Getting back into it!

The holidays were bad. I had to indulge in homemade tamales and lots of baked goods. I made pumpkin bread and whole wheat banana muffins :) now back to eating clean. I had a few cheat days with sushi before Christmas and couldn't say no dessert. It's crazy how easy it is to get out of shape by eating high sugary/high fat foods!

Eat clean to stay lean!!!
Lean ground turkey with spinach and egg whites! Lets start this new year right and finish strong!

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is the best yogurt you can eat. The nonfat Greek yogurt has very low carbs and is high in protein which keeps you fuller for a longer period of time. It is low in sugar so it won't spike up your insulin levels when you eat it.

My lunch today:
Greek yogurt with powdered peanut butter, nuts, blueberries, and cinnamon

Power oatmeal on the go!!

Here's my power charged oatmeal ;) on the go! Running late this morning taking my oatmeal to go.
- 1/2 cup of oatmeal
- 3 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter
- 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein
- little almond milk and cinnamon!

So good!

Can't sleep

How bad is it that it is 3:30 AM and I can't fall asleep and all I can think about is getting up and starting my day. Ugh this is frustrating. Especially because I know how important sleep is.

P.S. I ate really bad today but I don't feel guilty about it. I was hanging out with my sisters enjoying each others company. I know they get irritated when I eat super clean around them. Sometimes they say I'm to obsessive with what I eat. In the contrary, it is not an obsession but a way of living. I don't deprive my body from any foods I just choose not to eat some foods for health reasons, plus I think natural and unprocessed foods taste so much better :) Eating clean makes me happy but seeing my sisters happy makes me happier. Love them so much. It is interesting how we are all very different yet we get a long very well.

These never get old

These protein pancakes never get old. Had these for breakfast this morning. My absolute favorite!

I've tried many recipes before and was never satisfied until I came up with my own. Protein Pumpkin Pancakes :) I added nutmeg today after reading this article on the health benefits of nutmeg!

Cooking up a storm

I cooked up a storm last night.
I wasn't in the mood to go out on a rainy cold night so I stayed home with my brother Fabian and made a delicious dinner with ingredients I had in the kitchen

Made turkey burger with bulgar, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and green peas. Also made BBQ red potatoes and baked baby purple potatoes in the oven.

This was all absolutely delicious!

 

Breakfast

My breakfast and snacks:

1/2 cup of cooked old fashioned oats
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Almond milk and cinnamon

Snacks: coconut oiled banana chips and raw almonds

My Friday Night

I had an early dinner tonight. I've been craving sushi all week and told my self I would have sushi at the end of the week. It was amazing and absolutely delicious. I have come to realize that the most simple plates are the best. The less ingredients to me the better. Believe it or not but the $20 roll wasn't as satisfying as the tuna poke or the simply seared tuna. I tried something new, the oyster and quail egg shooter (amazing)!

I ended my Friday night with a shoulder workout then 15 minutes on the stair master followed by 10 minutes in the sauna. I was sweating so much, I loved it!

As my post workout meal I had a protein smoothie when I got home from the gym:

2/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of almond milk (unsweetened)
1/3 cup of pumpkin
2 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter
1 tsp of cinnamon

Along with my multivitamin and my vitamin C

Now that I worked out so late I can't seem to sleep. That's why I usually enjoy the gym earlier in the day haha because working out gives me energy, as it should for everyone else. Unless you completely exhausted your muscles ;)

Exhausted cat lol wish her mom was tired. Sleep is important, at least 6 hours of sleep every night.

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

These are the best pancakes I've had. Pretty impressed with my recipe

1/2 cup of 100% pure pumpkin
1/2 cup of egg whites
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder or you can use chocolate flavor
2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
Cinnamon to taste, I love cinnamon so I put about 1/2 a tbsp
(If it is too thick add a little bit more egg whites)
Mix very well then cook on a med-high heat griddle with non stick cooking spray. Makes about 4 pancakes

Top with almond butter and sugar free syrup and voila! Best pumpkin pancakes ever!!

Progress

Seeing progress towards my goals: toned arms, big butt, smaller waist ;)

Tighter deltoids, firm gluteus maximus, stronger abdomen and a well balanced core!

Don't mind the messy hair, this was taken first thing in the morning after waking up. 

EAT CLEAN to STAY LEAN!!!

Something sweet

Nutritional benefits of a sweet potato: one medium sweet potato, about 114 grams, has 105 calories, 2.5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 23 grams of carbohydrates. It holds 28% of the daily value of vitamin C needed and 12.5% of the Daily value for Vitamin B6. Sweet potatoes also provide lots of other minerals such as manganese, copper, iron and potassium. Also depending on the color, sweet potatoes provide lots of vitamin A, up to 250% of the daily value.  The more orange the more beta carotene in the potato, when it becomes white the beta carotene is lost. 

So when you are craving something sweet grab a sweet potato, place it on foil paper and season with basil (you may add olive oil such as 1/2 a tsp), wrap up and bake at 375 degrees for 1hr to an hour and 10 minutes.  Bake a few and save in the fridge for a later snack :) Sweet potatoes are very satisfying and definitely take care of my sweet tooth cravings. 

Nutritional content in 1 cup (200 grams) of Sweet Potato:

Reference: The Worlds Healthiest Foods: Sweet Potatoes

My new favorite

This taste just like baby food which I love :)

1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
1/2 cup of 100% pure pumpkin or sweet potato
1 can of tuna in oil (4 oz. of tuna)

Looks nasty, but I greatly enjoyed this. Taste so good and my body sure loves me for eating this :D

Today's workout... LEGS!!

I love and hate working out my legs! I love that I'm seeing results but I hate how intense, painful, and tiring it is however that is exactly what makes it worth every minute of painstaking sweat ;)

This becomes very addicting so if you start working out all the time be careful ;) make sure it is something you want to do for a very long time. I don't see this as a task that I have to do everyday but as a lifestyle. I don't find time to go work out I make time and it soon becomes part of your daily schedule. Make a schedule that's enjoyable and productive and stick to it. Find what works for you, everyone is different. They say you are more motivated in the morning than at night but for you it might be different. I know I get most of my work done and feel the most productive in the morning.

Also, do what makes you happy! It's YOUR life, YOUR health, YOUR body. You shouldn't care what other people think or say. Living a long, healthy, prosperous life with an overall good fitness level is why I do this. This is what makes me happy. It's my hobby; I also enjoy motivating and helping others reach their fitness goals a long the way (and not just reach but to maintain as well).

This is a new workout I found online that I haven't tried yet. I'll let you know what I think about it when I'm done :)

Fat, sick, and nearly dead

Good 2010 documentary: fat, sick & nearly dead

It surprises me how the majority of people in the U.S aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables, even after they know it will increase their over all health. I guess their will power isn't strong enough and society has the best of them.

Mondays workout

10 minute warmup on stair master

3 sets of 12 reps:
Bicep curls
Shoulder press
Triceps kickback
Arm raises

Then 40 lunges with 12 lb dumbbells in each hand

15 minutes in the sauna

Turkey and broccoli

lean ground turkey seasoned with minced garlic, cayenne pepper, fresh ground black pepper, and basil
w/steamed broccoli and whole wheat penne pasta with olive oil

4 oz of turkey
1/2 cup of pasta
1 cup of broccoli
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil