It really is the most important meal and can make or break your day. This morning I had an egg omlette with tons of veggies on whole wheat bread. Yesterday I made 1/2 cup of oatmeal mixed with greek yogurt, nuts, cranberries, and raisins and put it in the fridge overnight and had it for the next day (it's meant to be cold!) but it is really good :) I always try and throw something quick together for breakfast because I usually eat in the car or as I am running out the door early in the am. It is also my only meal before I work out so I make sure it is protein and carb rich to fuel my workout. However, on the weekends I like a good sit down breakfast such as pancakes or waffles mmmm :)

Feeling the fall weather and craving some pumpkin? Try these pumpkin pancakes! http://www.fitsugar.com/Pumpkin-Pancake-Recipe-12521266
Or if you wanna mix things up for breakfast try some of these ideas http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/low-calorie-breakfasts-400-calorie-fix/cheesy-eggs-toast

As I write this I am eating my lunch which is chicken on top of some mixed greens, with cranberries and apple slices. I heated them in the microwave and the apples get nice and soft (you can heat the apples with a little bit of water by themselves so they are softer) and all the flavors mix well. The lettuce cooked tastes like spinach! I am a big fan of just throwing everything into a bowl and eating it all together! Happy eating ;)

As I said a while ago, I was working on a workout for a friend who wants to get toned but is also gluten intolerant so I designed an outline for a meal plan for her. Here is what I gave her, hopefully it can help some of you too!

Meal 1,3,5 (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Meal 2,4,6 (snacks 150-200 calories)

*the key is to eat less prepackaged foods and stick with whole foods
*keep a cheat meal a week and if you slip up don’t just keep going and eat junk eta clean the next meal!
*when creating your meals always start with the protein and add the veggies/fruit than the carbs for complete meals (watch your portion intake too)

Meal 1               2 slices of glueten free bread with 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg
                        A piece of fruit
                        Or
                        1 cup of oatmeal with 1.2 cup of berries (fruit)
                        Or
                        yogurt (low sugar) with ½ cup cereal ½ cup fruit
                        0r
                        2 slices of bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 banana
                        Or
                        2 whole wheat pancakes/waffles with fruit

Meal 2/4/6    greek yogurt with fruit and 10 almonds
                        Or
                        1 piece of fruit 10 almonds
                        Or
                        Cheese and gluten free whole wheat crackers
                        Or
                        protein shake
                        Or
                        Fat free Cottage cheese ½ cup with fruit and/or 1 oz almonds
                        Or
                        Greek yogurt or regular fat free yogurt
                        Or
                        Piece of fruit and 10 almonds

Meal 3/5           salad with chicken and lots of veggies and 1 piece of fruit
                        Or
                        2 slices of bread with turkey/chicken/etc and veggies
                        Or
                        Sweet potato, chicken and veggies

*Drinks – keep it clean with water and coffees or teas (drink lots of water!!!)
*black coffee is best but it can be hard to get used to, slowly reduce the amount of creamer and sugar and you can get used to it black if not it is ok!
NO ALCOHOL!!! Try and reduce sodas and other sugary beverages slowly


*machines – warm up with one set of 12 no weight
*if you can do more than 12 reps don’t be afraid to bump up the weight…you won’t get bulky promise!
*record weight you lifted for everything and write how you felt
*I have you doing supersets so it will be quick and get your heart rate going at the same time, take 30sec to a minute break between each superset

Day 1 (legs)
CARDIO 10 min warm up BIKE
1.Jump Squats (can do with a light weight ball in hand)
1. Lunges with 5lb weights in each hand
2. leg extensions 3x12
2. leg curl 3x12
3. leg press 3x12
3. calf raises 3x12

Day 2 (arms and abs)
CARDIO 10 min warm up (elliptical)
1. Dumb bell curls 3x12
1. Dumb bell tricep extensions behind the head 3x12
2. EZ bar curl 3x12
2. Tricep dips on bench 3x12
3. Hanging leg raises 3x10
4. Decline crunches 3x10
5. Crunches on swiss ball 3x10
CARDIO 10min walk/jog depending on how you feel

Day 3 (back, shoulders, chest)
CARDIO 10 min warm up (light walk/jog on treadmill)
1. Assisted pull ups 3x10
1. Push ups 3x10 (do them on your knees if you cannot do regular ones and you can build upon it each week, do as many as you can)
2. Seated row machine 3x12
2. Lat pull down 3x12
3. Seated dumb bell shoulder press 3x12
3. Hyperextensions 3x12
4. Dumb bell front raises 3x10
4. Dumb bell side lat raises 3x10
CARDIO elliptical 2mi (depending on how you feel)

Day 4 (CARDIO)
20-30 min of your choice CARDIO!!!
Can be the at home workout circuit, a walk, anything you want!

At Home Workout! (1 full body)
25       Jumping Jacks
5          Push Ups
10       High Knees
3          Burpees
5          Squats
10       Crunches
5          Lunges
5          Push Ups
25       Jumping Jacks
10       High Knees
10       Crunches
3          Burpees
5          Lunges
10       Squats
REPEAT 3x or as many times as possible!

At Home Workout! (2 legs)
30       Jumping Jacks
25       High Knees
5          Lunges
10       Crunches
5          Squats
3          Burpees
5          Squats
5          Lunges
10       Crunches
25       High Knees
REPEAT 3x or as many times as possible!

TGIF!
After a long week of work and classes I am ready for the weekend. Sadly I have work today and tomorrow but at least I have less travel and more time to spend with my family and of course hit the homework, there is plenty of that to keep me busy! Since I use my school gym and I commute, I designed a 4 day gym workouts and friday is kept for running outside and doing some free weight things such as my push ups, jumping jacks, crunches, lunges, burpees, and squats circuit. Just because it is friday don't slack off your almost there to a restful weekend!

This morning I made my egg white/low carb oatmeal and fruit muffins I made last week as well, they are a nice snack before I head out to class during the week. They are quick and convenient and delicious!

Here is a delicious recipe I just found, try it out and let me know how it is! 

Egg and Vegetable Muffins
Ingredients:
2 Whole Eggs
6 Egg Whites
6 Asparagus Spears, chopped
1/3 cup Chopped Roasted Red Pepper (can use from jar)
1 Organic, Nitrate/Nitrite Preservative free Chicken sausage link (optional)

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Whisk eggs in a bowl. Chop chicken sausage into small chunks. Add vegetables and sausage into egg mixture, mix well. Divide egg mixture into 6 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Nutritional info estimate by Sparks Recipe Calculator
Calories 188.7, Total Fat 6.4 g, Saturated Fat 1.5, Cholesterol 185 mg, Sodium 236.5 mg, Carbs 4.4 gm, Dietary Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 24.5 g

And here is another to curb your sweet tooth for the weekend!
This recipe came from the April issue of Oxygen magazine. I altered it a bit to fit the ingredients I had on hand. The original recipe called for ¼ cup instant nonfat dry milk, which I did not have, so I substituted extra whey protein powder. I am not sure if this was a smart substitute, as they turned out a little crumbly (but I cannot be sure that this was the cause).  I also used almond extract instead of coconut extract (again, did not have). The original recipe called for rolling truffle in unsweetened cocoa powder, but I’m not a fan, so I skipped that also. I did however, melt some dark chocolate chips and dipped a few in – they tasted like Reese cups! 

Chocolate Energy Truffles                 
1/3 cup   Vanilla Protein Powder
¾ cup   Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (I used smooth)
¼ cup   Whey Protein Powder (original recipe calls for nonfat dry instant milk)
¼ cup   Agave Nectar or Honey (I used honey)
¼ teaspoon   Cinnamon
½ teaspoon   Almond Extract (original calls for coconut)
1 tablespoon   Ground Flaxseed
2 tablespoons   Unsweetened cocoa powder (for rolling – which I did not use)

1. Combine all ingredients, except cocoa powder, in a large prep bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
2. Place dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes to harden up a bit if needed (it did)
3. Using a ¾” melon baller, scoop dough into balls
4. Roll in cocoa powder (or melted chocolate)
5. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge until needed.

Tip: roll the chocolate covered balls in plastic wrap before putting in with other balls.

Well for me thursday's feel like my friday, since I don't have class but sadly I do have work :( But the week was very productive and my body is quite sore after testing out my new workout.

I will upload it soon promise! Since it is a new month, new beginnings and new goals should be set! Take a moment and think about what you want to accomplish this month for yourself. It can be for your mind or body, or both :)

Make sure to take time to relax and wind down and reflect on all that you accomplish in a day, to ward of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Don't forget to reward yourself for completing and exceeding your goals too! Rememeber the best rewards are un-realted to food! Buy yourself new workout clothes, or a new piece of clothing, maybe some decorations or go out with friends, whatever you like! The weekend is almost here and another week is almost done. Hooray! Happy Thursday everyone ;)

I was reading this great article in women's health today while I was working out on the elliptical. It was all about food cravings and  how we can never just stop at one m&m or just one bite of ice cream. Once we start, we often cannot stop eating the sugar! I know this is very true for me, my brain goes out the window and my food cravings just take over my mind and body. I end up shoveling so much sweets in my mouth that I lose track of what I am eating. In this article they give some great tips and alternatives to kill those cravings. I know for me going cold turkey is the best answer because one bite and I go crazy!! But sometimes thinking about all the hard work I put into my workouts and how good I was with my eating all day makes me think better, as well as keeping busy. By distracting myself I can stay away from that giant piece of cake in the fridge! Living at home with my parents who always have candy around, it is extremely tempting but getting yourself in the right mind where you say that this is only food that I eat on cheat days or holidays can help too.

Also brushing your teeth or chewing a piece of gum can distract you from mindless eating, because that is what it ends up to be. By choosing foods rick in protein and carbs, you can satisfy your stomach without busting your waistline.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/foods-to-avoid
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/cravings-be-gone
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/understand-food-cravings

Rainy days should be an excuse to stay in bed all day! I can't complain tho, since I had a nice day off yesterday with the labor day holiday. I got to go to a family picnic filled with lots of delicious food! Yes i tried to hold myself back and only had a little bit of cake but the frosting was so good! I did go for a run before the rain came in though. 

Today I began my new workout which I will upload as soon as I am done testing it out. I always make a new workout and give myself a week to try it out and make some adjustments. I like to try new exercises but sometimes they may not be what I want and maybe don't fit well in my routine. I am keeping monday for legs day, tuesday as shoulders, wednesday back and chest, and thursday arms, with friday and possibly saturday running outside. Since I commute to school I just use the school gym so I don't have to pay that nasty gym fee for a while now! I liked the shoulders workout, I can already feel that they are going to be very sore tomorrow. I did some cardio too, but I am probably going to cut down on it for a while so I can build more muscle mass.

So I have been working with my friend to design a good nutrition plan and exercise plan for her. It takes time because in order to tailor a good program, one needs to know basically everything about you, so that I don;t just set her up for failure with a bad plan.

QUESTION:
She told me that she struggles with breakfast, which can definitely make or break one's day. Starting the day off with a good breakfast is key to starting the day healthy. A breakfast with proteins, carbs, and veggies/fruit is a must to give you the strength you need to plow through the day. 

ANSWER:
Yes breakfast can be difficult but plan right and it'll be easy, I know I have been just eating in the car on my drive to school. I eat whole wheat bread with 1 egg and 3 egg whites with some veggies in the eggs and a side of fruit usually a banana or handful of grapes. I suggest making your breakfast the night before  so that you can just grab and go. The other day I bought whole grain pancake mix from bob's red mill, it is organic and you just add 1 egg, 3/4 cup milk, tsp oil and i added in blueberries and peaches, and i will probly eat all the left over pancakes for my breakfast this wk until their gone hahaa. But making something like that. Since my friend is gluten free, she has to be very careful, but she can eat oats, so all you have to do is blend some oats in a blender and use that as a substitute for the flour, add eggs oil (or apple sauce substitute) milk (or water) and make them over the stove on a hot griddle and their perfect for the car. Or make a batch of muffins (use eggs and egg whites oat flour (oatmeal blended) tsp of vanilla extract and tsp of cinnamon, add some fruit and your good to go. now i just made these ones and since there is not much consistency they stick to the muffin wrapper so if you want just spray the muffin pan and don't use papers, if you do this make sure you use an old muffin pan haha. but yeah these kinds of breakfasts are great and easy and can provide a lot of morning breakfasts. I suggest staying away from box cereal it tends to have a ton of sugar and not that many nutrients and you can wind up still being hungry afterwards. When deciding what to eat,always think in your head, do i have my protein? check! do i have my carbs? check! and do i have my vegetables/fruit? check.! It's a good way to ensure a complete meal, especially when your doing homecooking. Always, always eat breakfast! (within an hour of waking is best). If you skip breakfast you will find yourself starving and grab the closest thing that resembles food to stuff in your mouth. Than youll feel funny, maybe get a headache and decide that you already started the day out bad and continue to eat non healthy food. But always know you can take control and turn the day around with some good staples in your pantry like oat meal, yogurt, fresh fruits/veggies, and lean proteins. Always be prepared!

QUESTION:
What level should I be doing on the elliptical and treadmill and what should my heat rate be at ?

ANSWER:
As for the elliptical. It depends on the amount of time you are spending on it. Say you want a quick 10min workout. I say go all out and get your heart rate going for that 10min. Always be sure to have good posture and never ever lean forward!! I see so many girls doing this and it is terrible for your back and defeats the purpose of exercising. Make sure to always stand erect and tall while exercising. If you are doing say 10 or 20min or longer, I would switch it up and do 2 min of intensity and then slow it down and give yourself a breather for 3 min than repeat until your down. Always make sure you do a nice little warm up for 5min and than cool for at least 5 to 10min. This wakes up your body and makes sure you are not pulling any muscles or hurting yourself. You can follow these same rules for the treadmill too, depending on the amount of time decide if you want a quick workout, than opt for a higher intensity, if you want a longer workout be sure to switch it up with high.low intensity so you don;t burn yourself out. For both you can put it on an incline, the elliptical you can adjust the incline to whatever leg part you want to target. Always go for a resistance that is challenging but not going to burn you out. you can also play around with the incline and resistance. Maybe make the resistance harder if your going slower and the incline higher or vice versa. Play around with the machine and see what is best for you, that is going to challenge your body! Your heart rate will be different for everyone depending on your age and weight. But a target range  of 150 means your doing work! Most machines give you a target rate chart!

Send any questions or comments my way if you have them! Happy LABOR day! Make sure to get some R&R and healthy eating! Remember indulge within portions!