LiveFit Trainer Phase 2 Day 34 and CAKE

I know you all have seen the title of this post and noticed that the word "cake" is in all capitals, so you're probably wondering why.  Well you're going to have to wait, because I must talk about my last workout of the week first.

Today was leg day again but a different workout from Wednesday.  I chose to do lighter weights and not over stress my muscles, because I don't want to be sore for my race tomorrow!  I still can't believe I will be racing in Warrior Dash tomorrow morning!

The second leg workout for Phase 2 is as follows:

• A superset of Seated Leg Curls at 3 sets of 10 reps and Leg Extensions at 3 sets of 10 reps
• A superset of Barbell Lunges at 3 sets of 20 reps and Abductor Machine at 3 sets of 20 reps
• A superset of Lying Leg Curls at 3 sets of 15 reps and Adductor Machine at 3 sets of 15 reps
• Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Single Leg Barbell Squat: 3 sets of 10 reps (I chose to do this on the Smith Machine, because I didn't trust myself to do it free standing.)
• Leg Press (wide stance): 1 giant drop-set to failure (I ended up doing 30 at 200 lbs.)
• Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 20 reps

Yes, you read that correctly.  There were three supersets in a row for this workout!  I can't wait to actually do this with heavier weights next week when I'm not worried about my race!  It's going to be so intense!

Alright! Alright!  Now for the moment you have all been waiting for: CAKE!!!  This is what happens when I have crazy chocolate and peanut butter cravings (which is basically all the time), and I have free time to mess around in the kitchen.  This recipe was inspired by Jamie Eason's Carrot Cake Protein Bars which I posted earlier.  I adjusted the recipe to what I had in the house and what my taste buds wanted, which was a lot of chocolate!

Ingredients:
1 c. oats
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 c Stevia or other natural sweetener
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt
1 c canned pure pumpkin
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
9 T liquid egg whites
1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
4 T Peanut Butter and Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a food processor, blend together all of the dry ingredients (oats, protein powder, Stevia, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt).  Once mixed together thoroughly, add in canned pumpkin, egg whites and almond milk.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a greased 9 x 9 dish.

It will most likely have a little bit of chunkiness to it because of the oats; however, if you blend the dry ingredients longer, you can avoid this.  You can also avoid this by using oat flour instead of rolled oats.  Next, put the 4 T of peanut butter in a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds until it is all melted.  Drizzle this on the top of the cake batter and swirl with a knife.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  I baked mine for 24 minutes.  It's really hard to tell when this is cooked all the way through, because the peanut butter stays gooey and the knife never comes out clean!  Let cool and enjoy!

I cut mine into 16 squares and ate 4 in one sitting.  I took some to my friend Des and got a text a little later saying that they were amazing!  I love getting recipe approval from people who don't follow my same lifestyle of healthy eating!

Macros per 1 of 16:
69 calories
2.3 grams of fat
7.1 grams of carbs
1.8 grams of dietary fiber
1.7 grams of sugar
6.5 grams of protein

I don't want to toot my own horn, but seriously make this cake!  It is delicious, and you will think that you should feel guilty about eating it!  But obviously there is no guilt in those macros!

LiveFit Trainer Phase 2 Days 31, 32 and 33

I am so sorry that I suck at these daily posts!  The last few days have been crazy busy, and I truly just needed to enjoy my free time with my friends rather than worrying about posting.  So you will be getting three days in one post.  I will keep it simple, since I know my weekend posts will be super long this weekend!  Want to know why?  Because WARRIOR DASH IS SUNDAY!!!!!!  Ah!! I'm so excited!  I'm nervous, but I cannot wait.  Some of my best friends and family are coming to watch, and I feel very blessed that they are all coming to support me.  I promise you that post will have plenty off awesomely muddy pictures!!

First of all, my diet sucked for days 31 and 32; however, it made me realize that I was becoming entirely too obsessive about what I eat.  I have since done some research and noticed that a lot of the people who inspire me on Instagram and on bodybuilding.com don't really count calories.  They track what they eat and eat foods with high nutritional value, but they do not count calories.  I also looked ahead into phase 3 of the trainer which does some calorie and carb cycling.  The lowest Jamie Eason would have be go is 1450 calories, and I was eating around 1200.  So I was feeling extremely lethargic, hungry and had crazy cravings.  Today I just decided to follow the trainer meals exactly, except for the egg whites at night, because that's just gross!  I feel so much better today, so I think I'm going to stick with this.  I am also starting to see some definition in my arms and upper abs, which is super exciting, because I've never had any definition there before!

Here are my workouts for the last three days:

Day 31: Legs

• Leg Extensions: 2 warm up sets with lighter weights for 30 reps
• Wide-Stance Barbell Squats: 2 lighter sets of 15 reps, 2 heavier sets to failure
• Leg Press: 4 sets of 8 reps (I PRed on this at 200 lbs!!)
• Walking Barbell Lunge: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Barbell Step Ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Plie Dumbbell Squat: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 20 reps, last set to failure
• Donkey Calf Raises or Leg Press Calf Raises: 3 sets of 20 reps, last set to failure

This was probably one of the hardest leg workouts I have ever done!  My legs actually gave out!

Day 32: Arms/Abs/Cardio

• Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
• A superset of Overhead Cable Curls at 3 sets of 10 reps and Cable Hammer Curls with the rope attachment at 3 sets of 10 reps
• Alternate Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Bench or Parallel Bar Dips: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Skullcrushers: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Seated Tricep Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Tricep Pushdowns: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Air Bike: 3 sets of 25 reps
• Jackknife Sit-Up: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets of 10 reps
• 30 minute of moderate intensity steady state cardio--I chose elliptical.

Day 33: Shoulders/Cardio

• Smith Machine Military Press: 1 warm-up set, 3 sets of 10 reps
• A superset Upright Dumbbell Rows at 3 sets of 10 reps and Standing Dumbbell Military Press at 3 sets of 10 reps
• Incline Bench Front Dumbbell Delt Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Lying Rear Delt Flyes: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Rear Deltoid Raise: 3 sets of 10 reps
• 30 minutes moderate intensity steady state cardio - I chose treadmill.

Well that is all for now, I promise I will be better at getting these posts up the day of!

LiveFit Trainer Phase 2 Day 30

Day 2 of Phase 2 and still going strong!  I have noticed that I was a little bit hungrier today, because I woke up a couple of hours earlier than I usually do to workout before work.  However, I was able to work my meals around to have 6!  I still haven't even eaten my last meal yet today!  While I am on the topic of diet, here is what I ate today (very similar to yesterday):

Breakfast (8:00 AM):

• 1 La Tortilla Factory Low Carb High Fiber wrap
• 6 T liquid egg whites
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 slice Go Veggie Pepper jack cheese
• 2 T Nash Brothers organic salsa

Mid-Morning Snack (11:00 AM):

• 4 oz. 99% fat free Honeysuckle White ground turkey
• 1/2 c brown rice
• 1 c steamed broccoli
• Walden Farms Italian dressing

Lunch (2:00 PM):

• 2 c. romaine lettuce
• 1 can chunk light tuna
• Walden Farms Italian dressing

Mid-Afternoon Snack (5:00 PM):

• 4 oz. 99% fat free Honeysuckle White ground turkey
• 2/3 c. edamame
• Walden Farms Italian dressing

Dinner (8:00 PM):

• White Chocolate Raspberry Quest protein bar (We will get back to this!)

Evening Snack (11:00 PM):

• 1 c. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop Body Fortress vanilla whey protein powder
• Walden Farms caramel syrup

I was so excited that I finally got my order of Quest bars in the mail today, and they gave me an extra bar for free!!!

I absolutely love these bars!  So far the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite, but I haven't tried all of them yet!  I have a sample of each of the flavors in this box, including the new White Chocolate Raspberry, which I tried today!

Amazing!!  You could totally taste the white chocolate and the raspberry in this bar.  I heated mine up in the microwave for like 20 seconds, which made it like a cake!  Melt in your mouth goodness!  To top it all off, these bars are made with natural ingredients.  They are high in fiber, low in net carbs, gluten free, high in protein, low in sugar, you can bake them, microwave them...Need I go on?  I had to go a week without them, because I was low on money.  It was the worst week of my life!!!  I used to get them from GNC locally, then I realized it was cheaper to buy them directly from the company.  The only problem was waiting for the shipping.  I ordered them on Wednesday and I got them today.  I will not be making that mistake again.  The second I get paid Friday, I am ordering another box!  Check out their website at www.questnutrition.com.  Alright I'm getting hungry again, time to talk about my workouts!

Today was Chest/Abs and Cardio as follows:

• Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press: 5 sets of 8 reps
• Push-ups: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cable Crossover: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Smith Machine Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Side-to-Side Push-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps (I had to watch a YouTube video of these, because I had never heard of them.  They are so freaking hard!!!)
• A superset of Toe Touchers at 3 sets of 20 reps and Crunches with legs straight up at 3 sets of 20 reps
• Roman Chair Knee Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Crunch: 3 sets of 10 reps
• 30 min steady state moderate intensity cardio (Today I did this on the elliptical to give my knees a break.)

That will be all for today!  I have a day off work tomorrow and am super excited to hang out with friends, but I have already planned ahead and will be bringing my trusty lunchbox(es).

LiveFit Trainer Phase 2 Day 29

Welcome to Phase 2!

I was so excited to go to the gym today, because I absolutely love new workouts.  In this trainer, as the phases go on the workouts increase in intensity level and difficulty, and I am so ready to challenge myself!  Today was a new Back workout with added cardio; it went as follows:

• Wide Grip Overhand Pullups: 3 sets of 10 reps
• A superset of Bent-Over Barbell Rows at 3 sets of 8 reps and Seated Cable Rows at 3 sets of 8 reps
• Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 10 reps
• One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 8 reps (I just realized I did 10! Oops!)
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Hyperextensions: 3 sets of 8 reps (Again, I did 10 reps.)
• 30 minutes of medium intensity steady state cardio, i.e. running, elliptical, step-mill

First, I want to talk a little bit about supersets.  Supersets include two or more workouts that you complete without rest in between.  For example, today I did 8 reps of Bent-Over Barbell Rows, then ran over to do 8 reps of Seated Cable Rows before resting between sets.  Supersets are higher intensity, because you have less rest time.  Let me just tell you my back is so tight after this workout today.  Seriously, putting on a bra is difficult.

Now with the medium intensity steady state cardio, I chose to run on the treadmill.  Again I stress that I am not a runner, but I wanted to challenge myself today.  I chose to run on the treadmill at a steady speed of 4.4 mph.  For me, this is pretty moderate intensity as I knew it would be difficult for me to run at the speed non-stop for 30 minutes, but I did it!!  I was sweating like a pig but so proud of myself afterward!

In looking at the diet for phase 2, it is very similar to phase 1, except the mid-afternoon snack and dinner are flip flopped.  The goal here is to get your starchy carbs in even earlier in the day to really help burn up the fat.  So here was what was on the menu for me today:

Breakfast (~10:00 AM):

• 1 La Tortilla Factory Low Carb High Fiber Wrap
• 6 T liquid egg whites
• 1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 slice of Go Veggie! Pepper jack Lactose Free cheese
• 2 T Organic Nash Brothers salsa

Lunch (~1:00 PM):

• 4 oz. 99% fat free Honeysuckle White ground turkey
• 1/2 c. brown rice
• 1 c. steamed broccoli
• Walden Farms Balsamic dressing

Mid-Afternoon Snack (~3:00 PM):

• 4 oz. chunk white tuna in water from a can
• 2 c. romaine heart lettuce
• Walden Farms Italian dressing

Dinner (~7:30 PM):

• 4 oz. 99% fat free Honeysuckle White ground turkey
• 2/3 c. edamame
• Walden Farms Italian dressing

Evening Snack (~10:30 PM):

• 1 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop Body Fortress vanilla creme whey protein powder
• Walden Farms caramel syrup

I will need to make a quick grocery run tomorrow as all of my Walden Farms stuff got used up!  If you haven't tried Walden Farms, I suggest you go out and do so now!  It is calorie free, sugar free, carb free, fat free, gluten free and just about everything free, except for the price.  I have probably tried the majority of their products.  The only one I really don't like is the peanut butter.  I use the chocolate syrup, pancake syrup, caramel syrup, salad dressings and BBQ sauces frequently as I don't change my meals around too much.  Using the different sauces really helps to change up the flavor without adding extra calories!

Off to bed now!  I will be getting up early for Chest/Abs and cardio before work!

LiveFit Trainer Phase 1 Day 28

I cannot believe phase 1 is over!  Before I post my new measurements and progress pictures, I want to begin by saying that there wasn't much change in this phase.  Initially, I was very disappointed with that, but then I did some Googling about others who have completed the trainer.  They all seemed to have similar results after phase 1.  I have found that many people don't lose much weight in the first four weeks, because it is purely weight training with no cardio.  However, it is important to take this step in order to build good quality muscle that will be exposed through the addition of cardio, supersets and plyometrics in the next two phases.  I am anxious to see the changes after the next four weeks, but I have promised myself that I will not touch a scale or measuring tape until the end of phase 2 when I am ready to put up my next set of progress pictures.  I end up obsessing over the numbers too much when I should just look in the mirror and notice the changes in my body.  I have noticed muscle growth and changes in where I am holding weight on my body.  Now here is a comparison by the numbers:

                   Pre-Measurements:                                       End of Phase 1:
Weight:              151.8 lbs.                                                   150 lbs.
Waist:                 30"                                                            29.5"
Hips:                   40"                                                            39.5"
Chest:                 36"                                                             35"
Thighs:                21.5"                                                          21"
Biceps:                12"                                                             12"

Tomorrow begins phase 2 which is the introduction of moderate steady state cardio.  I am going to be extremely strict with myself this coming week, so that I can have fun at Warrior Dash.  I have plans to have a beer, a turkey leg and some frozen yogurt.  I did treat myself with a peanut butter and banana sandwich after work this evening for the completion of day 1, but other than the peanut butter, it was all clean and healthy.  I look forward to what tomorrow will bring!

LiveFit Trainer Phase 1 Day 26 and 27

It has been a busy couple of days with work and family stuff, so I haven't gotten to really do much blogwise.  I apologize for another double post, but I hate to post unless I really have something to say.

This week has been a struggle for me.  It is the last week of phase 1, and I kind of expected myself to be about 6 pounds lighter than I actually am.  I don't think I've lost any weight at all, but I guess we will see when I do my measurements and progress photos tomorrow.  I keep telling myself that it is a process, that I am only 1/3 of the way through, that I am building muscle and once cardio gets put in and the phases continue, the weight will begin to come off.  Warrior Dash, this blog and some truly amazing friends have kept me going.  I am pleased to say that I have one more week until Warrior Dash, and since I made the goal of no cheats, I have not eaten anything "unclean," so to speak.  I have eaten some things outside of the phase 1 diet plan, but that mostly consisted of bananas and natural peanut butter, which is my favorite combination of flavors!

Yesterday was Shoulders and Abs (same as last week).  I chose not to do any cardio in order to give my legs and my knee a good three day rest before phase 2 starts.  I will say that I am so glad I found that Pumpkin Cheesecake Protein pudding recipe, because without Quest bars, I am going crazy!  I'm so used to eating at least one a day, and until my new shipment comes in, I don't have any!  The pudding has been a good replacement.  I even used up the last of the cottage cheese today, and I've already bought more.

Today is a rest day, and usually on rest days, I want to eat all of the food in the kitchen.  However, I don't really feel like that today, which I think is a good sign.

I guess that's all I have today.  Sorry for such a brief post again with no pictures.  I have some recipes I'd like to try but will probably wait until Warrior Dash is over before I try them.

LiveFit Trainer Phase 1 Day 25 and Protein Pudding

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love leg day!!  I did the same workout for legs as last week plus about an hour on the elliptical.  I still feel a little guilty about yesterday and for the few bites of jambalaya I ate while my turkey burger re-heated.  My daddy makes the best jambalaya in the world, and I just couldn't resist the spicy goodness.

I still felt pretty good most of the day though with all of the endorphins from leg day, and I got my hair done.  Back to being a redhead!

I also found and tested out an awesome new recipe today.  I found the original recipe from @youngnhealthy, but I adapted it to my liking.  If you know me, you know I have an issue with the texture of foods, and cottage cheese is one of the foods I tend to have issues with.  It's just something about chunky milky stuff that doesn't sound appetizing to me at all, but it is very good for you and high in protein, like Greek yogurt.  I use it in pancakes, because I can blend it all up and cover up the fact that it's chunky milk.  However, my mom was being nice and got me some cottage cheese at the grocery.  I felt bad that she bought it, and I was going to eat it.  But scrolling through Instagram, I saw youngnhealthy post a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake, which used cottage cheese blended until smooth.  It looked delicious, so I figured why not try it.  I had all of the ingredients in my house!  I'm really glad I did, because it was awesome!

Ingredients:
1 c fat free cottage cheese
1/2 c pure pumpkin
1/4 c unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (originally the recipe called for sugarfree butterscotch pudding mix)
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
Stevia, to taste

All of the ingredients get blended together until smooth.  I used my single serve smoothie maker on my Ninja, and this stuff was thick!!  I would suggest filling the cup with the thickest ingredients first, because the blades will get slower with how thick it is.  This makes a lot of mixture and is very filling.  I would say it could serve 2-4 people.  I ate it in two servings and froze the second half to eat as ice cream at the end of the night.  It is delicious both ways.

I topped mine with a crushed 1/8 c of Envirokidz Koala Crisps and some sprinkled Stevia.  Youngnhealthy topped hers with some ginger snaps, but it would be good topped with crushed almonds or graham crackers too.  She also called it Pumpkin Cheesecake, which with a crust and chilled, it probably could be a cheesecake.  However, I think the way I made it, it's more like a protein pudding or protein ice cream!

Macros for whole mixture, without toppings:
340 calories
1.6 grams of fat
22.8 grams of carbs
5.8 grams of dietary fiber
13.5 grams of sugar
58.2 grams of protein

I will definitely be making this stuff again in probably a few variations until all that nasty cottage cheese is gone!