Recipe- Bean Salad

Another recipe coming at ya from my food prep on Sunday.

 

Bean Salad:

 1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can wax beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
You can also add black beans and chick peas, etc but I didn't have any....
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup stevia

Directions:

Combine all beans, celery, onion and green pepper; toss to mix. In a separate bowl combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and stevia. Whisk until stevia is dissolved and pour over beans.

Refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.

 

*Bean Salad*

 

Until next time,

 

Transformation Tuesday

Hi Fitness Peeps,

I usually only do Transformation Tuesday on my facebook page and not on the blog but I figured I would do something different this week and give it a try. #transformationtuesday

Here is my latest transformation picture.

The pictures on the left are all taken before starting my fitness journey in October of 2011. I was 156lbs when I started this fabulous journey and a size 6-8. Some would say, and I actually got this comment today, "I wish I had started out at a size 6-8" and although that may be true for some, everyone's story and transformation is unique and that's why we share. I may not have had a lot of weight to lose but I wanted a change, I wanted to feel healthy, strong, confident and so here I am.

The pictures on the right are all post 2011. The first is while competing in the Keane Classic fitness competition and both others are present day. I am currently a size 2-4 but I don't weigh myself; who needs the scale anyway :)

The journey never ends and putting this together today is a testament to how far I have come.
I enjoy variety in my training, seeing what this body can do and lifting heavy is the best. I love it!! It has completely changed my body as you can see and didn't make me big and bulky ladies.

I struggle, as my earlier post suggests, but I don't give up because this is a lifestyle for me. Clean eating and training hard are all just something I do now; it is apart of who I am. #fitgirlsrock

Until next time,

Nourished vs Stressed Metabolism: Update

Hey Fit Girls and Guys,

I posted this on my facebook page and I got a lot of questions, comments and so on so I thought that I would write a blog update about  metabolism as well.

Most of you already know, if you have been reading my blogs, that about a year ago I crashed hard; very hard and had all the symptoms, plus others, listed here of a stressed metabolism. It has been a long, slow journey and one that still continues today but I am slowly getting back to a nourished metabolism.

I look at it (most days anyway) as a very TOUGH test that can make me better, stronger and a VICTOR. I will not let it make me bitter, weaker and a VICTIM (although some of my thoughts tend to go that way from time to time).

There are days when I look at myself and I hate where I am; simply because I am not seeing any improvements on the outside and I'm conflicted on the inside as well. There are days when I feel great...I'm positive and confident but there are also days when I struggle so much that I do want to give up but thankfully that's not me; I wasn't built that way.

My biggest advice is to always listen to your body; don't dictate to it. As much as I have struggled with this over the past year and believe me I still do; your body needs patience, nurturing and positive thinking. Learn to love yourself regardless of where you are physically and concentrate on being grateful for where you are. This has been a slow process for me as well but I am happy with how fit, strong and yes BAD ASS that I am :)
Push yourself? Yes, but don't overtrain. Eat good, clean food every few hours throughout the day? Yes, but ensure you are eating enough and taking in enough of each macro (protein, fat and carbs). Take rest day(s) and get enough sleep? Yes, very important.

I love training and I love the healthy, fit, strong girl I have become in the last couple of years so when I started feeling this way it was a huge blow after being on such a high through my competition prep and even post competition.
 There are probably those of you reading this who look at me and wonder what I am complaining about. In actuality, I'm not complaining I'm happy for the ride no matter where it takes me and I have come a long way already on this journey. What I am is human and I have good days and bad days just like everyone else. Today just happens to be one of those tougher days. There is power in positivity though so I'm smiling and I'm still as motivated as ever!
 
It is actually tough to write all this, it hits deep and because for a long time it was so frustratingly hard that I wanted to give up; BUT I persevered. This, like everything else, will be just another chapter in my fitness journey. Maybe by talking about it; it will motivate someone else to never give up because no matter how big or small the setback is, you CAN overcome it! 

Until next time,

Recipe- Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa

It's recipe time! I made both of these yesterday for my food prep and they go great together.

Grilled Salmon:

 Seasoning:
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground coriander ...
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper

Directions: Brush salmon with olive oil, mix all other spices together and sprinkle over salmon, grill and Voila :)

*Grilled Salmon*

Avocado Salsa:

1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
3 mild hot peppers, seeded and deveined, diced or sliced ...
Juice from 2 limes
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
Salt to taste 

 Mix together all ingredients and chill before serving

*Avocado Salsa*

 

I need to get better at taking food pics but try these. It's so yummy!!

Until next time,

 

The Importance of Food Prep

Hey everyone,

As you all know by now, I spend most of my Sundays prepping my food for the week. Why? Simply put it saves me from having to cook after work and make new things for my work lunches everyday. It also saves me from falling into the trap of getting home and not wanting to cook and ordering take out instead. As we have all heard, preparation is the key. Fail to plan; plan to fail and who wants to do that? Not me.

So yes I spend several hours cooking, washing, dicing, bagging, etc on Sundays but this saves me a lot of time during the week. Typically I cook enough for both my husband and I for 5-6 days and then do it all over again the following week. I try new recipes sometimes and there are some things that I cook over and over because I love them, like roasted Brussels sprouts. Yum!!

For me, it is the convenience of having all my food prepped and ready to eat. Basically everything is always at my fingertips so it's easy, convenient and a lot less stressful. It works for me and leaves me extra time for training and other things throughout the week.

This week I cooked:
Grilled salmon with avocado salsa
Bean salad
Roasted beets, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli
Omelettes
Turkey taco mixture for lettuce wraps
Shrimp
Raw veggies (washed and bagged)
Fruit (washed and bagged)

I'll share some of these newer recipes with you in another post. What about you, do you food prep? Do you see its importance for staying on course with your goals?

Until next time,