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I'll be in Milan from October 2-4 to compete in this show. Very excited as last year I was the Italia Ms. Bikini. Ready to rock that stage..!
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Saturday, August 8, 2009
Competing in the MuscleMania European Championships 2009
Welcome to Musclemania Europe
I'll be in Milan from October 2-4 to compete in this show. Very excited as last year I was the Italia Ms. Bikini. Ready to rock that stage..!
I'll be in Milan from October 2-4 to compete in this show. Very excited as last year I was the Italia Ms. Bikini. Ready to rock that stage..!
Doubledelish « AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
This is by far my favorite photo to look at when I need a smile.Doubledelish « AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
There's so many elements to this that I don't even know where to begin. The Chaps. The sea shell necklace. The hodge podge track suits. The thrill of coming in pairs.
Life is good here!!!
Typical Things that I bring to a Shoot
Baby Oil: gotta have a nice luminosity. Only apply if if the photographer feels it's necessary, ask first.
Lots of accessories: necklaces, bracelets, scarves, hose.
My own Makeup: Even if there is a makeup artist at the shoot, it's handy to have your own colors available because you have what matches your skin. Recommend MAC and lumierecosmetics.com because they have very strong pigments and excellent foundations.
A number of high heels: high heels lengthen the leg and look great in photos.
Hairspray or pomade: Control the flyaways
If there's no stylist:
Flowy dresses or swimsuits: flowy clothing look great on camera and swimsuits because I'm a fitness model.
And always....
A positive attitude: No complaining, be friendly, helpful, and accomodating. Nobody wants to work with a person with a lousy attitude.
Lots of accessories: necklaces, bracelets, scarves, hose.
My own Makeup: Even if there is a makeup artist at the shoot, it's handy to have your own colors available because you have what matches your skin. Recommend MAC and lumierecosmetics.com because they have very strong pigments and excellent foundations.
A number of high heels: high heels lengthen the leg and look great in photos.
Hairspray or pomade: Control the flyaways
If there's no stylist:
Flowy dresses or swimsuits: flowy clothing look great on camera and swimsuits because I'm a fitness model.
And always....
A positive attitude: No complaining, be friendly, helpful, and accomodating. Nobody wants to work with a person with a lousy attitude.
Romantic Life in Europe.... Two Sides to the Story
European Men Are So Much More Romantic Than American Men
By Alyssa Lerner
Junior, Boston University
I just got back from a semester abroad in Europe, and let me tell you, it truly was the most magical, amazing experience of my entire life. The French countryside was like something out of a storybook, the Roman ruins were magnificent, and the men, well, European men are by far the most romantic in the world.
You American men all think you're so suave and sophisticated. Well, think again! European men make you look like the immature, inexperienced little children you are. They really know how to make a woman feel special over there. Unlike the so-called men here in the States, European men know how to treat a woman right.
For one thing, European men aren't afraid to come up and talk to you. And they know how to start slow, with a nice cup of Italian espresso or a long walk on some historic street. They know the places you can't find in any tourist guide. They know the whole history of the cities in which they live—who the fountains are named after, who the statues are.
I remember one unforgettable night in Athens, I sat and listened to a Greek sailor for hours as he told me about the countless men who fought over Helen back in ancient times. Afterward, he told me he loved his homeland even more now that he'd seen it through my eyes. I ask you, would an American man ever say something as deep and beautiful as that?
European men know the most romantic little cafés and bistros and trattorias, candlelit places where you can be alone and drink the most fantastic wine. They tell you what's on the menu and what you should try. (If it wasn't for a certain young man in Milan, I never would have discovered fusilli a spinaci et scampi.) And the whole time, they're looking deep into your eyes, like you're the only woman on the entire planet. What woman could resist a man like that? Then, after a moonlit stroll along the waterfront and a kiss in the doorway of their artist's loft, you find yourself unable to—well, I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
I'll never forget my magical semester abroad. One thing's for sure—I'm ruined for American men forever!
--------------------------
Counterpoint
American Women Studying In Europe Are Unbelievably Easy
By Giovanni Di Salvi
I'm a 25-year-old carpenter living in Rome, and I don't mind telling you that I get all the action I can handle. I'm not all that handsome or well-dressed, and I'm certainly not rich. In fact, my Italian countrywomen could take me or leave me. But that's just fine, because Rome gets loads of tourist traffic, and American co-eds traveling through Europe are without a doubt the easiest lays in the world.
Being European gives me a hell of an advantage. I'm not sure why, but there's something about the accent that opens a lot of doors. All you have to do is go up to them, act a little shy and say, "Whould hyou like to go with me, Signorina, for a café?" I actually have to thicken up my accent a little, but they never, ever catch on.
After a cheap coffee, which to them always tastes better than anything they've ever had, because they're in Europe, it's time to walk them. Now, all they know about Rome is what they've read in Let's Go, so you can pretty much just make up a whole bunch of shit. It's fun to see how much they'll swallow: As long as I refer to Italy as "my homeland" and other Italians as "my people," they'll believe pretty much anything. I don't know who most of the local statues are, so I tell the muffins they're all great artists and poets and lovers. Once, just for the hell of it, I told a psychology major from the University of Maryland that a public staircase was part of the Spanish Steps, which she'd never even heard of. Another time, I told this blonde from Michigan State that the public library was the Parthenon, and she cooed like I'd just given her a diamond.
For dinner, I usually take them to some cheap little hole in the wall, someplace deserted where not even the cops eat. American girls think candlelight means "romance," not "deteriorating public utilities," so they just poke their nipples through their J. Crew sweaters and never notice that there's no electricity. Just as well, because Roman restaurants aren't exactly the cleanest. After a bunch of fast-talk about the menu, I get them the special, which is usually some anonymous pasta with spinach and day-old shrimp, and whatever cheap, generic, Pope's-blood chianti's at the bottom of the list.
By this time, they're usually standing in a slippery little puddle. Going in for the kill, I walk them past one of Rome's famous 2,000-year-old open cesspools. Then, as we open the door to my shitty efficiency, I kiss them on the eyelids so they don't see the roaches, making sure the first thing they see is the strategically positioned artist's easel I bought at some church sale. That's usually all they need to see and, like clockwork, they fall backwards on my bed with their Birkenstocks in the air.
I mean, they're hardly Italian women, but we have a saying here in Europe: Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
Are you a MEATHEAD?
This was posted by Shanna Girod on Myspace, all you physique folks will enjoy a good laugh:
What a meathead is!!! Attention all bodybuilders!
So, according to a close colleague of mine, I have been so graciously dub a "meathead" according to his college football standards (mind you from the early 80s)
As always (since you all know how my crazy mind works from previous blogs) I must inform you that this title has often puzzled but humored me.
So, you say what is a meathead and how do you become one..
Please read and we shall evaluate if you are a TRUE meathead.. male or female:
MEATHEAD:....
.. ..
.. ..
An enormously muscular guy who cannot hold a conversation about anything other than weight-lifting and protein shakes. Gets upset very quickly when he cannot complete his own sentences and thoughts. Can be found at nightclubs wearing shirts that are 10 sizes too small (if at all). They are by far the most closely related human beings to that of apes, chimpanzees, and other primate. They are evolutionary hindered and are less capable of following directions than my dead hampster. ....
.. ..
.. ..
Typically a rather muscular person who walks around with their arms out to their side. Have no fear and love to start fights for no reason. Anthony or "Tony" is a typical meathead name. Shaved head and tattoos are characteristics of a meathead. Also known as a hardass. They carry around gallons of water acting to be some sort of muscle machine. ....
Meathead:"yo john, give me 20 bucks and ill knock this bitch ass out" ....
.. ..
.. ..
One who wears cutoff t-shirts, lift weights, and drinks gallon jugs of water. Usually plays football, wrestles, and is very muscular. They tend to have short hair, and frequently wear sleeveless shirts. Drinking protein shakes and shopping at Hollister are also essential parts of the average meathead's day. Meatheads also tend to abbreviate where they live by putting the first letter of the city, and adding *town after. In addition to lacking high IQs, meatheads tend to stereotype things and people completely wrong. ....
Common meathead responses:
- "Bro let's down this protein shake then go to the gym."
- "Dude that guy has a Fall Out Boy shirt, do you think he's one of those Emos?
- >>Smashes aluminum can on head<< .....
.. ..
.. ..
.. ..
.. ..
So, meathead fashion, I must tell you that in order to become a meathead you must first be a juicehead. Now, there are those of us whom just skip ahead of ourselves and go straight to meatheadome..but for those of you who, wonder what a juicehead is:
JUICEHEAD:....
Someone who uses steroids in order to aid in the production of muscle mass ....
Mark McGuire is a juicehead.
I think that says enough right there. So, there are those whom are juiceheads, but never quite graduate postjuice to meathead status, then there are those who start as juicys and gradually go towards meatdom, and then those whom just dive in head first and aim for the meat.......
.. .. So, what are the tail signs that you are a meathead:
1. you can't workout without flexing in the mirror atleast once..
2. you walk by the mirror and slightly raise your shirt to catch a quick shot of that new abdominal line you got..
3. "ssssss" and "uuuuugh" are just two of the heavenly awful grunts you make in the gym.
4. you spend longer than 2 hours at the gym.
5. you have your own locker in the locker room..
6.your picture is posted in the locker rooms autographed from a show you did 5 years ago.
7. you carry competition photos of yourself around in your wallet.
8. you have more than two gym memberships and you only paid for one...
9. you take more showers at the gym than you do at your own house..
10. you get a discount at the supplement store for your buying in bulk.
11. you have a lifetime tanning membership.
12. you have "knots" on your ass cheek from ummm... well... you know...
13. you use a "25 guage.." and THAT is small.... (you know who you are!! wink)
14. you know the best flavors of protein powder.
15. you can't talk about "supplements"on the telephone or in text messaging because you are afraid you will get busted.
16. you still havent admitted to your friends you are a "roidhead."
17. you have both in season and off season wardrobes.....
18. you swallow chunks or run to the locker room after sets and get excited over it..
19. you tan more than three times a week to "dry out."
20. you use the phrase, "in tha zone..." during workouts...
21. you and your buddies cook homemade "test" in your kitchen ......
22. you drink only distilled water...
23. you pose in EVERY photo you take... even with your mother...
24. If you leave work early to catch a workout.....
25. Your wardrobe consists of free shirts from expos and supplement purchases.
26. You use your grandmother's address to mail your "supplements"
27. You live by your watch, cause a meathead eats ATLEAST every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. and don't catch one if he is late on dinner.... shit hits the fan.
28. You know the sales at all the grocery stores on chicken.
28. You don't go to the gym to "workout," you go to "train."
29.You accuse your boyfriend or girlfriend of eating your food that you cooked, when if you took a moment to look you would see that its hidden in the fridge. like ANYONE wants to eat boiled chicken!!
30. If you say you are not a meathead but you hang out with >3 meatheads in your social circle, then you have been dubbed a meathead by association!!!
31. You can't have too much sex because that lowers your testosterone levels and you will go "flat.." ?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
32. You think short term memory loss such as where the hell you put your keys or your friends' names is humorous...
33. Rather than a set of nice glasses, you have a mound of mismatched shaker cups.. which you carry with you AT ALL TIMES!
34. you carry around a cooler with your food in it!
oh the list can go on, but I dont feel like adding it, but I am sure that you have! something to share with the rest of the meatheads!
What a meathead is!!! Attention all bodybuilders!
So, according to a close colleague of mine, I have been so graciously dub a "meathead" according to his college football standards (mind you from the early 80s)
As always (since you all know how my crazy mind works from previous blogs) I must inform you that this title has often puzzled but humored me.
So, you say what is a meathead and how do you become one..
Please read and we shall evaluate if you are a TRUE meathead.. male or female:
MEATHEAD:....
.. ..
.. ..
An enormously muscular guy who cannot hold a conversation about anything other than weight-lifting and protein shakes. Gets upset very quickly when he cannot complete his own sentences and thoughts. Can be found at nightclubs wearing shirts that are 10 sizes too small (if at all). They are by far the most closely related human beings to that of apes, chimpanzees, and other primate. They are evolutionary hindered and are less capable of following directions than my dead hampster. ....
.. ..
.. ..
Typically a rather muscular person who walks around with their arms out to their side. Have no fear and love to start fights for no reason. Anthony or "Tony" is a typical meathead name. Shaved head and tattoos are characteristics of a meathead. Also known as a hardass. They carry around gallons of water acting to be some sort of muscle machine. ....
Meathead:"yo john, give me 20 bucks and ill knock this bitch ass out" ....
.. ..
.. ..
One who wears cutoff t-shirts, lift weights, and drinks gallon jugs of water. Usually plays football, wrestles, and is very muscular. They tend to have short hair, and frequently wear sleeveless shirts. Drinking protein shakes and shopping at Hollister are also essential parts of the average meathead's day. Meatheads also tend to abbreviate where they live by putting the first letter of the city, and adding *town after. In addition to lacking high IQs, meatheads tend to stereotype things and people completely wrong. ....
Common meathead responses:
- "Bro let's down this protein shake then go to the gym."
- "Dude that guy has a Fall Out Boy shirt, do you think he's one of those Emos?
- >>Smashes aluminum can on head<< .....
.. ..
.. ..
.. ..
.. ..
So, meathead fashion, I must tell you that in order to become a meathead you must first be a juicehead. Now, there are those of us whom just skip ahead of ourselves and go straight to meatheadome..but for those of you who, wonder what a juicehead is:
JUICEHEAD:....
Someone who uses steroids in order to aid in the production of muscle mass ....
Mark McGuire is a juicehead.
I think that says enough right there. So, there are those whom are juiceheads, but never quite graduate postjuice to meathead status, then there are those who start as juicys and gradually go towards meatdom, and then those whom just dive in head first and aim for the meat.......
.. .. So, what are the tail signs that you are a meathead:
1. you can't workout without flexing in the mirror atleast once..
2. you walk by the mirror and slightly raise your shirt to catch a quick shot of that new abdominal line you got..
3. "ssssss" and "uuuuugh" are just two of the heavenly awful grunts you make in the gym.
4. you spend longer than 2 hours at the gym.
5. you have your own locker in the locker room..
6.your picture is posted in the locker rooms autographed from a show you did 5 years ago.
7. you carry competition photos of yourself around in your wallet.
8. you have more than two gym memberships and you only paid for one...
9. you take more showers at the gym than you do at your own house..
10. you get a discount at the supplement store for your buying in bulk.
11. you have a lifetime tanning membership.
12. you have "knots" on your ass cheek from ummm... well... you know...
13. you use a "25 guage.." and THAT is small.... (you know who you are!! wink)
14. you know the best flavors of protein powder.
15. you can't talk about "supplements"on the telephone or in text messaging because you are afraid you will get busted.
16. you still havent admitted to your friends you are a "roidhead."
17. you have both in season and off season wardrobes.....
18. you swallow chunks or run to the locker room after sets and get excited over it..
19. you tan more than three times a week to "dry out."
20. you use the phrase, "in tha zone..." during workouts...
21. you and your buddies cook homemade "test" in your kitchen ......
22. you drink only distilled water...
23. you pose in EVERY photo you take... even with your mother...
24. If you leave work early to catch a workout.....
25. Your wardrobe consists of free shirts from expos and supplement purchases.
26. You use your grandmother's address to mail your "supplements"
27. You live by your watch, cause a meathead eats ATLEAST every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. and don't catch one if he is late on dinner.... shit hits the fan.
28. You know the sales at all the grocery stores on chicken.
28. You don't go to the gym to "workout," you go to "train."
29.You accuse your boyfriend or girlfriend of eating your food that you cooked, when if you took a moment to look you would see that its hidden in the fridge. like ANYONE wants to eat boiled chicken!!
30. If you say you are not a meathead but you hang out with >3 meatheads in your social circle, then you have been dubbed a meathead by association!!!
31. You can't have too much sex because that lowers your testosterone levels and you will go "flat.." ?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
32. You think short term memory loss such as where the hell you put your keys or your friends' names is humorous...
33. Rather than a set of nice glasses, you have a mound of mismatched shaker cups.. which you carry with you AT ALL TIMES!
34. you carry around a cooler with your food in it!
oh the list can go on, but I dont feel like adding it, but I am sure that you have! something to share with the rest of the meatheads!
Deconstructed Tzatziki Recipe *Healthy Snack*
I'm a fan of garlic and was looking for a way to make cucumbers a more exciting snack. So I came up with this.
1 cucumber cut into dipping sticks
1 little container (100-125g) of nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 - 1 clove of crushed garlic (depending on your taste) or use garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dill
squeeze of lemon juice
Mix the yogurt, garlic, dill and lemon juice together. 2.5 seconds later you have a super healthy snack. :)
1 cucumber cut into dipping sticks
1 little container (100-125g) of nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 - 1 clove of crushed garlic (depending on your taste) or use garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dill
squeeze of lemon juice
Mix the yogurt, garlic, dill and lemon juice together. 2.5 seconds later you have a super healthy snack. :)
I went to the Midi market this morning and picked up some incredible deals on fresh produce. The downside is that all of this food has to be cooked/eaten almost immediately since they are at their maturity. So what to do with a palette of raspberries..... hmmm! I'm thinking clafoutis!
Clafoutis is a french country dessert dish that can also be eaten for breakfast. I modified the recipe to be more suitable for a person on a diet. Here goes:
Diet Raspberry Clafoutis
- 6 egg whites
- 3 scoops vanilla protein powder (I had plain casien PP on hand so I used 2 scps vanilla/1 scp casien)
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tsp baking soda or baking powder
- 10 packets artificial sweetener
- 3 packets of raspberries
- 1/2 cup oat flour or regular dry oats + food processor
- siicone round baking dish or a nonstick baking round pie dish + nonstick spray
- 1 tbsp almond powder (optional)
Preheat oven to 300F or 170c. In the food processor, mix together everything but the raspberries. Once the oats are pulverized and the mixture is smooth, pour into the silicone baking pan or sprayed nonstick baking pan. Drop the raspberries into the batter in an even fashion. Put in oven for 30-40 min. You can test if the middle is done by sticking a fork in the middle and check if it comes out clean.
Bon Appetit!
Motivation to stick to that @$%^& Diet and Exercise
Dieting sucks. So does having to go to the gym almost everyday. The first thought in my head when I wake up in the morning is "OMG I have to ride that bike in my living room again.." AHHHH!
Ok, now that I got my daily complaining out of the way, Nishy wanted to know what motivates me and keeps me on track. The 1st answer is that I have to be on stage in a bikini, high heels, alot of self-tanner, and and big smile. Oh yes, and pitted against a bunch of hard bodies on stage helps too. But behind the obvious reason, I always wanted those perfect abs, arms, sexy legs, etc. Who doesn't, right?
Motivation 1: Identifying Fitness Idols.
I figured out that the folks who know the most about bodysculpting are bodybuilders. They are the extreme example of discipline, diet, exercise, and nutrition. While we may not all want to look like them, no one can deny that they are walking & talking experts in this field. So, I googled "bodybuilding" and landed on www.bodybuilding.com. Anyone who wants the visual motivation can easily start with this site.... there's a big section on women in this lifestyle and they come in all shapes. I scrutinized the figure girls because while they were rock hard, they looked very feminine with great hair, smiles, posture, heels... gottta love the clear heels LOL. I love Monica Beckham, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Jamie Eason, and a few others in my top friends list. Normal women, full lives with family and careers, and rockin' bodies. I found a couple around my height so I could really see and follow what girls like me were doing to look good. Personally, it's difficult for me to relate to someone who is 5'11" because I'll never be her height/weight ratio.
Motivation 2: Working towards a Firm Goal
I have the attention span of a fly. You can imagine how long a diet lasts or an exercise program lasts for me. I knew that if I didn't have a firm goal at the end of this hard work I would just stop or relax when I felt that I "looked good enough". So, I signed up/paid to compete in the Bikini and Fitness model catagories of a physique show that was 5 months out. Now I'm screwed, can't back out now! For others, the firm goal may be a class reunion, wedding, paid photoshoot, etc. I like the idea of paying for a bikini photoshoot with a very good photographer to nail your commitment down. If you are serious about wanting to get in "picture shape", put your money where your mind is. I calculated to lose 2-3 lbs a month so that I could commit to a realistic time table.
Motivation 3: Keeping track of your eating.
If you are not accountable then it's easy to forget what you ate a few hours ago. Write everything that you are eating for at least two weeks, including quantity. Determine the calorie content of everything by looking it up at www.calorie-count.com and document this in your excel worksheet. Add everything up per day. Once your real diet is down on paper you can easily see where there is room for improvement.
How much should you be eating every day? I used this online calculator to figure out my resting metabolic rate: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm . For me at 5'4", I should be around 1300 calories/day so I try to consume around that. I'm exercising as well so keeping around that calorie amount ensures that I will be at a caloric deficit, therefore losing fat. Refer to my previous blogs for ideas on clean eats and eating principles.
Motivation 4: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
So now you have a goal in front of you so it's time to create a plan to get there. I created an excel worksheet to calculate the weight loss so first I took my current weight minus the goal weight (let's say 15 lbs for example). Then divide 15 by the number of weeks until the goal day (20 weeks). This equals a 0.75 lbs weight loss per week. In excel, make column A the dates of every Monday until the goal and next to it Column B put the corresponding goal weight. Then do your weekly weigh-ins and put your actual weight next to it to see your progress.
Little goals are alot easier to digest and this helps keep track of your progress.
Keep at this list handy and repeat each step daily. :-)
Goal Actual
1-Jan 130
8-Jan 129.25
15-Jan 128.5
22-Jan 127.75
29-Jan 127
5-Feb 126.25
12-Feb 125.5
19-Feb 124.75
26-Feb 124
4-Mar 123.25
11-Mar 122.5
18-Mar 121.75
25-Mar 121
1-Apr 120.25
8-Apr 119.5
15-Apr 118.75
22-Apr 118
29-Apr 117.25
6-May 116.5
13-May 115
Ok, now that I got my daily complaining out of the way, Nishy wanted to know what motivates me and keeps me on track. The 1st answer is that I have to be on stage in a bikini, high heels, alot of self-tanner, and and big smile. Oh yes, and pitted against a bunch of hard bodies on stage helps too. But behind the obvious reason, I always wanted those perfect abs, arms, sexy legs, etc. Who doesn't, right?
Motivation 1: Identifying Fitness Idols.
I figured out that the folks who know the most about bodysculpting are bodybuilders. They are the extreme example of discipline, diet, exercise, and nutrition. While we may not all want to look like them, no one can deny that they are walking & talking experts in this field. So, I googled "bodybuilding" and landed on www.bodybuilding.com. Anyone who wants the visual motivation can easily start with this site.... there's a big section on women in this lifestyle and they come in all shapes. I scrutinized the figure girls because while they were rock hard, they looked very feminine with great hair, smiles, posture, heels... gottta love the clear heels LOL. I love Monica Beckham, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Jamie Eason, and a few others in my top friends list. Normal women, full lives with family and careers, and rockin' bodies. I found a couple around my height so I could really see and follow what girls like me were doing to look good. Personally, it's difficult for me to relate to someone who is 5'11" because I'll never be her height/weight ratio.
Motivation 2: Working towards a Firm Goal
I have the attention span of a fly. You can imagine how long a diet lasts or an exercise program lasts for me. I knew that if I didn't have a firm goal at the end of this hard work I would just stop or relax when I felt that I "looked good enough". So, I signed up/paid to compete in the Bikini and Fitness model catagories of a physique show that was 5 months out. Now I'm screwed, can't back out now! For others, the firm goal may be a class reunion, wedding, paid photoshoot, etc. I like the idea of paying for a bikini photoshoot with a very good photographer to nail your commitment down. If you are serious about wanting to get in "picture shape", put your money where your mind is. I calculated to lose 2-3 lbs a month so that I could commit to a realistic time table.
Motivation 3: Keeping track of your eating.
If you are not accountable then it's easy to forget what you ate a few hours ago. Write everything that you are eating for at least two weeks, including quantity. Determine the calorie content of everything by looking it up at www.calorie-count.com and document this in your excel worksheet. Add everything up per day. Once your real diet is down on paper you can easily see where there is room for improvement.
How much should you be eating every day? I used this online calculator to figure out my resting metabolic rate: http://www.bodybuilding.co
Motivation 4: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
So now you have a goal in front of you so it's time to create a plan to get there. I created an excel worksheet to calculate the weight loss so first I took my current weight minus the goal weight (let's say 15 lbs for example). Then divide 15 by the number of weeks until the goal day (20 weeks). This equals a 0.75 lbs weight loss per week. In excel, make column A the dates of every Monday until the goal and next to it Column B put the corresponding goal weight. Then do your weekly weigh-ins and put your actual weight next to it to see your progress.
Little goals are alot easier to digest and this helps keep track of your progress.
Keep at this list handy and repeat each step daily. :-)
Goal Actual
1-Jan 130
8-Jan 129.25
15-Jan 128.5
22-Jan 127.75
29-Jan 127
5-Feb 126.25
12-Feb 125.5
19-Feb 124.75
26-Feb 124
4-Mar 123.25
11-Mar 122.5
18-Mar 121.75
25-Mar 121
1-Apr 120.25
8-Apr 119.5
15-Apr 118.75
22-Apr 118
29-Apr 117.25
6-May 116.5
13-May 115
Low Calorie Foods
Curious to see what people eat as essentials to their low calorie lifestyle. I found this thread on a nutrition forum and all the women listed their healthy eats. It definitely gave me some ideas for my own grocery list (3 made me laugh too).
So, here's some that I eat and that I found on the nutrition forum that I thought would be helpful (in no particular order):
So, here's some that I eat and that I found on the nutrition forum that I thought would be helpful (in no particular order):
- lemon juice, garlic salt, pepper as salad dressing
- Celery with hummous
- That yogurt that makes you poop (to quote Tina Fey)
- Baby carrots
- Sugar free jello cups
- Fudgecicles
- Oatmeal
- Tangerines
- Pineapple
- Veggie burgers
- Cottage cheese
- Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
- Baby spinach
- Miso soup
- Hot sauce
- Coffee
- Water
- Morningstar soy breakfast sausages
- Whole grain thomas's light english muffins
- boca chick'n patties
- black cherry sugar free jello
- Pumpkin
- Cucumbers
- Apples, oranges, bananas, grapefruit
- Tea
- Coffee
- Kashi GoLean
- Fiber One
- Black beans
- Sara Lee light bread
- PB2
- Oikos Greek Yogurt
- Appel Farms Quark
- Alpenrose Nonfat Cottage Cheese
- Egg whites
- Vinegar
- Tofu Shirataki noodles
- S&W Edamame
- Cabbage and lettuce
- Frozen broccoli and spinach leaves (Actually pretty much ALL fresh/frozen veggies!)
- Frozen tilapia
- 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soy Milk
- Spaghetti Squash
- Canned tuna
- Salsa
- Crystal Light Lemonade
- Black grapes
- salad
- tuna and salmon
- La Tortilla Wraps
- Salsa
- Vinegar
- Walden Farms Caramel Dip
- Cocoa Via products
- Almond Breeze
- Fiber One
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Stevia Sweetener
- Orbit Gum
- Bell Peppers
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Mustard
- Tomato Paste
- Nori Sheets/Seaweed
- Bran flakes
- Skim milk
- Splenda
- Lentils/beans
- Apples
- Bananas
- Boca Burgers
- Light life veggie hot dogs (45 calories, can't tell them from real franks)
- canned pumpkin
- Thomas's light multigrain English muffins
- Smart Balance light
- whole wheat pita bread
- fat free cooking spray, for stirfrying
- PB2
- Smucker's sugar free jelly
- Sugar free maple syrup
- Hershey's sugar free chocolate syrup
- Egg whites
- Frozen shrimp
- frozen scallops
- cocktail sauce
- stir fry vegetables
- lean chicken breast
- 93% lean ground beef
- grapefruit
Who is NATALIE MINH?
Natalie Minh is a Vietnamese-American born in Houston, Texas USA in 1980. She was raised in the Metro Detroit area and excelled in school and sport. She graduated with honors and was accepted to study at several prestigious universities. In sport, her achievements included 2 singles position in tennis, 3 years of martial arts, and swimming. She was also active in Student Council (class president Sophomore year), Student Representative on the school district Board of Directors, elected Student Council President on the county level, community service activities with the student Rotary Club, National Honor Society, listed 3 consecutive years in the High School Students Who's Who directory, Drama Club, and earned her Nail Technician license. Other hobbies included drawing, reading, and computer programming.
In University, she earned a BBA with honors from the University of Michigan (U of M) while working full time as an IT analyst in the automotive industry, running an Ebay PowerSeller online shop, and at one point her own manicure business. Although she had a strong interest in computers and IT analysis, Natalie believed that applying her analytical talents in a broader business sense would be far more challenging and rewarding. Immediately following graduation from U of M's bachelor's program, she enrolled in U of M's dual masters' degree program - MBA and Masters of Science in Finance. She earned both masters' degrees in 2.5 years. Upon graduation she changed careers from IT to Finance.
While working for a Fortune 100 financial services company in 2007, Natalie took advantage of an opportunity to live in Brussels, Belgium for 3 years as an expatriate in the company's European Finance Center. This decision was a life changing event for her. Natalie dropped everything in Detroit, moved to Brussels by herself, and decided to accomplish some new goals for 2008 specifically - a physical goal. The first thing Natalie did after moving to Europe was to enroll in a gym, hire a trainer, and sign up for a physique competition.
For the next five months, Natalie learned to eat, breathe, and live the competition prep regimen. She extensively researched publications such as Oxygen magazine, bodybuilding.com's SuperSite, and the Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno and slowly started to implement the principles of clean eating and living. Her mantra during this time was "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time". In five short months, she tightened up her program, took progress photos, and educated herself on what was diet & exercise fact or fiction.
The hard work paid off when in April 2008 she won the WNSO FAME European Fitness Model Championship, 2nd place in Bikini Model, and received the invitation to compete at the WNSO 2008 World Championships in Toronto. She also won a modeling contract with W Fitness Models, the premier fitness modeling agency in London and was featured athlete in the September 2008 issue of Muscle & Fitness UK magazine.
Other activities that Natalie currently enjoys are indoor wall climbing, mountain biking, and aerobics. In her spare time you will find her making new friends in Brussels and discovering new cities across Europe.
Natalie's philosophy is to strive for excellence in fitness, intellect, family, and career. Her positive outlook on life and drive for excellence is evident in her upbeat personality and achievements.
Keep your eyes on Natalie Minh as she is determined to make her mark on the fitness industry.
In University, she earned a BBA with honors from the University of Michigan (U of M) while working full time as an IT analyst in the automotive industry, running an Ebay PowerSeller online shop, and at one point her own manicure business. Although she had a strong interest in computers and IT analysis, Natalie believed that applying her analytical talents in a broader business sense would be far more challenging and rewarding. Immediately following graduation from U of M's bachelor's program, she enrolled in U of M's dual masters' degree program - MBA and Masters of Science in Finance. She earned both masters' degrees in 2.5 years. Upon graduation she changed careers from IT to Finance.
While working for a Fortune 100 financial services company in 2007, Natalie took advantage of an opportunity to live in Brussels, Belgium for 3 years as an expatriate in the company's European Finance Center. This decision was a life changing event for her. Natalie dropped everything in Detroit, moved to Brussels by herself, and decided to accomplish some new goals for 2008 specifically - a physical goal. The first thing Natalie did after moving to Europe was to enroll in a gym, hire a trainer, and sign up for a physique competition.
For the next five months, Natalie learned to eat, breathe, and live the competition prep regimen. She extensively researched publications such as Oxygen magazine, bodybuilding.com's SuperSite, and the Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno and slowly started to implement the principles of clean eating and living. Her mantra during this time was "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time". In five short months, she tightened up her program, took progress photos, and educated herself on what was diet & exercise fact or fiction.
The hard work paid off when in April 2008 she won the WNSO FAME European Fitness Model Championship, 2nd place in Bikini Model, and received the invitation to compete at the WNSO 2008 World Championships in Toronto. She also won a modeling contract with W Fitness Models, the premier fitness modeling agency in London and was featured athlete in the September 2008 issue of Muscle & Fitness UK magazine.
Other activities that Natalie currently enjoys are indoor wall climbing, mountain biking, and aerobics. In her spare time you will find her making new friends in Brussels and discovering new cities across Europe.
Natalie's philosophy is to strive for excellence in fitness, intellect, family, and career. Her positive outlook on life and drive for excellence is evident in her upbeat personality and achievements.
Keep your eyes on Natalie Minh as she is determined to make her mark on the fitness industry.
My Fitness Program used for the European Championships
This is a blog dated from February 2008:
I am training for a fitness competition in April and a few people have asked, "How did you get those legs? arms? flat tummy?.." So here’s the details.
There are three components to my training: weights, cardio, and nutrition.
Weight training is the key to having curves and tone. All sets use heavy weights which increase after each set. The last set should be extremely difficult to complete and you may only be able to do 8 or 10 reps but you use mental power to do the last couple repetitions… don’t give up! For example, for the leg press I use the machine and set the initial weight as 140. Second set is 160. Third set is 160+10. Fourth set is 180.
Key thing to remember with weight training is that you must push yourself and to use weights that are heavy.
Cardio is key to burn fat. Everyday I do 1 - 1.5 hour of cardio, the ab workout, in addition to the scheduled weight training. Usually 30 -45 min bike in the morning and 30 - 45 min elliptical (moonwalk machine) in the evening. Wednesday and Saturday I try to do cardio as well but if I’m really tired then I take the day off. My goal is to get to very low body fat for my competition so my routine is a bit heavy for now. Off season I plan to 3-4 days of cardio of 30 min.
Nutrition is 80% of the hard work in my program. If there is a layer of fat on my abs, all the crunches in the world will not do any good so I am strict about my diet and afford one cheat meal a week (used to be cheat day) to keep my sanity. A cheat meal means I can eat anything I want and I save this as my "prize" for the tough week. I eat as close to "nature" as possible meaning that if the food has been processed or comes in a wrapper I do not eat it. Avoid processed foods. If it grows, flys, or swims then eat it. J
Basically I eat every 2-3 hours -
Breakfast: 1 cup Oatmeal or muesli. No sugar, only skim milk. I also try to eat 2 egg whites (hard boiled eggs with the yolk popped out) usually or maybe a few slices of smoked salmon or lean lunch meat (sliced ham) because the protein helps kill the hunger pains.
1st Snack: Fruit or veggie. Today I had a 1/2 raw yellow bell pepper. Usually I have a plain lowfat yogurt cup or cottage cheese too.
Lunch: rice or sweet potatoes/yams (although they are difficult to find at the grocery store). About 1 cup cooked max. I have 1-2 cups of veggies as well, the greener the better. Spinach, broccoli, brussels spouts, carrots, bell peppers, etc. Stay away from regular potatoes, full of starch. Farmers feed this to livestock to ’fatten them up’. Meat is fish, or any lean meat, cutting off all the fat. For this week I cooked up some chicken breast, lean ground beef meatballs, and fish. The amount of meat if you eyeball it is about the size of your palm or a deck of cards. Maybe I’ll have a leafy salad with homemade vinaigrette (1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 part olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic), nuts, dried berries or raisins, olives, cornichons. No cheese.
2nd Snack: Fruit and/or veggie. Today it will be a banana and apple. Sometimes I have a cup of soup.
3rd Snack (at home): Right before the gym I have to have some protein (canned tuna, raw sashimi salmon, chicken breast) just because I’m starving. Usually the size of the palm of my hand or a deck of cards.
Dinner: Same as lunch.
Some principles of my diet:
· I never drink soda or juice and avoid any additional sugar in my diet. Juice seems healthy but it’s healthy when it comes in the fruit with the fiber. When it is stripped from the fiber, it is just pure sugar.
· I stopped drinking alcohol for now.
· Drink alot of water, about 4 liters/day
· Eat unlimited vegetables.
· Take a multivitamin and glutamine supplement which helps my body recover from training very hard.
· Try to avoid eating meal replacements like protein shakes and protein bars. Instead eat real food which your body will process much easier/efficiently.
· I count calories and try to keep my diet around 1300 calories/day. Max is 1500, only special occasions. I’m 163cm and 1300/day is my resting metabolic rate according to my calculations.
· No cheese.
· No white bread. I may have one whole wheat pita on occasion.
· Brown rice, yams, Quinoa, Cracked wheat, occasional whole wheat pita, plain rice cakes etc are often my carbs.
· No chocolates, candies, or sweets exist in my house. If it’s there, i’ll devour it in a heart beat.
· No pasta.
· I bake all of my food rather than frying. You have to have some fat in your diet in order to survive so I try to get it from veggie sources like avocado (guacamole = avocado, minced onion, lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, salt/pepper), mixed nuts, 2 tsp olive oil max.
Actual Exercise
If you are unsure what the exercise means, you can usually Google the term.
DB = dumbbell
Monday - Quads/Calves:
* Machine Leg Press 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Lunges 4 sets x 12 reps
* Machine Leg Extensions 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Standing Calf Raises 3 sets x 15 reps
Tuesday - Back:
* Machine Lat Pulldown 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Rows 4 sets x 12 reps
* Cable Straight Arm Pulldowns 4 sets x 12
Wednesday - Cardio Only or Rest
Thursday - Chest/Shoulders:
* Cable Crossovers 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Flies and DB Press superset 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Lateral Raises 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Front Raises 4 sets x 12 reps
Friday – Triceps/Biceps:
* Cable Pushdowns 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Kickbacks 4 sets x 12 reps
* Tricep Dips off a bench 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Hammer Curls 4 sets x 12 reps
* Standing DB Curls 4 sets x 12 reps
Saturday – Cardio Only or Rest
Sunday – Hamstrings
* One Leg in Air Pelvic Pop 4 sets x 12 reps
* Cable Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 12
* Barbell Stiff-leg Deadlifts 4 sets x 12
Abs Workout Everyday
* Bicycle crunches 4 sets x 20 reps
* 2 kg Medicine ball in between legs, lift up/down 4 sets x 20 reps
* 2kg Medicine ball shuffle around seated pike legs 4 sets x 20 reps
* Side bends or machine torso rotation 4 sets x 12-15 reps
I am training for a fitness competition in April and a few people have asked, "How did you get those legs? arms? flat tummy?.." So here’s the details.
There are three components to my training: weights, cardio, and nutrition.
Weight training is the key to having curves and tone. All sets use heavy weights which increase after each set. The last set should be extremely difficult to complete and you may only be able to do 8 or 10 reps but you use mental power to do the last couple repetitions… don’t give up! For example, for the leg press I use the machine and set the initial weight as 140. Second set is 160. Third set is 160+10. Fourth set is 180.
Key thing to remember with weight training is that you must push yourself and to use weights that are heavy.
Cardio is key to burn fat. Everyday I do 1 - 1.5 hour of cardio, the ab workout, in addition to the scheduled weight training. Usually 30 -45 min bike in the morning and 30 - 45 min elliptical (moonwalk machine) in the evening. Wednesday and Saturday I try to do cardio as well but if I’m really tired then I take the day off. My goal is to get to very low body fat for my competition so my routine is a bit heavy for now. Off season I plan to 3-4 days of cardio of 30 min.
Nutrition is 80% of the hard work in my program. If there is a layer of fat on my abs, all the crunches in the world will not do any good so I am strict about my diet and afford one cheat meal a week (used to be cheat day) to keep my sanity. A cheat meal means I can eat anything I want and I save this as my "prize" for the tough week. I eat as close to "nature" as possible meaning that if the food has been processed or comes in a wrapper I do not eat it. Avoid processed foods. If it grows, flys, or swims then eat it. J
Basically I eat every 2-3 hours -
Breakfast: 1 cup Oatmeal or muesli. No sugar, only skim milk. I also try to eat 2 egg whites (hard boiled eggs with the yolk popped out) usually or maybe a few slices of smoked salmon or lean lunch meat (sliced ham) because the protein helps kill the hunger pains.
1st Snack: Fruit or veggie. Today I had a 1/2 raw yellow bell pepper. Usually I have a plain lowfat yogurt cup or cottage cheese too.
Lunch: rice or sweet potatoes/yams (although they are difficult to find at the grocery store). About 1 cup cooked max. I have 1-2 cups of veggies as well, the greener the better. Spinach, broccoli, brussels spouts, carrots, bell peppers, etc. Stay away from regular potatoes, full of starch. Farmers feed this to livestock to ’fatten them up’. Meat is fish, or any lean meat, cutting off all the fat. For this week I cooked up some chicken breast, lean ground beef meatballs, and fish. The amount of meat if you eyeball it is about the size of your palm or a deck of cards. Maybe I’ll have a leafy salad with homemade vinaigrette (1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 part olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic), nuts, dried berries or raisins, olives, cornichons. No cheese.
2nd Snack: Fruit and/or veggie. Today it will be a banana and apple. Sometimes I have a cup of soup.
3rd Snack (at home): Right before the gym I have to have some protein (canned tuna, raw sashimi salmon, chicken breast) just because I’m starving. Usually the size of the palm of my hand or a deck of cards.
Dinner: Same as lunch.
Some principles of my diet:
· I never drink soda or juice and avoid any additional sugar in my diet. Juice seems healthy but it’s healthy when it comes in the fruit with the fiber. When it is stripped from the fiber, it is just pure sugar.
· I stopped drinking alcohol for now.
· Drink alot of water, about 4 liters/day
· Eat unlimited vegetables.
· Take a multivitamin and glutamine supplement which helps my body recover from training very hard.
· Try to avoid eating meal replacements like protein shakes and protein bars. Instead eat real food which your body will process much easier/efficiently.
· I count calories and try to keep my diet around 1300 calories/day. Max is 1500, only special occasions. I’m 163cm and 1300/day is my resting metabolic rate according to my calculations.
· No cheese.
· No white bread. I may have one whole wheat pita on occasion.
· Brown rice, yams, Quinoa, Cracked wheat, occasional whole wheat pita, plain rice cakes etc are often my carbs.
· No chocolates, candies, or sweets exist in my house. If it’s there, i’ll devour it in a heart beat.
· No pasta.
· I bake all of my food rather than frying. You have to have some fat in your diet in order to survive so I try to get it from veggie sources like avocado (guacamole = avocado, minced onion, lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, salt/pepper), mixed nuts, 2 tsp olive oil max.
Actual Exercise
If you are unsure what the exercise means, you can usually Google the term.
DB = dumbbell
Monday - Quads/Calves:
* Machine Leg Press 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Lunges 4 sets x 12 reps
* Machine Leg Extensions 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Standing Calf Raises 3 sets x 15 reps
Tuesday - Back:
* Machine Lat Pulldown 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Rows 4 sets x 12 reps
* Cable Straight Arm Pulldowns 4 sets x 12
Wednesday - Cardio Only or Rest
Thursday - Chest/Shoulders:
* Cable Crossovers 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Flies and DB Press superset 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Lateral Raises 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Front Raises 4 sets x 12 reps
Friday – Triceps/Biceps:
* Cable Pushdowns 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Kickbacks 4 sets x 12 reps
* Tricep Dips off a bench 4 sets x 12 reps
* DB Hammer Curls 4 sets x 12 reps
* Standing DB Curls 4 sets x 12 reps
Saturday – Cardio Only or Rest
Sunday – Hamstrings
* One Leg in Air Pelvic Pop 4 sets x 12 reps
* Cable Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 12
* Barbell Stiff-leg Deadlifts 4 sets x 12
Abs Workout Everyday
* Bicycle crunches 4 sets x 20 reps
* 2 kg Medicine ball in between legs, lift up/down 4 sets x 20 reps
* 2kg Medicine ball shuffle around seated pike legs 4 sets x 20 reps
* Side bends or machine torso rotation 4 sets x 12-15 reps
High Protein Recipes
While training for the Worlds in May/June, I changed up my diet a bit in order to include alot more protein, weighing my food instead of counting calories, doubling the amount of water I drink, and eating u pto 8x/day. Since I was eating double the amount of protein I was used to, choking down that much food gets kind of boring after a while. So, I started to make some recipes... enjoy. I'll be amending this list as I continue to invent in the kitchen.
-----------------------------------------------
Cinnamon apple muffins
- 1 apple chopped fine
- 10 egg whites
- 500g of nonfat fromage frais or cottage cheese (~16-18oz)
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder or plain protein powder and a dash of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
- (optional) 1 teaspoon baking powder
- artificial sweetener to taste
Mix everything together in a bowl. Spray a muffin tray with oil and pour into molds. Bake at 200c or 400f for 40 min. Let cool before eating.
------------------------------------------------------
Egg white burrito
- 3 egg whites
- baked and chopped chicken breast, 3oz
- few pieces of green beans
- lettuce
- cilantro to garnish
In a nonstick egg pan, fry with only spray oil the three egg whites to make a round flat wrap for the filling. Toss in there the chicken, green beans, lettuce, and cilantro. I didn't say that this was as great as a regular burrito but if you are in contest prep this is a fun way to eat the same ingredients. :)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Egg White Drop Soup
This is my mother's take on the classic chinese egg drop soup.
- 3 egg whites
- 1 liter water
- 1 or 2 bullion cube like herb or chicken flavor
- cilantro
- lettuce
- cup of chopped green beans or asparagus
- 1 cup of finely chopped chicken breast
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- (optional) chinese fried shallots for garnish (you can buy this at the asian store)
Boil water and throw in buillion cube, green onion, chicken , veggies. Once water starts to boil, slowly stir in the egg whites and they will cook in the water and like white strings in the pot. To serve, garnish with cilantro, lettuce, and fried shallots. The shallots give this warm flavor to the soup so it's not neccessary to use much.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Banana Protein Pancakes
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 7 egg whites
- 2 big scoops of protein powder (I use vanilla or gingerbread cookie flavor)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 banana
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
- artifical sweetner to taste (I used 5 spenda packets)
Throw everything in a blender and puree it. Heat up the pan at medium heat and make your pancakes in a nonstick pan with spray oil (not necessary though). This makes enough for two people. You can eat this plain or with some applesauce instead of syrup.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Salmon spinach salad
- 6 oz filet of salmon
- spinach
- cucumbers
- tomatoes
- bell pepper
- some unsalted raw mixed nuts
- garlic powder
- italian seasoning
- lemon wedge
Steam (8 min) or bake (180c or 350f for 25 min) the salmon. For the salad dressing, mix lemon juice, italian seasoning, and garlic powder together.
Create the spinach salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, mixed nuts. Top with the salmon and your lemon juice dressing.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I was dreaming about chocolate all day today but considering that I'm in contest prep, I had to get creative.... Check it out and let me know what you think!!
CONTEST PREP BROWNIE
- a microwave egg poacher (those plastic individual serving gadgets)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 2 tablespoons of fat free cottage cheese or fromage frais
- 2 packets of splenda
In a bowl, add the egg whites, and all of the other ingredients together. Mix well. Pour into the microwave egg poacher until 3/4 full and cook on HIGH for 90 seconds. Voila!!! You have approximately 4 brownies from this batch.
------------------------------------------------------------------
PROTEIN MUESLI
- 1 small cup of Activa plain nonfat yogurt
- 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1/3 cup of organic meusli (the kind without added sugars or corn flakes)
Mix all together, this is a great breakfast pick me up!
--------------------------
Cinnamon apple muffins
- 1 apple chopped fine
- 10 egg whites
- 500g of nonfat fromage frais or cottage cheese (~16-18oz)
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder or plain protein powder and a dash of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
- (optional) 1 teaspoon baking powder
- artificial sweetener to taste
Mix everything together in a bowl. Spray a muffin tray with oil and pour into molds. Bake at 200c or 400f for 40 min. Let cool before eating.
--------------------------
Egg white burrito
- 3 egg whites
- baked and chopped chicken breast, 3oz
- few pieces of green beans
- lettuce
- cilantro to garnish
In a nonstick egg pan, fry with only spray oil the three egg whites to make a round flat wrap for the filling. Toss in there the chicken, green beans, lettuce, and cilantro. I didn't say that this was as great as a regular burrito but if you are in contest prep this is a fun way to eat the same ingredients. :)
--------------------------
Egg White Drop Soup
This is my mother's take on the classic chinese egg drop soup.
- 3 egg whites
- 1 liter water
- 1 or 2 bullion cube like herb or chicken flavor
- cilantro
- lettuce
- cup of chopped green beans or asparagus
- 1 cup of finely chopped chicken breast
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- (optional) chinese fried shallots for garnish (you can buy this at the asian store)
Boil water and throw in buillion cube, green onion, chicken , veggies. Once water starts to boil, slowly stir in the egg whites and they will cook in the water and like white strings in the pot. To serve, garnish with cilantro, lettuce, and fried shallots. The shallots give this warm flavor to the soup so it's not neccessary to use much.
--------------------------
Banana Protein Pancakes
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 7 egg whites
- 2 big scoops of protein powder (I use vanilla or gingerbread cookie flavor)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 banana
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
- artifical sweetner to taste (I used 5 spenda packets)
Throw everything in a blender and puree it. Heat up the pan at medium heat and make your pancakes in a nonstick pan with spray oil (not necessary though). This makes enough for two people. You can eat this plain or with some applesauce instead of syrup.
--------------------------
Salmon spinach salad
- 6 oz filet of salmon
- spinach
- cucumbers
- tomatoes
- bell pepper
- some unsalted raw mixed nuts
- garlic powder
- italian seasoning
- lemon wedge
Steam (8 min) or bake (180c or 350f for 25 min) the salmon. For the salad dressing, mix lemon juice, italian seasoning, and garlic powder together.
Create the spinach salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, mixed nuts. Top with the salmon and your lemon juice dressing.
--------------------------
I was dreaming about chocolate all day today but considering that I'm in contest prep, I had to get creative.... Check it out and let me know what you think!!
CONTEST PREP BROWNIE
- a microwave egg poacher (those plastic individual serving gadgets)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 2 tablespoons of fat free cottage cheese or fromage frais
- 2 packets of splenda
In a bowl, add the egg whites, and all of the other ingredients together. Mix well. Pour into the microwave egg poacher until 3/4 full and cook on HIGH for 90 seconds. Voila!!! You have approximately 4 brownies from this batch.
--------------------------
PROTEIN MUESLI
- 1 small cup of Activa plain nonfat yogurt
- 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1/3 cup of organic meusli (the kind without added sugars or corn flakes)
Mix all together, this is a great breakfast pick me up!
Healthy and Hearty Chili!
This is my twist on chili. I added every veggie that I could find in order to make this very healthy and lower calorie. I omit oil and used the leanest minced meat I could find. This meal will serve alot of people so I packed everything up into individual meal sized plastic ziplocks and froze them for future use.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes (I used chipotle chili flakes for more depth, I like spicy)
1 small can tomato paste
1 beef bullion cube dissolved in 1/3 cup water
10 packets of Spenda or some artificial sweetner
Few dashes of Worcester Sauce (American sauce to you Euros)
1 can crushed tomatoes or 4 coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 pound ground/minced turkey or super lean beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 bell peppers, diced
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 small eggplant chopped
3 carrot chopped
5 chopped mushrooms
5 crushed garlic
2 drained cans of beans (I used red)
Directions:
In a giant pot, brown the ground meat at medium high heat with the can of tomatoes, coriander, cumin, chili pepper flakes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, Worcester sauce.
After the meat is cooked through, toss in all of the veggies. Mix the beef buiillion broth with the 10 packets of Splenda and pour into the pot. After about 10 minutes of simmering, add the drained cans of beans. Cook for another 45 minutes at medium heat.
You can serve immediately or let it sit for a day which intensifies the flavors.
Bon Appetit / Smakelijk / Enjoy!!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes (I used chipotle chili flakes for more depth, I like spicy)
1 small can tomato paste
1 beef bullion cube dissolved in 1/3 cup water
10 packets of Spenda or some artificial sweetner
Few dashes of Worcester Sauce (American sauce to you Euros)
1 can crushed tomatoes or 4 coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 pound ground/minced turkey or super lean beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 bell peppers, diced
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 small eggplant chopped
3 carrot chopped
5 chopped mushrooms
5 crushed garlic
2 drained cans of beans (I used red)
Directions:
In a giant pot, brown the ground meat at medium high heat with the can of tomatoes, coriander, cumin, chili pepper flakes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, Worcester sauce.
After the meat is cooked through, toss in all of the veggies. Mix the beef buiillion broth with the 10 packets of Splenda and pour into the pot. After about 10 minutes of simmering, add the drained cans of beans. Cook for another 45 minutes at medium heat.
You can serve immediately or let it sit for a day which intensifies the flavors.
Bon Appetit / Smakelijk / Enjoy!!
Avocado Banana Smoothie
It's the heat of the summer and I had some overly ripe banana and avocado that had to be used today. So I came up with a quick lip smacking smoothie recipe to use these great fruits.
Serves 4
- 1 banana broken into chunks
- 1 ready to eat avocado
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (substitute with 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 small cup vanilla yogurt otherwise)
- some sweetener to taste (I used 1/3 tsp Stevia powder = couple 2tbsp sugar)
- 1.5 cups skim milk
Throw everything into a blender and refrigerate for a nice cool dessert.
Serves 4
- 1 banana broken into chunks
- 1 ready to eat avocado
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (substitute with 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 small cup vanilla yogurt otherwise)
- some sweetener to taste (I used 1/3 tsp Stevia powder = couple 2tbsp sugar)
- 1.5 cups skim milk
Throw everything into a blender and refrigerate for a nice cool dessert.
Shrimp Lo-Carb Spring Rolls
Hey Asian Food fans, it's me and I'm in the kitchen again!
How to eat a salad in 30 seconds: "Shrimp Lo-Carb Spring Rolls"
- 2 sheets of good quality thick rice paper
- Spinach or some type of flat salad
- 1/2 bell pepper
- 1/4 cucumber
- 2 mushrooms
- some sprigs of coriander/cilantro, mint leaves (both are optional)
- 8 peeled and cooked shrimp
- low sodium soy sauce, I like to add hot sauce as well for dipping
Get the rice paper wet on one side and lay down in a plate. Stack the roll with salad first, then the veggies and shrimp. While rolling the rice paper, close up the ends. Repeat for the second roll. Eat and dip in soy sauce.
The original recipe calls for vermicelli which I omit to save on calories/carbs.
This very filling snack is super low calories and carbs as the rice paper is only 30 cal/2.3g protein/7g carb/0 fat. I find it a better solution than using tortilla wraps.
New Test in the Kitchen: Tiramisu!
Who doesn't love Tiramisu, seriously. This was another recipe that I tackled to see if I could make this into something that was suitable for a clean diet. To my utter surprise, I think I did it.
This is an advanced recipe but the original recipe of Tiramisu is certainly no 5 minute job either so if you are in the mood to play in the kitchen, read on.
My girl Nath had some of this creation and she really enjoyed it so it passed the taste test. :)
- 6 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup ground oats (to make oat flour), or equivalent flour
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or if you don't have use 1 tsp baking powder)
- 3 tbs vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sweetener or equivalent Stevia
- 500g of 0% fat fromage frais or 0% fat greek yogurt or (low fat ricotta cheese as last option IMO)
- 1 shot of espresso (I used instant expresso)
- big sheet of parchment baking paper or a big rectangle nonstick pan.
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder or if you are hardcore, use chocolate protein powder
This paragraph will have you create the "cake" part of tiramisu instead of using Ladyfingers. Set the oven to 350F or 180C. Using a hand mixer or equivalent attachment on a food processor, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, oat flour, and 1tsp vanilla extract together until you have stiff peaks. Pour the egg white mixture onto the parchment paper which lines the big pan (or use a oil sprayed pan) and smooth the top of the mixture. Put into the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
In a big bowl, mix the fromage frais, remaining 2 tbs vanilla extract, and sweetener together. When the egg white mixture is done, pull out of the oven and evenly pour the expresso onto it. Once this is done, cut it down the middle so that you have two sheets.
Using another pan half the size of the one you used for baking the egg whites, lay down the first egg white sheet, then smooth 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle on half of the cocoa powder. Then lay down the next sheet and repeat.
This is an advanced recipe but the original recipe of Tiramisu is certainly no 5 minute job either so if you are in the mood to play in the kitchen, read on.
My girl Nath had some of this creation and she really enjoyed it so it passed the taste test. :)
- 6 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup ground oats (to make oat flour), or equivalent flour
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or if you don't have use 1 tsp baking powder)
- 3 tbs vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sweetener or equivalent Stevia
- 500g of 0% fat fromage frais or 0% fat greek yogurt or (low fat ricotta cheese as last option IMO)
- 1 shot of espresso (I used instant expresso)
- big sheet of parchment baking paper or a big rectangle nonstick pan.
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder or if you are hardcore, use chocolate protein powder
This paragraph will have you create the "cake" part of tiramisu instead of using Ladyfingers. Set the oven to 350F or 180C. Using a hand mixer or equivalent attachment on a food processor, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, oat flour, and 1tsp vanilla extract together until you have stiff peaks. Pour the egg white mixture onto the parchment paper which lines the big pan (or use a oil sprayed pan) and smooth the top of the mixture. Put into the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
In a big bowl, mix the fromage frais, remaining 2 tbs vanilla extract, and sweetener together. When the egg white mixture is done, pull out of the oven and evenly pour the expresso onto it. Once this is done, cut it down the middle so that you have two sheets.
Using another pan half the size of the one you used for baking the egg whites, lay down the first egg white sheet, then smooth 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle on half of the cocoa powder. Then lay down the next sheet and repeat.