The Fat vs. Muscle War

Most people start their fitness journey as simply a weightloss journey.  That was the case for me!  And no matter what method you choose to start that weightloss journey, it works.  You follow the "rules" of the program and the number on the scale begins to fall and you have to start shopping for a new wardrobe.  Yet a journey based on diet alone burns fat AND muscle.  Now what you eat is the biggest part of this journey, however combining that with cardio/strength training is the most effective way to drop pounds. 

Before you stop reading and call me crazy, remember when I began my journey almost 3 years ago, I relied solely on diet.  And after a period of time, I stopped losing weight and was only maintaining the weight lost.  Why?  Because my body got smarter and said "oh you are making these changes so that I hold onto less fat, so let me start holding onto every bit of fat you give me".  And what results - your body starts burning the muscle instead. When I started running, my weightloss journey picked back up and I eventually reached my  goal.  Yet it wasn't until I started adding regular strength training that I saw even greater results - not in the scale, but in the shape of my body.

Types of Exercise and the Results Achieved
Cardio - it's the most basic form of exercise and usually the thing people do first because it doesn't require anything more then a pair of shoes.  You can take to the streets or hit the treadmill.  A typical cardio workout burns 300 calories, however you only burn those calories during the workout.  Not much happens afterwards.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) - doesn't require anything more then cardio except for you to PUSH yourself.  Break up your walk with spurts of jogging or break up your jogging with spurts of sprinting.  You can increase your calorie burn in significantly less time as your body can only endure about 20-30 minutes of this type of exercise.  BUT, it will continue to burn calories for 2-3 hours afterward while you recover on the gym floor. 

Weight Training - as stated in the picture above, the more muscle you have the more fat you burn.   Why?  Because that muscles causes your metabolism to work all day long and probably explains why you feel hungry all day after a weight training session.  So in combination with a good diet, you reap the rewards of a weight training session all day long.



Still think I am crazy?



Alwyn Cosgrove, a fitness expert, wrote a great article discussing the Hierarchy of Weight Loss loaded with numerous studies highlighting the benefits of weight training in comparison to cardio. This is the best part:

Overweight subjects were assigned to three groups: diet-only, diet plus aerobics, diet plus aerobics plus weights. The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks. The aerobic group lost only one more pound (15.6 pounds) than the diet group (training was three times a week starting at 30 minutes and progressing to 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).

The weight training group lost 21.1 pounds of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively). Basically, the addition of aerobic training didn’t result in any real world significant fat loss over dieting alone.

Thirty-six sessions of up to 50 minutes is a lot of work for one additional pound of fat loss. However, the addition of resistance training greatly accelerated fat loss results.
 

I encourage you to find what works for you and don't be afraid to try something new - the rewards might be greater then you realize.

Climbing on my soapbox...

I am going to climb on my soapbox for a moment, because quite frankly I've been where most of you are now.  There was a time, that I dreamt about being a healthier more physically fit version of "me".  There was a time, that I thought about being a healthier more physically fit version of "me".  If there had been Pinterest, I would have pinned every exercise program I could find no matter how crazy they seemed as my way of studying about being a healthier more physically fit version of "me".  There was a time that I didn't take action, I didn't own it and I sure as heck didn't believe that I could be a healthier more physically fit version of "me".

Every day I see posts on Facebook "talking" about making a change, I see friends "pinning" things on Pinterest "studying" about making a change, I have conversations with family/friends "thinking" about making a change.  Yet you have to live it, breathe it, own it and believe it - in order to go get it! 

You have to step out of your comfort zone and do the uncomfortable.  Walk into that gym you pay for monthly.  Substitute those favorite food items for a healthier option.  Throw out the uneaten Halloween candy after a week. 

You have to set a reasonable goal within a reasonable timeframe.  Nothing happens overnight!  It took me 90 days to work my way from walking on the treadmill to running on the treadmill. 

It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change in yourself, it takes 8 weeks for friends to notice and 12 weeks for the world to notice.  So set a 4 week goal that is reasonable and a new goal every 4 weeks after that and these goals will take you to that bigger goal.

You have to have accountability.  In the beginning, this means someone else to hold you accountable because each of us can talk ourselves out of anything uncomfortable.  Share your goals with someone, ask them to call you out when they see you giving up, ask them to cheer you on when you keep going. 

In the beginning, my best friend & I started the couch to 5k program together - holding each other accountable.  I knew that neither of us would let the other one quit, neither of us would let the other one reach the 2 mile mark and give up.  We weren't going to let each other settle if we only made it half way.

When I first added strength training to my plan in 2011, I hired a trainer and fact:  it was the scariest day ever to walk in there the first time.  Yet I needed him to teach me how to train, to tell me to suck it up, to hold me accountable when I didn't show up for a session.  And quite frankly, he believed in me more then I believed in myself most days.  And recently as I completed my own 12-week program all on my own, I thanked him for teaching me to believe in myself.

Make the time, not another excuse.  Everyone has a busy life, everyone has more on their plate then hours in a day, everyone has a list of excuses MILES long.  Yet you only have one lifetime and you only have one body to live it with.  I promise that you have one hour of your day that you can and should give to YOU, you just have to take it - even if that hour is uncomfortable at first.

As I climb off my "box", I hope you feel uncomfortable enough to go get your "it" because I BELIEVE IN YOU!

Today I choose to be...

ANGRY, RAGED, PROVOKED – all words that describe how I feel many days - feelings that I wake up with each and every day. 

And every day I have to determine what I will do with them. 

Some days it is easy to push them aside and pretend that August 10, 2012 was simply a day of celebrating my middle daughter’s birth. 

Other days these words consume me to the point that I become quick to snap at those that I love….my husband, my oldest daughter, my middle daughter or even my youngest son.  And quite frankly, I find that most days I am consumed by them no matter how hard I try not to be.

This battle each day serves as my reminder that I have emotions; that I have been taught to love with the depths of my soul, that patience and trust are something that I still need to work on, that I am human.

This battle each day serves as my reminder that I must forgive & be forgiven.

Marathon Training Schedule

Half or Full Marathon Training for Walkers & Runners

Monday – REST

Tuesday – 2-3 Miles

Wednesday – Low Impact Exercise – can include resistance training, weights, pilates

Thursday – 2-3 Miles

Friday – Yoga/Stretch

Saturday – Long Run/Walk (see below for the distance)

Sunday – REST

NOW – you can adapt this schedule to start on any day of the week – so if Saturdays are not ideal for a long run/walk – then establish your long run day and create the schedule around that.  Also, cross-training is key to avoid injury.

Week #1 – 2 Miles/4 Miles

Week #2 – 2 Miles/4 Miles

Week #3 – 3 Miles/6 Miles

Week #4 – 3 Miles/6 Miles

Week #5 – 4 Miles/8 Miles

Week #6 – 5 Miles/10 Miles

Week #7 – 4 Miles/8 Miles

Week #8 – 6 Miles/12 Miles

Week #9 – 7 Miles/14 Miles

Week #10 – 4 Miles/8 Miles

Week #11 – 8 Miles/16 Miles

Week #12 – 5 Miles/10 Miles

Week #13 – 9 Miles/18 Miles

Week #14 – 4 Miles/8 Miles

Week #15 – 10 Miles/20 Miles

Week #16 – 4 Miles/8 Miles

Week #17 – 11 Miles/22 Miles

Week #18 – 8 Miles/16 Miles

Week #19 – 5 Miles/10 Miles

Week #20 – RACE WEEKEND

PUMPKIN SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE

Over the past few months, I have searched for and tried several healthier pancake recipes - all of which have been a GIANT FAIL - until today!  I swear that Jamie Eason is the "Queen" of healthy recipes that actually taste good too.  I haven't disliked a recipe yet and today proved that again.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

(although not a strong pumpkin flavor for those who may be leary)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 2 tbsp Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 scoop whey protein (optional)
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened Almond Breeze

 

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle to medium heat.
2. Mix oat flour, Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a bowl.
3. Wisk egg whites and pumpkin. Mix in Almond Breeze.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Spray griddle with non-stick butter spray.
6. Scoop batter with a 1/4 cup measuring cup onto griddle. Cook 3-5 minutes on a side.

Makes 10 large pancakes.

 

I actually made my pancakes about 5 inches in diameter to easily store in a ziploc sandwich bag so I was able to get 24 out of 1 batch of mix.  I stored them 4 to a package (equal to 2 of the large size that the following nutrtional information is based upon) and stuck them in the freezer for quick easy grab n go.

 

Nutritional Content for 1 Large Pancake or 2 Smaller Size (with 1 scoop of protein)

 

Pumpkin Spice                                      vs.                     Aunt Jemima Buttermilk

Calories: 73                                                                                     Calories:  90
Fat: 2 grams                                                                                    Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 10 grams                                                                              Carbs:  12 grams
Protein: 5 grams                                                                              Protein:  2 grams
Sugar: 0 grams                                                                                Sugar:  4 grams

PLUS - my kids gave them 2 thumbs up too!

What Will You Want?

Quite honestly, this question has been burning in the forefront of my mind for the past 45 days.....not because I lack hope or faith.....not because I don't believe in miracles.  Because I know that most walk around their daily life not knowing when their final day will be and get caught up in so many distractions of life.

In the past week our local news has reported on a young child who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was struck by a passing vehicle.....a father, son, brother, employee who was simply doing his job at 2am - diverting traffic when his vehicle was struck and exploded.  They didn't know how that day was going to end.

I pray every day that my brother and I have more time with our dad, that my children have more time with their grandfather, that my mother has more time with her husband.......that we have more time then what statistics tell us.

Yet I promised myself on August 10, 2012 not to allow the time that I have with those who matter in my life be filled with distractions.  That the laundry and dishes can wait if it means enjoying the little things in life.  So that if that final day comes sooner then expected, I won't look back with regret.  I challenge you to do the same.....

Carb Cycling - the beginning

Week #10 of the LIVE FIT Program involves "carb cycling" and being that this is brand new to me, I woke up Sunday morning, grabbed the laptop, my notebook and my morning cup of "joe" (i.e. for many that may be a cup of coffee, for me is used to be a Dr. Pepper....but now it is 12 ounces of water mixed with Mango Strawberry Spark and Mango Pineapple Rehydrate - YUMMO)...ready to do some meal planning. 

 

 

"Carb Cycling" involves days of low carb/high protein vs. high carb/low protein.  This week I have 6 days of low carb/high protein and 1 day of high carb/low protein to plan for.  The type of day coincides with the workout of the day too.  Thankfully, the LIVE FIT Program has an easy calculator to determine the total calories, carbs, protein and fat you need.  Once I determined these numbers, I sat down with the My Fitness Pal app. and customized my nutrition plan accordingly (under settings).

 

 

The first thing that I added to my food diary was my Advocare products because that is something that is the foundation of every day for me.  Then I began adding in all the foods that I typically like to eat for the various meals/snacks throughout the day.  Once I had all my foods in the diary, I was able to start subtracting out food items and formulating a menu (using the LIVE FIT suggested foods as a guide too).

 

 

Below is what I came up with for day #1 (keep in mind I am learning as I go).  You will see that some of the items listed are what many would consider "normal" when I could have chosen a "low carb" or even "low fat" option - examples:  Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss vs. Laughing Cow Light or Mission Regular Fajita Flour Tortilla vs. Mission Carb Balance Fajita Flour Tortilla.  My reasoning is simple - I am using items I already had in my house and not wasting them - so on a future shopping trip, I have already made notes to buy the other version.  Additionally, you will see that I am eating egg whites for breakfast and again at dinner - today that works for my schedule as I will be shuttling between soccer practices and the dance studio - so I can whip up that meal easily and take it on the road with me while I play taxi driver.

 

 

YES - this took me about 2 hours to come up with, however now that I have a starting point, I can modify each day going forward.  I have my list of all the items that I originally started with and I can quickly swap foods each day going forward.  As I do so, I hope to get my numbers a little closer to my daily goal - but for today I think I did a fairly decent job.

 

P.S.  I am using my new Easy Lunchboxes & have my salad prepped for the week in Mason Jars (as seen on PINTEREST) and will update later on how I like them.

 

 

 

1850 Calories in a Day

As I am entering the final phase of the 12-Week Live Fit Program, I have days where I have to take my calories from my normal 1500 range up to 1850.  Here is what 1850 calories typically looks like for me:

4:30 AM - Advocare Mango Strawberry Spark & Mango Pineapple Rehydrate w/3 Advocare Catalyst

6:30 AM - Advocare Muscle Gain Vanilla Protein w/PB2 Chocolate and 1/2 Banana plus my Advocare Vitamin MNS

9:30 AM - 2 Squares Jamie Eason Cinammon Swirl Protein Bread

12:30 PM - 6 ounces of Tilapia seasoned with Monteray Steak Seasoning chopped up with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese & wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla - 1 cup of Salad with 15 spritzs of Wish Bone Italian Dressing & 1/4 cup shredded cheese

3:30 PM - 4 Squares of Jamie Eason Chocolate Protein Bread & Fage Greek Yogurt

5:30 PM - 2 Sargento Cheese Sticks (typically as I am shuttling kids places)

7:30 PM - 5 Egg Whites with salt/pepper and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese

Calories:  1849
Fat:  62 grams
Carbs:  162 grams
Protein: 169 grams

Needless to say, my lunch box is usually stuffed to the brim with food and you will find me putting something in my mouth all day long.

LIVESTRONG – Then & Now

Everyone knows who Lance Armstrong and the LIVESTRONG Foundation is, in fact many of us proudly wear the famous yellow bracelet every day.  Prior to August 10, 2012, my connection to LIVESTRONG was through my cousin, Matt McKee.  As many of you already know, my cousin was affected by Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and lost his fight to early.  Yet, what you may not know is that his greatest hero was Lance Armstrong, in fact, at Matt’s funeral, every guest was given their own yellow bracelet and I have worn mine every day since.  So over the past few years, I have familiarized myself more with the LIVESTRONG Foundation, however it was still from “afar” because although several friends and family have been affected by cancer, it hadn’t affected me in the manner that it has now.

NOW – you see, I am a person of reflection.  I read a lot and when something moves me, I dig into the words and phrases in an effort to apply them to my life.  So recently, when one friend sent me the link to this video, “Our Manifesto”, and then another friend sent me the photo below…..I figured I better pay a little more attention to the words. 

 

Granted my dad is the cancer patient, however this disease has entered all of our lives.  As I reflect on these words and the past three weeks, I feel that they describe how our dad’s diagnosis has impacted my brother and I.  We are LIVESTRONG!  Our parents may be LIVESTRONG someday, but not today, as they continue to deal with the shock of everything. 

You see, it is LIVESTRONG that kicked in for Toby and I moments after hearing the diagnosis from the doctors.  Our unity has become strength for our parents.  Our energy and knowledge to ask the questions, listen to the answers and then to ask the really tough questions is LIVESTRONG.  We keep reminding our parents that although it seems like cancer is taking control of our lives, we have to live every minute with every ounce of our being.  We have had to remind them when they feel like pulling punches, that at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter.  We have hugged both of them when the tears fall and squeezed them tighter when the rage occurs…..we have made them laugh and had to be that voice of reality that says “suck it up” when the self-pity consumes them.  This is LIVESTRONG!

We believe that this has happened for a reason and we believe that we have a story to tell from it.  And just maybe for today, that story is simply demonstrating what it means to LIVESTRONG.  Because although this Manifesto was written specifically for those in the fight of their life with cancer, I think that there is an underlying foundation here that applies to everyone.  And on Saturday night, when our dad is the guest of honor in the LIVESTRONG Yellow Seat at the Sporting KC Game, I hope that others see the LIVESTRONG in all of us.

 

Consulting a Dietitian

Although I have been taking myself down my own “road” to better eating, with my father’s recent cancer diagnosis this road has become much wider.  You see several years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Squire Rushnell speak on his book series, When GodWinks, and have since read a few of his books.  What many of us call “coincidence”, I believe is a “Godwink” moment to guide us through this journey called life.  That being said, what started as my own “road” to better eating, has now become a “Godwink” of this new journey with cancer. 

Due to the type of cancer that we are dealing with and how it is directly affecting how the body processes and retains nourishment, my dad’s diet is extremely important.  Diet is important for every chemotherapy patient however, the doctors have stressed to us how key it truly is for my dad.  So for those that know me, that means I have been spending hours researching and reading.  I asked the oncology team if we could meet with a dietitian and I was told that although they had a dietitian on staff they actually encouraged us to contact our local Hy-Vee grocery store.  Did you know that every Hy-Vee has a dietitian on staff for customers to consult?  (our local Belton store has Megan Callahan) In fact, you can schedule a Personal Nutrition Shopping Assistance/Store Tour for FREE that will discuss specific dietary needs.  You can also use NuVal, a nutritional scoring system that determines the nutritional value of the food you buy….again for FREE.  You can take it further and receive private nutrition counseling for a nominal fee as well.

Additionally, I have been able to tweak my dad’s Advocare Supplement regiment to ensure that he is receiving optimum nutrition.  For example:  it was suggested that he take his multi-vitamin and drink Ensure and Gatorade daily.  So, we have had to switch him to the V100 Multi-Vitamin and rather then Ensure and Gatorade, he is drinking 1-2 Advocare Meal Replacement Shakes (not as a replacement but as an additional meal each day) and at least one Rehydrate daily (as it has a better nutritional make-up then Gatorade).  Although there is not enough scientific evidence to prove that nutritional supplements impact the cure for cancer, it is suggested that they be used.  Specifically, for my dad, several of his abnormal labs can be corrected by diet and vitamins so we are hoping to see a few normal results.  In fact, his nurse has been so impressed with what she has seen so far from Advocare, she has asked for some samples for herself to try.

Live Fit Phase One Complete

Today was the final workout of Phase One of the 12-Week Live Fit Program….highlights so far:

·         After just a couple of days, the 4:30 am wake up has become habit and not a chore.  I actually feel better getting my workout out of the way first thing and having the rest of my day to focus on my priorities – husband, children, work, etc.  It is also interesting to observe the “looks” you get at the gym after people continue to see you there every morning and they observe your routine.  Ladies – most of you limit yourself to the treadmill and elliptical…..I promise the machines and free weights are not as scary as you think.  Plus, I find it entertaining when I catch a guy checking to see what dumbbell weight I am using compared to theirs…..and YES that happened this morning (he put his back and grabbed 5 lbs more – proceeded to struggle and finally went back down to the same weight – and his bicep was probably the size of my leg so I had to chuckle).

·         Although I don’t think I can ever totally eat “clean”, I have taken huge steps toward that and would say that 75% of what I consume each day is “clean”.  You may have heard several times that “abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym”…..and I can tell you that although I knew that I had strong abdominal muscles, my body didn’t show that before.  The biggest change I have seen so far in this first 4 weeks, is the change in what I can see in my stomach.  That change isn’t happening because of the workout as very little time each week is focused on the core, it is happening because of the change in my diet.

·         Speaking of food, the Chocolate Protein Bars and Cinnamon Swirl Bread that I mentioned last week have become a BIG hit with our entire family.  So much, that I am going to have to make a double batch of both this weekend to keep up with the demand next week.

So I ask you – who has 45 minutes a day to devote to YOU at the gym?  Who is willing to spend 1-hour a week planning your meals and doing your grocery shopping?  TRUST ME – that is all the time I spend.

What are you putting into your body?

I am asked several times a week, why I use the nutritional supplements from Advocare.  First of all, there are lots of products out there - those products produce results -  and I feel that you have to make a personal choice/decision on what products are right for you. 

For me, I am a researcher and I like to know what it is that I am putting into my body.  Furthermore, I like that the Advocare products are used by unpaid endorsers from every avenue of the “athletic world”.  I figure that if a professional athlete who relies on the performance of their body uses the products that the “average” person like myself, should too.  Advocare has formed an alliance with INFORMED-CHOICE, meaning their products have been tested for 200+ toxins, impurities, and banned substances.  Recently, I stumbled upon this chart comparing various "other" protein shakes and the amount of arsenic, lead and mercury they contain. 

Just some food for thought....

How am I Doing?

So much has happened in the past week…..

As many of you know, we received confirmation on Friday that my dad has Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer.  As a family, we now know first-hand what it is like to go from a “normal” life to a life that now involves the dreaded word “cancer” in what felt like the blink of an eye.  BUT – let me assure you that although we cannot take away the shock of hearing the diagnosis nor do we understand the “why”, we do know that this is part of God’s plan because he has allowed it into our lives and we trust him as the ultimate physician to get us through it.  Within minutes of my dad asking the doctor “will this kill me?” and hearing the response “20% of patients are still alive 5 years later”, my dad stated to all of us “we will not be angry with or blame God for this”.  And as I had to have the most difficult conversation yesterday with my three children (as I don’t believe in keeping difficult news from them), I have to tell you it was comforting to see the peace and calmness that came over them as I repeated my dad’s words “we will not be angry with or blame God for this”.  So, in a nutshell, do not feel sorry for our situation, but realize that we have HOPE and FAITH in every minute that passes.

NEW Favorite Snacks

Those of you who know me well, know that I "RARELY" go into the kitchen and cook just for the sake of cooking.  With our busy schedule it is all about quick and easy meals, not much time for experiments.  Over the past couple of weekends, I have made the time to start trying new recipes, items that I can cook up ahead of time and eat throughout the week.  Of course, I make everyone in the family try at least one bite of what I make and honestly, some things they all like, some things they all dislike, but most of the time they are usually split down the middle.


Our "favs" from this week:


PUMPKIN PROTEIN BARS
courtesy of Jamie Eason

Nutrition Facts:

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein

Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

Ingredients:

·         ½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal)
·         4 oz. jar baby food applesauce
·         2 tsp. ground cinnamon
·         1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
·         ½ tsp. ground clove
·         1 tsp. baking powder
·         1 tsp. baking soda
·         ½ tsp. salt
·         2 tsp. vanilla extract
·         4 large egg whites
·         15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
·         2 C oat flour
·         2 scoops vanilla whey protein
·         ½ cup almond milk
·         ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350.

2.     Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.

3.     Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.

4.     Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.

5.     Makes 24 squares.

TURKEY MEATBALLS
courtesy of Jamie Eason
Note:  I changed the name a bit because "meatloaf" is a scary word from my childhood.  Mine turned out like meatballs and they are super yummy.  I have been eating thiem this week as my morning snack, however plan to make a big batch to have in the freezer for spaghetti and meatball sub nights too.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 80
Fats: 2 grams
Carbs: 4 grams
Protein: 11 grams

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp chipotle pepper spice - this makes them a little spicy so you might want to omit for the kiddos
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.     Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.

3.     Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl.

4.     Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.

5.     Bake for 40 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Serving Size:
Women: 2 muffins
Men: 4 muffins

NEXT WEEK:  Trying Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread, Italian Turkey Burgers & Chocolate Protein Bars

EATING - EATING - EATING

I am half way through week two and I must say that the biggest challenge has been the constant eating, eating and more eating.  Several have asked what I am eating, how I am eating and when I am eating.  I am following Jamie Eason's Live Fit food recommendations. 

So here goes….a day in the life of ME:

4:30 am – Wake Up

4:45 am – Prepare 8 ounces of Spark Energy Drink (nutritionally balanced formula) / Take 3 Catalyst (an amino acid dietary supplement that protects lean muscle mass)

5:15 am – Begin daily workout at the gym – drinking Rehydrate throughout my workout

6:30 am – Breakfast - Prepare 5 Egg Whites – I prefer mine scrambled and make them in the microwave for less mess and to save time.  Generally I season them with just a little salt and pepper, add in either 1/3 cup shredded cheese or a wedge of Laughing Cow, eat with a slice of Ezekial 4:9 toast or wrap in a Mission New Balance Tortilla.  For variety, I may add a tablespoon of salsa, taco sauce or throw in some turkey sausage.  I also start taking my vitamins from my MNSMax3 strips (Provides more than 50 vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, antioxidants, and other nutrients for comprehensive health and wellness - because food alone won't give you that)

9:30 am – Snack - Drink Muscle Gain Protein Shake – I know many just use a shaker bottle to mix their shakes, however I really enjoy mine like a “milkshake”.   The Oyster My Blend Blender works great for this with its sports bottle style cup that goes from blender to sports bottle with a switch of the lid.  No need for multiple cups!  My Muscle Gain Recipe – Fill the My Blend Cup approx. ¾ full with ice, add 2 scoops of Muscle Gain Vanilla Protein, 2 Teaspoons of Chocolate PB2, 8 ounces of water – BLEND.  175 Calories – 9 grams of carbs – 29 grams of protein.  On occasion, I may add ½ a banana too.  

12:30 pm – Lunch – 5 ounces of protein w/1 starch off of Jamie Eason’s Live Fit recommendations.  I struggle to be a veggie eater, so I try to find things that I can make with veggies in them as I will eat them that way vs. by themselves.  Example:  cooked chicken breast chopped & 1/3 cup shredded cheese mixed with diced peppers, tomatoes, etc.

3:30 pm – Snack – ½ cup cottage cheese, a cup of Fage GreekYogurt, or a few Quakers Rice Cakes dipped in Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip (a cup of plain greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 a Ranch Dip seasoning packet)

6:30 pm – Dinner – a repeat of lunch – I am not cooking an entirely separate meal from my family – I will make one meal and modify what goes on my plate to ensure that I am meeting my carb/protein ratio.  Example:  If I make hamburgers & tator tots at my kids request, I will eat my burger without the bun so I can enjoy the tator tots too.  J  If I make spaghetti, I will add some chicken to mine to add in protein.

9:00 pm – Snack – Jamie Eason’s plan suggests a snack of 5 egg whites (18 grams of protein)  – however after eating all the meals I have previously, I find that I am not able to eat that much food.  Instead, I use Pro20 as my night time snack because in 3 ounces of liquid I receive 20 grams of protein and it doesn’t leave me with that “full” feeling so close to bedtime.

10:30 pm – Good Night because 4:30 am comes quickly

So, at the end of the day, I consume on average 1500 calories – 115 grams of carbs – 130 grams of protein. 

How much protein your body needs is based upon several factors, including age, gender, height, weight, and your activity level and fitness goals.  Kashi has a great calculator on their website that you can use to determine this number and will even give you a printable page of not only their products but foods in general to use as a quick reference guide when planning meals.

Gotta Go – time for my morning snack!

The Starting Line

My free time this week has been spent at The Starting Line of this journey.

Step One:  Determine the Plan – I am currently 4 days into the Jamie Eason Live Fit 12-WeekProgram.  If you know who Jamie Eason is, you may quickly understand why I chose this program.  However, for those of you who don’t, let me sum it up quickly with this…..

Hello!  Who Doesn’t want to Look like That?????

What I like about the plan so far is that the workouts only take about 30 - 45 minutes which works well for my busy schedule.  YES – I am at the gym at 5:15am which is early for many, however I find that when I start my day with my workout, I feel better, the gym is less crowded and it doesn’t interfere with my responsibilities as a wife and mother.

PLUS - this plan can be done by ANYONE - even if you wake up tomorrow and say I want to "live fit".

Step Two:  Take Measurements – you have to know where you are starting from in order to measure the progress of your efforts.

June 2010 / July 2012

Weight: 133.4 / 132.2
Right Arm: 9 / 9.5
Shoulders: 38.25 / 38.25
Chest: 33.75 / 32.00
Waist: 29.25 / 28.00
Hips: 36 / 35
Right Thigh: 17.75 / 18.5
Right Calf: 14.5 / 14

I never calculated Body Fat in 2010, but as of today it is at 22.2%.  I know that in order to reach the goal that I desire physically, I will reduce this number, however WILL increase my overall body weight, yet that increase will be "good" weight aka - muscle.

Step Three:  Nutrition & Supplements – this week I started to take baby steps in following the nutrition guide suggested in the Live Fit program.  Trying some of the small meals suggested, but really focusing on consuming the equivalent amount of carbs/protein etc. suggested every 2-3 hours.

Phase One Female Diet Guide

In addition, my Nutritional Supplement Cabinet does look like this….and YES I take these products every day and have used many of them for the last two years….just being more consistent with some of them today and using new products to obtain the carbs/protein during my day and following a workout.

You can find out more about the products Advocare offers here or wait for me to dive into some of these products in future posts.

Step Four:  Keep a Journal – I use the My Fitness Pal app. on my phone to track what I eat.  I use a notebook to track my daily workouts.  Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Program gives me the daily workout plan and I log how much weight I use.  As I mentioned in the previous post, I started this journey with a different plan 3 weeks ago and I can tell you that from week 1 to now I have already been able to increase the weights used on certain exercises.  Logging it allows you to see progress!