to be back and work with all the amazing people there again.  It really is a zero stress job for me and I like to refer to it as the softer side of what I do, when you compare it to the trainer in me.
I am grateful and blessed to be doing my passions for a living!!!  Going back to work on the weekends has taken me a little to get use to in regards to organizing my time between fitness, studying skin care, my son's sporting activities, planning our wedding next month, cooking, and blogging; but I feel that I am finally getting a good routine established and will hopefully be back to blogging regularly.
Going back to work as an Aesthetician may now bring some skin care blogs to my site along with the fitness and food.  Stay tuned...

Sweet & Savory Egg White Omelet

As usual I log my meals onto myfitnesspal the evening before the following day.  I like to wake the next morning and have my meals planned; it is kind of like having a personal menu planner.  Food shopping and prepping over the weekend is the main contributor to being able to plan ahead, and what a time saver it is!  So last night as I sat down to relax with a glass of wine, I got out my tablet and threw together this different combination for an omelet.  Not knowing what to expect this morning as I prepared last night's creation, and hoping I would love it, I took a few pictures, and dug in.  Oh my... Success, it was so good!!!  I love to add oats to my egg whites, but have never done so in this way.  And I will be doing it again, probably tomorrow.

The Meal

1c. Egg whites

1/3c. Oats

1tbsp. Raisins

A dash of cinnamon

A dash of Truvia

I warmed the oats, raisins, and hot water (just enough to cover the oats, so they don't get runny)

in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Meanwhile, began to cook the egg white omelet.  Before flipping the omelet, I lightly sprinkled it cinnamon and Truvia.  Once flipped I added the oats and raisins; and lightly sprinkled them with cinnamon and Truvia.  Fold it in half, and Wa-La... Breakfast is served!

The Nutrients

Calories: 233

Fat: 2g

Carbs: 26

Fiber: 4g

Protein: 23g

Love2LiveFit

Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Nutritional Yeast

Lunch made quick, simple, delicious, and healthy.  I was organizing the pantry yesterday when I came across my container of Nutritional Yeast.  I don't know why it always gets placed up high and behind other items, leaving me forgetting about this wonderful addition for so many meals.  If you haven't ever tried nutritional yeast, I highly recommend adding into your recipes as a cheese replacement.  Vegans use it often to substitute for Parmesan.  It is great sprinkled on salads, vegetables, chicken, omelets, and my favorite, popcorn.  I could eat it straight from a spoon too.  It is loaded with a full spectrum of Essential Amino Acids, B-Vitamins, low in sodium,  provides 3 grams of fiber per serving, and 7 grams of protein per serving.    I purchased my container at Whole Foods, but I'm sure you can find it at other Health Food Stores, or online.

Recipe and nutrients are listed below.

The Meal

2c. Chopped romaine lettuce

2oz. Sliced Roma tomatoes

4oz. Sliced, Grilled chicken breast

2oz. Chopped, Black Forest ham

2tbsp. Fage plain Greek yogurt

1/2tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

The Nutrients

Calories: 254

Fat: 6g

Carbs: 14g

Fiber: 6g

Protein: 44g

I would also like to mention that I have done away with salad dressings for years now, and if I do add dressing to a salad I will make it from scratch in the Bullet mixer; which is incredibly easy and a much healthier alternative.  However, this year I discovered adding Fage Greek yogurt atop my salads quickly became my new favorite!!!  I don't miss dressing AT ALL, and benefit from the fabulous nutritional properties the Greek yogurt contains- low carb, no fat, and a good amount of protein.  My top two favorites to go with the Fage are: Tapatio hot sauce, or blue cheese crumbles; hello blue cheese dressing heaven!

Love2LiveFit

Birthday Workout!

My client and good friend was sweating it out this morning for her Birthday Workout!  I like to give my clients a special treat for their Birthday, besides cupcakes (Yes, I made cupcakes for three birthdays last week).  They all may have received delicious chocolate chip, sprinkled cupcakes; but they all paid for it in the gym! The birthday workout, simply put is your age in reps.  Yep, that is pretty much it; and for my lil' birthday girl below, she thankfully only turned 33!   

The workout consisted of two circuits of 4 exercises each, and 33 reps per exercise.  She killed it, completing the first circuit 3 times, and the second circuit twice!!!  Did I mention, I decorated the gym with a Birthday banner and streamers?  I thought the gym should look pretty and festive as she sweated and worked her but off!  Of course she didn't leave empty handed...  she went home with a bunch of cupcakes, hopefully that her husband ate most of... Sorry Bryan!:)

Birthday girl busting out Plank Triceps Kickbacks... 33 REPS!

Love2LiveFit

Black Forest Ham and Guacomole Omelet

Good Morning!  I am on an omelet kick this week.

My favorite thing about omelets are that I can create so many different varieties, leaving me with endless breakfast options.  Today's omelet, as most are, was simple and delicious.

The Meal

1c. Egg whites

2oz. Black forest ham

2oz. Sliced Roma tomatoes

1oz. Homemade guacamole

Fresh ground black pepper

The Nutrients 

Calories: 227 

Fat: 8g

Carbs: 6g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 30g

Love2LiveFit