If It Fits

Ever heard this term?

It's a way of eating that allows you to eat what you want as long as it fits into your daily limit of fat, carbs, calories and protein.  I'm honestly on the fence about this.  Do I think it's okay to eat a Big Mac just because it fits your macros?  No.  Is it okay to allow yourself a cookie or granola bar {homemade of course!  Check out my recipe HERE}?  Yes.   

When I looked at my approved food list for this months diet I realized something.  The approved foods combined to make FAJITAS!!!  I love finding normal dishes that I can alter to be Bikini Approved.  

If I had been making this for the whole family I would have bought tortillas but, since it was just me eating it I decided to skip the tortillas and make it into a salad.  Oddly, I think I prefer making it into a salad.  

The nutritional information posted for this recipe is without the sour cream and salsa.

This is before I added the sour cream and salsa

Shrimp Fajitas
Serves 1 
Calories - 170
Fat - 2.4
Carbs - 8.9
Protein - 27

Ingredients
4.5 oz shrimp
1 T minced garlic
1-2 t chili powder
.5 medium onion, sliced
.5 bell pepper (any color), sliced
Sour cream, cheese, and salsa (optional)
Whole wheat tortilla (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss shrimp with the garlic and chili powder and lay on a sheet pan greased with pan spray
3. Roast shrimp for 15-25 minutes (until done)
4. While shrimp are roasting heat a medium skillet and saute onions and peppers until soft.  (use pan spray to grease skillet and if they start to stick add a bit of water) 
5. Place shrimp, onions and peppers on tortilla and top with sour cream and salsa.

You can also substitute the sour cream for Greek yogurt to make it even healthier.  

What do you think about the IIFYM way of eating?  Do you follow it?

Friday 5 Week 3 and Progress Update

Wow!  This week has gone by so fast! I feel like just yesterday I was posting a progress photo and update!  As of today I have 99 days until my competition.  I'm not gonna lie.  I'm starting to freak out.  99 days isn't a long time until you compare yourself to a seasoned bikini competitor and see how far you have to go.  I don't feel like I really made any progress this week.  Last week I could feel the changes and progress.  This week was just like "Eh."  I woke up really puffy this morning.  My goal is to figure out what's causing it by next Friday.

Diet

I followed it exactly but, I feel like I screwed up somewhere.  I switched out my morning eggs for protein powder.  I put my protein powder in my oatmeal.  It's awesome!  As of Wednesday I realized I'm REALLY sick of fish.  I'm adding more eggs into my diet.

Workouts

This week was alot easier than last week even though the exercises were the same.  I was proud of myself because I got out of the house before 5:30 yesterday and today so I could get my workout in before Kaylee had to be at swim practice.  I realized my motivation for a morning workout is "either you leave now or you don't workout at all today."  Hopefully I can keep this trend going.  I had some issues with my calves and knees during my HIIT workouts.  I'm not a runner.  I have 2 bad knees but, I'm expected to run sprints 3 days a week.  By Wednesday I was almost in tears on the treadmill. 

I'm kind of sad that this is my last Friday 5!

1. Have you ever taken a fitness class?

Here's the list:  
TRX 
Yoga {does that count?}
A spin class 
Buti {I LOVE this class}
Barre

2. Why do you workout?

So many reasons!  Up until about a year ago I worked out to lose the baby weight.  These days I workout not just for my competition but for me.  The time I spend at the gym is "Me Time."  I can shut out the world and focus on myself {which is surprising since I'm in a crowded gym.}  I have also found that since I started lifting weights surprisingly the pain in my joints has lessened.  A car accident in 2010 seriously screwed up my back, shoulders, neck, a knees.  I also LIKE to exercise.  It's fun.  I love pushing myself seeing what my body can do.  

3. What is your biggest motivator?

One of my biggest motivators are my kids and my husband.  They help me strive to be the best that I can be.  Hell, my kids are excited to see me compete.  And I'd love for them to see me win.  
Another motivator for me is every person that made fun of me or called me fat growing up.  The people who made remarks about my weight and the boys that didn't give me the time of day because I was overweight.  I want to be able to laugh at them all.  Show them that I am no longer the "fat girl."  
I, myself, am my own motivation.  Besides Ken and the girls I really don't have anyone pushing me, cheering for me, or motivating me.  I have to motivate myself.  If any of y'all need a motivator, I'm more than happy.  I've become darn good at it.  

4. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I really get my inspiration from the women in Muscle and Fitness Hers, Fitness RX, and Oxygen Magazine.  That's the look I'm really striving for.  

5. Do you have routine physicals? (it’s very important to check your health)

I end up at the doctor once or twice a year and we talk about my general health at the same time but, I actually don't have routine physicals.  

Things I Love Thursday #2

Is it really Thursday, already?  This week has flown by!  You know what Thursday is right?  It's the day I post Things I Love!  

I couldn't find many noteworthy Things I Love this week.  But, I did find a few.  I'm seriously a fat girl at heart because 90% of the things I think about that I love are food type items.  I try and find things that aren't food related also though.

McCormick Smokehouse Pepper
This stuff is awesome.  Pepper that has been smoked.  It adds a nice smokey flavor to anything you put it on.  I love it.  But I also love the taste of the grill.

Source:  http://www.skillet.com/photo/skillet-band-232701

Skillet Pandora and IheartRadio Stations
I'm addicted to Skillet.  I first learned about them after reading an interview with Jillian Michaels.  It's perfect workout music.  Upbeat and fast without the "I hate my life" lyrics.

Lazy Days at the Beach
I live in a beach town yet, because I have 3 active kids and a normal life, beach time is sort of limited.  I love the days that we can just goto the beach and not worry about what time it is or where we have to go next.

A Heavy Post

These days you see alot of quotes and memes about lifting heavy.

Up until a few days ago I believed the same thing.  But the problem is, I can't lift heavy.  I'm seriously really weak.  It was starting to get to me that I couldn't squat my own body weight, or bench press 200 pounds.

But then I realized something.  I lift MY heavy.  Do I lift as heavy as I can?  Yes.  Do I push myself to lift 5 or 10 pounds heavier than what I normally do?  Yes.  But I don't let the actually numbers on the weights bother me anymore.  Obviously my body is toning and defining and getting better by lifting what I consider heavy.  

And also, I'm training to compete in the bikini division, not the figure or bodybuilding division.  According to the NANBF the standard for bikini division is-

"A specific level of muscularity or leanness is not sought after for NANBF Bikini competition. Judging is based on having an overall healthy-looking toned body with good symmetry, shape, fullness, balance and proportion with good poise, posture, confidence, stage presence and comfortable presentation. Other factors that can affect overall appearance are skin tone, complexion, suit fit, hair and make-up. Bikini competitors should not display an abundance of muscle size, deep muscle separation, or muscle striations."
Source -- NANBF

Which means that heavy lifting isn't definitely necessary.  Don't worry if you can't lift heavy.  Just lift.  Challenge yourself. If a challenge means going from 15 to 20 pounds that's fine!  On a normal day I only squat 30 lbs and all my arm and shoulder work is done with 10-20 pound dumbbells.  But, my muscles are responding to it.  Which is all that matters.  One day I'm hoping to be able to lift heavy but, until then, I'm perfectly happy just lifting.  

Confession

I want to make some confessions.  

1. Before I got sick I was a peanut butter addict.  It was not uncommon for me to have a bowl of peanut butter mixed with a huge scoop of jelly for lunch.  Unhealthy?  Yes.  Delicious?  Yes.  Regrets?  None.
2. I love to bake.  I really would love to open a low-fat, clean eating bakery.
3. Kaylee won't eat anything before practice in the morning except for granola bars.

Remember on Thursday I told you abot how I was in love with Jif Whips?  Well, I found the perfect way to use them.  In granola bars!  These granola bars are so simple.  They take 10 minutes to whip up and 30 minutes in the oven.  I love them because they are chocolatey without having any actually chocolate.  The sugars a little high but, I think most of that is the natural sugar from the honey.  I recalculated the recipe using sugar free syrup instead of honey and blueberry syrup and it brought the sugar down to  7.6 and the carbs to 30.5.

These are a good breakfast, or a cheat treat.  Best of all you know everything that's in them.    

Chocolate Granola Bars

Ingredients
2.5 cups oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 cup Jif Whipped Chocolate Peanut Butter
.25 cup honey
.33 cup lite blueberry syrup (or more honey)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large bowl combine oatmeal and raisins
3. In a separate bowl combine peanut butter, honey and syrup
4. Pour peanut butter mixture into oatmeal mixture and throughly combine
5. Line a 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil or parchement and spread oatmeal mix making sure it's even and flat
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes
7. Cool for 20 minutes then put it in the fridge to finish cooling

Fitness 5 on Friday #3

Don't you love how my dog photobombed my progress pic?

This week has been pretty rough.  Not certain why but, I just really wasn't in a good mindspace. To top it off we haven't had water since yesterday morning.  Did you know that water is needed for A/C? Neither did I until mine stopped working last nite. So, needless to say, my house isn't so happy right now. 

 I got my new monthly plan on Sunday and started it on Monday. I assumed I'd have issues getting my workout in today since Sunny has dress rehearsal for her recital but, I managed to get 95% of it in while Kaylee was at swim and the rest of it I did at home.  So happy I didn't have to pull a super late gym session.

Diet
I've been pretty on point.  I've measured everything.  I love that the approved foods allow me to make fajitas.  So, I think my cheat meal next Saturday will be fajitas.  (The salsa and sour cream make it a cheat)  

Workouts
This is where things have REALLY changed.  I have 2 leg days, and 1 rest day.  I also have HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) every other day, my reps and sets are higher.   

And now for my fitness 5....

1. What is your favorite time of day to workout?

Mornings.  I've been having to workout in the evenings because of the kids being on summer break and it seriously kills me.  I have 0 motivation to hit the gym after 9 am.  So most days I drag myself to the gym even tho I'd rather be sitting on the couch watching tv.

2. What is your favorite Super Food?

Blueberries.  I love them.  I use them instead of jelly on my peanut butter sandwiches.  

3. What are some of your fitness goals?

My big goal is to place in my competition.  I'm smart enough to know that there's a 75% chance it won't happen but, I've still got my sights set on it.  

4. What is your favorite vegetable?

Mushrooms.  I can eat a pound of them in one sitting (and I have.)  I was so excited when I got my new meal plan and mushrooms were on there as an approved vegetable.  

5. What is something fitness or health related that you’d like to work on?

I don't really know if there's just one thing.  I want to work on the weight I lift.  I would love to be able to squat my body weight.  My car accident 4 years ago left me really screwed up (various discs are messed up and I have other issues from it) so I can't lift very heavy and it bothers me.  I always feel like a rock star and then I see how low my weights are set and it kills me.  

Make sure to check out the other bloggers who link up on JVKom.com!

Things I Love Thursday

Everyday I find new stuff fitness and nutrition related that I'm in love with.  So I figure that once a week I'll give y'all a nice post on 3 of the things I have fallen in love with this week.  I'm going to call it....

Things I Love Thursday.  


Coach
When you are prepping for your first show they say that hiring a coach is a must.  So far I am not regretting any penny that I've spent on mine.  She's great.  Every week she checks in with me to make sure I'm doing okay.  She answers all my questions and always has something positive to say about my progress.

So if you're looking for a prep coach check out Kelly Lynn Fit

Jif Whips
Love peanut butter but hate the high calories, and fat?  Or do you just need a special little treat?  If that's the case then I highly recommend Jif Whips.  It comes in 3 flavors.  Plain, chocolate and s'mores.  The plain has less calories, fat, and carbs than regular peanut butter.  It's lighter and fluffier.  The chocolate and s'mores have a higher sugar and carb count but, they aren't horrible.  It would actually make a really good frosting for cupcakes.  They texture is about the same to store bought frosting but it is healthier (and has less processed crap)

Muscle Seasame Street

AREN'T THEY AWESOME????  I was so excited when I found these at Walmart.  I was at the store buying the last of Ken's Father's Day gifts and couldn't help but pick the cookie monster one up for myself.  I will be going back for the other 3 tho.  If you want one you should hurry over there and pick them up.  The sticker on the shirts says "limited time."

Well, that's the things I love this week.  Have you found any cool things this week?  Tell me about them!