I Am More...

When I first started this blog a month and a half ago I was dead set on making it about me and my competition journey.  I had my other blog, The Fat Free Queen, where I could talk about my personal life.  Soon I realized that I no longer connected with the Fat Free Queen.  I have become the Fit Beach Babe.  This is truly who I am.  And the Fit Beach Babe is more than an up and coming bikini competitor.  I'm a wife, a business owner, a teacher, and most importantly, a mom.    

So, with that being said.  Let's talk about my weekend.  My oldest, Kaylee, is 11 and a competitive swimmer.  She honestly wants to be the next Michael Phelps.  Both Saturday and Sunday were spent at a 2 day swim meet.  

Saturday got rained out after her first race.  Sunday was a bit better.  She got 3 out of her 5 races in before the thunder forced us out of the pool.  She won first in the 100 meter backstroke, 2nd in the 50 meter freestyle {she actually swam this race without goggles because they fell off when she dove in}, and 4th in the 50 meter butterfly.  I'm so proud of her.  

I'm so lucky that my kids like to be active.  Kaylee is a swimmer, Mo cheers, and Sunny has switched from dance to gymnastics.  It's not often that I have to force my kids to exercise.  They support me and push me, just like I support them and push them.  

Do you wish your kids got more exercise but can't sign them up for a sport or healthy after school activity?  Here's a tip:  UNPLUG THE ELECTRONICS!  When my kids have been stuck in front of the tv one too many hours I kick them out of the house and tell them they have to play for atleast 60 minutes.  

You can also:

• Take them to the park or playground
• Go swimming
• Run up and down the stairs for 10-15 minutes
• Have them do a 30 minute circuit at home in the living room.  (push-ups, sit-ups, planks, jumping jacks)

Here's something simple to remember when it comes to kids

It's just that simple.  Do your kids do a sport?  How do your kids stay active??

Fitness 5 on Friday #2

Progress Picture:

 Progress pictures weren't very good.  Kinda made me look like I've been going backwards.  Crazy to think that as of tomorrow I have 16 weeks left until my first show.  But, this week had been kinda rough.  

Workouts
I pushed through every workout.  I didn't feel like my workouts were as good as they normally are.  I can't believe I have been with my coach for a whole month almost.  
I've had to change around my workout schedule, and I just haven't felt like I've been doing my 100% best.  The highlight of last week was when my coach told me that she could "see muscles popping."

Diet
My food was really on point.  I measured and weighed everything.  And I didn't use too many condiments.

1. What is your least favorite exercise and why? 

This is going to sound corny but, my least favorite exercise is the one I don't do.  Actually no, I hate to run.  I detest it and I refuse to do it.  

2. What is your resting heart beats per minute? (to calculate count your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4)

According to my HRM my resting heart rate is 70-75 depending

3. Do you prefer to exercise alone or with company?

Alone.  100%.  I don't like distractions.  My whole mindset when it comes to the gym is "get in, get out."  I don't rush my workouts but, I don't want to sit around, chit-chat and socialize.  I can do that after my workout.

4. What is your go to exercise outfit?

My capris, and either my surfing storm trooper shirt or my batman shirt.  I have really fallen in love with the men's tank tops from Walmart.  They are flowy, the arm holes aren't cut too low (like on many men's tanks), they have funny pictures and they're under $7

5. Think about this time last year. Are you more or less active than you were a year ago?

Definately more.  Life has gotten crazier both in and out of the gym.  We have made it to the beach or the pool almost every day since summer break began and I've been in the gym or studio most days.  

What's your least favorite exercise and why?

Miracle Drink

When you are training for a competition your macros (short for macronutritents; protein, fat and carbohydrates) are very structured.  You are limited to certain amounts per meal and per day for each of these.  For example, on a high carb day my limit is 95.  

On top of restricting carbs you also have to restrict your sugar intake.  {You should be watching your sugar intake no matter whether you're training or not honestly}  When it comes to what you can drink, watching all of these numbers pretty much leaves water and....well, water.

I had serious problems with this for the first few weeks.  I started only using my soy milk (I don't drink regular milk) in my morning oatmeal on my cheat day.  After suspecting that I have a soy intolerance and deciding to cut out all soy products from my diet I realized I'd have to ditch my cheat soy milk.  I knew that there were other nondairy options so, I started checking them out online.  

Most other milks had too much fat and carbs.  When I looked at the nutritional information for almond milk I was shocked.  

Low fat, no cholesterol, not too much sodium, <1 gram of carbs and 0 grams of sugar??!!?? Rock and roll!!  Now I can use it every day.  No more watery protein shakes?  No more non-creamy oatmeal?  This stuff is a miracle.  I'm in love!  You know what  the first thing I did with my almond milk?  Make a smoothie!  The carb for the meal was supposed to be complex, which means sweet potato (I can have other ones, I just really REALLY love sweet potatoes).  I decided to blend it all up together.  

Sweet Potato Smoothie

6 oz sweet potato, cooked
31 g (1 scoop) Protein Powder
6 oz silk unsweetened original almond milk
3 g PB2
1 T sugar free maple syrup (if your macros allow)
dash cinnamon

Directions

1. Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato, discard (or eat) the skin
2. Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth

Have you had to cut anything out of your diet only to find a better substitute?

Fitness 5 on Friday

While wandering around the internet early in the morning I came across Jen's blog at JVKom.com.  I love link ups so I decided to take part in her Fitness 5 on Friday.  But first, a recipe.  

I keep trying new stuff with my oatmeal.  I get really, REALLY tired of plain oatmeal day in a day out.  So I like to make really simple things that kind of spice it up.  This week it was baked oatmeal.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

.5 cup dry oatmeal

1 cup water (or milk)

1 egg 

dash cinnamon 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl
3. Grease a small baking dish (I think that this one was 16 oz)
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes
5. Let stand for 10 minutes

Remember, it is very VERY hot when it comes out of the oven!  I burned the hell out of my mouth and throat.

Didn't stop me from eating it all though!

Now for this week's questions.... 

1. How many minutes of Cardio did you do this week? 

So far I've done 2 hours and 55 minutes of scheduled cardio.  I have another 45 minutes from my trainer tomorrow and I teach 2 classes {an hour each} tomorrow also.    

2. What is your favorite physical activity?

Swimming.  I STILL dream of being an Olympic swimmer.  

3. How much water do you drink on a daily basis?

A ton.  Actually I probably go through over a gallon a day.  

4. What is your favorite healthy snack?

Before I started my competition prep it was either a fruit salad or popcorn.  

5. What’s your favorite athletic shoe?

Honestly I haven't found my favorite shoe yet.  I prefer to NOT wear shoes.  In my house athletic shoes are referred to as "foot jails."

Pancakes!!!

I love food.  Plain and simple.  I love eating food, I love cooking food, I even love THINKING about food.  Before I started The Fit Beach Babe I was {and still am} The Fat Free Queen.  It's a fat free food blog for people who have issues with fat due to gallbladder removal or even if they are just trying to watch thier intake.  

With that being said, the hardest thing about preparing for this competition is the lack of variety in my diet.  Fish and veggie but only CERTAIN veggies, fish and carbs but only CERTAIN carbs.  Day in and day out.....UGH!  So, when I find a way to turn my boring meal into something different, I jump at the chance.  

If you've been following me on Instagram you've seen that I have been playing around with a pancake recipe.  It took me 3 tries before I got it right.  It's 2 ingredients and you can add whatever you'd like to it.  I keep mine really simple with cinnamon.

2 ingredient Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup of cooked oatmeal
.25 cup egg whites/egg substitute
Seasoning of your choice

1. Stir together the egg and oatmeal.  
2. Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and heat over med-high or high
3. Place half the batter in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes , flip then cook for another 4-6 minutes
4. Repeat with other half of the batter

See?  Simple!  It takes about 20 minutes to make.  You could even make these when you meal prep and just heat them up in the morning.  

The Burger Breakdown

Normally my coach has me on very strict macros.  Macros is short for macronutrients.  Those are fat, protein and carbs.  One day a week he tells me I HAVE to eat a burger and fries.  Well, obviously, I don't eat regular burgers and fries.

My burger?  Obviously not beef.  It's a double decker veggie burger with fat free cheese.

My fries?  Obviously not deep fried crunchy goodness.  I make myself a baked sweet potato.'

I'm not going to lie.  I occasionally use ketchup on my burger.  Normally I just top my burger with mustard.  {Mustard=0 carb goodness} 

For the bread I use the SandwichThins.  So, as you can see, I can turn something that is normally ridiculously UNhealthy into something fairly healthy.  My other blog isn't named the Fat Free Queen for nothin'!

Photo courtesy of:  123RF.com

Let's break a burger down piece by piece and I'll show you how to healthify it!

Bread -- normally people use buns that are VERY high carb
Whole wheat sandwichthins
Low carb bread (I use Sara Lee 45 calorie)
Lettuce 

Protein -- Here's where you can kind start to go wild
Veggie burgers (either store bought or homemade)
Fish (a nice thick chunk about burger size)
Portobello mushroom (grilled or broiled about 5-7minutes each side)

Toppings -- This is where you can REALLY go wild
Tomatoes
onions
lettuce
avocados
mushrooms
The sky's the limit!

Condiments -- Use these sparinly.  Condiments are normally filled with carbs and sugar
Mustard (0 carb goodness, like I said)
Salsa (low carb)
Ketchup
Barbecue sauce
Guacamole

What other ways can you think to healthify a burger?

Grocery List

As y'all know I'm prepping for my competition without much fat.

Here's my list of foods that I reguarly pick up at the grocery store.  I've included some food that isn't quite low fat also.

Fish (fresh or frozen)
Shrimp
Tofu
Eggs/Egg Whites/Egg Substitute
Chicken Breast
Ground Turkey

Oatmeal
Sweet Potatoes
Beans
Brown Rice
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Quinoa
Reduced Calorie Bread
Ezekiel Brea

Lettuce
Mushrooms
Spaghetti Squash
Broccoli 
Asparagus 
Cucumber 
Zucchini 
Cauliflower 
Celery 
Cabbage
Green Beans 
Spinach 
Kale 
Brussel Sprouts 
Cauliflower

Bananas
Apples
Berries

Fat Free Cotatge Cheese
Skim Milk
Fat Free Greek Yogurt
Spray Butter
Light Non-Dairy Milk

Avocados
Nuts
Nut Butters

Salsa
Vinegar
Mrs. Dash
Mustard

And there you have it.  My grocery list.  I will be doing a big box store (BJ's, Sam's Club, Costco, etc) list for y'all in the near future.