Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

In the event anyone is reading this to learn something, the most important part of a healthy life balance and process is PLANNING. Planning meals, planning exercise, planning time with your family, planning time for indulgence, planning time for PLANNING. LOL! Seriously.

You have to have a plan. I have always been a planner. I am not big on surprises. Ask my husband. I understand that being a planner is not in every one's DNA, again, talk to my husband who likes to fly by the seat of his own Dockers. It is, however, a behavior that can be taught and learned. It takes time. Small, baby steps incorporating documentation of menial organizational plans of things that you do everyday already is a great way to start.

Example. You wake up everyday, don't you? Let's start there. Pick a time. Set your alarm, get up when the alarm goes off. This is a very easy way to start planning. Plan the hour or two that you have before work. What will you do in the first hour, what will you do in the second hour? Get that plan down on paper and stick to that. Once you start holding yourself accountable to stick to this schedule, you can begin to incorporate other details of your life. You'd be amazed at how much "left-over" time you have in a day once you take a look at how you are spending your time.

Planning is useful in keeping yourself on track in order to achieve the goals that you set for yourself.

Today, I am going out for lunch. It is a business lunch at a restaurant full of indulgent choices. I am planning my lunch now in order to stick to my plan of eating a clean and balanced diet today. The Internet is one of the greatest planning tools we have at our disposal these days. Most restaurants have detailed menus to review before venturing out to the restaurant blindly.

Yes, It is 8:30AM and I already know what I am having for lunch. And dinner. And breakfast tomorrow.

She who fails to plan, plans to fail.

Alexia.

BBQ Vinaigrette

This is a great week! I am celebrating being smoke-free for 1/2 a year! On top of that, I have exceeded all of the weightloss goals I put in place for myself.

To date, I have lost a total of 47 pounds!

I went from a size 12/14 to a size 4/6!

I lost more than 7" off my waist alone!!

And I am wearing those shorts that I said I would be wearing by the Fourth of July!


Recognizing my accomplishments filled me a with a touch of creative inspiration yesterday. I wanted to come up with a homemade, clean recipe to share in honor of summer and the upcoming holiday. I was thinking BBQ and salad. I came up with this tasty dressing:


1/4 cup of ALL NATURAL BBQ SAUCE of your choosing
I went with Jack Stack original recipe BBQ sauce. Be sure to check the sugar
content! Even molasses or honey can add a ton of sugar and make a clean
recipe, not so clean. My BBQ sauce had 4 grams per serving.
1/8 cup of Olive oil
1/4 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of chopped, fresh cilantro
2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
black pepper to taste

Makes about 6 servings


I served this over Arugula, garbanzo beans, corn, and walnuts.

This went great with Trader Joe's Chili-Lime Chicken Burgers.


Lexy.

Exercise and Endorphines

I have been out of commission for a couple of days. I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and learned that a pain that I have been experiencing in my left leg could possibly be stress fractures! OH NO! So, I have a test to undergo later this week and we hope to learn more about my pain. In the meantime, doc told me to give it a rest and stick to biking and swimming. I biked on Saturday and used the elliptical yesterday morning, but other than that, I haven't worked out too hard.

I must say that not working out has really taken a toll on my mental and emotional well-being. I realize that in all actuality, I only took Sunday off, but I really didn't push myself to the limits like I usually do when I worked out yesterday. I also have been driving to work these last few days per the doctor's orders. That in itself is a workout.

While my leg is feeling better today, I don't plan on pushing myself back into running or heavy leg workouts for the next 10 days or so.

I noticed today that I am a bit depressed as a result of my situation. I am glad I caught on to that right away so that I can step in and take corrective measures. What I noticed was that I wasn't paying as much attention to what I was eating (wasn't journaling) and I wanted to sleep, sleep and sleep some more. Now that I have identified these feelings, I can do something about it. Just because I can't run doesn't mean I can't move. Today I am back at it. Going to swim 1 mile and work out my biceps, back, and calves.

Lex.

Chocolate Protein Brownies

Thanks to Jen-Fit and Recipes for Women in Bodybuilding for this recipe. I plan to try this one out this weekend! Sounds delicious!



Makes 12 brownies

Ingredients:

2 scoops Chocolate protein powder
3/4 cup egg whites
1 whole egg
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Mix first 3 ingredients. Spray 8" x 8" pan with cooking spray. Press batter into bottom of pan. Sprinkle walnuts in pan before baking.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition:

Calories 32
Total Fat 2.38g
Sodium 50.39mg
Total Carbohydrate 1g
Dietary Fiber 0.42g
Sugars 0g
Protein 5.82g

Protein Bar Chicago -- My Review

It is a terribly, TERRIBLY beautiful day in Chicago. It actually should be against the law to be working today. Alas, I find myself in my office. Breakin the law, breaking the law.

As many of you know, I met my wonderful and beautiful cousin Deanna at The Protein Bar yesterday for lunch. First, let me say how cool it is that someone from The Protein Bar commented on my blog (Thanks Matt!), and second, I hope that he has a chance to come back and read my review of the place. It is always nice to know that the owners/managers are listening to their customers and what they want!

So back to lunch. I was shocked at the line that was almost out the door. The great news is, it moved quickly. I was happy to see so many people making the choice to avoid the other fast food place one block south of The Protein Bar.

When it came time to place our order, Deanna ordered Da Bull and I ordered the Original Bar-Rito. The menu was very nice and easy to read and understand. I would have liked to see the addition of total carbs added to their nutritional content, but because they did provide you with calories, fat, fiber, and protein, I guess that if one wanted to figure it out, they could. Sometimes I just don't like to think that hard. Take a look at their website for more information about what we ate.



It was nice to watch them make the food. The ingredients all looked very fresh and delicious. I am no expert in eye-balling measurements but I could swear that there was about 6 oz of chicken in my Bar-Rito. Very nice!

The total for food, including 2 bottles of water was $14.00. $7.00 per person, not bad for lunch. However, take a look at the size of these things! Deanna and I both only ate half! As a clean eater, I eat about 6 (sometimes 7) meals per day. This Bar-rito translated into two energy-packed meals for me.

Let's talk about the food. It was good. It was a little bland, but in the world of clean and preservative-free, natural foods, that is a good thing. A perfect solution to this, in my opinion, would be to offer diced jalapenos. Either as a side in a little cup, or mix it into the Bar-rito if requested. Other than that, I have nothing but raves for this healthy joint.

Just to be able to offer a full review of more than just one of their menu items, I stopped in for breakfast this morning. Doing this also gave me the opportunity to review their customer service. Lunch was so busy and they kept the line moving and did really well handling the rush. This morning, there were only a few of us in there and it gave me the chance to see how personal of an experience the staff could make this visit. They were great. The cashier chatted about the weather and the fact that it was a gorgeous day. This really makes the visit even more enjoyable. What I ate; Mag Mile Mocha and Pancake in a Bowl with blueberries. Both were magnificent and fueled me with tons of energy. I feel like I am going to not only conquer the day, but I am going to make the day my bitch.
Thanks Protein Bar Chicago. I really hope to see more locations go up throughout the city.

Lex.

Protein Bar Chicago

I took a different route today while walking to work and passed a place called The Protein Bar. After checking them out on-line, I think I may be in love. Of course, I haven't tried any of it yet, but I think I am going to save the lunch I brought today for tomorrow and head on over at lunch time. It is times like these I really appreciate working in the big city. There is so much more offered in terms of healthy alternatives to the Golden Arches. So if I forget my lunch; NO EXCUSES. Even if I forget my lunch in the middle of a hail/snow/thunderstorm; NO EXCUSES. They deliver.

Protein Bar
235 S. Franklin

New tasty shake recipe for chocolate lovers!

Hands down the best shake I have made thus far and I have been trying lots of them.

Here is the recipe and as made, it serves as a recovery shake for post workouts since I have included L-Glutamine. For those not taking supplements and just wanting a damn tasty protein shake, I have marked some of the ingredients below as optional.

Place the following in your blender:

1 ripe small banana
1 scoop of chocolate Designer Whey Protein Powder*
1 teaspoon of L-Glutamine (Optional)
1 teaspoon of bee pollen (Optional)
1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon of almond butter
4 ice cubes (for consistency)
6oz of water

Blend. Enjoy.

*For those intimidated by large vitamin stores, you can find Designer Whey on the shelves at Trader Joe's for a decent price. Stay away from Trader Joe's brand of protein powder. The price is better but the added sugar is not.

What is Clean Eating?

I can tell you for sure what it is not. It is NOT a fad diet. Clean Eating is a lifestyle. Clean Eating is just a catch phrase for healthy, natural eating and living.

I have attached an excerpt from my latest Clean Eating magazine to help answer any of my friends' questions. Please click the photo below to view full size text.


Clean Eating is a way of life and eating that many bodybuilders and fitness models subscribe to. In the world of body building and fitness competition, comes the introduction of supplements. Please make no mistake, Clean Eating has nothing to do with the addition of supplements. In fact, there are even clean foods that many bodybuilders and fitness athletes will avoid during training and contest preparation, or in order to reach optimal figure goals. When I talk about taking supplements on my blog, please know that is only aimed at reaching some of my fitness goals and is not meant to represent the way one must eat or live while living "clean".

Also, please know that clean eating isn't a low fat diet, it isn't a no-carb diet, hell, it isn't a DIET. Most of us that subscribe to this lifestyle do cheat and eat "unclean" foods on occasion and many of us also enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. However, for most of us, it is a rare exception and a treat. Or as we call it, a cheat meal.

If you have any questions about this lifestyle or any of my recipes, please feel free to ask them here or send me a private email. I am more than willing to answer them and help you decide if this way of life is for you.

Fresh Herbed Whole Wheat Pasta, scallops, & Broccoli

What you need:

1/2 pound of whole wheat pasta
12 jumbo sea scallops
4 tbs olive oil
1 lemon
1 tsp paprika
4 cloves of garlic-pressed
1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste

Prepare thawed scallops by blotting any moisture from them with a paper towel. Season with paprika, sea salt, and pepper.

As pasta is cooking (don't over cook, al dente shouldn't take longer than 8 minutes at a boil in most cases), heat skillet with 1 tbs of olive oil. As skillet begins to get hot, turn burner down to a medium heat. Place the scallops in the pan and cook each side about 3 minutes depending on size. Scallop should be opaque when cut into. A raw scallop's flesh will resemble raw chicken.

I like to steam my broccoli in a double boiler just until it is tender enough to eat but still has some "bite" to it. I do not like mushy broccoli! Squeeze a little lemon juice on this veggie for a good flavor.

After you remove the scallops from the pan, I squeeze just a little lemon on them. I then use the same pan to heat the remainder of my olive oil and garlic. Once the garlic is sauteed, I pour this mixture over the cooked pasta.

Serve! Serves about 4 portions. (Photo shows me stealing 2 extra scallops)

Body Choice Protein Shot Review

This weekend, I found myself at Costco to pick up diapers and chicken breasts like I do almost every week and I found myself confronted by a sample of Body Choice Protein Shots.

Here is a run down of what it is:

Flavor-Fruit Punch
Serving size 2.9 oz
Calories 104
Fat 0
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 64
Carbs 3
Fiber 3
Protein 25


Okay, so based on that, I was excited to try it. Seems like a great after workout, compact, easily transportable shot of protein that is a blend of enzymatically predigested whey and casein proteins.

So, I tried it.

DO NOT TAKE IT LIKE IT IS A SHOT OF TEQUILA. Big mistake. This is a very pungent, strong tasting shot. I learned quickly and sipped the rest of it.

Not bad, not bad. And a bargain at $19.99 for 12 shots. I will be back for more.

Fat or Calories??

Jill asks: "Before I got pregnant I had lost 60lbs. I always checked the fat grams in food. Now that I'm trying to lose weight again, I've been checking calories more than fat. What is more important to check to lose weight??"

My answer is one that will probably make your life more difficult, depending on how and what you eat every day. To truly focus on health and weight loss you need to look at calories, however, you need to break down those calories into three parts: Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. I can even break those categories down into parts:

Fat-saturated fat, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats
Carbs-fiber, sugar, whole grain

Before I scare I you away from this by making everything sound too complicated, let's focus on the aforementioned groups of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. Feel free to skip to the last paragraph of this lengthy blog post for a quick answer. Although, I promise that once you understand the long answer, things will start to come naturally to you when making food choices.

Fat is essential to your body. You NEED fat. Buying fat free and low fat foods is not something I suggest. Often times, in order to alter a food to the state of being fat free or low fat, the food needs to be processed and altered chemically. Bad!

A few exceptions to this rule are: Buying cheese made with 2% milk. This makes the cheese NATURALLY lower in fat. No chemicals added. Buying yogurts or milks with lower fat. Again, this is a natural process of eliminating fats in those dairy products.

I would stay away from prepackaged goods that are lower in fat. In fact, throw away the packaged goods altogether if you can, or limit them to one a day.

When looking at your caloric intake, my suggestion is to get about 20% of your daily calories from FAT. GOOD FAT.

Good fats include: Olive Oil, Flax Oil, Flax seeds (also high in fiber!), nut butters, avocado, fatty fish (Salmon, tuna, Mackerel--also carry a high punch of protein!)

Fats to avoid or use VERY sparingly: Butter, margarine, lard, vegetable or hydrogenated oils, shortening.

So, aim for 20% of calories from fat.

Moving on to Protein. If calories were a clique of friends and it was just you hanging out with Protein, Carbs, and Fat, Protein would be your best friend of the bunch. Protein is especially important for those that are working out as protein is the muscles' milk. Eating lean proteins will help keep you fuller for longer periods of time which will help keep your appetite and urge to snack at bay. There are mixed opinions about how many of your daily calories come from protein but I personally aim for 50%. Other schools of thought say that 30-40% is acceptable, which I am sure it is for most people that aren't performing demanding physical training. Find out what works for you in this regard. Start playing with this percentage for a week or two and see what your body likes best.

Great lean proteins
Just like fats, there are protein sources that are better for you than others. Lean protein sources are: Beans/Legumes (also contains high fiber!), egg whites, skinless chicken (Skin contains a lot of unhealthy fats), skinless turkey, lean ham, fish, lean beef (at least 90% lean), bison, venison, and tofu.

There are also many great tasting protein supplements on the market. Different types of proteins are absorbed in a different way by your body. Protein from whey and eggwhites are quickly digested and absorbed by your body. This protein makes an excellent recovery protein for your muscles immediately after working out. Casein protein is slowly digested and absorbed which is a great way to stay full for a long time or before you go to bed. Cottage cheese is a source of this protein with staying power.

Bad evil proteins
When I tell you that protein is your best friend, this does not include bacon or fatty meats such as ground beef with with a fat to lean ratio of 70-30%.

Finally, let's talk about Carbs. The word CARB became a bad word in the late 90s are early 2000s. Atkins was super popular and was working for so many people. Until those people took a bite of bread. Somehow taking one bite of bread would add the 20 pounds that they lost on Atkins back to their body. Carbs are a good thing. But again, there are good carbs and bad carbs. I aim to get 30% of my daily calories from carbs, GOOD CARBS! Again, depending on what works for you, the recommended daily caloric intake from carbs ranges between 30%-50%.

Good carbs
Great sources of carbohydrates come from whole grain and whole wheat breads and pastas, quinoa (which is a super food that includes protein), sweet potato, fruits, many veggies, brown rice, beans (again, also includes protein and tons of fiber), and oatmeal.

BAD NAUGHTY CARBS
Anything made with white flour, refined ANYTHING, white rice, enriched pasta (or anything enriched for that matter, and sugar.

So, to summarize, you should be watching your calories. You should aim to get your calories from Fat (20%), Protein (40%) and Carbs (40%). Seems so hard to track calories let alone adding this to the equation, right? I will help make it easy for you. Create yourself a free account at www.fitday.com. This site is a great way for beginners to start tracking their calories and to see where they are getting their calories. Thousands of foods are already loaded into their database and you also have the option of adding foods. Using this tool for a few weeks will show you where your deficiencies are.

Finally, I bet you are wondering just how many calories per day you need to consume to lose weight. Well, that varies for everyone based on lifestyle. The goal is to eat less than what you burn, but not by too much. Restricting calories too much can often have the reverse effect and force your body to go into starvation mode, hanging on for dear life to every calorie you consume, rather than burn it off like our bodies are made to do. You will also be very fatigued on a diet that is too restrictive. The website I mentioned above can help you figure out what your needs are when you create your profile.

No diet/fitness article would be complete without the recommendation to check with your doctor before you start any diet or exercise program.

I am happy to answer any questions any of you have so keep 'em comin!

Lex.

Ask your questions!

I don't claim to have all the answers to health, clean eating, or fitness, but I do promise that if there is something you are looking to have answered, I will work hard to find it for you.

Let me know what health topics you are most interested in learning more about...Fad diets?....Exercise or training regimens?.....Caloric compositions of food?....Tell me!

Truth is, I am just looking for some interesting things to write about and could use your help coming up with new topics!

Thanks friends!

Lex.

Spicy Asian Chicken and Cilantro Salad

I only have one thing to say about this salad.

Yum.



What you'll need:

4 oz of grilled chicken breast, cut into strips for your salad
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of your favorite mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of lambs lettuce or baby spinach
1 tbs of ground flax seeds
2 tbs of Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

Mix it together and eat. I think I could eat this salad every single day. It is so enjoyable.

Calories: 311
Fat: 13 Grams (Saturated 1.9 Grams)
Carbs: 16 Grams
Fiber: 6 Grams
Protein: 32.9