Got Energy?

Hello friends!

It's been a crazy busy week/weekend/week already! The hubster and I are fixing up the ol' homestead to prep for sale. We've lived here FOR-EV-ER and we are excited to make the change, but who knew how much work went into small renovations?! We have painted, done the flooring in 3 bathrooms and an entry way, repaired the driveway, and we still have a deck and kitchen/dining room flooring to go. Not to mention de-cluttering and prepping the house to show.

Why do you care?

Excellent question. Know what I noticed? I have energy. More than the hubster (who is a self proclaimed gaming chair potato). More than my kids. Even after waking up at the crack of dark to workout, going into the office for 9 hours, coming home, making dinner, I've still go energy to get going on these projects, surfing, keeping the social media up to date. Heck, I even started laundry and did the dishes tonight!  

Sadly, I didn't get the dogs out. But that has more to do with the late hour and being a female out walking along at midnight than my energy level.

While I haven't been 100% clean this week, I've been pretty good. Lots of water, and good protein. I tried to pack a salad for lunch today and my spinach was a little extra slimy (GROSS), so I missed that extra green this afternoon. But, I stopped by the store tonight and I'm all set for tomorrow's lunch!

I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that I don't FIND time to exercise. I MAKE TIME. And amazingly, because I do that regularly, I have more energy to do the things I want to (and need to) do.

So, because rest is a very important pillar in my "WHOLE" life - I'm going to wrap this up quickly. I just wanted to share my realization - and encourage you to stay on track. The energy will come! Just remember all things in balance!

To a healthier, and more energetic you...

<3Jen

A Guilt Free Birthday Celebration - Clean Pumpkin Cake!

Good evening,friends.

I'm really working on getting to bed early tonight (Sorry, dogs, the Patrol isn't likely going to happen) - but before I do, I have to share my super yummy experiment.

Today is Ben's birthday. After a killer "38 Special" workout (38 reps or 38 seconds of each exercise), we enjoyed a special birthday treat.

Here is the finished product - Pumpkin Cupcakes w/
Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting and Fresh Strawberry Garnish.

Here's the deal - I felt some pressure to make a birthday treat that is healthy and clean - especially when it's for my trainer. This is the guy who tells me to cut out artificial flavors, coloring and sweeteners, to eat whole and organic foods when available, and kicks my butt regularly to burn off what I do eat. I couldn't show up with cookies or brownies from a box/mix.

No way.

I wanted something yummy, that tasted good, but was made up of things that I can feel good about eating.

So, what I found was a CLEAN pumpkin cake recipe with chocolate pumpkin frosting.(This gal has the best clean recipes - I just love her site!) They were a hit with the ladies we workout with on Tuesday night, and I think the birthday boy liked them too.

I hope you enjoy this - I know I sure did! And now I have leftover pumpkin that I can make super yummy smoothies with! YES!!! I'll share that recipe another time. It's time to try and get the zzz's I need to kick some ass tomorrow at 5am. TRX class, baby. Oh, and the ass that will be getting kicked is my own.

 Here's the recipe and how I modified it:

Clean Eating Pumpkin Cupcakes With Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting

(Makes approx. 16 cupcakes)

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin (be sure it’s NOT pumpkin pie mix. Just pure pumpkin.)
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup safflower oil (or whichever light-flavored oil you have handy)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I really like vanilla, so I went a little heavier - maybe 2 tsp or so.)
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I know I used more than this... I didn't really measure!)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• (I also added more of the ginger, cloves and cinnamon. The cocoa powder can get bitter, try using a little less if you don't like such a strong dark chocolate taste.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line your cupcake tins with cupcake papers or grease the tin itself.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your pumpkin, almond milk, egg whites, safflower oil, honey and vanilla extract.
4. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
5. Whisk the flour mixture into the liquid mixture and blend well. If your batter is too thick, add a little extra almond milk (about 1/4 cup at a time until you reach a thick, yet runny consistency.)
6. Pour into tins, and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. For the frosting, place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended.
8. Remove cupcakes from oven, allow to cool and spread frosting over the tops.

I garnished with sliced strawberries on top to give it a fresh, spring look and taste.

Nutritional Content:(Data is for 1 muffin)Calories: 179Total Fat: 8 gmSaturated Fats: 1 gmTrans Fats: 0 gmCholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 127 mgCarbohydrates: 28 gmDietary fiber: 3 gmSugars: 14 gmProtein: 4 gmEstimated Glycemic Load: 14Please Note: Nutritional information estimated at Nutritiondata.com. Data may not be accurate and is subject to the availability of specific foods in their database. Where one ingredient is not listed, substitutions must be used. Therefore, you should not refer to this data as being exact. It’s more of a ballpark figure. The Gracious Pantry does not take responsibility for the inadequacies of the nutrition calculator used. This data is provided as a courtesy and general reference only. It is not exact.

Until next time...

<3Jen

Results! 3 Months Clean ( ish...)

Hello, friends! Happy Monday!

I can't believe that I'm awake. 4:15am was mighty early this morning, but the Spin Class was great! I didn't get a nap in, and I really should be heading to bed. I just HAD to share my
3 month results with you!!

You all may remember that I was pretty strict during my 30 day cleanse. I cheated one day (Super Bowl Sunday) and stuck to my work out schedule like a champ. After the 30 days was up, I eased up a bit and enjoyed the 80/80 rule. A bit too much. Maybe 80/70 is what I ended up with. My workouts are still strong, but I have given myself some slack - like drinks in Chicago, fries on occasion, and ice cream when we were downtown.

Despite my easing up, the scale and tape measures continue to move in the right direction.

Here's my standard recap:

How I feel (mood): This month, I feel like I'm a little more tired than the previous two months. I think I know why - my sleep schedule is whacked. While I thoroughly enjoy my 5am workouts 3 days a week, my brain and body are on night time function. I stay up until 11:45pm and then turn around and get up at 4:15am. With the new job/schedule, I don't get my afternoon naps. But, I just talked to the hubster and he mentioned that even though I mentioned that I was more tired than usual, my mood/attitude and go getter-ness didn't fade. I still worked out hard, got lunches made, traveled and worked out... just felt the sleepies more than normal. I NEED to get that figured out.

How I feel (physical):  Strong! Ben continues to test me with heavier weights, I've been to Body Pump and lifted more than I ever have, I'm able to do more push ups (on my toes, of course), and my knees don't ache the way they did just 3 months ago (largely because a) I'm down weight and 2) working with my Chiropractor to increase blood flow and range of motion). When I don't workout, I feel mopey and sad. I just feel better when I'm active.

Hunger level/satisfaction level:  I can tell when I've eaten poorly. Once you eat something that is "dirty" - you crave more, and you feel less satisfied, and then the crash that follows... ugh. When I eat clean I'm satisfied longer, I don't get the munchies and crave junk and I have more energy. I'm recommitting to making those good choices.

Digestive health: While still good - I need to work the leafy greens in more regularly. That must be the secret. Noted and the change is in process!

How I look: My clothes fit great! I haven't gone shopping for all new pants, but my belt is on the last notch and most of my clothes hang on me a bit. I just pulled out a pin stripe pair of pants that I bought in the hopes of slimming down. They were roomy today! I can tuck shirts in and not worry about my "muffin-top" - I may actually wear shorts this summer in public! :)

My overall health:  I've been well, no headaches, improved sleep quality (even when I don't get enough), and I know my fitness level has improved. My heart rate, blood pressure, and blood work have always been good - but there's no reason to risk my health by not taking care of myself.

Ben says that I only need to worry about those things that I can control - what I eat/drink and how I move. I can't control genetics or the air I breathe. But what I can control, I plan to!

Here are my 3 Month "Clean-ish" Results (Year to Date):  
I've lost:
10.5 inches over all
12.1 pounds of fat (9 pounds, net - which means I gained 3.1 pounds of muscle!)
and 5.25% body fat

Goals:  My eyes are on the horizon. Yes, I still have some pounds to lose - but most importantly I have some body fat to drop! My goal is to get to 22% in the next 8 weeks. That's totally do-able if I just PLAN to succeed.

My biggest challenge is eating out with friends and family, fasting days (still hard!), and when I don't get to the grocery story regularly to get my fruits and veggies. It really does come down to making a plan and holding yourself accountable. I know I can do it. It's also an amazing when you have support - I know Ben believes in me, the hubster has my back, and even the kiddos are pulling for me.  I'm still enjoying the Isagenix protein shakes (vanilla is my fav - with frozen fruit and OJ), and I still fast/cleanse every-other Sunday. I think these tools have really helped me stay on track, even when my lunch and dinner stray from the clean path a bit. I know my breakfast is always a strong start to the day.

I'll continue to share the tidbits I learn, motivation when I find it, and yummy clean recipes that we can feel good about making for our families. I can't wait for grilling season, farmers markets, and long evenings of Frisbee, bike rides and walks. It just gets better from here folks!

Join me on my journey - and take me on yours! Tell me about what's working, what's not working, and share your recipes. Subscribe via email, follow me on Google+ or just check me out on Facebook.  If you'd like to know more about my nutrition plan, my workout schedule and how you can get active, please reach out to Ben at Compete Personal Fitness. He's really been instrumental in helping me find my way. I did the work, but he held the map and the tool box.

Until next time (Tomorrow with a YUMMY recipe !),
<3 Jen

CLEAN Banana Bread - Mmm Mmm Good!!

Greetings, Friends!

What a fabulous day! Aside from the crap weather, it was super great! I had a good day at the job, great lunch break, went to shooting range with the hubster and shot our 9mm Ruger for the first time, and got my ass handed to me in an hour circuit workout with Ben and then another 50 minutes of Spin with one of my favorite instructors, Rev. Bobby.

Another great thing is that my CLEAN Banana Bread with almond butter was a big hit!  I wish I would have doubled the recipe.

I doctored this one a little bit because I like a heartier bread and I didn't want to use granulated sugar or brown sugar.  Here's the recipe and how I doctored it:

Ingredients

4 Over Ripe Bananas
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed (I used 1/3 cup agave nectar and 1/4 cup molasses instead!)
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
4 egg whites, beaten until fluffy
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (I went a little heavier on the vanilla... didn't measure it!)
1/3 Cup Applesauce (UNsweetened!)
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
Cinnamon (to taste)
Ground Flax (to taste) (I ended up with about 1/4 cup, and I also added about 1/3 cup of steel cut oats)

Directions

1) Prep 9x5 loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray and coating in flour (not included in recipe). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place bananas, milk, applesauce, and vanilla in a bowl. Mash bananas with fork and mix with milk making sure to leave chunks.

3) Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in separate bowl.

4) In separate bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy.

5) Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until smooth. Fold in eggs.

6) Pour into loaf pan. Place in oven and bake for 55 minutes.

Serving Size: Makes 12 Slices
Number of Servings: 12

So, I shared my delicious and clean recipe with my friends at the Studio tonight, and brought some organic almond butter (nothing but roasted almonds in this stuff!) - and it was delicious!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It's definitely getting put into rotation. Clean eating - who knew it could be SO YUMMY!

Until next time,

<3 Jen

Staying On Track? Well....

Hey friends!

Well, I returned from a fabulous trip to Chicago to work with some of the coolest peeps you'll ever know (Shout out to CEM staff - April and Laura, the Key Volunteers, and my roomies Pammy and Rebecca! How did we not get a picture together?!). And, as you may have read, I tried to pack some healthy options and looked into the workout facilities.

Here's how I did: The Play by Play

I started off my trip strong with a KILLER workout Tuesday night. Protein shake Wednesday morning on the way to the airport, and I packed plenty of protein packets, nuts (cashews, almonds) and trail mix (mixed nuts, raisins, craisins, and yes, M&Ms (but only a few).  We also made a point to stop at a grocery store to pick up almond milk and some fruit to have on hand for breakfasts when I got downtown.

Downside: no fridge in the room. So, a trash can and LOTS of ice kept my almond milk good. (MacGyvered!)

Wednesday for lunch I had Mexican food - and while I WANTED to eat the whole bowl of chips and guacamole, I didn't, and I left plenty on my plate. For dinner I kept the portions small, even though it was regular ol' pasta and meat sauce.

Thursday morning I enjoyed sharing my avocado egg window recipe, along with crisp REAL bacon.

Lunch was a splurge - you can't be in Chicago and NOT have a Chicago-style hot dog! Pickle, onions, mustard, tomato slice - PERFECT!
Thursday afternoon I laced up the shoes and hit the park path for a fabulous run through Grant Park and along the Lake Front (and back) - about 4 miles. I was still WICKED sore from Tuesday night's workout. Thursday night I joined the ladies for drinks at the Public House. 4 Vodka Cranberries and a sampling of several appetizers (flat bread vegetarian pizza, friend calamari) and I was glad that I could call it a day! Great walk back to the hotel and it was time to crash.

Friday morning I roused early (5am) for my usual workout - my pal and trainer called me to let me know what exercises I should work into my circuit and I got a nice 50 minute workout in followed by a 10 minute jog on the treadmill. Felt AWESOME. Showered and headed out with my roomies to the Navy Pier where I would spend the next 12 hours on my feet working with volunteers and helping 45,000 runners pick up their packets for the Shamrock Shuffle.

Friday's food choices weren't bad - shake for breakfast along with 2 Cuties (clementines), sandwich minus 1/2 the bread and a salad for lunch, and 1/2 of a Qdoba burrito with LOTS of salsa for dinner. Could have been worse, right? I nibbled on almonds in between and drank what felt like gallons of water.  After wrapping up the day we made hotel room Pond Scum - but I limited myself to just one. Oh, along with a little more than 1/2 a pint of mint chip gelato. Yes. I. Did.

Saturday I started off strong again, protein shake on the way to the Expo, vegetarian wrap for lunch, and handfuls of nuts and trail mix throughout the day when I got the munchies (instead of eating up all the candy and donuts that Ms. Betty was pedaling to the volunteers). Another 12 hours on my feet and a VERY long walk from the Pier to the Hilton and I was ready for dinner. We walked to Miller's Pub and I ordered a burger with sweet potato fries (skipped the bun) and was in HEAVEN. Nice walk back to the room and we had a few hours to sleep before starting race day.

Sunday I started off with a protein shake and some Cuties. I resisted the chips and candy again, but later had some hot chocolate to warm up! Dinner was at the Bar Below where I enjoyed a sandwich (sans bun) and sweet potato fries (yes, again)... oh, and 2 very tall, very strong vodka cranberries.   After a solid nap, I walked back to Buddy Guy's Legends and listened to some blues - with a shrimp po'boy and a drink.

Monday I slept in and had the last of my almond milk and protein shake. I packed up my room and meandered around downtown (lots of walking), I landed on Pizano's for lunch and ordered a personal sized deep dish cheese, green pepper and mushroom pizza. I could only eat half after my garden salad, but it really
hit the spot! I made my way back to the hotel to get my bags and walk to get the Blue Line and head for the air port. When I finally got home (after a lengthy delay), I had Subway with LOTS of veggies before crashing pretty hard.

So, why, you are asking, did I share the play by play? Well, despite not sticking to a completely clean diet, I wanted to show you that there are always choices. I very rarely enjoy drinks with friends, so when I was in Chicago I splurged more than usual. But I also managed to make some good choices in there, too. Lots of walking, good workouts, and tons of water. I also watched my portions when I couldn't eat as clean as I'd like.

When I got home I was so excited to eat veggies and get back to my workout routine. I missed my workout buddies and felt so great after a tough workout on Tuesday night.

Every day is full of choices. If we plan ahead and do the best we can, we are winning. Just because we are being conscious of the choices we make we are able to make better choices, healthier choices. And THAT is staying on track.

Here's to loving life and making the best choices we can!

Until Next time... (with a clean banana bread recipe!)

<3 Jen

On the Road Again!

Hello Friends!

It's been a crazy week - new job and a busy home schedule and it's not going to slow down. So, I'm taking a few minutes to share a challenge that I'm facing and hopefully an effective way for me to tackle it.

Wednesday morning, I leave for Chicago to work with some amazing people at the Shamrock Shuffle. Nothing like thousands of volunteers, 45,000 runners, and a finish line party with tons of beer. I'm excited to spend the week with friends working long days.

And therein lies the problem... nearly a week away from my regular schedule and fitness routine, and eating whatever is brought in for the Key Volunteers. I have some serious challenges to my clean eating plan.

What's in my tool box?

Thankfully, I've got my IsaLean shakes that will fit nicely in my carry on bag. I can toss those in, small baggies of almonds and stop by a local grocer for some fresh and travel friendly fruit like Clementines, bananas.

My hotel has a really nice fitness facility and I will stay on schedule by getting up for my 5am workout Friday and Saturday.

Making good choices when food is brought in will be a challenge, but I'll do my best! I will let you know how I do, what my stumbling blocks are and the steps are to improve the next day.

The most important is that I remember that everything is a choice and that I'm human. If I'm learning, it's not failure.

"See" you soon!
<3 Jen

What Is the Perfect Exercise?

Hey Friends,

Ever wondered what exercises give you the most "bang for your buck"? I have. I can usually tell, based on the number of workouts each week that Ben puts particular exercises in. Seems like some are better than others. My bets are on the old staples: Push Ups and Squats.

Baby is going for 'on the toes' - so, what's your excuse?

Why are these exercises so good for us? 

You don't need any equipment.  Both can be done without weights or bands, no special clothing or apparatus - just you. 

They engage multiple muscle groups. When performed correctly (Need help with form? Get tips from an expert!), both pull in large muscle groups in addition to lots of other smaller muscles and stabilizers. Push Ups bring your arms, chest, shoulders, back, core, glutes and legs into play - not to mention getting your heart rate up! Squats engage the largest muscle groups (legs), along with core and back. (Here is an article that shares 8 reasons to work squats into your workout.)

Several variations are available. With both push ups and squats, a slight change in position can make the world of difference and change things up for you. Arm and hand position can increase the difficulty of your push up. Similarly, turning your toes out in a squat will grab those hard to reach inner thighs - you'll feel that tomorrow!, while a more narrow stance works the quads and your butt. There are seemingly endless variations to these exercises. Throw in some weights or a kettle bell and you can really go nuts.

This article's aim was to find the "best exercise" and it gives some suggestions: 

The Burpee. This super fun exercise makes its way into lots of our regular work outs. And while it's very simple to learn and uncomplicated to perform, it is a BUTT KICKER.  Boosting your heart rate, using shoulders, arms, core, and legs, this exercise revs you up into gear pretty quick.

Walking. The author talks about how walking is also a great exercise - but that it may not be enough. At least, not at the "slow and steady" pace. Mix in some bursts of energy, speed or power walk mixed in with a slower pace, a run/walk interval plan, or really kick it up and make High Intensity/Interval Training (HIT) your plan.

Squats. Of course. (See above!)

Sometimes it's easier to grab your local expert (BEN!) and have them kick you in the rear for an hour a couple of times a week. We all know it's easier to do the work when someone else is pushing you. Maybe that's just me. I have a tendency to stop when it gets hard or when my mind says I'm tired - instead of actually fatiguing my muscles completely. But I hate backing down from a challenge. I can't decided if it's a strength or weakness. Either way, it gets me to do things I didn't think my body could do, and I'm feeling stronger and more fit.

So, whether you hit the trails or sidewalks in your neighborhood for some power walking intervals, or break out some push-ups or squats during the commercial breaks, we can all do little things to improve our fitness every day.  Remember that it doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to be good for you. Sometimes all you need is a guide, a partner, or a little boost (THIS IS YOUR BOOST).

I'd love to hear how you work fitness into your life in manageable chunks!

Until next time,
<3 Jen