It's WIAW! It's Also What I've Been Up To

Waaaaahooo! It’s Wednesday. I’ve been eating. This is what I ate today (and Monday and Tuesday, and will again Thursday and Friday- I’m a creature of habit. I also prep and portion all of my meals at the beginning of the week and it’s sooooo much easier to keep them the same).

All my meals (pre-workout muffin not shown)

Meal 1: Steel cut oats and eggs with coconut oil melted over top. This will never not be tasty.

Meal 2: Spanakopita quinoa bake. OMG so good! Recipe coming!

Meal 3: Pre-workout chocolate protein muffin. This one gets a lot of comments in the office. Smells (and tastes) like chocolate cake.

Meal 4: Post-workout tuna and barley salad with broccoli slaw and avocado… and a whole lotta sriacha sauce. This too will never get old. I’ve been eating it for lunch for months now.

Meal 5: Egg whites, cottage cheese and oats baked with green beans and coconut oil. A whole lotta cheesy goodness. Mmmmm.

Meal 6: Veg and shrimp or chicken stir fry with quinoa and bulgar. A little different each time I make it.

Meal 7: Yogurt and vanilla casein (usually eaten with either a piece of a Quest bar or banana) and a blob of peanut butter. Oh peanut butter, how I looooooove you.

As you can see, I am slowly starting to vary the foods that I am eating. I get stuck in (and enjoy!) such a routine, that sometimes it is hard to try something different or new.

Speaking of routines, that’s all I have really been about since getting back from Vegas. I have finally had a chance stay settled in one spot for more than two weeks, and it has been glorious. And, even without a specific fitness goal or deadline set (no fall shows or photo shoots planned… yet), I have actually been able to stick with my training and food plan! Training wise, I am in such a routine (weights during my lunch break and 30 minutes of cardio after work), that it’s a struggle to actually break that routine to take a rest day. It’s a weird feeling. It’s like I don’t want to lose momentum. I am also, as evidenced by the repetitiveness of my meal plans and comments above, a creature of habit. I don’t like when things change. 

I have also gotten into a great little Sunday morning routine. The day starts off with a run through the watershed with my dad, then the gym with my mom for a weights workout, and finally home for a big ol' protein pancake (some things never change).

 

Food plan wise, even though I am still trying to build on and maintain where I have gotten so far, I do now have a little bit more latitude and can even incorporate a few “off-plan” meals into my diet. I loathe using the word “treat” or “cheat” to describe these off-plan indulgences, because I truly believe I am already treating my body by fueling it right all of the time. And, it’s not a cheat, because I am not doing anything wrong or bad. I am just occasionally, and with purpose, choosing to indulge in foods that would normally be off-plan. For me, this has pretty much consisted of red wine, cheese and crackers, and some Menchies. I love me some Menchies. Haha.

 

 

And, I usually choose to consume them when I have the time to relax and enjoy the moment. I have also, on occasion, used my off-plan treat to just eat more of my regular clean food- like a larger serving of banana with peanut butter with a melted Quest bar on top. Or an extra scoop of peanut butter on my yogurt. Or (dare I even go here!), a large, unmeasured spoonful of peanut butter- hahaha. See a theme forming? In any case, I am certainly enjoying trying out different foods and appreciate the flexibility I have in my training and food plan to incorporate changes like this while still making progress.

 

One of the best treats I have had recently was an Indian buffet dinner and my friend’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and the food was so delicious. It was nice to be able to relax and just be a part of the day and enjoy (and not have to whip out my Tupperware of food at the dinner table because I was training for a show and on a feeding schedule).

 

 

 

The funny thing was, after stuffing my face with butter chicken and naan, drinking a few glasses of wine and scarfing down a cupcake and cookies, when I ran into a pub at the end of the night to use the ATM, a man actually approached me to say I had awesome arms and asked if I did “those fitness competition shows.” And, while it was 12:30am on a Friday night in the back of a bar in the middle of Pitt Meadows, and while I am sure it was some drunken pick up attempt, I was, in fact, quite flattered. Aside from comments at the gym, or from people who know I am training, I have never been approached by randoms who notice my development. It was a milestone of sorts for me. So, thank you, drunk, stumbling man at the back of the bar- you made me feel better about myself after eating my body weight in Indian food.  

XOXO

Jen

Plums, Pancakes and Pizza Recipes (No, Not All Together)

If you have been following my (currently non-existent) WIAW posts over the past few months, you would have noticed that I have been keeping it pretty basic with minimal changes week to week. While I usually love mixing it up, because the summer was so busy, I just didn’t have time to think about it and kept it simple by doing what I already knew. From week to week I knew what I needed to buy, how to prep it and what all the macro (fats, carbs and protein) counts would be. It didn’t require much thinking which is how I needed it to be.

But finally (finally!!) things are slowing down a bit and I was inspired to try something new in the kitchen. This week it resulted in two really yummy recipes J Both provide a good balance between protein and carbs, and both can be modified to fit different macros, tastes and preferences. One is sweet and one is more savoury. Enjoy!

Plum and Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

This recipe is a small twist in my basic Cinnamon Zucchini Protein Pancake. My parents have a plum tree in their backyard. It grows those delicious sweet and sour prune plums. At this time of year, my mom often makes a plum cake, which I love, so I wanted to find a way to recreate those flavours in a cleaner cake. The answer was a plum pancake J

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):

Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 40g (about ¼ cup) shredded zucchini
• 60g (about 2) soft prune plums
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP vanilla protein powder

Directions:

1. Pit and chop up plums. Pre-heat and spray small frying pan. Add plums and sauté on low heat until soft and slightly caramelized.
2. In a small bowl, mix the oats, protein powder and cinnamon together.
3. Add in egg whites. Mix well. Add in zucchini, plum and walnuts.
4. Pour into the pre-heated, (re)sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 2 minutes (or until done).
5. To make the icing, stir together yogurt and protein powder.
6. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

 

 

 

I also topped mine with some chia prune jam. It turned out exactly as I expected. The pieces of plum in the cake really tart it up, which goes well with the sweet yogurt icing. I’m thinking of tripling this recipe and trying it out in a loaf pan to see how it slices up. A perfect portable, pre-portioned and prepped high protein and carb snack! It could even be used as a pre- or quick post-gym meal.

 

Quinoa Pizza Bites/ Casserole

This recipe started out as a way to satisfy a pizza craving (while meeting my carb and protein counts for the day). While sometimes nothing but a slice will do, other times, it’s really just the flavors I want. This recipe was a way to combine those flavors (tomato sauce, cheese, garlic and oregano) in an easy to prepare and package way for one of my meals during the week.

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 180g (1 cup) uncooked quinoa
• 300g spinach
• 6 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 ½ cup egg whites
• 125g (about ½ cup) dry cottage cheese curds
• garlic powder, oregano and black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook quinoa according to package directions. When in doubt, I follow these instructions for quinoa.
3. Wilt spinach in a pan and set aside.
4. In a bowl, mix the egg whites, tomato paste and seasoning together.
5. Add in cottage cheese, cooked quinoa and spinach. Mix well.
6. Drop mixture into sprayed muffin tins or pour into sprayed 9X9 pan.
7. If making muffins, bake for 20-25. If baking in a pan, bake, covered, for about 20-25, then remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Let cool and individually portion and package for an easy grab-and-go protein and carb filled meal.

 

This recipe turned out great! My first batch, made into muffins, were a little under seasoned, so I made sure to add more into my second batch, which I baked in a pan. This was delicious and very satisfying as a morning snack throughout the week. Depending on macros and personal tastes and preferences, parmesan cheese can be added to the mixture or melted on top for more flavor. Other “toppings” (like peppers and onions) can also be added into the mixture for different flavors and textures. The variations are endless! I might try a “Greek” inspired mix next time with feta and fresh dill!

And finally, even though I didn’t create this recipe, I had to share! I recently tried this protein and chocolate chip cookie dough brownie and almost died. It was amazing!! It uses a Quest bar, which I have heard a lot about, but haven’t tried out that much. This was a delicious way to eat it though! Mmmm.

XOXO

Jen

WIAW: What I Have Not Only Been Eating, But Also What I Have Been Doing Wednesday

Whoooo hooo! After a brief hiatus, I’m finally back for What I Ate Wednesday, but let’s make it, What I Have Not Only Been Eating, But Also What I Have Been Doing Wednesday. With so much going on, life has just been a little bit cray, cray lately. But first, the food!

Here is what this week’s daily menu is looking like. I’m eating so much/ so often, that I couldn’t fit it all into one collage. Hahaha.

Morning meals and lunch:

 

M1: The same ol’ porridge and eggs with coconut oil. Nope, not sick of this yet. Still a delicious way to start off the mornings.

M2: I like to call this one "frittata in a cup". It’s a new guy on the menu this week. I essentially pack a 2 cup sized Ziploc container full of veggies (well, yams, oats and spinach with some hot chili flakes), then pour a ½ cup egg whites over it all and pop it all into the microwave for a minute. It comes out so yummy. I also top it with a little more coconut oil.

M3: Pre-workout snack. Since I have been going to the gym at lunch to do my weights workout, I eat my pre-workout protein and oat muffin before I go. So easy. Just oats and protein powder mixed with egg whites and baked in the microwave for 54 seconds (exactly). It comes out smelling and tasting like a dreamy piece of chocolate cake. Such a great carb and protein combo.

 

M4: Tilapia, rice and broccoli salad topped with avocado and lemon juice (and more hot chili flakes). This is a slight modification of what I was previously eating for lunch. I get my post-weights carbs and protein in the most delicious (and fast) way.

Afternoon and evening meals:

 

 

M5: Chicken, beans and oats. Exactly what it sounds like, but really satisfying for some reason.

M6: Quinoa with chicken and stir fried vegetables. Tonight I topped it with some avocado, but I have also used Udo’s oil.

M7: Chocolate blueberry “ice cream.” One of the best summertime treats. Frozen blueberries blended with chocolate casein and cocoa powder. That’s it. That’s all. But so delicious and a perfect bedtime snack.

So, that’s what’s been going on with my food. As you can see, I have been trying to switch it up a bit, but am still keeping it pretty basic and simple. I like simple. Whatever is easiest for my Sunday prep. Here’s a couple of pics what that looked like on the weekend.

 

 

Training-wise, I have just been keeping at it, doing whatever I can do to get it all in. Right now I am on a 6 day a week weight and cardio plan. As I mentioned above, most days I am able to get into the gym on my lunch break to do my weights workout (it’s legs day tomorrow), and then head right back there after work to get my 30 minutes of cardio in. It may seem a little crazy/ obsessive/ too much to get going to the gym twice in one day (and I do sometimes get strange looks from the staff- haha), but it’s really the best for many reasons:

1. It gets me off my butt and out of the office at lunch which is a nice physical and mental break from sitting and staring at a computer for hours on end;
2. Instead of one long workout, it’s two smaller work outs which, scheduling and timing wise makes it much easier to fit in; and
3. It splits my weights workout from my cardio workout and allows me to properly refuel and recover in between sessions which helps with muscle growth J

See, all good things. I have definitely seen some changes in my muscles. Here's a sneaky shot at the gym. Check out the bicep vein J J NBD.

 

 

 

The downside to the new gym plan- I have to get on public transit after sweating my face off in the gym. I’m still not sure how I feel about this. On one hand I think, “Whatever it takes, no excuses” and “I am still, by far, not the worst smelling person on the skytrain.” And, on the other hand, I am slightly embarrassed and aware that I may just be the second worst smelling person on the train. But, you know what, after years of taking public transit, and tolerating the weird smells and disgusting behaviours of others, maybe it’s my turn to be that person on the train, right?? Thoughts?

Today for cardio, however, I went for a run in the watershed with my dad J Nothing, no treadmill or stepmill or whatever can compare to that. Pure bliss.

 

In other news, since I posted last, I have also been to Chicago and back. Yay Chicago, I love that city!! We had an amazing trip, and the food (we’re talking pizza, deep dish cookie pizzas, and lobster macaroni and cheese) and fun deserves a post of it’s own. I will however, quickly point out that although I may have indulged a little too much, I also kept up with all my training J Our hotel was actually located in an athletic club. #noexcuses

And, the countdown to Vegas is on!! Only 13 more sleeps until I leave. Things are getting real! Photoshoots are booked, tickets to the WBFF Pro Show are purchased (I cannot wait to cheer all the Team Blessed Bodies ladies on plus see all the girls I follow online!! It'll be a who's who of the fitness industry) and pool party is booked! A lot more prep and planning to go, but it is all coming together. More deets soon.

XOXO

Jen

WIAWA: What I Ate… While Away :)

Whoa, life has been busy lately. Since moving two weeks ago, I have been to 7 different gyms (I felt like Goldilocks- needed to find one just right); to Napa and back, to Thetis Island and back; planning, preparing and prepping all my meals; working fulltime; and, in the middle of all of this, I have started taking an online course with the University of California on nutrition and disease (which is super interesting). I also have a couple of other things up my sleeve, but can’t reveal anything quite yet. So much is going on, but the sun is out which makes everything just that much easier :)

It’s Wednesday. Usually I would do a quick check in to post what I ate, but there really hasn’t been too much of a change since my last WIAW post mainly because I have just been keeping the menu the same to make planning and prepping easier. I know what I am making, what I have to buy and how it all totals up. Not too much thinking is involved, which is exactly what I need right now.

So, instead, this Wednesday, I thought that I would share what I have been eating while away. One of hardest things to do when away from home (for either business or pleasure) is to stay on track with the food plan. First, there’s the mentality of “I am on vacation, I should eat whatever I want,” which can be troublesome. Of course, vacations do usually mean a time for some indulgences and treats, but why hurt your body and undo all your progress just because you’re away? That doesn’t seem like a vacation. Taking the time to properly feed your body is a treat and what your body wants- and makes you feel good J Secondly, food is not always immediately available on vacation. Depending on where you are, where you are staying, and the time of day, grabbing a snack (healthy or not) may be difficult, if not impossible. And, eating out all the time gets expensive! Finally, going in with a plan and being prepared makes is so much easier to stay on track and avoid temptations. If you have put the time and effort into bringing your own food, it’s just that much easier to stay committed. #noexcuses.

Since May, I have been to Vegas with my sister, Napa Valley with girlfriends for a stagette, and Thetis Island with the hubby for a wedding. For each of these trips, I planned a menu ahead, prepped meals and packed snacks. Even when faced with various restrictions, such as crossing international boarders, flying, or not having refrigeration, it is possible. You can do it- I did! Below are the details from each trip with examples of what I ate while away.

Vegas: Keeping it Clean in Sin City

When planning any meal plan, I always start with the same questions. First, what do I need? I need proteins, carbs and healthy fats. Next, what am I working with? What are my constraints?

Well, this trip included crossing the US border (so no fresh fruits or vegetables) and flying (so no liquids- which, to note, apparently includes yogurt L I learned that the hard way while in the security line up). Also, once arriving at the hotel, I may or may not have access to a fridge and I definitely won’t have a stove.

So, what am I left with?

Well, for carb sources, oats is an easy one. Delicious, nutritious and portable. I can even pre-portion out bags, and mix with some protein powder for an on-the-go meal (as long as I have access to hot water, which, you’d think be easy enough). I can also bake a batch of my protein muffins to pack as well. You can also buy these handy dandy pre-portioned and packed bags that even come with a measuring pouch so you know how much water to add. Someone was thinking.

For proteins, the obvious is protein powder. Again, delicious, nutrition and versatile. I can pre-portion out servings or even just bring a tub to scoop out of. I can mix it with water (or coffee!), stir into my oats or mix it with yogurt. Enough said. Beyond that, however, proteins get a little trickier. My usual choices, chicken, fish, and eggs don’t travel well (for obvious reasons) and probably won’t make it through the boarder, or on a plane. This one requires a little more creativity…

Healthy fats are easy to pack, with lots of options. There are nuts (almonds, walnuts, mixed nuts), flax seeds and chia seeds. All can also be mixed with oats (and protein powder!) to make a balanced, travel friendly meal.

Once figuring out the basics, I realized I probably wouldn’t want to live on oatmeal, protein shakes and nuts for four days, so started to look into grocery store options in Vegas. Guess what!? There’s a Whole Foods a couple miles from the airport. Easy peasy. That opens up a whole new host of options- like fresh fruits and vegetables, egg whites and yogurt. After confirming there would be a microwave in the room (which seems fairly standard nowadays), I started planning my meals. Here is what I came up with:

• Meal 1 (pre-workout): Protein muffins (packed in my luggage frozen)
• Meal 2 (post-workout): Oatmeal with protein powder and flax seeds with a side of egg whites
• Meal 3: Salad with avocado and tuna
• Meal 4: Yogurt and berries
• Meal 5: Apple and almonds

Prep-wise, I brought the oatmeal, flax seeds, nuts and protein powder from home and bought a carton of egg whites, salad mix, avocados, tuna, yogurt and fruit at Whole Foods on the way to the hotel from the airport. Sure that added a little bit of time and expense onto the taxi ride, but the extra $20 was well worth it and would have easily been spent of food if I was buying my breakfast, lunches and snacks poolside at the hotel. I did also have to plan ahead and brought a couple containers and plastic utensils to make sure I had something to eat with in the room, although, it is easy enough to find around the hotel too. Forget the minibar, here’s what our well stocked room looked like:

I also left room in the menu to enjoy a few dinners out (with a couple glasses of wine) which was nice :)

And, it was all worth it. Not only did I have an enjoyable, relaxing and memorable vacation, I was also able to keep up with my training and stay on track which was very important as I was only 4 weeks out from my second competition of the season. 

 

Yay for eating clean and training mean in Vegas!

 

Napa Valley: Oatmeal and rice cakes with a side of wine?

A couple of weekend ago, I got to visit Napa Valley on a stagette with my beautiful friend Katherine :)

 

 

Obviously, Napa Valley = wine. And I may be known to love a glass, or two, of red, so I was stoked for this trip. I’m not currently “on season” and training for a show, but I want to keep up with my training and food plan because (a) I am working on Operation Bigger, Better, Stronger; (b) I am prepping for some MAJOR opportunities coming up (more of the stuff I can’t reveal quite yet) and I want to bring my best, and (c) for all the other reasons listed above. I demand a lot from my body and it feels better when I treat it right.

 

The tricky aspect of this trip, in addition to crossing international borders and airport security, was the lack of control. I didn’t plan this trip, it wasn’t my stagette, and there were 10 other ladies. Who knows what we’d get up to (and we got up to a lot :P) or where we would end up (over the four nights away we stayed in 3 different hotels). The good news is that I could control what I ate by bringing my food with me. So, I packed up a little bag of goodies:

 

 

In addition to the protein powder and oatmeal I took to Vegas, I also brought whole grain crackers and rice cakes for carbs, flax seeds and nut butters for fats, and some Vega and veggie-based bars to help round out the nutrition since I couldn’t bring fresh fruit with me (although, I was able to find apples and bananas along the way- either in airports, at Starbucks, or in the hotel). Having all of this on hand was awesome, as I was able to eat something immediately after my morning workouts and have things in my purse to eat throughout the day when we were out and about. 

Of course, when in Rome… I did also allow some room in my food plan for wine and some tasty meals out, one of the best being at this Italian place Ca'Momi Enoteca.  It was soooo delicious that I had two appys (to myself) and a whole pizza. Hahaha. I’m still dreaming about all of this:

 

 

Mmmmm. All, so good. And yes, while a little (okay, a lot) indulgent, overall, I was able to keep it on track most of the time, but still fit in a few treats- the best of both worlds :)

Thetis Island: Back to the Basics

This was a trip I was really looking forward to (although, I was really looking forward to all of them). But this trip was more like a little retreat. We were going for a wedding, but made a weekend out of it. Thetis Island is one of the southern gulf islands just off the west coast of B.C. and it. Was. Beautiful! Luckily, we had found a nice little cottage to rent that had a full kitchen, and we weren’t crossing any borders, or taking a plane (just two ferries and a bit of a drive), which meant I could take anything I wanted to eat!! Yay! This made things much easier. I created a menu and packed up a whole box and cooler with fresh veggies and fruit, nut butters, eggs, and yogurt.

 

 

I also had prepped some of the meals at home the night before to have them grab and go so I could eat them anywhere.

On the ferry:

In the car:

At the picnic table:

 

Anywhere. This made it so easy. #noexcuses and lots of time to enjoy the scenery.

 

And, even though I had planned and prepped all of that, I still couldn’t resist the fresh berries at the produce stand and bought some blueberries, cherries and peppers.

Again, I also allowed for some treats at the wedding. No alcohol, but a little bit of cheese and crackers, and a chocolate covered strawberry… or 5 of them. I couldn’t help it. They’re my favs :)

 

Anyway, the point of this WIAWA post is to share some ideas for keeping on track while travelling. It’s funny, even though I have now been through this a few times, it is still a little daunting and takes a little figuring when a new trip comes up. Next week I’ll be heading to Chicago (yay! I looooove Chicago) for a few nights. So, again, I’ll be faced with crossing international borders and airport security and I am already stressing about what to bring. BUT, I know it can be done, and I will do it. Sure, it’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.

 

XOXO

J

 

Post-competition WIAW :)

It's What I Ate Wednesday again and now that competition prep and post-show treats are over (bye, bye Mr. Menchies), I'm back on my regular food plan. The menu planning has been a little all over the place this week as I had limited time to prep and am trying to use up things in the freezer in anticipation of the move at the end of the month. The good thing is is that over the past couple of months, I have prepped and then froze a lot of different meals, so now I can just grab and go :)

Here's what the menu is looking like:

M1: Zucchini cake porridge and eggs (the porridge turned out delicious! I just need to figure out a way to add the 'icing' to the cake... oh! I think I have an idea. I'll try it out tomorrow to see how it works)

M2: Greek yogurt with fruit (today it was a half a banana) and topped with a chia/ flax/ pumpkin seed and gogi berry mix.

M3: Chicken and kale soup (pulled this one from the freezer)

M4: Tuna and broccoli salad with avocado and siracha sauce (yay, siracha is back!!)

Pre-work out (not shown): A slice of my zucchini cake loaf (same recipe as the pancake, baked into a load and also pulled from the freezer)

M5: Mexican omelette stuffed with sauteed peppers, onions and spinach and topped with a spicy yogurt sauce

M6: Frozen strawberries mixed with chocolate casein and a side of coconut butter (mmmm, no description necessary- it's like ice cream)

I also had half a Vega bar as an afternoon snack as I was hungry and craving something sweet. So far it's been an okay transition from comp prep to the everyday/ 365 lifestyle. Even though I definitely over indulged on treats on Monday, there are still a couple chocolates hanging around the house and I've caught myself trying to rationalize why it'd be okay to keep eating them. For me, I know it's a slippery slope. One chocolate is never just one chocolate, and one day is never just a day. Habits (both harmful and healthy) can form quickly and that's one I don't need to break again. I'm keeping my resolved. I've done it once, I can do it again. You will not be the end of me, Purdy's chocolate Easter eggs!!

In any case, now that I'm "off-season" I do have more latitude in my food plan, and pretty much anything real and unprocessed is game. I'm excited to start getting creative again and have a couple of recipe ideas I want to try out. I'll also have a few more treat meals on the menu, so am looking forward to those as well. We shall meet again Mr. Menchies :)

XOXO
Jen

WIA-Thursday

It’s not Wednesday, but this is was I ate on Wednesday… and Monday, and Tuesday and today, and pretty much every day until after the show on Sunday.



Meal plan for the week

Meal 1: Egg whites, protein powder, oats and flax seeds microwave into a cookie/ cakey thingy, served with a side of aspagus and coconut butter.

Meal 2: Egg whites, protein powder, oats and flax seeds microwave into a cookie/ cakey thingy, served with a side of aspagus and coconut oil.

Meal 3: Tilapia, yams, and asparagus with coconut butter.

Meal 4: Tilapia, beans and coconut oil.

Meal 5: Chicken, yams, crushed almonds and green beans.

Meal 6: Egg whites, casein, almonds and green beans (not pictured).

So, that’s pretty much my food for the week. Not shown in the pictures is a grapefruit. One glorious sweet, but sour grapefruit a day.

This time around, my food options have been quite limited during peak week. That being said, it (a) makes things much easier (less to buy and less to plan) and (b) it has still been really tasty. The options still include choices for proteins (eggs, chicken and tilapia), starchy carbs (yams and oats) and fats (coconut oil/ butter, almonds and flax). No food group has been eliminated. I need a balance of each to stay strong and really build up the muscle in the next few days. When I can, I have been switching it up either by changing the combos or the way the food is prepared. Here are a couple more dishes of things I put together today.

 

Egg white frittata with flax seeds, yams and green beans

Tilapia, yams and green beans and coconut butter on top

 Tilapia, yams and green beans sauteed together with coconut butter on top

 Chicken, green beans tossed with toasted oats and almonds

Right now, I am right in the middle of peak week (and chugging water like nobody’s business). Yesterday was really the tipping point since it was my last day of work until after the show (yay!) and my training is done! After one last punishing leg, ab and cardio session last night, I’m done. All done. And to get it done, I really had to dig deep. I also had to use the glute kickback machine… and apparently I transported back to the 1980s.

Hopefully the machine works just as well even when I'm not wearing my bodysuit.

It was, mentally, one of the hardest workouts I have had to get through. It’s like that week before vacation at work when you don’t know how you’d make it through if you didn’t know you had a break coming up. I think between many early morning wake ups (even on the past few weekends), work, and other life things, I was just getting tired and overwhelmed. But from here on out, it’s all rest and relaxation - and posing practice!  

Only 3 more sleeps (and hopefully a couple more naps) until show day!! Whoo hoo! Let’s do this!!

K, time to go eat some more J

XOXO
J