Friday, June 19, 2015

Quick Meal Conundrum


The girls' last day of school was June 4th.  They have been on summer break for 2 weeks.  I use the term break loosely.




My summers aren't what some people would consider busy.  The girls dance 2 days a week (but that will probably change soon due to competition team practices starting next month), and I have my clients.  Even when we don't have to be anywhere, I normally prefer not to be in the house.  The girls and I spend atleast 2 hours a day at the pool and/or beach.  The only days that we don't go are the on the days they dance.

I prefer to make quick meals in the summer, all the time.  Between clients, my own gym time, and errands, I never get home much before the girls during the school year.  When I can, I like for them to eat before going to their activities so we don't have to rush to eat before bed.  And in the summer after I get home from dealing with clients we always head to the beach or the pool.  I never want to come home and stand in the kitchen for very long.   And honestly I think my kids prefer the quick meals.  

No matter what your reason, I think it's always a good idea to have 5-10 good dinners that only take 10-20 minutes in your arsenal of recipes.  

My old stand-bys are sandwiches, soup, cereal, and eggs.  But, you can only have those so many times before you get bored of them.  I've put together a group of websites that have a TON of meatless, vegetarian quick dinners.



Links
Martha Stewart -- Almost 100 meatless quick meals. Pastas, soups, sandwiches, and a ton of other recipes

Cooking Light -- These all look delish!  Mexican, Asian, and many countries in between.  I'm definatley trying the vegetable maki.

Buzzfeed -- Vegan recipes in under 30 minutes.  The cheese steak is my favorite.

Greatist -- Breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes in under 12 minutes.

Martha Stewart -- Vegetarian and vegan recipes that are quick

Amuse Your Bouche -- 50 recipes in under 20 minutes.  A great mix of vegetarian and vegan recipes.  The bell pepper pizza is going on my list of recipes to try.

Do you have any tried and true quick meals? Do you and/or your kids prefer quick meals or ones that take a bit longer?

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Pre-, Intra-, Post

Have you ever thought about how minor things can affect your workout?  Honestly, there's a million things that can affect it and how your body reacts to your workout.  Things that you do before, during, and after you exercise can make or break your progress.  

I was asked a few questions about certain things and I decided to answer them here for y'all.  


1. What foods do you eat pre-workout?

I prefer to workout in the mornings so, I usually eat a nice, hearty breakfast. Oatmeal, a banana, and some sort of protein. Normally, my protein is a shake or eggs. As I've talked about before, I have a serious obsession with pancakes. It's potentially an unhealthy obsession with pancakes. I found out a healthy, vegan way to eat my pancakes and not ruin my carbs.

Ingredients

.5 cup dry oatmeal
1 T chia seeds
.5-.66 cup water or non-dairy milk
1 mashed banana 
cinnamon

Directions



  1. Mix all ingredients together and let sit overnight (if you're in a rush you can let it sit for for 45 minutes)
  2. Cook like you would a normal pancake

If I'm forced to push back my sweat session due to whatever reason, I try not to eat too close to going. Working out on a full stomach can be a not-so-nice feeling and can lead to a messy situation {if you catch my drift} But, I normally will do a kale protein shake for this meal. I prefer to use frozen berries in my smoothie so I don't have to use ice. It also gives it the same texture as a Wendy's Frosty.

Ingredients
60 grams raw kale
140 g frozen strawberries
1.5 c almond milk
1 scoop protein powder
1 T chia seeds

Directions
  1. Blend until smooth

There are also some supplements that people take before their workout to help them. If you need something to give you a little boost then you should do a pre-workout. A pre-workout is an energy booster that you take 30-45 minutes before a workout. I've been hearing about a new one that I'm going to try. It's from the company ETB {Eat the Bear}. ETB's Uncaged 2.5 and 5.0 are healthy alternatives to the other brands. Click HERE to see their whole line of pre-workout products. You can also check out ETB's website for all their other products like protein, and multivitamins


The one thing I never forget to drink are my BCAA's. They help muscle soreness and help you grow, repair, and maintain lean muscle.

2. What do you listen to during your workouts?



I have a hard time at the gym without my music. Everything distracts me. With my headphones in and music playing I can tune out the world and concentrate on me, on bettering myself, reaching my goals, getting my hour of alone time where nothing else matters. {I know all you other stay at home moms can relate to that one}


I think that IheartRadio and Pandora are 2 of the greatest things since Napster. {I know, I just dated myself.} Free music is great. I have all of my favorite artists' songs without paying for them! My 2 favorite types of music fall on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm a country and hard rock girl. On my list of stations are:



  • Caffeinated Country
  • Disturbed
  • Avenged Sevenfold
  • Breaking Benjamin
  • Korn
  • Five Finger Death Punch
I love these stations because 97% of the songs that are played are fast. They keep my workout tempo going. And when the sad songs come on? Those totally get skipped! I've had one to many times where I've almost cried during my workout.

3. How do you switch up certain routines daily/weekly to stay motivated?





Okay, this isn't COMPLETELY true with me. I kinda have a routine. Ever since I stopped working with my trainer for the bikini competition I haven't followed a certain schedule for a long time.


Here what I DO:


*Workout 5-6 days a week. My split is normally

-Back
-Chest
-Glutes and Legs
- Shoulders/Abs
-Arms/Abs
-Cardio

*Make sure to hit each muscle group from atleast 2 different angles.

-Incline bench press and flat flyes
-Leg Press and squats

*Make sure my workouts are fun

-When you think your workouts are boring, normally you'll quit.

*Do atleast 1 unilateral exercise per muscle group

-unilateral exercises are exercises that train one side of the body at a time.  
-Single leg deadlifts
-One arm cable curls
-DB bicep curls

Normally I put together my workout either the nite before or morning of. 90% of the time I have a long-term goal in mind so, my workouts reflect my goal. Right now I'm training for something so, my workouts are tailored to meet my training needs. I will reveal what I'm training for in a post later this week.


4. What do you eat or do after your workout to make sure you got the most out of your workout?

I do 2 things. I drink LOTS of water, and eat something within an hour of working out. Normally I have a protein shake. Protein helps rebuild muscles. It's very important after a serious workout.


Okay, I've told you what I do before, during, and after my workouts. What do YOU do? Let me know in the comments!

Friday, June 5, 2015

National Donut Day 2015

Happy National Donut Day!  I used to love donuts.  They are great.  Ooooey, goooey pillowy yumminess. Man I miss donuts!  Before I lost my ability to eat donuts I was given a Sunbeam mini donut maker.  


This thing is great!  It makes 5 donuts in about 6 minutes.  Mine has been well loved.  Did you know you aren't just limited to donuts in this?  There are a ton of other things you can make in one of these.  I have made pancake donuts, muffin donuts, and cake mix donuts.  Anything that has a batter can be made into donuts.  Brownies?  Yep.  Quick bread?  Weird but yes.  This is great because you can make fat free versions of your favorite donuts.  I've made chocolate, red velvet, yellow, peanut butter, lemon and a ton of other flavors.  I surprise my girls with donuts often.  


You know what else is fat free?  Clothes!  Alot of companies are coming out with some really cute donut clothes.  


Till You Collapse Donut Leggings -- $30

Till You Collapse

KimFitFab Donuts and Deadlifts Gym Tank -- $23
KimFitFab

KnickerRocker Donut Panties -- $40




KnickerRocker Etsy


Lastly, here's 2 huge collections of donut clothes.  Everything from shirts to socks.  

Wanelo List of Donut Clothes





Etsy Donut Clothes Search



And one last thing.  Today at Dunkin Donuts they are giving away free donuts with the purchase of any beverage.  They are also unveiling two new donut variations including Chips Ahoy!® Crème, a shell donut filled with cookie dough flavored butter crème, frosted with chocolate icing, dipped in crumbled Chips Ahoy cookies and the Chips Ahoy!® Crunch, a ring donut frosted with chocolate icing, dipped in crumbled Chips Ahoy cookies.
These will go perfectly with your Oreo or Chips Ahoy!  coffee.  

Want to win a $100 Dunkin Donuts gift card?  Tweet a “selfie” with your favorite donut using the hashtag #DDonutSelfie for a chance to win!!