I eat lots of chocolate.

The title speaks for itself. It has always been hard for me to find good sources of fat that don't bother my stomach. For a while, I thought avocados would fill that void forever. I stopped eating them. Sorry for the TMI, but lets just say my stomach felt bubbly after eating avocado. Had to stop. 


Next option: almonds, macadamia nuts! Nope, I'm a little allergic to pretty much every nut i try. unhappy tummy and sometimes redness on my cheeks and itchy mouth.


peanut butter! OH HOW I LOOOOVE PB. It doesn't love me. Any more than 1-2 teaspoons at a time and my belly retaliates. And who can really eat 1 teaspoon of peanut butter? exactly, nobody.


olive oil: never liked it, never will. the taste grosses me out. if there is EVER oil on "fresh veggies" i taste it without fail, and can't eat it. Ick.


coconut oil: meh, don't really love it enough to make it part of my every day life. 


So, here are my sources of fat: unsweetened coconut milk, fish oil, chia seeds, and most importantly...100% chocolate. That's right. Amazing source of anti-oxidants and fat. NO SUGAR. Depending on how much other fat i consume throughout the day, I eat 1 or 2 ounces of 100% chocolate each day. The first time I tried it, I thought I was eating chalk. Then, something clicked. My body LOVED it!! It doesn't SIT like a rock in my stomach, doesn't cause gas, and now i LOVE the taste! I could eat an entire bar if it were in front of me!
**I buy individually wrapped 1.5 ounce portions due to this**


Here's an AMAZING chocolate meal. No carbs. Just protein and healthy fat. Well, a marginal 2-5 carbs depending on the protein powder you use, and how much cocoa powder you add.

You need:
1 (or more) scoops protein powder. chocolate or vanilla. or another flavor to make it SUPER interesting
1-2tb unsweetened cocoa powder 
splenda/stevia/truvia (i use 1 packet)


100% chocolate unsweetened baking chocolate bar


how to put it together:
mix the protein, cocoa, sweetener, and water together in a bowl until you get a pudding consistency
using a fork or knife, finely chop/grate/shave the chocolate bar so that you get little dark chocolate shavings on top of your pudding.


results: YUM. use as little or as much chocolate on top as your diet/palate requires.


ways to add "oomph" to this: 
---use unsweetened coconut or almond milk instead of water
---add 1tb chia seeds for more healthy fats
---freeze the pudding for 20 mins. Hello ice cream!


For you calorie counters out there...
protein: (80-120cals per scoop. I use 1.5scoops sun warrior vegan protein with 80 cals a serving...so 120)
cocoa powder: 20cals/TB (30 cals for my version. 1.5TB)
chocolate: I use 1.5oz (140)


MY total: 310 calories. 28 g protein. 15g fat. 8g carbs.


PERFECT meal for a rest day, since I don't need many carbs since I'm not training! AND it really hits the chocolate craving spot.


If you like chocolate, this is a MUST try. If nothing else, please try 100% chocolate. Find it in pretty much any grocery store in the baking aisle. Unsweetened chocolate baking bars are pretty customary ... if you're unsure just check the label and most of the calories should come from fat. 0g sugars, 4g carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein is pretty standard for a serving of real chocolate.


GO EAT SOME CHOCOLATE! Not the hershey kiss version.

Easy for you to say!

Okay. If there is one thing that drives me INSANE...(who are we kidding. nearly everything is capable of driving me insane. Feel me out here.)


It's when people say something like "Well,easy for you to say, look at you!" 
Or, "You're so young, you should look amazing."


Why do those type of comments drive me nuts? Because I have to work SO HARD to keep my physique in this type of condition.

My body was NEVER "lean" or "slender" growing up. In fact, I was pretty damn mushy. (Here I was in middle school, mid teenage weight-gain during the summer)  I always had a flat stomach and an hourglass shape, but there was plenty of meat on my bones. While my diet was not clean whatsoever, I ate WAY healthier than a lot of my bone thin friends. I almost  never ate fast foods, pizza, processed hostess-type products, etc. I ate lots of peanut butter, cheerios, lean cuisine meals, and low-fat ice cream. Okay, so that stuff is processed, but you get what I mean? No ding-dongs or lunchables or pop-tarts were in my belly. I wore a size 10 dress to a formal in 9th grade. In this headshot, I was about 16, wearing size 31 jeans. My jeans now are mostly 26's.

  I wear a size 2 now in dresses, etc. (sometimes a 4 is needed for the curves..) But don't think for a SECOND that it comes easily. 

I don't lie about my workouts. I always tweet and blog about the vast amount of vegetables I stuff myself with so that there won't be any room for cravings. I more or less live on egg whites. I wake up to aching muscles and continue to put myself through grueling workouts no matter what. So don't think I just wake up and go through the motions, hoping that I'll stay the same size and not get fat. I work too hard. 

What's my reward? Well, I wake up every morning to a flat stomach, usually with energy, and feel good about the condition of my body. Even if I' having a "fat" or "bloated" day, I know that if I stay hydrated and work out, it'll go away in a day or two. I know my insides are clean, my body receives endless nutrients from all of the whole foods I include in my diet. Do I absolutely LOVE every meal I sit down to eat? No. There's no reason to! Do you think people who are shamefully plowing through a bag of Lays at their desk are thinking "Wow, these chips are sooo amazing thank god for the company that produced these chips and allowed me to eat them" ????!!! 

I eat foods that will yield positive results for my body, inside and out. Sure, I like green beans. Would I rather be eating banana bread or coconut milk ice cream? Sometimes, hell yeah. But that's not what I'm about. There is a time and a place for everything. I take my goals very seriously, and it has worked very well for me. I used to think that looking at a donut would put pounds on me. Now, I know that isn't true, but I know the donut would do NOTHING to help me. While it might not immediately harm me, it wouldn't immediately help me either. Also, packing on way more muscle to my frame has given me the ability to eat lots of calories without gaining fat at all...at least noticeable fat.

MY POINT IS...You want something? WORK FOR IT. I work for what I WANT (even if some people think I already have it) EVERY SINGLE DAY. I make time for workouts, no matter how inconvenient. I microwave broccoli no matter how many times my sister complains that it smells. I sprint and climb stairs the day after I squat and deadlift. I get excited to do it all over again when the week is over, and I take my much needed day of rest. 

It is NOT easy for me. I work really hard, battle some really ugly thoughts and feelings about food and exercise occasionally, struggle with borderline eating disordered thoughts. Fitness and physique transformation comes with mind games and obstacles, that you need mental strength along with physical strength to tackle. I deal with those things every single day. So please, if you read this post...do not ever tell me to be "thankful" or that I'm just "blessed" with my body. I spend hours on end working to be the best human I can be, and will continue to spend hours on end trying to have the best physique I can possibly have. I live for it. But I've always lived for challenge. I do NOT take the easy way out.

There. I think I'm done! Next time you're doing cardio even though your legs could barely get you out of bed...just remember, you aren't the only one. I'm probably feeling the exact same way. So are the other hundreds of fitness die-hards that slave over their bodies every day.  Go hard or go HOME!

Ah, Grocery Shopping

People are always asking me: 
Liz, what do you buy at the grocery store?! What should I buy when I go food shopping?! 


Summer is a GREAT season for produce. Veggies (and fruits) are usually in season, and ripe, and delicious! So go shopping, stick mainly to the perimeter my friends.


words of advice:
Set yourself up for the next couple of days. If you buy clean food and LOTS of veggies (which go BAD so u gotta use them!) you will eat it, because it is the only thing in your kitchen. Here's a sample of what I bought at my last trip to the grocery store. When I went shopping, I had in mind that I wanted to stock up on veggies, since those were my carbs and main source of fuel for the week, in addition to the oat bran, chia seeds, almond milk, eggwhites, tofu, tuna, and avocados that I already had in the fridge and pantry.

This is a shelf that I put all my groceries on. What's here: 
-Egg whites
-Pea Shoots
-Spinach
-Cabbage
-Snap peas
-Bell Peppers
-Eggs
-Broccoli+Cauliflower
That food lasts me a few days on my veggie-heavy meal plan, thats IT!! I eat ALL CARBS FROM VEGGIES except oats in the morning. You don't have to, that's just my preference. Lately, I've been buying more frozen vegetables since I've gotten into green beans and broccoli. Being able to go to the grocery store often is KEY. However, you can feel free to buy more frozen vegetables if you'd prefer, so that you can stock up and keep larger volume for more than  a few days. I ALWAYS have frozen green beans, frozen broc, and frozen peas in the freezer. So easy, I just microwave them. I AINT NO CHEF!


--Buy things you SHOULD eat, but WANT TO also. If the thought of cabbage or spinach grosses you out, buy vegetables you ENJOY. some people like brussels sprouts, asparagus, tomatoes, zucchini..those just aren't my preferences!


"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" .. how many times have we heard this!? It's so true. If you buy the right things at the store, you set yourself up for success! Having tupperware containers handy is another huge help, so you can bring your healthy eats with you everywhere, and not waste money trying to buy semi-healthy options when you're out and about or at work.


Some recommendations for your next grocery trip:
Fridge--
lean organic chicken breasts
99% fat free ground turkey
tons of fresh veggies
eggs and liquid eggwhites
non dairy milks such as almond milk, coconut milk, flax milk
plain greek yogurt
sweet potatoes
beets
organic tofu *disclaimer: I DONT EAT TOFU. I used to, and did for QUITE a few months...and look where it got me! Did no noticeable harm. but you read about the controversial soy and hormonal impact of consuming soy products elsewhere, don't yell about it here. Some people (largely vegans and those with very sensitive stomachs) consume tofu as a source of protein and fat, it is especially helpful in a diet for those who do not eat any dairy, chicken, turkey, or fish*
chia seeds, flax seeds, ground flaxseed
----for the masses: fresh fruit. I don't eat it on a regular basis, but you can completely incorporate it into a solid diet and still meet your goals. Just remember to include it as a source of carbohydrates. Fruit is NOT calorie free just because its natural! It's like nature's candy.
pantry: 
no salt tuna
rolled oats
oat bran
raw nuts: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, cashews
natural nut butters, if that is--you can avoid eating it straight from the jar out of boredom because it tastes so damn good. oops, not like i used to do that or anything..
coconut oil/olive oil/flax oil
non-stick cooking spray *a MUST for me!!*


I'm sure there are TONS of other things. But this is a good start. Happy shopping!!!

July 4th IDEAS

July 4th--apparently the day our country gained independence over 200 years ago. So, being the kind and generous blog diva that I am, I'm giving you some QUICK WORKOUT IDEAS! Something for everyone. Cardio queens and iron pushers alike. ALL Guaranteed to make you SWEAT for LIFE. All workouts can EASILY be completed in less than 40 minutes and have MAXIMUM afterlife...meaning, your body doesn't stop burning when you stop working out. (No, that doesn't mean barbeque madness is canceled out. If you eat 3 hamburgers...you still ate 3. Not figuratively 1 since you burned the others off earlier. Come ON people, we know it doesn't work like that!!)

For my cardio lovers. OR those who just have a cardio day planned, or are in the mood to run:
-4 mile run. **added challenge: add 4% incline for as long as you can handle!**
-40 minutes on the stair master


For my iron pushers:
LOAD UP THE PLATES.


4x4 sets of:
Barbell Squats
Deadlifts
Push Press
Bench Press


Finish with:
44 pushups
40 sec plank x 4


For my people at the beach:


Sand workout:


40 squat jumps
40 walking lunges
40 pushups
40 tricep dips


40 secs sprint, walk back. complete until you drop.


HOW's THAT?! Everyone should have SOMETHING to do. These quickies are appropriate for pre, during, or after barbeque festivities.


I do NOT like bbqs at ALL. I don't eat chips. or guacamole. or burgers. or hot dogs. or corn. or watermelon. I HATE mosquitoes and am not a huge fan of being bitten by them as I try to watch man made explosions in the sky.
However,  I know that some people LIVE for the holiday, or just reasons to drink on a weekday and plow through tostitos. Welp. Just another Wednesday for me. Work, gym, veggies and sleep!


Hope you take my advice and get a quick workout in!! 

Got GLUTES?

A few months ago, my answer to that question would be: "Well, I UUUUUSED to.... before I started running 20-25 miles a week."


Fast forward since February. Forward past all of the failed reps, exhaustion, loaded barbells, stacked machines, and rock stiff legs.


My answer now: "HELL YEAH!!"


Those of you who have been following my blog KNOW that I have been on a MISSION to build a nice backside. Not only glutes, but rear delts, back, lower back, glutes, hams, calves. Nothing worse than looking GREAT from the front and like a BEFORE picture from the back. Unfortunately, that happens to a LOT of people because they never think to TRAIN what they don't SEE in the mirror all the time.


See the back of me now? My favorite is that long indentation that runs down my entire back, even showing definition in the lower back, the "erector spinae" for you technical people like me. Last thing to go is the fat that likes to hang onto my sides. And no, i will not say "love handles" because there is nothing to love about extra body fat, AND i don't have them. They don't hang over any jeans or tight pants. There's just a little extra fat that will go , SOON i hope.

Check out my leg workout from today:


warm-up and stretch out the legs for 3-5 mins.
straight to the OPEN squat rack! 


Overhead box squats: 10x10 (45lb bar/65lb bar)
**i use the smallest box. all about BELOW parallel squats. wide stance, toes pointing out. glute activator**
**after each set, I did 10 calf raises with the bar on my back**


Deadlifts: 10 sets. Started with 65. Increased weight each set until 135, then unloaded til I completed 10 sets.
set 1. 65lbs 10 reps
set 2. 85 lbs 9 reps
set 3 105 lbs 8 reps
set 4 125lbs 7 reps
set 5 135lbs 5 reps
set 6 135 lbs 5 reps
set 7 125 lbs 6 reps
set 8 105 lbs 7 reps
set 9 85 lbs 8 reps
set 10 65 lbs 10 reps


**BONUS** podium deadlifts w/45lb bar: 30 reps 


ABS hanging leg raises 3 sets 10


Step ups w/25 lb dbells 3 sets 8 reps
*superset with 25lbs total 8 reps*


Reverse hyperextensions (Bench swings) with glute SQUEEZE at top 3x12 toes pointing out
sissy squats on decline bench 3 sets 10 (superset with decline oblique twist)


Hyperextensions w/10lb plate 3x10 SLOW, controlled


**THE FINISHER** lateral and regular step ups for an entire song. (about 3 mins)


I WAS DONE. SO DONE. 


Let me also take this moment to explain how SORE my abs are after a LEG DAY. If you don't engage (or squeeze the hell out of) your abs when you deadlift and squat with LOTS of weight, you might as well ask someone to herniate some discs in your spine. Core stability and abdominal support is KEY during intense leg workouts, and therefore, you get a SICKENING abdominal workout at the same time. Hold a barbell overhead and BOOM shoulder stability is needed too, so you get your abs, shoulders, AND lower body working to their maximum potential. Moves like that get RESULTS because they are EFFECTIVE. They target multiple MAJOR muscle groups at the same time, stimulate lots of muscle fibers, and elicit a powerful response from your body both during AND after your workout. Keep in mind that post-workout requires proper care AND rest, especially if such intensive exercises are new to you.


So for everyone who bothers me about getting ABS....and trust me, there's a lot of you... GO FIND A SQUAT RACK and load on the plates! I'm doing yet ANOTHER post about abs soon, but for now, please take my advice. Your butt and abs will both benefit. Talk about bikini bod. (sorry guys...uh, speedo?)

Let's talk injuries.

Happy monday!!! 


Before I get into this post, check out my biceps. Lol. It looks HUGE because its closer to the mirror obviously...but never forget to appreciate ALL of your progress. A six pack is not the ONLY thing to be proud of. You ARE working on every other part of your body too, AREN'T you?! 

While injuries are NOT my favorite topic to discuss, they are serious, and definitely something to be aware of when doing LOTS of training or starting a more intensive workout plan.


While I've been pretty lucky in terms of chronic injury, I have had my few struggles. Lately, my knees have been really bothering me. I KNOW two factors that are definitely influencing it. They are:
--BAD SNEAKERS
--Lack of Fish oil (omega 3) in my diet


The type and volume of sprinting and running I do 3-4 days a week requires WELL FIT, PROPER running shoes. My hot Nike Air Max sneakers just aren't cutting it. Another big no-no is wearing my regular training sneakers on the treadmill. They are really old, but look brand new. Fine for training, but NOT for running! Such a bad habit, but sometimes I wear them to the gym with no intention of running, and then I get the itch to sprint a few rounds :-)


Another thing I've been doing LOTS of is STAIRS. I use the stair master and run up the concrete bleachers at the track a LOT. Again, this might go back to the sneaker thing...but the impact is just not helping my knee pain. I am such a fiend when it comes to making sure I do enough cardio (that stupid irrational girl fear that not doing cardio will put 10 pounds on me overnight..though I know this is incredibly untrue), but most of all...I really LOVE sprinting and pushing past my limits on the treadmill and the stair master...i always feel so accomplished afterwards...not to mention the sweat factor.


With that said, consider today my final hoorah with cardio until I sort out my knee pain: I'll be limiting cardio to 20-30 minutes for the rest of the week. Jogging and lower impact.


Monday Cardio:


Treadmill:
5 minutes warm up jog 6.0-7.0mph.
sprint 9.0mph 1 min/ walk 4.0 1 min (5 rounds)
sprint 9.5mph 45 sec/walk 4.0 1 min (5 rounds)
sprint 10.0-11.0mph 30 sec/walk 4.0 1 min (5 rounds)
walk/jog 5 mins 4.0-7.0
incline 15% speed 5.0-6.0 5 mins
1 min walk 3.0 cooldown


Total: 35 minutes
Sweat: tons


Stair master: 
level 5: 3 min
level 6: 3 min
level 7: 3 min
level 15: 1 min
---breathe----
10 minutes of intervals
level 5/15/8/5/15 etc.


Total: 20 minutes
Sweat: Soaked completely.


Cardio total: 55 minutes of nearly all interval training. *cue huge sigh of relief*


post-workout was a scoop of sunwarrior mixed with war, followed by snacking on snap peas after shopping at trader joes. After I got home and organized groceries, i made a spinach eggwhite with flax omelet. And then I was starving STILL, so I had 6 cherries. Boo. They were sitting on the counter and they help with inflammation...so fruit lovers say. 


Back to injuries: Remember to LISTEN to what your body might be telling you. Soreness and injury are very different feelings, and should be treated accordingly. Sore muscles can be remedied with ibuprofen. Torn ligaments, fractured bones, and other injuries CANNOT! In the case of both incredibly sore muscles AND injury, do NOT be afraid to step back from your training plan and rest or do what feels RIGHT. Remember to train smart AND hard. Not just hard. Anyway. There's my PSA on listening to your body. Can't be giving too many of those because then you might mistake that as an excuse to get lazy when you can't drive because your shoulders and back and arms and legs are all sore :)


Tomorrow I train LEGS !!! DEADLIFTS !!! 

MAJOR major weekend update

This is seriously about to be like 4 posts in 1! I've been SO worn out by the end of the day that I can't even function well enough to write coherent blog posts. SO here's my weekend:


Thursday: AM track workout done at 7am before breakfast


the track workout: 
--run a lap as fast as possible
--run up and down the bleachers FAST 5x
--10 burpees
--10 squat jumps


Complete 4x.
Finish with: "The burpee challenge" aka do 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 burpees. I chose to do it with minimal rest in between since I was aiming for a short and INTENSE workout. under 40 minutes.


I was SO sweaty. Then, I had work until 3.
Later Thursday night, I hit the gym for Chest and Triceps. AND I practiced my pullups...making some SICK progress.


Friday: Legs EXCEPTIONALLY sore, but you guys know thats normal at this point. I worked, then ran 5 miles as my workout. Each week, I do ONE "run" between 4-5 miles. Every other time I run or do cardio, it's about busting my ass doing sprints and intervals. 


Friday night, I had pole dancing. Always fun!


I could not WAIT to sit around and REST my sore muscles on Saturday. 


Saturday: slept in until 9am! 
made this amazing breakfast: coconut flour protein pancakes with banana and cocoa powder mash. back to using coconut milk with my coffee! FAVORITE.

For the rest of Saturday, I was actually successful in keeping my diet SUPER tight and consumed very little carbs. The most carbs I ate were from a handful of baby carrots. Had to pat myself on the back for sticking to a "non-training day" menu. Less calories, almost no carbs, but I was good!


I also went to watch a friend in her NPC bikini competition. It was my first bodybuilding competition, and i LOVED it! And, my friend WON her height class!

Sunday: (Today) I trained SHOULDERS and hit my BICEPS. Holy crap did i BURN OUT my shoulders. And oh, here's my new favorite dish. It's like a bowl from heaven.


--grilled chicken
--broccoli
--peas
--salsa 
--flax seeds
--miracle noodles


Overall, I had an AMAZING weekend. About to start working a bit harder on resting my body more efficiently, and getting FISH OIL asap.


Sorry for the delay.
Hope you enjoyed this monster post.