I butter my broccoli....

In the beginning.....

Back in early 2010 I decided to go on a quest.

Not that sort of quest but more of one focused on health, fitness and the pursuit of an amazing physique.

The truth is I was tired of looking the way I did. I wasn't happy and I didn't feel good. I was somewhat active. I ran and thought that was all I needed to do get trim and healthy. Here's a before:

Now some people are looking at that and thinking, "I wish I was there now!" But in truth this blog really isn't about you (I'm only teasing!). And while my appearance matters to a certain degree, what I really want to point out is that I didn't feel good. In fact, I felt frumpy, had no clothes that fit properly, and kept thinking, "Someday I'll get up and do something about it." Which brings me back to early 2010....

I had no clue how beneficial weight training was until I started researching it online. There are scores of articles on why women should weight train and not be afraid of the heavier weights. I saw women like Jamie Eason, Ava Cowan, Erin Stern and Nicole Wilkins and knew I wanted to have a body like theirs. When I looked up their workout routines I discovered they didn't put a huge amount of their focus on cardio but instead threw themselves into the weight room. That's when I was ready. I wanted buns of steel.*

One day, I joined the gym and never looked back. I looked up hundreds of different exercises and took note of them in my iPhone. I even considered jumping into a figure competition for the hell of it (which I've never done, but who knows what the future holds?).

I learned the most important thing I've ever learned in my life. Consistency pays off:

<---This photo was taken in November 2011 and I was feeling bloated that day. 


This photo was taken around the same
time. --->




Sorry, but you have to have a good diet too....

Diet is EVERYTHING. You cannot eat crap otherwise you'll probably look like crap too. You are what you eat, right?

After I joined the gym I tightened up my diet too. Here is what it looked like when I first started:

Breakfast @ 7:00AM: egg whites, oatmeal
Snack @ 10:00: Nonfat Greek yogurt, granola, maybe some fruit
Lunch @ 12: Chicken/fish, brown rice or something else whole wheat, salad
Afternoon snack @ 3: protein shake or something like that
Dinner @ 6: More boring crap
Gym session at 8:00PM
Post workout: Protein shake, blah blah blah

In truth, it worked for me. It really did. But I never really felt satisfied. I wouldn't eat red meat because I thought the amount of saturated fat in it was not good for me. I love tri-tip and if someone prepared it I might have a slice or two but would immediately feel guilty afterward. I didn't eat cheese unless it was fat free. The only healthy fats I consumed were nuts, avocado, olive oil, and those found in fish (which are great and I still eat those). I even stuck to egg whites for fear that the yolk would give me mass amounts of cellulite.

Slowly but surely I started delving more and more into the nutrition world. I discovered a funny word, "Paleo" and learned that it is an interesting lifestyle. This was the first diet I had ever heard about that refrained from eating grains and legumes. I was truly surprised. I had heard that whole grains and legumes were essential in any healthy person's daily meals. That's where you get your carbs, right?

I did more research. I read the book, The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolf. It just made sense. Grains, gluten, legumes, can actually do more harm then good. Robb explains this perfectly in his book. I highly recommend that you grab a copy if you are interested.

Now my diet looks more like this:

Breakfast @ 7:00AM: 2 eggs, sauteed kale or broccoli, raw sauerkraut, small fruit
Snack @ 10:00: Full fat Greek Yogurt with blueberries and a small amount of raw honey, or a larabar or I just skip all together
Lunch @ 12:Protein (this varies constantly, usually dinner leftovers), salad with a homemade balsamic dressing
Afternoon snack @ 3: Organic Beef Jerky, small amount of macadamia nuts (if I hadn't had nuts that day), or small fruit/veggies
Dinner @ 6:Meat and veggies sauteed in butter
Gym session at 8:00PM
Post workout: chicken and sweet potato/pea protein with banana/whey protein with a banana and berries if I failed to prepare chicken beforehand

For a long time I struggled with food. If I ate something that wasn't "on plan" I told myself I screwed up. I would mentally punish myself which would leave me feeling really down. I've come a long way since then. I've learned that food is meant to be enjoyed; real food that is. I don't eat junk but I enjoy the whole egg, a large piece of tri-tip, chicken wrapped in bacon, full fat cheeses, and naturally sweetened treats.

I've come a long way and still have much to learn. I'm not going to sit here and say, "If you want to look like me, you have to do this!" That statement simply is not true. Everyone is different and everyone reacts differently to food. If there is anything I have to say about food and what you should be doing it's this: Avoid processed food; eat real food. That's really all there is to it. Next time you're in the grocery store, choose foods with little to no ingredients. Look at the labels of the foods that you are used to eating. You might be surprised at what you find.

For anyone reading this who has also come a long way in their fitness journey, I would love to hear what's worked for you. Please post any tips and suggestions you may have for others beginning their new lifestyle. I don't think there's one specific magic formula that works other than whole foods and consistency.

And for those of you who haven't started, what are you waiting for? Get to it and start feeling better today, NOW. You can do this.





*Please note: I tried to find a funny picture of "Buns of Steel" but when I googled it, nothing appropriate came up. Use your imagination, which I'm sure you're doing anyway.

Easy Grain-Free Pizzas

Pizza has got to be one of my favorite things. The hot, gooey cheese, spicy pepperoni, warm pizza sauce and soft bread underneath....what's not to love? It's an easy food to eat and I don't know many people who don't like some variation of it. The problem with it, of course, is everything. Pizza Hut's pizza's are loaded with sodium, carbs and a high amount of calories. But, being the responsible company they are, they listed their nutrition information here. If you enjoy Pizza Hut pizza, think again about consuming their product. Instead, I'm going to share an easy recipe with you that I think you may enjoy. This recipe was originally inspired by one I found here.

Here is what you will need:

1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 eggs (I used 3 and added a little bit of water to thin out)
1-2 tbsp Italian Spice mix (optional)
Butter, ghee, or coconut oil for sauteeing

Find a suitable pan and preheat it on medium. Mix the coconut flour and eggs, then add in the Parmesan cheese. Next, add in the spices. Play around with the amount of spice you want to use. Coconut flour tends to be a little sweet (to me at least) so adding the spices really helped add to the pizza flavor. Let the dough sit for a bit so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid. It should look something like this:

Once your pan is evenly heated, add your butter, ghee or coconut oil and wait for it to melt. Once melted, use a spoon to scoop a small portion of the pizza dough onto the pan. This is what mine looked like:

I made them small because the dough is easier to flip. If you have never worked with coconut flour (or almond flour for that matter) it's different than regular wheat dough. In my opinion I think it's a little more delicate. Play around with it and see what works best for you.

Once your pizza pancakes are evenly cooked, remove them from the pan and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This is where the fun part begins: your toppings.

I chose to make my own pizza sauce according to a recipe I found here. This is what I did: 

1 7 oz jar of tomato paste (I try my best to stay away from canned tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups water (I used a little less because I wanted it thicker)
1/3 cup olive oil (Again, I used a little less here, too, because I wanted the sauce thicker)
1 tsp crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tsp Italian Spice Mix

Mix the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Once it begins to bubble, lower the heat until it simmers. I let it sit like this for awhile stirring occasionally, and when I was ready to top my pizzas, I turned the heat down to low. It took about 15 minutes. The original post recommends you let the sauce stand for several hours so it absorbs all the different flavors. This batch makes enough for several batches of your coconut flour pizzas so you can let it sit in the fridge overnight if you plan on making them again. I take the extra sauce and freeze it so it doesn't go bad just sitting there in the fridge.

Once your sauce it ready spread it along the top of the coconut flour patties along with toppings of your choice. Mozzarella, pepperoni salami, sausage, whatever your little heart desires. My son likes to keep it simple and just top it with cheese. I prefer some meat on my pizza so I generally top it with salami (since I always keep that on hand).
 
Final step; place your pizzas in the oven and broil them for a few minutes. I usually leave them in there for around 5 minutes but I watch them to make sure they don't burn. When the cheese is melted, pull them out, let them cool, and enjoy the wonderful thing that is pizza. 

A recipe like this is easily modified. You can sub the Parmesan cheese for many other things. Play around with it and find what you like best.

Let me know what other variations you tried so I can give them a shot! Enjoy!

My Attempt to Eat Healthily in Disneyland

I like Disneyland. When I step into the park my senses become alive. The smells of the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor waft through Main Street, everywhere you look there is a special Disney detail not to be missed, the workers are cheery (generally), and each land has a different tune to serenade the masses.

One thing I can't help but notice, as is the same with most of the visitors, is the food. Cupcakes, corn dogs, churros, popcorn (probably covered in dirty vegetable oils), weird pieces of chicken covered in bread, the Monte Cristo Sandwich, ice cream, sugary drinks, cotton candy, etc. The list goes on and on.

Since I am an Annual Passholder and frequent the park several times a year, I knew I had to be strong enough to withstand the bad food temptations. I simply cannot devour such a high amount of sugary, carb ridden food. It makes me feel lethargic and gross. If I over indulge myself in such a disgusting manner, I am sure to be running to the bathroom to try and relieve an upset stomach or going back to the hotel to lay down for the rest of the afternoon. Crappy food just does not sit well with me.

Also, please understand, I love food. But let me clarify, I love good food. I also enjoy traveling and believe that trying new foods is part of the experience.One thing needs to be understood here though; Disney food is not a culinary experience. It's shoveling crap loads of cheap food into the plethora of visitors to keep them happy. Yes, I know, all those cupcakes and pies are cute. Hell, I even pinned most of them to my boards because I enjoy looking at them and I can appreciate the artwork. But it doesn't mean I'm going to be a glutton and just shove it all down my throat.

Anyway, enough nagging, here's what matters.

My most recent trip to Disneyland was in January. M and I decided to surprise the Little Boy with a trip for his 5th birthday. We booked the hotel, booked the flights, and I thought about what back-up food I was going to stuff in my handy-dandy backpack.

Here's my Disneyland Emergency Food List:

1) Organic Beef Jerky (I ordered mine here)
2) Pre-made Trail Mix Packs (pictured below)
3) Pack of Almonds
4) Dried Fruit

 Ingredients: Macadamia Nuts, Organic Banana Chips, Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberries, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

What I didn't bring but usually do:

1) Canned Salmon (wild caught, packed in water)
2) All Natural Smoked Wild Kippers (this brand)
    The smoked kippers are my favorite snack. They are absolutely delicious.

Armed with my Emergency Food, I felt confident going into the park. I also had a "last meal" of sorts the morning we left. Yes, I ate this at 5 in the morning; it was delicious. I craved this for the entire weekend.

Grass-Fed Burger topped with raw sauerkraut and sweet potato fries

After we landed in Orange County, I ate one of my trail mix packs on the way to our hotel. I was feeling a little peckish and knew we were going to be going, going, going all morning so I figured I'd re-fuel. The fat in the macadamia nuts gave me energy and kept me feeling satiated. 

On the first day at lunch we stopped at Main Street's new bakery, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. Now, I avoid grains as much as possible, they're just not good for you,  so I wasn't sure what to expect in this place. I wasn't about to grab a sandwich or muffin with all sorts of weird ingredients in it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover they had a nice array of salads to choose from. I chose the Angus Roast Beef Salad with a nice basil dressing that was quite good. The dressing, that is.

 

Bread was served with it but I removed it. Overall, the salad was decent. If you're hungry. And there's nothing else. The lettuce was crisp enough but it was very plain. Now, I know some of you laugh at that and say, "All lettuce is plain....duh," but that is not that case. I eat a wide variety of lettuce and each one has a unique flavor. If you combine different types of lettuce, arugula, romaine, kale, spinach, etc. you get a very nice tasting salad with unique flavors. 

The "Angus Beef" on the dish was questionable. I know Disney isn't about to serve up grass-fed beef but I was hoping for something a little better than what was presented. The fact that it's cut into small pieces makes me nervous. It was dry and a little chewy at times. I wasn't expecting anything amazing with this dish, but next time I'll probably stick with chicken or turkey, or nix the meat all together and throw some kippers on top. 

That night, we had dinner at the Wine Country Trattoria and did the World of Color Dining Package. I was particularly excited for this meal because the last two times I ate lunch there it was pretty decent. I'm not sure if that's because I had copious amounts of alcohol, I was starved, or I really did like it. This was going to be my first dinner experience and I was really expecting to leave there feeling satisfied and proud of myself for booking such a delicious dinner.

I was wrong.

I chose the Lamb Shank. On the side you will notice spinach with way too much salt, and nice pile of sh..., I mean polenta. At least I'm pretty sure that's polenta. The lamb was decent but gamey. Some people just don't do lamb right. The polenta or whatever was weird, and yes, I know it's a grain. I tried it all the same for the experience. It was disgusting. The spinach, as I mentioned before, was way too salty and rubbery tasting. 

Our package came with dessert, and I was looking forward to a little bit of sweet. I don't eat a lot of sweets at home but while I'm on vacation I like to try different things and branch out of the norm a little bit.They offered us a dessert sampler of sorts.

Trattoria Tiramisu, European Macaroons, Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Caramel Espresso Tart

My favorite of this dessert sampler was the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruit. The European Macarons come in second. The Espresso Tart was so-so. I was expecting so much more from that one considering I love chocolate.

AllEars.net has the menu for this dining experience listed here if you want to check it out. I will not choose the World of Color Dining Package here again. I am glad I was able to have some good protein for dinner though. I digested it easy enough.

I also want to point out that the desserts are not healthy in the slightest. The only thing on that plate with any integrity is the fresh fruit topped on the Panna Cotta. This was the only sweet thing I ate that day so that was my little Disney Day Treat. I don't even think we finished it.


The next day was rainy, which worked to our advantage. People aren't too keen on visiting Disneyland in the rain. We bundled up and made sure all of our electronics were protected and made our way to the park. On the way in, we stopped at Quizno's for breakfast. I know....sketch. It actually worked out very well though, despite the fact that the eggs I had in my omelet were probably from some sad, depressed chickens stuffed full of hormones and other vile things. The cheese probably came from a cow forced to walk around in her own feces. At any rate, it was all I had at that moment and I was going for it.

Quizno's Omelet with olives, ham, cheese and God knows what else

For anyone who knows, the quality of your food is just as important as what you are force feeding yourself. In this case I was left with very little options. It was convenient and a better choice than some pastry laden with sugar. It actually tasted decent (who knew!?). So, thank you, Quizno's. 

Lunch was eaten at the Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Disneyland because of the good food and amazing, unique ambiance. For those of you who don't know, the restaurant is made to feel like you are dining on the Bayou in the evening. They are also known for their delicious Monte Cristo sandwiches.

M's Monte Cristo

I did not order that but I did eat one of those crispy, carb, bad fat ridden pieces. It was delicious. And very unhealthy. If you are trying to eat healthy during your entire trip, don't eat this.

I did order the crab cakes.

                                               

The crab cakes are healthy, if they didn't have white bread crumbs in them. It looks as though they are sauteed in butter, which is good, but the quality of the butter is lacking, I don't doubt. There are potatoes on that plate as well, smothered in cheese. The green beans might be innocent but it's a good chance they are covered with some sort of unnatural oil. All in all, this choice was probably better then some of the others ones. I will probably order the chicken or beef platters next time. I didn't have dessert here.

Dinner that night was incredibly satisfying. We walked down to California Pizza Kitchen at the Anaheim GardenWalk shopping center and ordered chicken lettuce wraps with a side of avocado. My body needed it. I could have eaten another platter but when M says he is satisfied, it's embarrassing to say I could eat more. He is, after all, around 200 lbs and I'm 140. 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps from California Pizza Kitchen with a side of avocado

So far so good, right? I mean I was doing a pretty good job but I know I could have done better. I'm not going to chastise myself for the little things here and there because I believe food is part of a vacation. Crappy food I can live without but I like to try specialties and enjoy myself. I encourage you to do the same but always be mindful of what you put into your mouth. Starting the morning with pastries and numerous cups of coffee and then continuing with ice cream, churros, popcorn, chocolate, cotton candy, pretzels, etc., is not a good way to make sure you are feeling at your best. 

The next morning we ate at Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand Californian Hotel. This place might be my ultimate favorite spot to eat at the Disney Resorts. Chip and Dale, Meeko, Brer Fox and other fun "woodland" characters parade around the restaurant signing autographs for children and creating great photo opportunities. They also have a very impressive buffet that is not to be missed. 

The breakfast spread is incredible. Smoked salmon, eggs, egg whites, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, fresh fruits, oatmeal, grits, muffins, danishes, yogurt, omelets made to order, Eggs Benedict, toast, cereal, hash browns; basically all the best breakfast foods. When I come here I make sure I eat plenty of food. We ate so much for breakfast that morning that I was hungry until 2 or 3 that afternoon. I felt satiated for the entire day. The Hollandaise sauce was filling and delicious, the bacon yummy, the smoked salmon hit the spot, the eggs were fluffy, the tea warm and delicious (I brought my own tea bag so maybe that's why), and the fruit was plentiful. So plentiful that I stuffed a bunch in my backpack. While I didn't snap any pictures of breakfast (I was too busy shoveling it in my mouth to remember), here's a nice picture of the smoked salmon spread.

The cost for the breakfast buffet is $24.99 for adults and $12.99 per child. If you make sure you have plenty to eat here then you can forget about lunch all together and spend that money on a super cool light up sword.

All in all I would say I did a decent job at trying to remain on a healthy eating schedule. I could have done better (did I mention I ate a churro?), but I didn't come back with tight pants and a muffin top. I came back a little bloated (there's a lot of salt in that food, and it's not the high quality one), but happy I went on a fun vacation.