AB Curcuit

Hey guys, so I will stress that abs are made in the kitchen and it took me a long time of focusing on my diet to get where I am at today.  Abs are one of the hardest thing to get, but if you stay determined anything is possible.  i get asked all the time what workouts I do and how often i work out my core.  Well the truth is I only do an ab circuit once a week for 30 minutes.  I'm a true testament that you just need to make sure you're putting the right nutrients into your body to get the results you want.  Also, alcohol is your enemy.  Since i've been on my fitness kick I have really limited myself when it come to beverages and when I do have a drink it usually just vodka water with extra lemon:)  NO Carbs at night is a true trick to help you get those rock hard abs;) It seems we have this mis conception that we need carbs not make our meals complete and to feel full, this is not the case.  Our bodies fill up not nutrients and not calories, so keep this in mind when you're planing you nightly meals.

Workout: 4 sets
-low plank 30 seconds
-side plank(both sides) 30 seconds

-high plank 30 seconds
-frog crunches 30 seconds
-bicycles 30 seconds
-lift up to leg lift 30 seconds

Me in July 2012

                         

This is me today

                 

Chewy Oat Bars!!!

Made these amazing chewy oat bars last night!! Super easy and a great way to get in a sweet snack without any extra additives.  Warning they are amazing and it was so hard not to eat them last night when they were done, but I waited patiently for breakfast.   

Ingredients:

-1 cup oat bran

-2 cups oats

-1 cup raisins

-1 cup water

-1 diced apple, I used honey crsip, my favorite

-1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1. cook raisins in water for about 2-3 minutes

2. add apple, continue to cook for 1-2 minutes

3. add chopped almonds

3. throw in oats and oat bran

4. pour in coconut oil and stir

4. on a greased cookie sheet spread mixture best as you can. It will be thick, I used bread loaf pans, but would be much better with a thin cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. 

Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

Are you ever looking for a harmless dessert idea? Well, try my guiltless Chocolate Protein Mug Cake.  The great thing is you can change up the ingredients and it will be just as good!

Ingredients:
1. 3 scoops of vanilla protein drink mix(Herbalife), can use whatever flavor you want
2. 2 tsps of almond milk
3. 4 tsp of egg whites( or 2 egg whites)
4. 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, or carab powder, for more sweetness
5. 1 packet of stevia
6. 1 tsp of unsweetened greek yogurt
7. sugar free syrup
8. pb2
9.1/4 tsp baking powder

1. mix together in a coffee mug until consistency is that of cake batter, may have to play with wet and dry ingredients to get it just right
2. place in microwave for 2 1/2 3 minutes
3. turn over on to plate
4. top with pb2 and sugar free syrup!!

Also, for those of you who have yet to get started on HERBALIFE, I'm sending free samples out today! Message me your address, I want to share the love and show you how great the products are! PLus i bake with the protein drink mix everyday!! Great product to have on hand! 

getfitwithhope@gmail.com

UPDATE!!!! OVERLOAD

Okay,
It's been a while since I've updated the good ol' blog but I'm back.  I really need to start documenting what I'm doing everyday meal/workout wise.  I'm 4 weeks out from the Phil Heath show so things are getting pretty serious.  Of course, I enjoyed myself on a few special occasions;) I wanted to share one of my favorite no pain indulgences. PROTEIN PANCAKES, I have posted about them before, but I'm just now getting them just right!

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Pancakes
Double up ingredients if you're making for 2
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1 cup egg whites
-1 scoop vanilla protein(Herbalife Protein Drink Mix)
-1 banana
-1/4 cup blueberries(frozen) I added this to the blueberry banana pancakes
-PB2(powdered peanut butter), to your taste
-1 tsp baking powder
-3/4 cups oat flour(blended oatmeal)
-1 tsp coconut oil

1. blend in blender( when adding frozen blueberries do not mix, just mix)
2. make sure pan is in high heat before cooking, add coconut oil
3. cook until bubbles show and flip!
4. covered with PB2, sugar free syrup, and pieces of fruit

One of my favorite exercises is Dead lifts:
Deadlifts will allow you to build muscle in your upper and lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/dumbbell-straight-leg-deadlift<------- Check out for a how to explanation:)

Action Shot

So, in the past few weeks, I have also attempted to make the infamous Spaghetti Squash, surprisingly, I'm in LOVE with it! I could probably eat it every night.  The squash has a very mild taste but it keeps it's crunch, so I honestly felt like I was eating actual spaghetti.  Below I just threw on some low sugar pasta sauce mixed with lean ground turkey and it was amazing!!!

Ingredients

-1 large spaghetti squash

-1 pound lean ground turkey

-low sugar pasta sauce(always read the label, you would be surprised at how much sugar they add to these, the one I found was only 3 grams)

1. cut spaghetti squash in half, place facing down on pan and cook at 350 for 40 minutes, or until it easily shreds.

2. once done, take out and let cool.  Take a fork and shred long ways until you extract all squash.

3. cook lean ground beef,I seasoned mine with oregano, garlic. salt, pepper.

4. add pasta sauce and cook.

5. only add sauce right before serving(I have read that it will cause squash to become soggy)

***This made a huge portion, even after Justin and I ate, we had leftovers. They were just as good the next day:)

Here it is!!!! My suit for the Phil Health show in Houston. Thank to the Amazing Ravish Sands, for this handcrafted beautiful suit:)  I'm 4 weeks out eeeeekkkk super excited to get back on the stage though.  I have taken some progress pics and i'm way ahead of the game, well way better than I was last year at this point.  Stay tuned!!!

One last thing! Owning a business is very time consuming, and typically I like to grocery shop on Sundays so we have food for the week but, there was one Monday that we didn't have time to cook, nor did we have food, but you can still grab food and eat healthy.  One of our favorite places is Pei Wei.  Ask for Stock Velveted(Boiled instead of fried) and sauce on the side, brown rice, and  we always ask for extra veggies too!