Cinnamon Apples!

I got this recipe from one of my Figure friends. If you like green apples, you will love this sweet recipe that is super-good-for-you!

1 Granny Smith green apple
Ground Cinnamon

Cut the apple into pieces, place on plate and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Place in microwave for approximately 1 minute (depends on your settings on your microwave). Let cool and enjoy!

If you aren't training or worrying about your sugar/calories, you can also sprinkle with brown sugar splenda for extra sweetness.

Enjoy!!

Coffee Heaven

On the forever quest for yummy goodness while competing, I have discovered a great way to make my black coffee taste like a Starbucks latte with ZERO calories or fat or sugars. Take your regular, black coffee and add a teaspoon of Walden Farms Caramel (0 Carbs/0 Sugars/0 Calories) to it, stir. Delicious!!!

Protein for the Sweet Tooth!

Every competitor struggles with that sweet tooth every now and then. I'm no different. I stumbled across some yummy goodness out there and thought I would share. As most of you know, my favorite protein powder is ISO Dymatize 1000. It is super-clean and mixes well with water (I am not a paid endorser). Zero carbs, Zero sugars and Zero fat which is also a happy. I ordered their Pina Colada flavor for the first time, just to experiment with some new flavors. I put a scoop of that and a teaspoon of my Walden Farms Marshmallow Whip (also zero carbs, zero sugars and zero calories), 1/3 Cup of oats and water/ice cubes in my blender to mix it up. YUMMY! 206 calories. I must warn you, it is really sweet. Like that's a bad thing. Ha! Enjoy!!

Happy March!

Hello everyone! Wow, it has been awhile since my last post, I am sorry about that. Managing 4 active kids and a busy hubby while working AND training for a competition is a bit crazy but I wouldn't trade a minute of it. Just bear with me as we finish up winter sports in our house, my postings will get more frequent. How is everyone?

I woke up this morning with a smile that it is now March. Winter here in Kansas this year has been grueling, kind of like your training diets!! Ha! Like all of you, I am ready to take my cardio/interval training outdoors. I think I have worn grooves in my treadmill. My hubby is also glad because my treadmill sits right next to his side of the bed and those early morning cardio sessions are getting really old while he tries to sleep!

So today marks 8 weeks out until my competition. I was really worrying because I had hit a plateau and wasn't making any changes. I made some changes to my diet and my cardio and now I am movin again! Leaning up time is officially here!! I am extremely proud of my online clients who are posting some incredible changes as well!! The girl power around me is awesome!! Keep it up all of you!

It is also that time to begin thinking about my competition suit. I'm excited because I just put in an order for a new, custom made one last week. I can't wait to see it! If you all haven't worked with Tamara at www.bikiniguru.com yet, you should. She's really great with measurements, colors, style, etc. Reach out to her and let her know I sent ya. She has done my trainer's suits for years.

Send me emails and tell me how you are doing. I love to hear from everyone. We are in hard core training season now, so I know EVERYONE is working hard and eating super-clean. It will all pay-off as all of you beauties hit the stage to show off that hard work. Keep the thoughts positive and lean on your competition friends to get you through the rough days. I posted the above picture as a reminder to keep going. It's a magnet that I have on my fridge. Love ya! Rock the Girl Power & Go Figure!!

Muscles over Skinny!!

In honor of the Olymipic Winter Games that are currently on, I thought I would post this article. I actually came across it through HardBody.com/news (great site by Isaac Hinds to check out).

This is an article about Olympic ice skater Tanith Belbin and how going from super-skinny to muscular and eating correctly made her a better skater. She talks about the weight issues that she has experienced that a lot of us have and how she made the change to an "Athletic Body". It's amazing what some weight training and inteligent eating will do for ya!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/sports/olympics/17icedancers.html?ref=nutrition

Fitnes Universe, 2010 in Miami, Florida

Great Butt Workout by Zuzana

If you all haven't been to Zuzana's site (www.bodyrock.tv), you really should. She hosts a daily fitness show where she does some of the best workouts I've seen. She has a great way of coming up with new ideas that keep your cardio fresh and interesting. Another great thing about what she does is it is all "outside" of a gym setting so people who don't have gym memberships can do the workouts from home. So here is a really fantastic butt workout that is also a fat-blaster because she keeps the heart rate up. You can do this at home or at the gym and I am always telling everyone to work those butts!!! This is an easy one to do...well...maybe "easy" is the wrong word :) Go get it!!

Pepper Crazy!

I spotted this yummy find at my grocery store today (Hen House). Most familiar with competitor diets know that peppers are a "freebie" food. I get tired of cutting them up though. So...today I found these "mini peppers" and brought them home with me. Yumm-o!! I am really excited about these and how handy they are. They are very sweet too. Yes, I realize that it doesn't take much to get me excited (peppers, really??), but if you compete, you totally understand!! Hopefully you can find them too. If not, ask your grocery store, I bet they can get some for you.

I have also noticed that as I get closer to competition, the longer it takes me to get through the grocery store! I find myself lingering in the chip aisle, the cookie aisle, the candy aisle, etc. I just stand and stare. People probably think I'm crazy!! Love it!!

11 Weeks Out

I'm starting to feel the panic! 11 weeks out from my competition and worrying about the end result. Will I get lean enough? Will my shoulders have developed more than last time? How's my back? Quads? I have been working really hard in the "off season" to add more muscle. Will it be enough? I'm going up against some pretty tough competition in April. My carbs have been higher up until now, so I'm not feeling as lean as I would like either. This is the story of most figure girls during competition season. My friends and family roll their eyes. They don't understand. In their eyes, I am in amazing shape. Why do I need to lose more? Tone more? "Are you kidding?" I am sure you all get the same feedback, however we are pretty Type A in our sport. Runners too. We are very goal-oriented and perfectionists. Heck, when you put your rear end up on stage in a tiny little bikini and turn to the back, you MUST be a perfectionist! I do know in the end, it will all come together. It always does. This is a very tough sport that requires the highest level of self-control and discipline. Knowing that, I stay true to my diet and workouts. I trust my trainer. I know she will get me to "stage day" perfection.

My favorite workouts right now are ladders. You can do them for your back and chest and of course, legs/butt. If you have access to a cable machine, that is the best way, but of course you can improvise too. Be prepared to work hard and breathe heavy!

I'm beginning to feel the effects of the heavy training. I am more tired and sore these days and that is to be expected with the heavier weights and the high intensity. It is only going to get harder! So...I put my game face on and keep my eye on the prize and focus on the stage. It's all worth it to see the amazing changes that take place in our bodies.

Everyone hang in there. Focus. This is the time. Make the most of your workouts, get massages, eat right and take your supplements. Oh, and thank your loved ones for helping you get through it too. I have a great support system around me, which makes all the difference in the world. Thanks for reading, I love each and every one of you! We really are a Figure Sorority. Rock the Girl Power and Go Figure!

Some Days I Don't Want to Work Out Either!

I woke up today very tired and very sore. All-over sore. Between traveling with 4 kids to the Bahamas and back, working legs super-heavy on Monday and then my trainer giving me an incredible back/bi work-out on Tuesday, I woke up today feeling really tired and every inch of my body aching. I have those days too, where I am just not "feeling" the excitement of going and pushing myself AND doing cardio. Guess what? I went anyway and I worked really hard and I was really glad I did afterward. Oh sure, I could have made the easy excuse of feeling over-trained and needing to take a day off but let's face it; excuses suck and you end up feeling worse afterward for not going. It would be different if I was injured, but I'm not. I'm 12 weeks out from my competition and I pretty much have to live in the excuse-free zone for the next 12 weeks. There's something about the idea of having to wear that tiny little suit on stage that keeps you honest to your workouts!

For those that are following, today's workout was legs. Legs, legs, legs. That includes the butt. I am pretty focused on getting more definition in my quads and building my butt. I finished with abs and then 30 minutes of steady-state cardio. I then took my BCAA's and Glutamine and made sure to have my protein shake right after. My protein shake, post-workout is water, ice, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/2 cup of oats, 1 banana and some coconut flavoring. No fats in my post workout meal. I want everything to absorb into my muscles quickly and fats slow that process down.

So now I am off to bed. Sleep/recovery is critical right now since I am training so hard. It will help me to wake up feeling more rested and less sore.

Hang in there on your workouts and training! It's all worth it afterward! Rock the Girl Power & Go Figure!

Walden Farms Products

I did a previous post about how in love I was with the Walden Farms BBQ sauce. Yum! I recently ordered the "sweets" products in hopes that it would be a saving grace for any sweet tooth attacks that I have in the next 12 weeks. I ordered the marshmallow whip, caramel dip and chocolate dip. I would say that all three are "eh". They will do in a pinch, but none of them are the same as a cookie!! I did find that putting a little bit of one of the flavors in my protein shake was really good. I also put a little bit of the marshmallow in my sugar-free jell-o and that was good too. I will continue to experiment. Much love!

Today's Workout, 2/2/10

Today's workout with my trainer was working back and biceps. We did ladders for a large portion of the workout. For those of you not familiar with ladders it is an extremely effective way to hit different angles in your muscle you are working For example, back. We started with 40 lbs on the cable machine. We used the handle that is in the shape of a W. My hand position going down was overhand. We started with the angle up high and did 12 reps. After each set, we dropped the angle a notch until we finally hit the bottom notch. I felt this in each muscle set within my back. I was working! Once we hit the bottom, we worked our way back up, this time my hand position was underhand. We also did pull-up plyos in-between my other exercises. Other exercises consisted of bicep curls, hammer curls, rope extensions, etc. It was a great workout!

Post-workout, I took my BCAA's and glutamine to help repair and build and followed with a protein shake that consisted of water, ice, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup of light orange juice and 1/2 c oats. Yum!

12 Weeks Out!

Hi Everyone! I've returned from the Bahamas (ahhhh...yes, it was SO warm!!!)and now 12 weeks out from my competition. I packed all my food and took it with me and amazingly, I stayed true to my competition diet while down there! I even came home a pound lighter on the scale. Yippee!

So right now I am doing 20-25 minutes of HIT cardio about 5-6 days/week. I'm not wanting to do too much more than that for fear of dropping weight too soon and losing precious muscle. I meet with my trainer today, so we will see if she starts tweaking my diet and my cardio. In her opinion, I can be "show ready" in 6 weeks, so hopefully I get to continue on my current calorie plan.

My treadmill workout this morning was 5 minutes warm-up then 20 minutes of 1 minute fast, 30 seconds rest. My speed on the treadmill is set at 8.0. Each treadmill is different, so do what works for you. I was breathing heavy at the end! Pump the music and get into a groove and you might actually enjoy it!

Yesterday I lifted heavy legs and they are sore and tired today. I'm also obsessed with pull-ups (starting position from the lowest hanging position) as I can see a big difference in my back and my biceps from doing them. They are tough to do, but try to get better at your pull-ups every/other/day. Even if you can only do 1 right now, that is still great! Hang and pull yourself up as opposed to jumping up and only going down part of the way. You gain more from the pull at the very top. Make a goal to master 1, then 3, then 5, so on. You can do it and your back will be beautiful by summer!!

Love you ladies! Rock the Girl Power and Go Figure!!!

Yummy Tuna Salad

Here is a new favorite of mine. I found the Bumblebee tuna steak the other day in the grocery store. Yum!

In a bowl add:

Fresh spinach leaves (salad bag kind)
Chopped cucumbers
Hard boiled egg whites (minus yolk)
Tuna steak
Avocado

For salad dressing I use red wine vinegar and I sprinkle with sea salt. It's really filling!

Food

Hi Ladies! I get asked A LOT about what I eat. During competition mode, my diet differs than when I am in maintenance mode. Right now I am in the early stages of my competition diet. My competition is about 14 weeks out and I can be "stage ready" in 6 weeks. So...we are focusing on putting more muscle on me. I have a really hard time gaining muscle mass since I was an endurance runner for so many years and also because of my build. I have to work REALLY hard to get my muscle :) This means that right now my calories are about 1800-2000/day and I am higher in carbs (the good kind ladies!) than I will be as the competition gets closer. I have an overall macro nutrient goal for the day that is broken out per meal that I try to hit. I like this method better because it gives me more choice on what I eat. There are different plans out there and honestly it just takes trying different ones to see what your body responds best to. I also phase my carbs out as the day progresses so that by dinner time, my only carbs are from my green veggies.

As far as supplements, I get this a lot too. My supplements are BCAA's, Glutamine and Whey Protein Powder. Again, this is what works for me and not for everyone, so definitely check with your trainer before you copy what I am doing.

Today my cardio consisted of 20 minutes on the stair climber, doing intervals and sweating and building my hiney! I always do cardio following my weight training since I am already in fat-burning mode. My sets today were Back/Bi's/Abs. Lots of pull-ups!!!

Good luck to all of you. Rock the girl power and Go Figure!!!!

The Importance of Interval Workouts Ladies!!

I'm forever telling ladies to not spend so much time doing steady-state running (I was guilty of doing it for years) and to focus more on intervals that require less time but burn more fat. Here is an article from Oxygen Magazine, Feb., 2010 issue that reinforces the concept.

Love This Picture From Oxygen Magazine, 2/10

Carb Cycling for Women

This is a great article on carb cycling. A lot of girls use this type of diet to get ready for a competition. There are a lot of different opinions on how to do it out there and this one is straightforward with easy to follow examples. Enjoy!

Carb Cycling for Women

WBFF's Online Magazine, Jan., 2010

WBFF FIt

Dream Big!

Believe in your dreams ladies. Dream big and believe in them!

BodyRock.TV Fast Death Workout!

This is one of my favorite sites for hard-core, cardio workouts: www.BodyRock.TV. She is amazing and has really cool cardio workouts that are quick and get the heart pumping!! Good luck!!

Turkey Scramble Recipe

I don't know about all of you, but I get really tired of chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes, repeat in the heart of competition training. So...I've become creative with my food. This is one of my favorites right now. I'm sure I will make myself tired of it since I eat it 4 times/day. Ha! So here you go:

Ground Turkey
Brussel Sprouts
Fresh Spinach
Chopped Cucumbers
Jalapenos
Seasoning
Sweet Potatoes
Top with Avacado for good fat
Portion out according to your diet

I also use Walden Farms BBQ sauce. Zero cals, Zero carbs, Zero sugars. Yum.

January, 2010

I'm a week into my new diet & training and feeling great. My trainer has me doing it a bit different this time and I really like it. Instead of the same meals, over and over, she is giving me more freedom in my choices by counting out my carbs, proteins and fats for each meal. I start higher on my carbs right now and phase them out through the day. I sure feel nice & full in the morning and lots of energy! This will change as I get closer to the competition. We will take my carb count down overall to lean me out.

I am doing cardio as intervals right now and for 20/25 minutes. This will probably change also! My knees are really bothering me, so it is helpful that I am not pounding away for an hour on cardio right now. Need to get a Dr. appointment to get them looked at :(

Attended a seminar on Saturday that was put on by the promoters of the show that I am doing in April. I really enjoyed it. It got me fired up to get going and of course, taking an early look at my competition! Ha! We practiced posing and of course all of the information for show day, etc. Good stuff! Here we go!!

Diana has also mentioned a show in Chicago, in September that has Bikini & Fitness Model. I'm thinking about that one as well, but not sure yet if I will do it. Stay tuned!

Working on my ACE certification as well. Week 5. Ready to have that done and off my plate.

Well make it a great day people! Get some cardio & weight training in, it will warm you up. Rock the Girl Power & Go Figure!!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2010! So far, January in Kansas has been covered in snow and sub-zero temps. No outdoor running for cardio, it's all gym time for now. I started back with my trainer, the one and only Diana Chaloux. She is awesome and I missed my workouts with her. I do not push myself as hard as she does, so it's nice to be back into training mode. We took my weight and measurements and they are not good. I really "indulged" my last two weeks of Christmas/New Years, so now I am going to have to pay for it in cardio, cardio, cardio. Ugh. I have a new diet to go along with my training. Competition is April, 2010, so here we go! To go along with the training, I will be working in a trip to Atlantis, Bahamas that my hubby won through work. We are plenty excited, but you know vacations in paradise are tough on a competitor! Off to the gym I go for now! Stay warm and stay focused! This is your year to do great things. Believe it! Rock the Girl Power & Go Figure!!