Photo Shoot and Peak Week!

It’s peak week! Only seven more sleeps to the show. This is when everything starts to happen. Final appointments get booked, the day of schedule gets confirmed, food options start to get limited and every day my body changes. Everything starts to become a little leaner and a little tighter. Muscles start to pop and everything just starts to come together. Layer on a ridiculous dark (fake) tan and a teeny tiny sequin bikini, and that’s it- it’s show time!

Clearly, a lot is going on and this weekend has been super busy. Yesterday, I had my first real taste of what it is like to be a fitness model. An opportunity to shoot with TrendiCreative was presented itself and I took it J It was so much fun! It’s been really great to have something other than show prep to focus on over the past few weeks. Just having something else fun to focus on and train for takes off the pressure and reduces the enormity of the “show.” Much like a wedding, it’s easy to get so caught up on that one day. Having something else to divert some energy towards is a good thing.

Everything about the shoot went well. Throughout the morning I slowly transformed from 'morning Jen' to 'model Jen' with hair, makeup and fitness clothes.

In the sibling lottery, I have won big time! I have an incredibly talented younger sister and a little “big” brother who I am incredibly proud of. Both of them are the best (which clearly speaks to how awesome my parents are too J Yes, I am blessed). So, not only do I have these amazing people in my life, but my sister is a talented hair artist and owns her own salon (Salon Cordeiro- check it out!), so I pretty much get a life time pass on the free hair train. This has come in handy for numerous special events (like my wedding). My sister knows me, knows my hair, and knows how to make it look good. Here’s a selfie of how it turned out for the shoot:

  

On top of just doing my hair, my sister is also my go to style advisor. She has always had that natural ability to pull things together and know what looks good. I lack skill. Thankfully, she came to the rescue and helped me pick out some bright tops and bottoms for the shoot (and when I say, “She helped me pick out” I really mean, “She went out on her own and bought what I needed.” Ha ha ha.). Here’s what I was working with:

Once all pulled together, I got behind the camera and tapped into my inner Oxygen cover model (one can dream, right?). It was so much fun and time went by so fast! I got through a few different outfits, used a prop, and also took some creative shots. I cannot wait to see the proofs! Here are a few more pics from the day.

 

 

 

And, now with that all over, it’s time again to focus on the show. Having the shoot the week before the show got to be a bit overwhelming at times, but actually, mentally, was the best for me. Over the past week or so, with the show date looming, I began questioning my development and where I was at. It’s so easy to have this ideal in your head of what you think you should look like and then be disappointed when that’s not what you see in the mirror. I know how much hard work and time and energy I have been putting in, and sometimes it gets a little frustrating to not see what I want to see. What more do I have to do?!? But, two things happened this past week to shake that doubt out of me. One, was the photo shoot. Seeing my overall polished look in the pictures renewed my confidence. I have been working hard and it shows- in many ways! A year ago, I would not have had the body or the confidence or the support to be in front of the camera like that and now I feel (and look!) like I belong there. The other thing was a Facebook post by a team member. She shared two pictures of herself in competitions a few years apart and commented on how it takes time to grow and develop muscle. Yes, time! It’s not just dedication (which I’ve got), but time. And not just a few months, but years. I know the fitness models that I admire (like Jennifer Nicole Lee, Tania Antonio, Nathalia Melo and Andreia Brazier) have been working out for years, YEARS! Plus, it’s their jobs (my job requires me to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day). Ha ha ha. Having this new perspective and renewed confidence has made me so excited to compete next week. I will be bringing my best mind and body- and really, for me, that’s what this is all about.

XOXO
J

WIAW and the Downward Spiral (in a good way!) to the Show

It’s Wednesday!! Here’s a peek at what I ate:

I worked from home today which gave me a little bit of flexibility in terms of my meals (I could actually make something fresh!) so I ate a little off my menu plan for the week (but still within my nutritional requirements). My meals were:

• Pre-work out: Chocolate protein muffins
• Post-weights/ pre-cardio (not shown): Yogurt with vanilla protein powder and yam
• Meal 3: Buckwheat and barley porridge with a side of scrambled egg (my new #favouritething! OMG so good together with a little coconut oil. A little sweet, a little savoury and super satisfying)
• Meal 4: Mixed veggie salad topped with a tilapia and balsamic dressing with a drizzle of Udo’s oil
• Meal 5: Half an apple and half a grapefruit with almond and coconut butter
• Meal 6: Mexican stir fry with chicken and a chili cilantro yogurt topping
• Meal 7: Yogurt with vanilla casein and berries

Everything has been so delicious! Since I am now 11 days out from the show, I know my diet will be tightening up over the next week and half and my beloved yogurt is going to be cut. Booooooo! But it’s only temporary. I know I can make it.

With things getting a bit crazier with my training and food plan over the past couple of weeks, other things in my life have started to slide and it’s beginning to show (I talked about the decline of my physical appearance in my last post). At work, I’m okay. I can keep up. Everything else, not so much. My awesome mother-in-law does my taxes (yes, I’m very lucky- not only do I have in-laws that I love, they also do my taxes :P). All I have to do is drop off all my slips- do you think I could manage that on time? No. Do you think that once I got her my things I actually got her everything she needed? No. Do you think I could find what was missing? Yes, actually, plus I found other things that had been missing, so bonus! House cleaning is another thing that has fallen completely off my radar. While I can (kinda) handle the must dos (like laundry), other things, like vacuuming, are not happening. At all. Recycling? Don’t even ask! Tonight, since it was literally spilling out of the storage room,I finally went through the recycling to organize things to take down to the blue bins. Guess how many yogurt containers were in there? 19. How many tuna cans? 13. How many strawberry baskets? 12. Plus, piles of paper, milk cartons and cans. Ai, yi, yi! How did it get like this?? Disorganization and messiness stress me out, so I have had to learn to just ignore and let it go. Priorities, right? Living in filth isn’t that bad, is it? All a part of the process. Just a day at a time.

XOXOX

J

It’s a new dawn, a new day and a new week!! For a Monday (and for a morning for that matter), I was feeling unusually good!



Sunrise on the way to work this morning!
Hopefully a sign of things to come this week
#shinebrightlikeadiamond today!

After feeling a little crazy/ overwhelmed last week, I am starting to feel back in control and excited for what the next two weeks will bring. Things are starting to fall into place.

 

For the photo shoot on Saturday, I have my hair, makeup, nail, threading and tanning appointments all booked. And, for the show next, next weekend, I have my hair, makeup, waxing and tanning appointments all booked as well. Yes, it actually takes that much work, and that many people to make me look presentable. In the weeks leading up to a show, things aren’t pretty (again, my poor husband). Preparing for a show is like planning a wedding! There are so many details to coordinate! I still need to figure out the timelines/ schedules for the days of the event, transportation, food options/ menu planning, purchase tickets for the show, pick out outfits and pack up my bag. Seriously, I didn’t put this much time or energy into my own wedding! But, while it is a lot to do (and a lot of expense!), it is all worth it. This is when it starts to all come together. This is when you start to see all the hard work, sacrifice and time and energy invested manifest into what you have been envisioning for months every time you pumped out one more set, or said no to a dinner invite, or passed out on the couch before 10pm. This is the fun part :)

 

A quick weekend wrap up: Sleep ins, protein pancakes, workouts, dinner with (both sets) of parents (and when I say dinner, I mean, I brought my own Tupperware filled with clean eats- which I eat out of off my grandma’s china), Sunday food prep and quality time with the hubby. What more can a girl ask for?

 

I tried a new protein pancake recipe this weekend. Out of zucchini, I subbed in shredded beets to make a chocolate beet pancake. Here’s the recipe:

  

Chocolate Beet Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

 

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):

 

Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 TBSP cocoa (or to taste)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 50g shredded beets (zapped in the microwave for 45 secs)
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 7g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cocoa together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in beets and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, frying pan coated with a non-stick spray. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, protein powder, and coconut oil.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

 

It was good! A little less sweet, and more “earthy” if you will, than the zucchini pancake, but still delicious- especially with a little prune chia jam on top. It is also carb and protein packed which I needed after a tough shoulder and tri workout!

 

Only 18 days out! The countdown is on!!

XOXO
J

It's My Time, It's My Life

I tried something different this morning, and woke up early to get my workout in BEFORE work. While I would usually choose sleep over anything else, opportunity and scheduling wise this just made sense. While it was a little difficult to set the alarm last night for a time earlier than I needed to for work, getting up this morning wasn’t thaaat bad (even though it was miserable outside) and I got in a KICK ASS workout before my regular work day even started. Whoo hoo!



Me finishing up my planks at the gym and post-workout meal-
protein shake and some starchy (yummy) carbs :)

This is it. Only 16 more days until the show!! In the immortal words of Enrique Iglesias:  

It's my time, it's my life,
I can do what I like
For the price of a smile, I gotta take it to right
So I keep on living, cause it feel's right

 

And it's so nice, and I'd do it all again

This time, it's forever
It gets better, and I, I, I like how it feels

I like how it feels, I like how it feels

I like how it feels, I like how it feels
I like how it feels, I like how it feels

So just turn it up, let me go

I'm alive, yes and no, never stop
Give me more, more, more
Cause I like how it feels
Ooh yeah, I like how it feels
You know I like how it feels
Oh yeah I like how it feels

No, I don’t usually live my life according to Enrique Iglesias (or Pitbull for that matter), but this song just speaks to me. It’s my pump up song, the song that helps me get out those last few sets and the song that just gets me excited to be doing what I am doing. So just turn it up, let me go, I’m alive, yes and no, never stop, give me more, more, more CAUSE I LIKE HOW IT FEELS!

What are some other good pump up songs?

XOXO
J

Which Way is Up??

Which way is up? Do you ever feel that way? I do, and I am right now.

A stormy reflection on the way into work this morning: Which way is up?




First, let me start by saying I loooove what I do and I choose what I do. That doesn’t mean that it’s always easy though. Right now, as I get closer to my first photoshoot (9 more days!) and my first competition of the season (17 more days!), I am starting to get overwhelmed. The funny thing is, for the most part, it’s not ‘bad’ things stressing me out, it’s good, positive things- just so many of them! Again, I am excited about what I am doing and can’t wait for these experiences, but right now, there are just so many things going on and such little time. Lately, I have been feeling like all I am doing is planning and prepping for the next thing, and never actually ‘experiencing’ the thing. Hahaha. I know this is what it gets like closer to the show. Training-wise and food plan-wise, I can keep up. I expect that and I love that. Beast mode on! On the mental state-wise front, things can start to get overwhelming.

While I knew that this process would be a test of mental strength (commitment and willpower being the two big ones), I didn’t realize just how important the mental aspect of training and competing would be. When I start getting overwhelmed, I know I start getting grumpy and withdraw (my poor husband!) and then I start questioning what I’m even doing, which eventually leads to the, “Why am I even doing this in the first place??” Which then makes me pause and reflect. Why am I doing this?

As I shared on my What’s This All About page, I don’t do this to win. I do this to learn, to grow and to become a better me. Experiencing all of these feelings and emotions, whether they are positive or exhausting, is all a part of that process. Every challenge is an opportunity to do my best and become better. Taking this time to step back and reframe how I experience what’s coming at me gives me that strength and determination to push through and bring my best. Nobody said this was going to be easy, but it will be worth it. Let's do this!

XOXO

J

WIAW :) and Pre-Workout Snack Recipe

Here's what's on the menu for today.

It's a weight training day which means an extra pre-workout snack in the afternoon (not pictured above, see below). This week, I made chocolate protein muffins to eat on the bus on my way home from work/ to the gym. They are simple, easy to make, turned out delicious and have been fueling my tough new workouts. Only 18 days out to the show!! Things are tightening up and I am starting to get tired, but this is it! This is the final push. Love it!!

Reason to be fit #0197: For the smile I will have once I reach my goal.

Here's a full breakdown of my food plan fueling me this week:

Meal	Menu Item	What You Need To Know...
M1: Breakfast	Barley and buckwheat porridge.	I made a new batch of this porridge on Sunday prep and incorporated some of the tweaks I suggested in my other post.
M2: Snack	Quinoa and kale frittata.	A yummy little casserole dish filled with lots of veggies and protein.
M3: Lunch	Yam and chickpea chicken curry.	Again, I made a new batch this weekend and made a couple of changes. Still tasty :)
M4: Snack	Tuna on a bed of broccoli slaw and avocado.	Soooo yummy with a little lemon squirted on top.
M5: Pre-workout	Chocolate protein muffins.	The perfect, portable pre-workout snack made from egg whites, protein powder and oats.
M6: Post-workout/ dinner	Tilapia served over a bed of brown rice with a salad of raw veggies and a scoop of yogurt. This is served without the rice on non-weight training days.	The Greek yogurt mixed with the warm rice and crunchy veggies is heavenly! I also added in some fresh dill. Very satisfying.
M7: Snack (optional- but let’s be honest, I eat it every night!)	Greek yogurt mixed with a half a scoop of casein and strawberries.	Still eating this every night, but in different variaties. Sometime vanilla, sometimes chocolate. Always delicious!

The barley and buckwheat porridge in the morning is just so satisfying! Building on the recipe from last week, this time around, I sub out the wheat bran, and added a oat and flax seed porridge mix instead. I also omitted the coconut oil, reduced a cinnamon a bit and added in two scoops of vanilla protein powder. These changes also required me to add in an extra cup and a half of water. It turned out a lot more moist than last time and I have been heating it up with 1/3 cup of apple sauce and melting 1 tsp of coconut oil on top. Absolutely heavenly!

While most of the other menu items on this week's meal plan are quite similiar to what I was eating last week, I did try out a new pre-workout snack. Working with what I need to consume carb and protein-wise before my workout, I tried out a new protien pancake/ muffin recipe. What I got was the perfect on-the-go pre-workout snack. Not only that, they are also very delicious, and as a bonus, quick and easy to make.

Pre-workout Chocolate Protein Muffins or Pancakes

Ingredients for 1 serving

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 10g chocolate whey protein powder (or any other flavor)
• 1 TBSP cocoa (because who doesn't love extra chocolate flavor)

 
Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Depending on whether you want muffins or pancakes:
• For muffins: Pour into 2 sprayed muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Be careful not to over bake as they will dry out fast.
• For pancakes: Pour batter into a sprayed pre-heated pan. Flip pancake after 4 minutes.

To help save time, I recommend tripling or quadrupling the recipe to have extras on hand for the week. Also, this can be used as a base for even more yumminess. Depending of what your nutritional requirements are or what you are craving, you can also stir in some fresh fruit or nuts and top with nutbutter or yogurt protein icing!

Happy "pump" day!

XOXO
Jen

Bustin' a Move Three (3!!) Weeks Out and Weekend Wrap Up

Whoa! What a weekend! While I usually use the weekends to focus on fitness, getting in a couple really good workouts, this weekend was on a totally different level. On Saturday I participated in the BC Bust a Move for Breast Health- a fundraiser I have been raising money for over the past year. I started fundraising for events like these a few years ago after a very close friend, Leanna, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Together Leanna and I raised money to do the Walk to End Women’s Cancer in 2010 and 2011. The Walk was a 60K course around Vancouver over 2 days (with a night camping out in tents in between- not my usual style ;)). The first time we did it, Leanna was literally in the middle of chemeo. We walked all day Saturday and Sunday, and she went in for treatment Monday. I spent most of the time telling her to slow down and take a break because I couldn’t keep up. To say that her strength and determination was inspiring is an understatement. In 2011, we raised even more money, and were signed up to participate again. Unfortunately, a couple weeks before the Walk, Leanna was hospitalized due to complications with her treatment. In the end, she was unable to participate. While I knew she was in rough shape, I really didn’t know or believe how bad she really was. During the Walk (which I completed with her friends and family keeping me company throughout the different parts of the course), Leanna got worse, and eventually passed away the next evening. That weekend was such a physical and emotional drain. After the 2011 Walk, they discontinued the Walk and introduced the Bust a Move event, which I signed up for, alone, as a way to keep Leanna’s fight alive. While I was excited for this new event, I also knew it’d be filled with a lot of memories and emotion- and it was! But not like I expected.

In January I approached my training team and coach about participating in this event, I thought maybe, since this was a fitness event, a couple of the ladies were already signed up and we could go together. Never, ever, did I expected six of them to sign up and take on the fundraising themselves! And, never, ever, did I expect other members of our team to be so generous with their support and their hearts!! Sharing this event, and this aspect of my life with those ladies, meant so much to me. Instead of being sad about loss, I was motivated by strength and support. I can never thank them enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Even better, together we raised over $7000 and the Blessed Bodies team had a blast while bustin’ some moves and kickin’ some ass. Donning blonde wigs and white wings, we got our exercise on doing Zumba, pilates and yoga, hip hop, tabata, Bollywood, and, the highlight- Tommy Europe’s SHRED bootcamp! It. Was. Awesome!

Planking it out during Bootcamp



Refueling competition prep style in between classes



Team Blessed Bodies wigs and wings costume :)

We even got a team pic with Tommy himself… and then I got one with him on my own :)

 

 

 

What a hottie, right? He’s not too bad either :)

Sharing this day with such an amazing group of ladies was so special to me. Team Blessed Bodies has already signed up for next year, so watch out!!

 

That was Saturday. Sunday was more like usual- full of a morning workout, protein pancake(s) (yes, I ate two in one day... I missed my Saturday pancake), and food prep for the week.

Overall, things are starting to get more intense. With only 20 more days until the show (and 13 to my first photo shoot!), there is a lot to do. I need to book and confirm times for hair, makeup, tanning and nail appointments for both the shoot and the show, to start planning the day-of-show timeline (the show starts at 9am- so early!) and keep up with my full training schedule (on top of working full time). My training program for the month just got switched up as well, which is great, but means new routines/ moves to learn and get used to. I’m excited though! Big changes ahead- I know it!

XOXO
J

Interested in learning more about Bust a Move and breast health? Check out their site here.

What I Ate Wednesday

Ugh, my hatred for mornings is only made worse by the rain. And, today, it’s so wet, windy and cold. Really though, that should never come as a surprise. Of course it’s wet, windy and cold- it's Vancouver! However, even in the rain, Vancouver is full of beauty and colour.

 

 

 

The other good thing? It’s Wednesday! In the spirit of WIAW, here’s what was on the menu for me today:

 

 

I didn’t post my full meal plan for this week because it was so similar to last week’s plan, but here it is in full.

 

Meal	Menu Item	Notes
M1: Breakfast	Barley and buckwheat porridge.	Served with a spoonful of apple sauce.
M2: Snack	Tuna baked with egg whites and oats served on a salad of avocado and broccoli.	Spiced up with a hit of siracha sauce.
M3: Lunch	Yam and chickpea chicken curry.	This has been really tasty! Will be making again for sure.
M4: Snack	Scrambled egg whites with steamed veggies and hemp hearts.	My delicious afternoon staple.
M5: Pre-workout	Chocolate quinoa pudding.	Not pictured, and only consumed on weight training days.
M6: Post-workout/ dinner	Tilapia served over a bed of brown rice with a salad of raw veggies and a scoop of yogurt.	The Greek yogurt mixed with the warm rice and crunchy veggies is heavenly!
M7: Snack (optional- but let’s be honest, I eat it every night!)	Greek yogurt mixed with a half a scoop of casein and strawberries.	Since running out of vanilla casein I have been using chocolate and it is just as delightfulJ

 

Recipes for all these meals will be up soon :)

 

XOXO

Jen

Weekend Wrap Up and Protein Pancake Recipes

After a crazy busy long weekend last weekend (including a friend’s birthday dinner downtown, a bikini appointment, a massage therapy session, two Easter dinners, posing practice and a full day of food prep- on top on my regular training schedule), I was really looking forward to this weekend full of no plans J No plans = dreamy. No plans means I can sleep in, take my time at the gym, make my food when I want, and spend some time with the hubby.

Saturday went like this: Sleep in, eat, gym time (interspersed with eating), eat, Homeland marathon (interspersed with eating), bed.

Sunday went like this: Sleep in, eat, gym time (interspersed with eating), eat, Homeland, food prep, eat, final Homeland, bed.  

See a theme?

My weekend in pictures:

Vanilla and chocolate protein pancakes

At the gym refueling between workouts

My adorable husband- isn't he cute?

 

All my #favouritethings in life!

Both mornings (as all weekend mornings do) started with protein pancakes. I love me some protein pancakes, and this weekend both recipes were both soooo delicious. Each started with the same base (oats, protein powder, and egg whites), but different flavours, add-ins and toppings were used. There are soooo many protein pancake recipes out there, but these are the ones I have created to fit my nutritional requirements.

Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 46g shredded zucchini
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 5g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cinnamon together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in zucchini and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, coconut oil and protein powder.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

Per serving: 386 cals; 11g fat; 34g carb; 38g protein

Super simple, but utterly delicious! This was sooo good. The yogurt based vanilla icing was almost like cream cheese icing and it even started melting into the warm pancake. In addition to the icing, I also topped with a spoonful of homemade chia jam. It was like eating cake... without the guilt.

That was Saturday morning. Sunday morning, I made something similar, but chocolate-ed it up!

 

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Pancake with Chocolate Icing

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g chocolate whey protein powder
• 2 tsp cocoa (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 46g shredded zucchini
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 5g chocolate protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cocoa 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cocoa together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in zucchini and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, protein powder, coconut oil and cocoa.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

Per serving: 386 cals; 12g fat; 39.5g carb; 32.5 protein

Again, I ate this with chia jam on top (just to get in those chia seeds), but the icing mixes up so smooth and fudgy that it would be delicious without the jam.

I'm always looking for new ideas. Have any tried and true #proteinpancake recipes? What do you top your pancakes with? Please share!

XOXO
J

Four (4!!) Weeks Out! The Countdown is On! Beast Mode ON!!

Time flies! I officially started prepping for this upcoming show February with the intention of starting this blog at the same time and now I am four (4!!) weeks out and only got all this together last week. Where did the past 8 weeks go?

Four weeks out. This is when it gets real. Every day it is something new. My measurements aren’t changing drastically, but I can see and feel my body getting stronger and tighter. As of last week, I am also officially registered and confirmed for the NPAA BC Classic on Sunday, May 5. #forrealsies

 

My original goal was to compete in Fitness (for the first time), but I have really been struggling to gain muscle mass. After talking it through with my coach, I decided to also compete in the Bikini category to see where I fit better. Two for the price of one :)... well actually, not really. It costs extra to crossover.

Here’s a quick recap of how last week went:

Training: I’m loving my program right now. I’m lifting heavy (which I like!), with low reps and little cardio. I have 4 days weight, 3 days abs and 3 days cardio.  Cycling through these workouts has worked well in my schedule and it has been easy to balance and fit it all in. I’ve got one more week on this program before it gets switched up again. I am so excited to see what the final few weeks of training before the show will look like!

Food Plan: As I posted earlier, I revamped my food plan last week and everything worked out well. I was able to get in all the calories, fats, carbs, and protein and it all tasted great! No cravings, no cheats (even when confronted with two Easter dinners (complete with all the assorted Easter treats) and what looked to be a delicious potluck at work).

Challenges: Two of my goals last week were (1) to cut out all the extra cups of coffee I drink throughout the day (one in the morning and a decaf at night is enough) and (2) to consume all my food by 8pm. I faltered failed on both of these. Friday morning was… well, I wrote about Friday morning in my previous post and wanted that extra cup of coffee and a couple nights throughout the week I was eating my last meal of the day post-8pm. I tried my best and will be sticking to both resolutions this coming week.

Goals for this Week: In addition to keeping up with my other goals, I am adding in more posing practice! To do well in the show, I need to know how to pose my body and hold that pose in the most flattering and "natural" way. Hahaha. It's not as easy as it sounds. Especially for someone like me who usually tends to shy away from the spotlight. There will be no shying on May 5.

 

Okay, 28 days to go. Let’s do this! No doubts, no distractions, just pure dedication.

XOXO

J

Good (ugh) Morning and Breakfast Recipe Review

I hate mornings. I hate, hate, HATE mornings. Getting up in the mornings has to be one of the lowest points of my day (on the flip side, getting into bed at night is usually one of the best parts of my day :)).  This morning was no exception. When my alarm went off at 5:40 am is was still dark out and I could hear the rain… if I can hear the rain, I know it’s bad. I live on the third floor of a four story building. If I can hear the rain, it’s coming down hard. Never the less, I know I have to get up, and pressing snooze to get those extra few minutes only prolongs the pain (I figured that out after years of trial and error and complaints from a husband who doesn’t have to get up as early J). Once I am up, I’m usually good (things can only go up from there). Today I was up, dressed and ready to go by 6:10 which was awesome, because I  knew I’d make it to work earlier than usual which would allow me to get more stuff done before the work day started at 8.

(Which, as a side note, this in my new MO- getting to work a half hour earlier than needed to have some quiet, dedicated time to organize my life. This includes scheduling my workouts for the week, planning the weekend, looking up new recipes, paying bills, etc. Anything that I can just get done and out of the way to help me stay on track and focus throughout the rest of the day. #keystosuccess).

Anyway, I was up and out and on the bus by 6:18. By 6:19, while passing the next stop, I realized I had forgotten my whole lunch bag (full of meals 1-4) at home. [Insert look of shock and horror here]. By 6:20 panic had struck (“OMG, what am I going to do??”), by 6:21 I flirted with the idea to not go get it (“Could I go a day without my pre-planned, prepped meals? The answer to that was a quick and firm “NO”), and by 6:22 I was frantically ringing the bell to get off the bus so I could walk all the way back, in the rain, (uphill and in bare feet- just kidding!) home to pick up my lunch- which was just sitting out on the counter all packed up and ready to go. How could I have forgotten it? (The coffee distracted me).

Once I had my lunch in hand, and order was restored to my world, I trudged back up to the bus stop (still in the pouring rain, but it was getting a little lighter out) and caught the 6:45 bus- so much for my earlier morning. As soon as I was settled on the bus, it was back to business as usual and I had my morning favs: coffee, music, news and celebrity gossip... I love me some Celebitchy!

These things make morning life much more tolerable. As does a stop at Starbucks for a second cup of coffee :)

So, finally at work, I was able to dig into my breakfast, which, I have really been enjoying this week. Made up of grains and grain-like seeds and cinnamon, this warm and yummy breakfast is full of some delicious starchy carbs that leave me feeling satiated for hours. The full recipe I used (adapted from here) and the nutritional information can be found here and on my Recipes page under Wheat and Bran Crockpot Porridge.

Wheat and Bran Crockpot Porridge

Ingredients (for 10 servings):

• ½ cup wheat bran
• 1 ½ cup (310g) barley
• ½ cup oat bran
• ½ cup (95g) buckwheat
• ¼ (45g) bulgar
• 6 ½ cups water
• 15 prunes
• 3 TBSP cinnamon (this may have been a little too much)
• 5 TBSP melted coconut oil
• 40g walnuts

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients into the crockpot. Mix together well to combine.
2. Place cover on crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or until liquid absorbed and grains are tender.

Per serving: 300 calories; 11.25g fat; 47g carb; 8g protein

Easy peasy! I have been enjoying this every morning heated up with a 1/3 cup apple sauce stirred in to naturally sweeten, cut the excess of cinnamon and add a little creaminess to the mixture.

And, while it turned out great, I have a couple tweaks in mind for next time:

1. I don’t really smell or taste the added coconut oil. Next time, I think that I will omit that from the recipe and add in ½ - 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter when I heat up the individual serving.

2. I might omit the walnuts and top the individual servings with some other type of nut butter, like almond butter or hazelnut butter, to switch it up.

3. To boost the protein, I am also thinking of stirring in a ¼ - ½ scoop of vanilla protein powder after I warm it up.

4. I also may try to add the apple sauce to the crockpot to see if it turns out more moist.

5. And, in the vein of zucchini cake, I want to try adding some shredded zucchini and cocoa powder.

So many options! Let me know if you try it out! Send me your pics.

My other “new” meal this week was the quinoa pudding recipe I found on Chelle Stratford’s Recipe for Fitness blog. Here’s what I made with the nutritional information.

Chocolate Quinoa Protein Pudding

Ingredients (for 5 servings):

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 scoops (60g) chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 ¼ cup almond milk
• 3 TBSP cocoa

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa as normal.
2. Once quinoa is done and still warm, stir in the almond milk, protein powder and cocoa.

Per serving: 190 calories; 3.3g fat; 24g carb; 15.5g protein

This turned out great! A delicious chocolaty delight! On days that I weight train I use it as my pre-workout snack (consumed on the bus- much more convenient and less smelly than tuna or eggs :)) and on non-weight training days I eat it in the morning as my Meal 2 with an added tablespoon of almond butter. I even tried it heated up this morning. Just as yummy. Like a hot chocolate soup.

Next time, I may add in a little less liquid so it’s not as runny, but again, overall, good as is. A definite repeat. And, it could be made with any flavor of protein powder and mix-ins (like nuts, fresh fruit, chia seeds, etc).

In any case, the week of mornings are now over, which means some weekend sleep ins! Yay! And know what else weekend mornings mean?? Protein pancakes! Mmmm…

XOXO
J