We made it to Friday! Was it just me or did this week drag? Maybe it’s because this is a holiday weekend and I’ve got some fun stuff planned! But either way, I am so happy it’s Friday! I’m sure you are too.

A few weeks ago Katrina and Karena, from Tone It Up, sent me their new vegan protein supplement called: Perfect Fit.

I was really excited because since going vegan I haven’t had any protein poweder for my shakes. Most vegan protein that taste decent is so freaking expensive that I have just been searching for something a bit more practical. And voila… Perfect Fit came my way (it’s just $25).

Here’s what that little card says: 

Perfect Fit Protein by Tone It Up provides portable, organic nutrition on the go. Perfect Fit is a complete protein, organic, gluten-free, ray, vegan, non-GMO, non-fat, and free of sugar, dairy, lactose, cholesterol, soy, corn and allergens.

Sounds good to me!

Each serving had 15 grams of protein. Just what I’ve been looking for.

The Taste Test:

I tested out the protein in a few different ways. First I stirred it into my oatmeal for breakfast, and then I made a few different shakes for post workout recovery meals.

As far as my oatmeal goes, it was awesome. It added a great vanilla taste and helped to thicken it  up. Normally I add peanut butter to my oats for extra protein and bulk but the protein did even better. 1/3 cup oats, 2/3 cup almond milk, scoop of protein and a sprinkle of cinnamon = breakfast heaven!

Now time for the shake review.

To be honest I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste of the rice protein in shakes. The first one I made I thought it was because of the Matcha that I put in that gave it a strange taste, I drank it but it was nothing to write home about. My second shake I just went plain so I could really taste the powder flavor.

I was not impressed, it was chalky and “ricey”. Perhaps it was because I am just not used to vegan protein? But to me I couldn’t drink it just with almond milk and ice cubes.

Now my third attempt was the one above and it was AWESOME.
I added:

• sprinkle of coco powder
• 1 tbsp of sunflower butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 frozen banana

Oh yea, now we’re talking.

With all the add-ins the shake came together perfectly. This is the way to go to mask the taste and take away the chalkiness of the Perfect Fit. Plus I ended up with potassium for muscle recover and extra flavor from the sunflower butter (you know I am addicted to this stuff).

Final score:

On a score from 1-10 I give it a 6. It’s great for cooking with, it’s not as pricey as other quality vegan proteins and when put with other ingrediends it makes a great shake. But I took away a few points because of the flavor and texture alone. Ugh.

I am still on the search for the perfect vegan protein but this one isn’t off my list yet.

You Decide: Protein Giveaway

From now until Monday you have a chance to win a container of Perfect Fit protein! All you have to do to enter is comment on this post below & “Like” the Facebook page! Make sure to leave a comment on the Facebook page letting me know you want some protein!

Questions: 

• What goes into your favorite protein shake?
• Have you ever tried rice protein or other vegan protein supplement? 

Note: I was not paid by Tone It Up, this is my honest opinion and personal thoughts.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that new red, thin banner along the top of the blog? If not, I just caught you glancing up to see what I am talking about.

So what am I talking about?

It’s the first Lifting Revolution:

Fit-o-Lution Challenge!

This is going to be so much freaking fun and I am super pumped that I am allowed to talk about it now and have it all revealed. This banner has also jumped up on to the blog so I thought it appropriate to explain what the heck is going on around here.

Here’s what the Fit-O-Lution Challenge is all about: 

It’s a full 8-week fitness and body challenge. Kicking off on June 15  and going until August 12th.

Everyone have the opportunity to work closely with a personal trainer (ME!) and push yourself in the best ways possible to transform your body and your life. I’ve designed some pretty cool workouts and I can’t wait to start sharing them.

Hi, I’m your personal trainer for the next 8-weeks!

But it’s more than a challenge it’s a FUN competition too.  Yup, there is going to be a winner and even prizes! Whoo hoo, prizes!

Cool right? What’s more is that the more women that sign up, the more amazing the prizes will be! So spread the word.

How Much Attention Will You Get? 

Okay, I know there are a lot of “free” fitness programs and challenges going on right now. But they aren’t going to compare with the Fit-o-Lution.  I am going to be with everyone from Day 1 helping to give support, workouts, meal plans and everything else that is needed to get results.

That means weekly workouts, grocery lists, meal plans, live chats, etc. I am really looking forward to getting to know more people and meet new friends. Friends make working out so much easier after all. When you’re doing the same thing as they are it makes it easier to stay on track.

For example, I haven’t had a chance to workout with my running partner, and I feel so ugh about my workouts lately. So Sarah, if you’re reading this…. we need to get a GOOD workout in! Thanks.

Okay, so that explains the changes you’ve seen going on. I will end with saying that this is a challenge for women looking to lose weight, tone up and be freaking awesome. That’s it… the end.

To find out more about the ENTIRE challenge and even ask me questions about it just click: Fit-O-Lution Challenge!

Can you tell how stoked I am about this (when was the last time anyone used the word stoked)?

In other (Foodie) news…

I have perfected my pizza dough recipe. I can’t wait to share it with you because it’s going to change the way you make homemade pizza. But you’re going to have to wait just a bit longer so I can do it again (i like to make sure I can always duplicate success before sharing with you). And I suck as a blogger because I was so surprised at how great it turned out that I forgot to take a picture before Dan and I ate the entire thing. Oops… those things happen when your hungry!

I will say that I have changed up the flour that I use. This may have been involved and may be my favorite dough and pasta flour from here on out!

Here’s a preview of what went into this killer awesome pizza: 

Questions: 

• What are you favorite pizza toppings? 
• Do you workout as often as you would like to?

I might look like I am in heaven at the start of this workout, but I am pretty sure that by the end of it I look like I just came out of someplace much hotter and not as forgiving. My butt is definitely not forgiving today, but that’s okay!

I love random freezes in videos… face shots are just awesome! At the end of this workout I had something really annoying happen: sweat had the audacity to drip down into my eye. Yuck and ouch! But at least I knew I worked hard, right?

I love short workouts where I can give everything I’ve got full out, from start to finish. Not to mention that these high intensity workouts are proven to target in on fat for fuel instead of sugar… AWESOME!

This particular workout will not disappoint and in fact if you’re not sweating by the end then you didn’t push yourself hard enough. I was sweating more than a high school football player after summer practice. That’s a pretty gross image, sorry for that. But it doesn’t make it less true.

Off Course Warning: What is is about teenage boys that makes them smell so stinking rotten? I can remember my brother coming in from football practice I to me it smelt worst than a cooler gone uncleaned for 6-months (oh never had that experience? Me neither).

Back to the workout, this workout is 12 minutes long. And because it’s so short there should be NO excuses as to why you can’t do it. Plus it only has 4-exercises. So its’ not like you have to write out a description of each one to remember what you have to do. I hate having to do that. Short and simple, that’s what works best!

Rock Your Rump Workout

Overview:
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit as possible in 12-minutes. Try to be my score! But you have to watch the video to find out what that score was.

Exercises: 

• 5 Squat Jack Burpees
• 10 Curtsey Lunges/Leg
• 10 Side Push-ups/Leg
• 75 Jump Rope

The start of the video has a quick tutorial on each of the exercises so you know EXACTLY what is going on and then jumps right in.

Please Tell Me All Blenders Go To Blender Heaven?

I know you’re really excited about doing the workout, and you should be! But you’re also wondering what the heck am I talking about in regards to blenders? Well, my blender went to blender heaven last night.

And yes, I may have shed a tear (or two).

In the past month my coffee grinder has died and now my blender is out of commission.

Note to self:  my little single serving Cuisinart Blender can not handle making banana soft serve. I ended up completely bending the blades and even breaking the pedistol that they sit on. Oops.

Sorry for the poor quality, photo taken with iPhone.

Dan of course just laughed at me as I sat in amazement while my frozen bananas oozed out all over the counter. Zoe was loving it, trying to lick everything up off the floor. I was not loving any part of it! Now whats’ a girl suppose to do with a freezer FULL of frozen bananas?

I guess buy a new blender! But not today or tomorrow.  So PLEASE help, what blender do you use?

Questions: 

• What blender do you use? Do you like it?
• What’s the worst appliance you’ve ever broken?  

I don’t know what the big deal is with cellulite. It’s the secret that each woman has and we all work our asses off to try and keep it that way… a deep dark secret. And it’s almost taboo to bring it up openly! 

Did you know that more than 90% of women suffer from cellulite?

If that’s the case then why aren’t we all more open about it? If we knew that all of us were suffering it might make dealing with it that much easier and comforting.

Well guess what!

I have cellulite. And apparently so does Kloe Kardashian (she just revealed her issues earlier this week).

Yup, I  sure do. On my thighs and tush. And you know what else? I am tired of being embarrassed about it, as we all should be. That’s why I wanted to come out today so that you feel normal! I’m a personal trainer, a fitness fanatic, a health food junkie and yet I still have some orange peel on my body.

Q: If cellulite is just fat, why doesn’t it go away with weight loss?

Cellulite isn’t normal fat, it’s stupidly abnormal fat. It’s fat that gets lodged within the connective tissues directly under your skin. Basically it’s trapped fat. Gross, right?

Q: Are you just suppose to give up and accept that your cellulite is there to stay?

Now I wouldn’t go that far. While it might be close to impossible to get rid of cellulite all together there are ways to decrease the appearance of cellulite.

Personally, while I do have some it’s nothing like it was when I was 40-pounds heavier. To be honest, I would say that my cellulite has decreased in appearance by as much as 90% since I transformed my own personal live a few years ago (don’t worry I’ll share my secrets below). If you’re skeptical just check out my youtube videos!

5 Ways To Decrease Your Cellulite

1. Eat clean. Your body is a reflection of the foods you put into it. Make your skin look it’s best by eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, and complex carbs (quinoa, oatmeal, etc). This is the only way to naturally detox your body. I am sure you’ve heard it before and you’re upset because you wanted something new.
   One of my go to meals: Barley Veggie Risotto - Recipe BELOW!
   This is what works, this is what is guaranteed. You’ve got to stop with the fried fatty foods and embrace a diet rich in nutrients. You’ll feel better in all other areas of your life too.
2. Hydrate. This is the best advice I can give to you. When you’re dehydrated your cellulite is going to show off more, keep your skin refreshed and tight by drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. Perhaps TMI, but when I am dehydrated Dan seems to always notice my “thigh dimples”. Thanks Dan for the reminder to drink some good old h2o.
3. Exercise and keep it mixed up! It might not be normal fat, but regular exercise and especially strength training has been proven to help decrease the appearance of cellulite. Tone up and tighten up. I mentioned mixing it up because your body is pretty efficient at becoming adjusted to workouts, so every 3-4 weeks change up routines completely. Also make sure to do a complete program that includes both strength training and cardio (preferably HIIT training).Here are a few workouts you should try:  
   Circuit Training Killer 
   Core & More Workout
   Spousal Killer Workout 
4. Massage. Who can resist a good massage? In fact I just noticed that a Groupon popped up in my email literally 2 seconds offering a massage deal… I will be checking into it! Studies show that massaging the area of cellulite helps to “flatten” it out and make it less apparent. To me that’s just a green flag to have a spa day.
5. Creams. Believe it or not some creams really do work, for short term results. Tightening lotions temporarily tighten the skin and make your cellulite appear to be gone or decreased. The issue is that as soon as the cream or lotion is absorbed the dimples will come back. One of the best proven topical fixes are lotions that contain caffeine. Just make sure to test a small area of your skin first, as some women are sensitive to oils and lotions.

Anti-Cellulite Barley Risotto Recipe:

Questions: 

• Who else wants to feel 10 pounds lighter by revealing their battle with cellulite openly? 
• Have you ever tried a cream or lotion? 

A few weeks ago I was 100% stoked when Groupon offered a deal on Matcha. Matcha is one of my favorite drinks, but it’s expensive as hell. I found a small tin at a local coffee shop a months ago with just 4 tsp of Matcha and it cost 12-bucks. An actual container at whole foods cost more than $50!

So you can imagine my excitement when Groupon had two bags of it for just $25! The ad read that is was $150 worth of Matcha, I did the happy dance, pulled out my credit card and jumped on board the Groupon wagon! Oh yea, it was also my first Groupon purchase! My little package came about 2 weeks and since then I have been experimenting like crazy with my emerald green powder purchase.

What is matcha?

It’s basically a special green tea that has been ground up to a powder. Instead of seeping the leaves and drinking the “extract” you mix the powder with hot water and stir so you take in actual green tea leaves. It’s been enjoyed for over 800 years.

Before I share the recipe of this little sweet treat I’ll cover some of the benefits that arrived with my matcha. This stuff rocks. I am not a supplement kind of gal, but I do love some green tea!

Benefits of Matcha (according to GotMatcha.com)

• Matcha is the most potent of all green teas, delivering more than 10x the strength and health benefits of regular green tea.
• Higher in antioxidants than blueberries
• 70x more antioxidants than found in orange juice
• 9x more beta carotene than spinach
• Linked to helping maintain cognitive ability
• Sustained energy. The caffeine is more slowly released into the blood stream so you don’t get the same instant caffeine high as found in coffee.
• Increased metabolism. Studies show that it can raise your metabolism by as much as 40% (short term metabolic burst), much more than standard green tea because it’s so concentrated.
• Read more on matcha on my previous post: MATCHA POST

The Green Tea Cakes AKA “Green Leprechaun Monster Cakes”

Friday I was back in the kitchen experimenting away. I was in the mood for a sweet treat after dealing with jury duty for the week. All I wanted was a glass of wine and a sliver of cake. But I also wanted to experiment with my matcha which is how these cakes came to be.

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup banana (1 banana)
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds (or 2 eggs)
• 5 tbsp water
• 1 cup flour (I used 1/2 cup chickpea; 1/2 cup amaranth but any kind can do)
• 1/3 cup coconut flour (if you don’t have just use 1/2 cup of whatever flour you have)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or skim)
• 1 tbsp Matcha
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 350-degrees.
2. In a small bowl whisk together flax and water. Sit aside for 3-5 minutes.
3. In another bowl blend together banana, honey, milk and add in flax last.
4. In another bowl mix together flours, baking powder, matcha and salt.
5. Slowly add the flour mix to the banana mix. If it’s really thick, add 2 tbsp of additional milk and blend well.
6. Pour into cake molds, bake 23-26 minutes until you can stick it with a toothpick and no batter comes out or slightly golden around edges.
7. Allow to cool before decorating.

Fresh out of the oven! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter

Directions: In a microwave save bowl, heat the chips up for 20 second intervals, stirring after. Once melted completely stir in peanut butter and drizzle on top of cakes. DELICIOUS!

They were delicious, very moist and perfect with glass of wine or a glass of cold almond milk (I would know because i went back for seconds later on).

What The Taste Tester Had To Say:

At first Dan was a bit apprehensive upon seeing these “leprechaun cakes” coming out of the oven. But he gave them a try and really liked them too. The only thing he criticized was the matcha smell. I happen to love the smell and taste of matcha but I can understand someone new might not be so accustomed to it.

Questions Of The Day:

• What’s your favorite icing? 
• More icing or more cake fan? 
• Are  you a green tea drinker? If not what hot drink is your go to?

Oh those two… I truly hope they get their acts together. I won’t lie back in the day I was a big Brittany fan. When I was a teenager she was hot stuff!

I did see that Brittany is now a judge on the X-Factor. Okay so I didn’t see it (because we don’t watch tv) but I did hear about it on Bob & Tom’s morning show.

At least she is trying, and I guess the same can be said is Lindsay Lohan, I think she was just given some new roll in some upcoming movie… I don’t know because I don’t really care to be honest.

What I do know is that they would love to make a real comeback and I think they would be green with envy from this one! Speaking of green, make sure to check out the lovely green surprise I served up to Dan below!

Bring It On!

Well, after 7-weeks I decided that today was my day to make a comeback and tell the streets of Charleston that they had not defeated me (it was these same streets where I hurt my knee during the Bridge run).

At 8:00 am, I laced up my shoes, put on my knee brace and decided a 3.1 miler was in order! The weather was freaking amazing with it being a chilly 68-degrees and overcast. Of course that meant that every other runner in Charleston was also taking advantage and giving the old roads a beating. Which I loved… I have missed giving little smiles and 1/2 waves to fellow runners.

Okay so I may not have given the streets a beating, and I may not have run my fastest or even my “normal” pace but for taking the time off I did manage to pull off the run in under 29 minutes (my previous normal time was around 26 minutes).

But it was good enough to help me realize that I am just fine and that this knee is all good! 

It’s taken time I won’t lie. In the gym, in the house, looking up at the staircase to walk up to my condo but screw it, I won’t let all of it slow me down any longer.

I’m back and in charge!

How To Make A Comeback:

1. Wait for the okay from your doctor. If he said take 4-6 weeks off, do it. Trying to speed your recovery time only slows it down.
2. Listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s not. So don’t do more than your injury wants.
3. Accept fear. I think I stared at a 24-inch box for around 3.3 minutes yesterday until I built up the courage to actually jump from the ground to the top. It’s okay to be worrisome about getting back into the “groove” be patient with yourself and don’t let the fear hold you back.
4. Tell your injury to go screw itself. Don’t sit around wondering “oh, will I be able to ___ again?” Instead say, “when I can do ____ again, I am going to do it better than ever before.”

Maybe it was that last tip that convinced me to sign up for my first (and probably only) 1/2 marathon.

Just 13.1 Miles Between Me And A Finish Line

That’s right, I bit the bullet and signed up for a 1/2 marathon in October, the 21st to be exact! It’s the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon and I will be doing it with a fellow boot camper. Having someone I know do it too will help keep me on track and motivated to stick to a training schedule.

What’s my training schedule? When I figure it out, I will let you know!

What I do know is that I am thinking I am crazy since I also have the USMC Mud Run the week before. October will be a fitness challenger for sure. But I am confident that I can handle it all!

The Matcha Green Surprise

Speaking of green what do you think of the dessert I served up after dinner last night?

I’ll share more details about it on the next post, but I will say it was mighty delicious! It also has a little something-something that has been proven to raise your metabolism! Now that’s a dessert I can go for.

Questions: 

• What do you think about Brittany being a host on the X-Factor? 
• Do you think these girls will ever be able to get back to their former fame? 
• What’s the weirdest dessert you’ve ever tried?

I’ll admit it, occassionally I will watch Dr. Oz.  It’s a great way to stay on top of trends, at least that’s what I tell myself to justify it. Let’s face it, he’s a trend setter… listen to his recommendations and suddenly every woman is rushing out to get supplements, vitamins or try out new recipes. I know, because my mom is one of them.

One thing I give Dr Oz big kudos for is trying to help women turn not so healthy meals into delicious guilt-free indulgences.

And then there is Paula, oh Paula.

She reminds me of Forest Gump and his shrimp addiction, except for her it’s all about butter. Fried butter, buttered veggies, buttered cookies, you get the picture.

So what if there were recipes that were so delicious and felt like indulgences yet still satisfied the healthy cravings of Dr. Oz? That’s what I’ve done!

Let these two be lovers not fighters! Bring peace to both.. you can be healthy and have your sweets too!

The Health Freak Cookie Lover

Put a piece of fried chicken on a plate and I will definitely be able to avoid it.

Stick a piece of candy in front of my face and I will probably be able to avoid it.

Stick a cookie on the ground beside my feet and I will go by the 10 5 second rule.

I’m a girl that knows what she likes and I go for it, what can I say? With this love of cookies I have had to teach myself ways to get my fill without filling my stomach with an entire “log” of cookie dough.

Side note: When I was a kid, I can’t remember my mom EVER making homemade cookies, it was always the Nestle freezer area rolls of dough. I didn’t complain of course, because dang that stuff was good. My mom was the one complaining when she would go to grab one out of the freezer and discovered that the ends had been cut off from my brother and I eating cookie dough chunks! 

To be honest I don’t know why I didn’t gravitate to the premade cookie stuff, but I just never have. Even when I first started to bake back in college I was all about homemade yummies. And now that I am a clean eating freak foodie, I have learned to turn good cookies into AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS COOKIE MARVELS

This post should be called the: Top 3 Cookie Marvels of the World because they’re that freaking good.

Another side note: These are not all vegan.

1. Coco-Choco Vegan Cookies

I have been experimenting with coconut flour for awhile now. Let me just say this stuff smells amazing but it’s hard to learn how to cook with. It’s very dry and requires a lot more moisture than you would need with other common flours. But I finally got it right!

Ingredients: 

• 2/3 Cup Chickpea Flour (or other flour)
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Banana (a bit over ripe works best)
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (or honey)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp coconut extract*
• 1/4 Cup Coco Powder
• 1/4 Cup Non-dairy Milk (I used almond)

*If you don’t have coconut extract or don’t want to use it, use 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract total.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-Degrees
2. In a small bowl mix together chia seeds and water. Sit aside for 5 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, blend together the banana, agave, vanilla, and milk, and finally the chia seeds.
4. In another bowl mix together the flours, baking soda, coco powder.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar/banana mix.
6. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto a pre-greased cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
7. Cook for 8-12 minutes, until slightly browned around edged.
8. Remove and allow to cool.

2. The 5-Ingredient Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas
• 1/2 cup all natural apple sauce
• 1 1/2 cup oats (steel cut if available)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash the bananas & apple sauce in a bowl, next stir in the oats and cinnamon. Finish off by folding in the raisins.
3. Use a nonstick cookie sheet, to scoop out cookies just like you normally would. Place 2-tbsp of batter for each cookie, and leave roughly 1-in between. Makes about 10 cookies
4. Cookie for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool. Enjoy!

3. Unclassically But Better Chocolate Chip Cookies

OMG, chocolate chip cookies are by far my favorite of all cookies. Don’t get me wrong macadamia nut cookies rock, sugar cookies are great, but who can resist a chocolate chip cookie? It’s almost unAmerican to not enjoy a cookie dipped in a glass of almond milk! Who’s with me?

This list wouldn’t be complete without my famous chocolate chip cookies.

OMG… who can resist that? Not even Dan! And if he can’t resist a sweet then no one can.

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter (or Almond butter)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla
• 3 T. water
• 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal Quaker oatmeal (large flakes)
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Turn the oven on 350 to preheat.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients in first: The first 5 ingredients above.
3.  Then, fold in the rest and mix until just blended (don’t mess up the oats).
4. Drop teaspoon mounds on a cookie sheet and bake for around 11-14 minutes.

These taste really good! It’s a great after dinner treat without feeling bad while I’m eating extremely clean. But even when I’m not on a strict no-sugar diet, I still love these!

Image source Dr Oz and Paula: SheCare.com

Out of all the areas of my body to wake up and feel sore the day after a workout, I will admit sore abs brings me the most satisfaction.

When you wake up with sore abs there is an immediate feeling of achievement, as if you feel you’re one step closer to a flatter stomach… “wait I think I see more defined abs”… may have crossed my mind this morning when I woke up and felt the post exercise soreness.

Of course I know it’s all mental, because no matter how many crunches or plank holds you do or how sore your abs are you aren’t going to see them if you don’t burn off the layer of fat that lives on top of them.

SO why don’t I have a six pack? 

Because I love life. For a woman to show a 6-pack you have to decrease your body fat to around 16%, which is tough. And since abs are made in the kitchen… I can’t give up my weekend wine night or my Friday baking experiments. And if you think I would ever bake something and not eat it myself you’re sadly mistaken.

For example, I made these coconut chocolate cookies this past Friday! So good, recipe to come. These were the most moist cookies ever and I have affectionately named them “coco-choco-cookie”

I am proud of my body, my strength, the athleticism and my “tone”. My stomach may not be a 6-pack, but I do think it’s a reflection of the healthy lifestyle I lead!

So why do core work at all?

Because they are like any other muscle group! You want them toned so that as you are burning off those fatty layers you have great abs hiding below. Not to mention a strong core helps to alleviate back pain, prevent injuries and allows for better posture.

Because of my love of stomach exercises I put together this ab workout. It’s only 4.6 minutes long, it included 8 intervals of 5 seconds rest/30 seconds of work. There should be no excuses on this.

Feeling sore great today.

Jury Duty Update

I have been called in to go to jury duty this afternoon. I am sure it’s different all over, but here in Charleston, they make you call into the hotline each night to see if you’re expected in court the following day. Apparently jury duty here means being on call for the entire week.

So Tuesday I called the hotline at the specific time, just to be told my “next instructions are to call back after 9 am”… Okay… so I did and guess what, the next recording on the hotline said to call back for further instructions after 12! What is this mission impossible? Let’s just say I don’t do well when I am not sure what I can and can’t do with my day.

This chick has a to-do list that is over a page long right now! Argh. Then again it’s my civic responsibility, right?

After two days of this, yesterday was AWEFUL! I am called in today, and perhaps the rest of the week. Ugghh. Give me patience and the ability to be REALLY effective with the time I do have.

Questions: 

• What’s your favorite area to be sore after a workout?
• Have you ever served on jury duty? 

I can give you all the health and fitness knowledge that I know, but what you do with it is up to you.

I hear it all the time, people asking why they aren’t seeing results. After all, they’re showing up, they’re working out.

What’s the problem?

Why doesn’t your body reflect the effort that you’re putting into it?

Read over these suggestions and give each some serious thought. Could this be you? And if so, what can you do about it?

5 Reasons Your Not Seeing Results From Workouts

You are training too much. 

There is such a thing as overtraining, and I know because I’ve done it. Your body can’t catch up with all the exercise you’re doing and instead of losing weight and toning up it stays in a state of constant stress. Results happen while you’re not working out.

If you are working out the same muscles back to back days, or you don’t remember the last time you took time off then it’s time to re-evaluate your workout schedule.

• Make sure to give yourself at least 2 days of rest each week.
• Never work the same muscle groups within a 48 hour period. It takes that long for recover to happen.
• Don’t be afraid to cross train: do a bit of everything like cardio, strength training, and even a yoga class to help your body perform better overall.
• Listen to your body. If you feel like it’s exhausted and not into working out then put the workout off until tomorrow. You will decrease your risk of injury and will have an ever better workout the following day.

Workouts Are Too Mundane

When was the last time you did something different with your workout? I don’t mean the last time you changed your workouts from doing 3 sets of 10 reps of push-ups to 3 sets of 10 reps of bench press.

When I say change I mean change:

• Change the exercises
• Change the weight
• Change the reps you want to hit
• Change how many sets you are doing.

How often should this change happen? Every 3-4 weeks, this gives your muscles time to be challenged by one workout but not enough time to fall into a plateau. (Click to watch a video about weight loss plateaus)

You’re Training Too Little

How hard do you workout? During your exercise routine are you bringing your heart rate up, working your muscles and feeling “the burn”?

Simply walking around the block isn’t going to cut it any longer. If you’re body is used to working out then it needs that… a real bonified workout. Something that makes you sweat and at the end you say, “wow, that felt awesome”.

I see way too many women walking on the treadmill each and every day with a book in hand. If you’re able to read a novel while working out, then you might want to re-evaluate things a bit.

• Always go in with a workout planned out. Have a workout written down or printed out. Knowing what you’re suppose to do will make it more efficient of a workout and help to push you a bit more.
• Try intervals to spice up cardio. Plus they are 5 times more efficient at burning body fat than steady state cardio routines. Sprint for a few seconds, walk for a bit, and repeat. Plus the time goes by so much faster.
• Workout with a friend. If you have a friend, spouse, or co-worker that you know is really into working out ask if you can workout with them one day. They might push you to work harder than you would ever do on your own. Plus it can add some excitement to the program.

It’s All About Nutrition

Unless your name happens to be Michael Phelps, you simply can’t eat whatever you want no matter how great your workout is.

Even if you have the best workout in the world, but then walk away and grab a fast food burger or a pizza, no one will ever know.

Make sure your diet is a reflection of your workout. Eating clean, all natural foods is the key to not only feeling your best, but looking your best.

Clean eating tips:

• Eat smaller meals more frequently to keep your blood sugar stabilized, energy levels up and fat storage to a minimum
• Stick to perimeter of grocery stores, away from the processed, boxed foods.
• Don’t skip breakfast, people who eat breakfast are more likely to make smarter choices throughout the day
• Don’t avoid food groups, such as going “low fat” “low carb” or “low protein” all three are important for a balanced, healthy diet.

You Don’t Eat Enough

That might sound crazy but it’s an issue that I have found to be huge among women. We have this idea that if we can cut out calories down as much as possible then we will lose weight faster.

Believe it or not it’s quite the opposite.

When you cut calories down too low to where you can’t support your workouts and active lifestyle instead of burning body fat you go into a catabolic state where you breakdown muscle mass.

If you break down muscle mass, you directly decrease your metabolism. And of course if you’re metabolism is slowed then it’s too easy to put weight on. Instead of burning fat you hoard it.

Track your calories to make sure you are eating enough. To loose weight you only need to cut back 500 calories per day for healthy results.

• How did you do?
• Do any of these sound familiar?

If so, change your habits today so that you can start seeing a different reflection in the mirror.

Also ask yourself this:

How long have you really been working towards a new reflection? If it’s only been a week, don’t feel disappointed or as if you are failing. Changes can take up to 3 weeks to see, so keep working and moving forward.

But Your Honor, I Don’t Wanna!

Wish me luck today, I will be hanging out in the Charleston Court playing jury duty. I am hoping this is a one day thing, because let’s face it does anyone actually enjoy jury duty?

It would really be wonderful if I showed up and was told that the case had settled out of court… a girl can dream!

Finding My Love For Charleston

I was born and raised in this beautiful city. But as many people can relate sometimes you miss the beauty of things that are right in front of you.

I’ve always loved it, but I haven’t take the time to really appreciate it. What’s not to love about a place that is nicknamed the “Holy City” and is one of the biggest destinations in the country for weddings?

Not to mention is was voted #1 for most attractive people! 

But one thing I’ve enjoyed since college is getting out and seeing more. Dan and I love spending Saturdays playing hometown tourist. And that’s what we did this weekend.

First on the docket: The Market

A Saturday isn’t a Saturday unless we go to the market. But then again if we didn’t we wouldn’t have any food since it’s what I rely on for all my produce. It was another successful day, and it was even better because my brother, sister-in-law and niece met us downtown too!

This is her  ”Aunt Taylor… You’re Crazy!”  

We have a rule that whatever cash is left over after we get our veggies we use to get a treat. I love this rule! Each week we aim to get something different. I really wanted to give the juice stand another try but it was $6 a drink! We only had $11 in our fun account. So we settled for green tea matcha shakes instead. Good decision on our parts.

Mine had no whip, but the lady convinced Dan since he isn’t vegan that he needed the whip. He didn’t argue. 

It just felt right to have braids at the farmer’s market! And this shake was gone about 5 minutes later! So good.

Made with matcha, almond milk, and a dash of vanilla. I love the lady that makes these for us. She works really hard to get it just right. Giving a taste after each stage to make sure we’re satisfied! I don’t know her name, but I know the tent was for Charleston Coffee Roasters!

For $20 we ended up with: 

• Tomatoes x 2
• Eggplant x 1
• Baby zucchini x lots
• Baby squash (these are so cute) x lots
• Lettuce x 1
• Sweet onions x 3
• Brussel sprouts x lots
• Cucumbers x 3
• Jalapenos x 3

Next On The Docket: Angel Oak

This tree is amazing. It’s believed to be the oldest and biggest oak tree alive on this side of the Mississippi. Age wise it’s thought to be between 300-400 years old, though some legends say that it’s 1500 years old! How cool?

We were amazed at how crowded it was once we pulled into to the park area. It seemed to be the place to be!

This branch looked as if it needed a bit of help. All the others had support beams, he deserved one too.

My handsome husband!

You can’t tell me this isn’t a kids dream for a treehouse! If there hadn’t been 50-trillion signs saying “Do Not Climb Tree” I am pretty sure I would have shimmied up a few branches immediately! 

Tourist Spot #2: Wadmalaw Island and Ridgeville

From Angel Oak, we hopped back into the car and drove to another island near by: Wadmalaw. You may have heard of FireFly Vodka or perhaps the Charleston Tea Plantation. Both of these are on this extremely quiet island, we decided we would hit up the planation next trip (now that we know where it is).

We parked our car in a small area called Ridgeville and walked around. I won’t lie there was an irie feeling about the area. It was gorgeous but I half expected to look up in the houses and see some old ghost looking down at us.

I couldn’t get over how many churches there were in an area where there seemed to be less than a dozen homes. 

It’s been a LOOOONNNNGGGG time since I’ve seen this much Spanish Moss (Hurricane Hugo killed a ton of it)

We really love the moss! It’s one of Dan’s favorite things about living in Charleston. So whenever we see a huge amount  we have been known to get a bit carried away.

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. This bush was covered with blooms, but I had a take a fast picture because some dog decided to start making his way to us… no wild dogs for this couple! We high-tailed it out of there.

It was so quaint, and untouched. The stillness along with all the Spanish moss was a reminder that I really do live in the old south.

So much beauty!

This concluded our tourist trip for the day. We made our way home, had a glass of wine and ended the night with a movie.

Questions: 

• Do you ever play hometown tourist? 
• Have you visited Charleston?
• What’s your fav touristy spot in your town?

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. I hope that you’re relaxing and having the kids pamper you like crazy today, because that’s what you deserve!

Mom’s Day Recap

I really need to get some updated pictures of my family.  I don’t even think that Dan and I have taken pictures together since our honeymoon! Blogging project??

For my mom, grandmother and sister-in-law I put together a luncheon. I showed up at my parents loaded with with Whole Food Goodies! To match everyone’s taste and keep it somewhat light I put together:

A salad bar (make your own salad with choices that included: vegan crabcakes, shrimp, chickpea and kale salad, olives, bell pepper, fruit, and a several dressings to choose from.

My s-i-l made her homemade guac, so good! We also had hummus, pita chips, cheese blocks, chicken salad and edamame.

For a desset instead of serving up something heavy, I decided a tasting would be perfect. So I picked up several of Whole Foods mini-tarts so we could have a bit of everything. = amazing.

And of course we had mimosas. Though I wasn’t feeling drinking today, so I just had 1/2 of one (sad, huh?)

Moving on to the thighs! Because isn’t that what you really want to read about?

Totally Toned Tight Thighs

There is one single exercise that can help tone you inner, outer, front and back of your thighs. It’s a move I have named: Around The World

1. The idea is that you start with feet together, with the right leg lunge forward, then push back to starting spot.
2. Then again with the right leg, lunge to the side. push back up to the start.
3. Step the right foot back to a reverse lunge, and push off the back foot to get back to start.
4. And finish off with lunging out the the left side. This concludes 1 rep.
5. Repeat with the left leg starting and move in the opposite (counter-clockwise) direction.
6. Complete a total of 10-12 reps. Add a dumbbell for more of a challenge.