Fluffy Pancakes!!! Low Carb, Low Sugar and HIGH protein!

I have a slight addiction to breakfast food and can pretty much eat breakfast food for any meal of the day so there is a recipe on here for an almond butter pancake which is delicious, but sometimes when I am trying to cut a little fat out of my diet I go for more of just a traditional homemade pancake style that taste pretty darn close to regular pancakes! These are super easy to make and cook really fast so just be careful when putting it on the stove top.

Ingredients:
1/2  Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein
1/4 cup oat flour
2 egg whites or 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1 tbsp Non Fat Plain greek yogurt
Cinnamon

Use non-stick cooking spray on skillet. Pre-heat skillet on medium. Combine all ingredients together and whisk until consistency is smooth (it might seem a little runny, but that's normal they still come out like pancakes). Pour into skillet like regular pancake batter. When I did this, I came out with 4 pancakes that were thin but delicious! Top with 1/4 cup sugar free syrup and cinnamon and enjoy!

Here is the nutritional info on these bad boys!
Calories    228
Fat               2g
Carbs        16g
Protein      31
Sugar         3g

Share on facebook if you enjoyed this delicious breakfast recipe!

Healthy Shredded Salsa Chicken!

After a while, grilled chicken/baked chicken/boiled chicken...it all gets old! I love to eat foods that taste delicious, but still have tons of health benefits. I have also been cutting out pre-made salad dressings and trying different things to create my own. This recipe is seriously an amazing dish that anyone will love. I have made this for my family and even they enjoyed it (I left out that it was healthy) :) It is super easy to make and taste soooo good on top of salads, brown rice, black beans, or scrambled with egg whites!!!

Here are the ingredients I used:
Package of Purdue Perfect Portion Chicken Breasts (Comes with 5 single serving pouches)
1 Jar Publix Medium Organic Salsa
1 can Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tbsp Corn Starch (to thicken up the sauce)
Mrs. Dash Southwest Salt Free Seasoning

Here is how simple it is....Take all of the ingredients and throw them in a crockpot together and cook on low for 4-6 hours. That's it! You can even buy frozen chicken breasts and cook it in there. How easy and amazing is that! I usually throw this all in there then just put it in tupper wear to add to my meals throughout the week.

Nutritional Breakdown (Makes 5 servings, this is for one serving)

Calories    200
Fat            2.8g
Carbs        14.3
Sugars       2.8
Protein      29.5

Here is a Southwest Salad I make with this Salsa Chicken
2 Cups Baby Spinach
1/2 cup raw mushrooms
Sprinkle on Red Onions
1/2 cup Salsa Chicken
1/4 of hass avocado
For Salad Dressing: 1 tbsp Fat Free Greek Yogurt and 2 tbsp Organic Salsa Stir together and Pour on Top

MMMM I'm seriously hooked on this salsa chicken! Try it out and let me know how you like it or share on facebook!

Cookie Dough Casein! Whattttttt!!!?

I recently made a post about how I always look forward to my last meal of the day, which is eating my casein before bed and that is no joke. I literally would rather eat my casein at night then a huge bowl of ice cream because I have figured out so many different ways to make it tastes so amazing! Lets start with the basics though. What is Casein and why do I need it?

Casein has the ability to provide your bloodstream with a slow and steady flow of amino acids that could last for hours. It is a slow digesting protein that feeds your muscle throughout the night while you're sleeping! How awesome is that!? Whey protein hits your muscles at a fast rate to help repair and give your muscles the essential amino acids needed right after a workout. Casein takes a little longer for your body to metabolize, but at night...that's exactly what you want! 

Ok so now that the terminology is covered there is a myth that needs to be settled. PROTEIN WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT! Protein is a necessary nutrient your body needs to both build lean muscle mass and to give you lasting energy throughout the day. Overeating your daily caloric need will make you fat and sitting on your butt and never exercising will do the same. 

Now the good part! So I am including a few different types of recipes for Casein that will also make you looking forward to your evening treat! All of them I will call Cookie Dough since they have a similar texture! Try them out and let me know what ya think!

                                               Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Casein!

1 Scoop Vanilla or Cookies N' Cream Casein Powder
1 Tbsp Semi Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

Mix ingredients together and SLOWLY add 1 tbsp of water at a time and keep stirring until you get a very thick pudding type consistency. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes then enjoy! You should have a cookie dough like texture!

Calories     200    
Carbs         15
Fat              6
Protein      25
Sugar         9




                                                Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough!

1 Scoop Double Chocolate Casein Powder
1 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter

Mix ingredients together and SLOWLY add 1 tbsp of water at a time and keep stirring until you get a very thick pudding type consistency. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes then enjoy! You should have a cookie dough like texture!

Calories  220
Carbs       8
Fat           9
Protein     28
Sugar        2

Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Cookie Dough (This one is my fav not only is it delicious, but the macro's are perfect!!)

1 Scoop Cookies & Cream Casein
2 Tbsp Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
1 Stevia Packet
1/2 of a Nabisco Graham Cracker Sheet Crushed

Mix all ingredients Except Graham Cracker together and SLOWLY add 1 tbsp of water at a time and keep stirring until you get a very thick pudding type consistency. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes then top with crushed graham cracker and enjoy! You should have a cookie dough like texture!

Calories 161
Carbs        9
Fat            1
Protein    30
Sugar        4

                                                  Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Dough

 

Ok so this one is good for a HIGH CARB day. I ate this one the night before my shoot when I was carb loading or you can use it for an insane leg day where your legs are much higher. This one was pretty delicious too!

1 Scoop Vanilla Casein Powder
Cinnamon (To taste)
1/4cup to 1/2 Cup Dry Oats (Depends on your carb needs for that day) DON'T COOK OATS
1 Tbsp Sugar Free Syrup

Make Casein Sludge First! Mix cinnamon, casein powder and sugar free syrup together and slowly add water till you have a cookie dough consistency. Then stir in DRY OATS until mixed (Add more water if necessary since the oats absorb some of the water). Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes and voila! You have Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Dough!

Calories    280
Carbs        32g (Based off 1/2 Cup of Oats)
Fat           4g
Protein    29g
Sugar       1g

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Are you eating the right Macro's?

"I am eating low calories and I dropped a ton of weight, but now I've hit a wall! I follow a fat free diet and yet all I have is fat on me! All I eat is protein and veggies and I don't understand why I'm not losing weight when I eat so perfectly! "

I cannot tell you how many consultations I do that have individuals who are frustrated because they are eating low-carb, fat-free, low sugar, all veggies, vegan, high protein no fat, all shakes and one whole meal, b-12, appetite suppressants, you name it! They lose the weight up front and then just hit that brick wall and it stops moving! Your weight stops coming off because we all have a different genetic makeup that requires different macro nutrients and if you are not giving your body the right sources of each for YOUR body makeup then you will plateau and you will stop seeing results.

What are macro's!? I knew that was going to be your question...macro's are the different nutrients in your daily nutrition that your body uses to fuel and sustain you. Google's definition would be "A type of food required in large amounts in the human diet." Simple terms means it is food that YOUR BODY NEEDS more than others and in different quantities. Your best friend who is skinny as a pole is not going to need the same protein/carb/fat breakdown as you. That's why the diets you have been trying are not working because there's no "one size fits all diet" out there that is perfect. There are guidelines and meal plans, but in order to see the results you aren't seeing you need to breakdown your macro's.

I create meal plans all day long for people who are shocked when I tell them they're sugar and sodium are too high, increase your protein, eat more good fats, and add a few calories to your diet because 900-1,000 isn't going to work! Everyone thinks dramatically cutting your calories and eating bites of a few different things throughout the day is the answer. Well here's the question, when you do that do you feel happy throughout the day or frustrated and tired? Do you feel satisfied or do you feel like you are starving? Do you feel fueled to get through your workout or do you have to take every pre-workout and caffeine drink out there to get through just 20 minutes? Food is your friend and is meant to help you, not hurt you. Treat your body like an enemy only giving it barely enough carbs to get by and your body will become your enemy by making you fatigued and lethargic hating life.

This is why I offer online training for so many people because a lot of people have a basic knowledge of working out. They know what a squat, lunge, bicep curl, shoulder press and all that is and they can do it on their own on a regular basis. However, most people have NO IDEA how to eat for their body or how to structure a workout plan to follow and end up just doing the same thing over and over and over every week wondering why in the world their body isn't changing....your body isn't changing because you haven't changed anything about what you do! That's the cold hard truth. Do the same lifting routine 3 days a week for 6 months and your body will give you the same results. Eat the same macro's every day for 6 months and your body will keep you looking the same for those 6 months. It really is that simple.

Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. We understand that in certain aspects in our life so why do we not get that when it comes to health and fitness. Now, the positive side of that is this...keep changing your workouts and your body will keep changing to adapt! Keep eating the right macro nutrients and your body will keep producing lean muscle and energy for you! Keep focusing on your goal and you will keep moving toward your goal!

I want to help people stop the vicious cycle of starting/stopping diets and being frustrated with their body which is why I got into this field. If you need help figuring out your macro's and workout plans then PLEASE lets help you get over your slump and send me an e-mail to get you going!!!  EMAIL ASHLEY HERE or leave a comment with this post and I will respond asap.

Look, I struggled with figuring my eating out probably up until I was about 20/21 years old and I finally was introduced by a mentor to macro's and the right training plan for my body and now it's  habit that my body greatly appreciates it and I'm sure yours will too!

P.s. here is a sneak peak from my photo shoot...I haven't gotten the photo's edited yet so they might need a few adjustments, but I promised to share with you guys! 

Apple Pie Shake!!

I will be honest, I am not a huge Apple Pie fan when it comes time for BBQ's, Thanksgiving, Christmas and all the fun holidays...BUT I will say I am a fan of this Apple Pie concoction! This one has a little more ingredients then some of the other shakes, but still is very lean, clean and full of protein and antioxidants. This shake is great to curb your night time sweet tooth or to give you a pick me up after a workout. Anyway you want it is totally up to you!

Ingredients!

1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
2 Packets of Stevia
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Pinch of Nutmeg or Apple Pie Spice
1/4 cup Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup crushed ice (add ice based on desired consistency)

Nutritional Information:
Calories 173
Fat 1g
Carbs 10g
Sugar 6
Protein 31g



Just throw all the ingredients into a blender and enjoy! You can top with 2 tbsp of Fat Free Whipped Topping and Sprinkle with Cinnamon for some added dessert like taste or you can drink it as it is on here and it is still amazing!!

Try it out and share on Facebook if you like it!

Coffee Toffee Protein Shake!

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There is nothing more satisfying (to me) then when I first wake up and tasting that first delicious sip of coffee as I sit down to my computer to begin writing. MMMMM! I recently tried out a new protein shake that really is great for any time of the day, but especially in the morning when you need the right combo of energy, protein, and deliciousness for a pre- or post- workout treat!

The ingredients you will need for this COFFEE TOFFEE PROTEIN SHAKE are the following:
1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein
1/2 cup Unsweet Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Instant Coffee (Or Iced Coffee)
A few drops of English Toffee Liquid Stevia (Can be bought at any health food store usually)
1/2 cup crushed Ice

Just mix all the ingredients in a blender or a magic bullet together and enjoy!

Here is the nutritional breakdown for this early morning treat!

115 Calories
0 Fat
0 Carbs
0 Sugar
25g Protein

P.S. if you want to make it even more amazing you could add in 1 tsp of Almond Butter and make it a little nutty! Or for a meal replacement you could add in some Old Fashioned Oats! I promise it's delicious and well worth a try!

Let me know what you think of this recipe and share on Facebook if you like it! 

What to do after your big event or competition you have been working so hard for?

This past weekend was the longest shortest weekend I have ever had and probably one of the greatest experiences as well. Starting at 6:00am Saturday morning with hair and makeup, driving to Sarasota, FL, shooting over 1,500 photos with the incredible GW Burns Photography, 8 hours of posing and changing "looks", then driving back home around 7:30pm. After the weeks of meal planning and workouts, tons of water and lots of prayer, a few emotional breakdowns, the photo shoot happened and we made it through. Now that the shoot/event is over and all that prepping and planning doesn't consume my entire life or yours, what do you do now? 

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A lot of fitness models, competitors, and individuals struggle with this after a huge event and all the weeks of prepping that went into. They have so much down time, that drive and discipline is kind of up in the air because they don't really have anything in the future they are having to focus on that much to plan for which is a good thing to kind of give yourself a break, but at the same time a lot of people fall off the bandwagon or experience "the blues" after it's over. So what do you do?!

You keep going! Eat healthy, exercise, BUT take a break from such a strict regiment and spend all that extra time doing the things you enjoy that you didn't have the time for the past few months or weeks. This is why balance is so important in health and fitness and doesn't need to be an obsession. Make your workouts and nutrition fun and simple instead of so serious! If you need a goal to constantly work for (which is how I am) then make a new goal of coming up with new healthy dessert recipes, of making time to see your friends and family more with this extra time, taking a long over due vacation, starting a new hobby, learning an instrument, writing a book, reading a book, trying new workouts that don't have to be planned around what body parts need to be tweaked! You worked hard and you deserve this time! 

When you push your body and go to extremes with training YOU HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK and let your body recover. I am not saying you have to completely stop exercising and eating healthy for the next month, but it won't be necessary to do multiple cardio sessions and carb cycling throughout your weeks now which is AWESOME (In my opinion)! Bring the fun back into your training regimen...create new things and try something completely different just because you want to see what you can do. Hard work and discipline is something to be greatly admired, but so is living life to its fullest and not taking it so seriously!

SO take a break, have some fun and be proud of how hard you've worked then when you are ready to go after another shoot, event, competition, weight loss goal, you will be fresh and ready to get back into it! Happy Monday!

P.s. I will post some sneak peeks of the photos as soon as I get them I promise :)

Diet, Training, Cooking, Rest, where's LIFE?

This has nothing to do with the post, I just thought it was cute :)

The past few nights I have not been getting my regular 8 hours of sleep like I normally do so last night I did all of the things that usually relax me and clear my head to make me pass out around 9pm on work days. I settled down, turned on a lamp, read for a little bit, did some praying, etc and had a little bit of a harder time falling asleep, but was out by 10pm. This morning I began to kind of mosey awake and got up to use the bathroom thinking "Yes, finally I got 8 hours of sleep it's gotta be almost 6:00am" so I lay back down in bed and pick up my phone to look at the clock anddddddd it's 3:50am! WHAT!?? As soon as I saw that, I was just annoyed at why my body decided it was ok to be awake at that time and why it couldn't just sleep till my alarm which by the way just turned into frustration and made it impossible to go back to sleep so here I am around 5:00am starting out today's blog!

It is two days out from my photo shoot and I have been training even when I've been exhausted and on a crazy eating schedule with a breakdown of times to eat, macro-nutrients, when to work out with eating, etc. and it's driving me nuts. Right now, 90% of my time is spent either cooking, eating, training, or trying to catch up on rest. Fortunately, I have understanding friends and family who know that this shoot pretty much consumes my life right now. However, I have learned so many lessons through all of this and had so many great experiences. 

Your body is extremely important, if your body goes down then you go down with it there's no way around it. Your life and the enjoyment of your life is also extremely important...if you aren't enjoying life then what's the point? I started ABS Wellness and started training because so many of my clients wanted to just dive right into weight loss and nutrition (which is great!), but were wanting to just put the rest of life on hold or the sidelines in order to make it happen. How does that work? What are you going to do when life your so called "diet" is over and life is still going on around you and you have to find time for family and friends? I am not for "diets" because they create the idea that this nutrition you have started incorporating into your life has a time line and a stopping point. For me, right now this DIET does have a stopping point. That stopping POINT is this Saturday, thank you GOD! Not stopping in regards to as soon as the shoot is over it'll be bring on the junk food, bring on the ice cream and pizza for the rest of my life and now I'm just going to eat myself into a coma. The diet has a stopping point as in I will eat what I feel like my body needs/wants to eat and not because I have to eat, I will train because I love the challenge and love pushing my body to new levels not because I need to tweak certain areas and try to be perfect, and I want to sleep because my body needs rest and not because I have to worry about missing a training day because I'm too exhausted. (I'm at the point now where I am going to look however I'm going to look. If I look like a regular average girl then I am fine with that just get me back to living life not revolved around food!)

When you truly make health and wellness a lifestyle you will look forward to your workouts, to your next meal or recipe, to everything! It becomes fun and you try out different things while still enjoying life and still enjoying new foods!

I truly do enjoy working out and I love when people give me ridiculously insane workouts that at first you feel like "THERE IS NO FREAKIN WAY!" and then you finish the workout thinking "HOLY CRAP I JUST DID THAT!". It's an amazing sense of accomplishment and definitely a confidence boost showing that you are much stronger and more capable than you think you are. I love trying new recipes and I love trying new restaurants. I love wine and trying out new vineyards. I also love sleep and I love my social life. Through this training the past few weeks, almost all of that has been put on a hold. I did and am doing all of this to prove a point that your body is an amazing piece of work to be taken care of, but there is so much more to you and your life then your body so don't miss out on all the other things you love just to enjoy a certain body fat percentage,  attention, or any other vanity. Do the things you love and leave the rest alone...that's all that matters in life anyways are our friends, family, passions, goals, and dreams...all the things we love and what makes us the happiest! 

Re-evaluate your motives behind why you do what you do...do you do it for attention? Out of insecurity? To "fit in"? To "cope" with things? Do you do it out of fear of getting fat or any other fear? OR do you do it because it drives you? motivates you? pushes you to be better? brings you happiness? Don't get so caught up in your training and eating that you completely forget about anyone and everyone else around you. It's ok to have goals and to be pursuing them as long as you are keeping life in balance! :)

High Protein Pumpkin Pie Bars!

I admit I have quite the sweet tooth and when it comes to finding desserts that not only are low sugar and low carb, but also are packed with protein for a pre-bedtime snack it can be quite challenging. However, I found a recipe for regular pumpkin pie bars with the graham cracker crust and all and just manipulated it to where it's something healthy and that actually tastes good. These will just be "crustless", but don't worry they still taste amazing! 

I take full credit for this because this is what it looked like right before I ate it :)

So here are the ingredients you will need:
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Cinnamon (according to preference)
Pumpkin Pie Spice
1-15oz. Can Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup Baking Stevia
3 whole eggs
5 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein

First things first- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 2 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to a boil in medium size pot on stove top. As soon as ingredients begin to boil, pour into a large mixing bowl. First add in Pumpkin Puree and stir until dissolved. Next, simply add in 3 whole eggs, 5 scoops of Vanilla Protein and 1/4 cup stevia and stir briskly until mixed as much as possible. *The batter will be VERY RUNNY and some of the protein may not completely dissolve, but it's ok.

Spray large 10x10 Baking Dish (or other big square cake like/brownie like pan) and bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and batter is set pretty solid (it shouldn't be jiggly when you pull it out). Set on cooling rack for 20-30 minutes to cool then place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours and keep refrigerated.

Top with 1 tbsp Non Fat Plain Greek Yogurt sprinkled with Stevia on top of Top with 2 Tbsp Fat Free Whipped Topping.

This recipe is for 9 servings so the nutritional breakdown will be based on 1 out of 9. (It will depend on the size of pan you decide to use, but here is why these are so awesome!

If you like this post please share with a friend and let me know what you think!

P.S. I get asked a lot of times how to lose fat around the mid-section. If you are looking for an awesome plan that takes a natural approach (no pills and shots) here is an example of one, Dr. Charles has a great approach to the fat loss world that I really like Fat Loss for Abs !

Are you criticized for your choices with health and fitness?

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                About two weeks ago in the middle of this nutrition "cleanse", I remember a few adjustments I had to make. I was so used to spending the weekends trying new restaurants with friends or enjoying good wine with people I love (which i still love to do), but just for this cleanse I was cutting out processed foods and any kinds of alcohol. It honestly didn't bother me all that much because I saw it as giving my body a break and just taking it on sort of a cleansing vacation just to see what would happen so I was having fun experimenting with new recipes, trying out new hobbies and spending my time doing things I normally didn't. However, every time I told a friend we could definitely hang out we would just have to do something different for a bit then go out to eat or if they wanted to go to a live music venue I just wouldn't be drinking it turned into "Oh my gosh, well if you can't do that then what can you do!" Um there's still a whole world out there aside from eating and drinking.

I'll never forget when the first Saturday rolled around and a good friend of mine texted me asking to hang out and I excitedly said yes looking forward to trying out something other then eating as a past-time with friends. She showed up at my house and we began to think about what we wanted to do for the evening and I threw out some hobbies or different things we could check out that we hadn't before and instead of being excited or open to the new ideas I immediately was hit with "Why are you even doing this cleanse? Why are you making yourself miserable? What are we supposed to do now if you can't even go out to eat or have a glass of wine? I think you are getting a little ridiculous with your health and fitness?"

What happened next...DOUBT. I began to question everything I was doing. Am I becoming ridiculous with this? Am I being selfish by keeping my friend from doing what she wants on Saturday night? Is this cleanse for vanity instead of growth opportunity? Maybe I should just stop and go back to the way I was living it wasn't that bad. Maybe she's right and I am becoming on of those "health freaks". I completely lost all confidence in why I was doing this healthy thing for my body and why I cared to even continue. Her attitude became my attitude of "this is stupid lets just go back to how things were". I HAD A CHOICE.

Would her opinion of what I was doing become my opinion of what I was doing? Would her lifestyle choices be my lifestyle choices just because I was being convinced that they were stupid? 

This happens to a lot of us any time we make a positive change in our lives and one thing I will learn and caution you with is when other people do not want to grow and do not want to make those same changes in their life you better believe they are not going to support it when you do it. When you decide to do something different then you have been doing you kind of bring to light areas for other people that they do not want to be responsible for so you better be ready for criticism. I have clients who have worked hard and look awesome and now have amazing endurance, energy, reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and look phenomenal have their friends or family tell them "You are getting way too skinny you need to eat. You are getting a little obsessed with this health thing you're doing. Etc." When these clients look awesome! Trust me I am the first to call someone out if they are not eating right and cutting their calories too low or working out an insane amount of times throughout the week because I want to help people find balance, but when you are simply representing what a healthy lifestyle is all about I will support you 100% when the criticism is thrown on you. The funny thing is I can guarantee you the 90% of the time that criticism is coming from people who are over weight, not pursuing their goals, are stagnant in life, and do not want to change any of their unhealthy habits. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to have a great support system and to surround yourself with other people who have similar goals and dreams. Be a dreamer, but surround yourself with the DOERS. Whether it is business, fitness, relationships, spend your time around the people who don't just talk about changes or goals they want, but people who actually act on them and move towards them.

I read a great quote in a book the other day that said "We all tip toe through life only hoping to make it safely to death"! How powerful and true is that!? We don't take risk, we don't try new things, meet new people, travel to new places all just to make sure we make it through this life without being a little uncomfortable. Any opportunity for growth is going to be uncomfortable at first, but who you become and the things you experience going through it are what makes it worth while.

Surround yourself with people who love you, friends who support your growth opportunities, and ABOVE ALL ELSE BELIEVE IN AND LOVE YOURSELF!If you don't have one then FIND ONE! I have a support group for all of my clients that allow them to discuss these struggles and other areas to help lift each other up and give advice so there are options.

P.s. That Saturday with the friend, I chose my opinion above hers and grilled an amazing dinner of salmon, asparagus and zuchinni then baked a delicious healthy dessert while etching some beautiful wine glasses. I chose my own path instead of following someone else's. :)

When the Going Gets Tough!

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My alarm went off at 5:30 this morning and this week I am supposed to be doing 20-30 minutes of cardio on an empty stomach before eating breakfast to prepare for the photo shoot this Saturday. So what did I do? I hit the snooze and went right back to sleep! I woke up feeling exhausted after last week's intense workouts and even though I got about 9 hours of sleep, I still wanted those extra few minutes. How could I do that!!?? The photo shoot is this Saturday and I have to give it my best this week so how in the world could I hit the snooze and go back to sleep instead of doing the 20 minutes of cardio?!

Because I listened to my body. Even though every book and everything tells me I am supposed to be training instead of sleeping, I know my body best and I know I needed the extra zzzz's. I didn't go back to sleep out of laziness or because I decided it wasn't important. I went back to sleep because sometimes I know what's best for me better than the experts out there. I knew if I would have just sucked it up and done the cardio I would have felt exhausted and drained the rest of the day and possibly would have just felt even more tired tomorrow too. Health and Fitness sometimes takes just as much mental energy as it does physical energy-Motivating yourself, planning your meals, pushing through those last reps, all of it takes tons of mental energy! What do I need this week more than energy to get through these last few days? My mind! My mind is what keeps me pursuing my goals, keeps me going to the gym every week, keeps my eating delicious and nutritious foods so when my body is tired I am not going to then take the chance of exhausting my mind too. 

Some days we all have the energy of a 5 year old and the strength of an ox to hit it hard in the gym and to stick to our eating plan and other days you just don't want to...I agree!! So then what do you do?

Here are three things that help me stay motivated:

• I listen to my body! I do exactly what it says because I know it will punish me if I do not. Your body gives you signs of fatigue and exhaustion to tell you to rest. At the same time, it gives you energy and great sleep to tell you to get moving. (This isn't an excuse to be lazy when you have the energy, but don't want to put in the effort)
• I focus on why I am eating healthy, training regularly, and taking mental breaks to get myself centered. This keeps my mind in the direction of my goals and also reminds me that this is all for great benefits. 

• I tell a close friend! If I need support or a reminder as to why I do this, I tell someone! It's ok to say "hey I'm feeling unmotivated today and not like myself" or "hey, why am I doing this again?". Your support system of friends and family are there for a reason. We all need relationships and those people who help pick us up when we're tired. Tell a friend, tell a family member, tell God, tell Buddha, tell whoever you want I don't care just get it out and release all the doubt and insecurities then see what kind of confidence and energy comes back (it always does I promise). 

• I tell myself! Literally, if I am just having one of those days I will look in the mirror and start reciting affirmations to myself until I feel like I am awesome. (I actually did this today believe it or not and recited "You can do this...I can do this!" as I gulped down my first gallon of water for the day) 

Any time life gets tough you have to take a hard look at why you are doing this thing that is so hard. If the reason isn't there anymore it's ok to stop, but if the same benefits are there and you have a goal in sight then keep pushing. It'll be well worth it! Write out your goals-fitness, nutrition, career, financial, personal, relationships, etc whatever it is write it out and put it EVERYWHERE. The brain acts on things that it is influenced by on a regular basis. I have my goals in my phone, on the dash in my car, on my bedroom mirror, everywhere! It might feel odd at first, but repetition produces habit so why not just see what happens if you try it out? Worst case scenario, you reach all those goals and then make even greater ones! 

The Most IMPORTANT Thing To Know In Health and Fitness!

When I first got into training myself and training clients, I read every book, article, magazine and talked to every person I could to find out step by step how I could be the best trainer and how to get the best results for myself. My first job was at the Harbour Island Athletic Club in Tampa and not only was I brand new to training, but I was brand new to this high end super elite type of facility. I followed the other trainers around like a lost puppy learning their technique, what they said, what they looked for and how they related to trainers. Then, I would find the most "in-shape" female in there and do the same except trying to figure out how to look just like her! I felt completely out of my element and confused as to what the "right" way to do all of this was and I just simply wanted someone to lay it out simply for me. What was the best way to workout to get the results I want? What was the best way to train? What's the best time to eat this or that?

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We all want to look our absolute best like we all just walked off of Women's/Men's Health magazine and let our 6 packs glisten as we step out of the water this summer as we enjoy the beach. Right? Ok, if not that we all can't help but admire people we see all over bodybuilding.com or our friends on FaceBook who ALWAYS look perfect! You end up asking every question and following all these different eating regimens of low carbs, no carbs, high carbs, high protein-low fat, high protein-high fat, gluten free, paleo, atkins, south beach, the zone, carb cycling, vegan, vegetarian, juicing, all liquids, etc etc etc! Then your body ends up freaking out wondering what the heck you are doing to it when one week it gets all these great nutritious foods and the next week it is starving just picking up whatever scraps you give it! Even as I am preparing for a photo shoot this next weekend, I have been researching all kinds of stuff like water cycles and carb cycles, but I don't necessarily follow every part of them. I listen to the suggestions and then use what I know my body needs. I don't believe in fat burners, steroids, supplements promising you to drop 10lbs in a week (that's not healthy), or anything else that forces you to put harmful substances in your body. SO I'M NOT USING THEM. I may not look like Nicole Wilkins, Ava Cowan, or Felicia Romero when I get done with my shoot...however, I will look like me and I am okay with not being 6% body fat! 

SO, the Most Important Thing For You To Know in your eating, your workouts, and any other pursuits in your life is that what worked for one person MAY NOT BE RIGHT FOR YOU and IT IS OK! Just because your best friend was able to drink protein shakes all day long and eat 1,000 calories while feeling spectacular through it doesn't mean your body is going to be very nice to you if you try to do the same thing! I get so many questions of people asking me what I eat, how many times a week do I workout, how much I lift and how many sets of each exercise, how much cardio do I do and of course I tell everyone who I ask because I want to help you succeed any way I can...at the same exact time I ALSO PUSH to listen to your own body. Try out different foods and listen to your body to see which foods give you more energy than others. Try out different workout plans and find one you actually GET EXCITED about doing. Yes, YOU SHOULD ENJOY WORKING OUT! If you ever feel like you are dreading working out and it no longer invigorates you then switch up your routine until you find something that leaves you walking away feeling like you just accomplished your goal. For some people 3 meals a day works awesome for them and they never experience a slump or do they get cravings throughout the day. For me, this does not work at all! My body needs 5-6 meals a day to stay energized and ready to get through the workouts.

Here are a few signs that maybe the workout or eating plan you are following isn't right for you:
1. You are always tired
2. You constantly feel deprived and starved throughout the day
3. Most of the time you do not have enough energy to make it through a workout without lots of caffeine
4. You find it hard to sleep at night (you are probably over training)
5. Your body is always sore (you are not giving yourself the proper rest you need)
6. You are not looking forward to your next meal because you hate everything you have to eat
7. When you are with family and friends at a meal you are not enjoying your time because you have restricted yourself from certain things
8. You are weighing yourself every single day
9. You are spending 3 or 4 hours in the gym! (This is not healthy!)
10. You are constantly getting colds and other illnesses from being physically and mentally exhausted.

If you experience any or all of these things it is time to change your routine! Remember, this is a new lifestyle you are creating this isn't a 4 week program to drop weight temporarily then to put it all back on. You want to stay fit and healthy right? Then you have to learn what works BEST FOR YOU! Life is about Balance between everything. There needs to be a balance between personal/family life, work, and health. Any time you give majority of attention to one area and neglect the other you are going to feel frustrated and lost. So STOP following everyone else's program and find YOURS. What can you do week after week day after day that doesn't feel like you are counting down the days to freedom? What workouts do you actually enjoy? What eating plan do you enjoy that you can follow while still enjoying foods you love and not feeling deprived? Ask yourself these questions and then lay it out!

Life is meant to be enjoyed. Our bodies are meant to be enjoyed and taken care of not deprived and worked to death! It's ok you are allowed carbs and chocolate and all those wonderful things. Just find your balance! 

High Protein Almond Butter Pancake!

So it is the end of week two and only 8 days away from my photo shoot which means that nutrition is crucial at this point! At the same time, plain egg whites and plain oatmeal are getting a little bland in my diet, but they are such quality sources of all the macronutrients I need. After some cardio this morning, I decided to get a little creative to figure out something that taste delicious, but still was low carb with high protein and good fats.

getty images

This recipe is for 1 serving and makes 1 giant pancake! I think it is quite delicious and SUPER EASY to make! Here we go:

1/2 scoop Vanilla Whey (Clean Protein)
1/4 cup Oat Flour (This is just oatmeal ground up into a fine flour like consistency)
2 Liquid Egg Whites
Cinnamon
1 tbsp. Almond Butter

All you need to do is spray a small skillet with non-stick cooking spray and warm on stove on medium. Combine protein, oat flour, egg whites and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well (Or you can put all this in the magic bullet and it's much smoother). Pour entire bowl of ingredients into skillet and cook like a regular pancake flipping the pancake over when the edges get bubbly and golden brown. Once finished, spread 1 tbsp. of Almond Butter on top of GIANT PANCAKE and ENJOY!!!!
*A second option for topping that is still amazing and healthy is to top with sliced strawberries or whatever fruit you like and drizzle with SUGAR FREE SYRUP.

Here is the nutritional breakdown for this pancake with the Almond Butter Topping

Calories: 270
Fat (good fats): 8
Carbohydrates: 17
Sugar: 1.5g
Protein: 27.5 (yeaaa buddy!)

I think this was a delicious and healthy alternative to just throwing egg whites on the skillet or just eating plain oatmeal so try it out. Let me know if you like it and share if you think this was a good recipe so I can keep them coming!

Dieting changes more than just your waist line....

At the start of this 3 week detox, my whole point in doing it was to clean up my diet and drop a few pounds. I just woke up last Monday, texted a friend to see if she would do a detox with me and we laid out the rules and here we are now. About five days into it, I was going strong and was super motivated about this awesome change we were making. However, day 6 hit, I wanted nothing more than every food that I "wasn't allowed" to have. I was dying to eat chips, salt, sweets, and wine. I was cranky and emotional because it's like telling a kid no then of course all they want is exactly what you told them they couldn't have.

I stuck to the course, sucked it up and pushed through it. Now we are at 1 1/2 weeks into this and it doesn't seem quite so hard. Why was it though? Why is it so hard for us to give up certain foods or cut back on things we KNOW are not healthy for us?

It has everything to do with our relationship to food and our lives. I would always read interviews from fitness models or body building competitors who when asked how they can be so disciplined with their diet answered with "Because I eat to live, I don't live to eat. I use my food to fuel my body and make selections based on what my body needs for that day. I don't eat just to eat. I eat for a purpose." I remember reading that and thinking, "Ha! That's crap, nobody does that. I live for my weekend cheat meals! Why else do I eat so strict during the week? Simply so I don't have to on the weekends and can let go of all discipline and inhibitions and just relax!"

And now going through this, I can honestly say I get it. I have had to vary my meals, carbs, and water based around my workouts- is it a leg day or shoulder day? Is there cardio or no cardio? Is it heavy weights or light weights? At first, it was frustrating and incredibly annoying having to think about food so much! Trust me, I cried one day because I was just so frustrated and tired trying to figure out what to eat and when to eat it without any salt or additives when I already felt like I ate clean in my diet before the detox!

Any time something is that hard for us to change usually means that the change needs to happen because our perspective or beliefs about it are not how they should be. Anything that you are wanting to make a positive change about in your life is going to take work, focus, and discipline, but every time you make it through that you end up wondering how you could ever go back to where you were! Think about when you first started working out....it sucked! You were probably tired, sore, cranky, and it hurt just to sit down to go to the bathroom! Look at where you're at now though! Can you imagine with how far you have come going back to that? That is what keeps me motivated in my workouts. I don't ever want to start over again or be to the point where running 1/2 a mile killed me. If that's where you have to start though, then it doesn't matter just start!

See none of us live to eat, that is why we have this life. But, we live our lives completely centered around food. Next time you're coming up with something to do with your friends or family completely cut food and alcohol out as options of things to do....what do you come up with?

The whole world is available to us, but instead of realizing that we try to stick to our habits to keep us safe and from experiencing discomfort. 

Once this deetox is over, I will probably still eat the same as I am while on this because I GET IT NOW. I don't need certain foods all the time or certain amounts of them just to eat. I eat according to what my body needs for that day.

Will I still eat foods like chocolate, cheesecake, blue cheese, movie popcorn, pizza? Heck yes! However, I no longer needs them as my one weekend victory meal to get me through another week of clean eating because I have found other things that satisfy me more then a huge binge night.

Maybe it's time for you too to make a change and to change your perspective. It's hard to take a close tough look at why some things in your life are so hard to let go of or change your habits, but you have to be honest with yourself. If you want something different then the life you have now, you have to do something different. Stay motivated, keep going! 

Ladies, let's talk about it....CELLULITE!

About four years ago, I was on an amazing vacation in North Georgia visiting wineries, waterfalls, lazy river tubing, southern cooking, sitting by a fire with two of my best friends at the time. We had just gotten back from an adorable and delicious authentic pizza place for dinner and I jumped in the shower to settle down and relax for the rest of the night. Washing my hair, I was reflecting on the day and how completely happy I was with life and having such amazing friends. I stepped out of the shower and grabbed my towel and it happened...there it was staring me in the face. How did this happen? Where did it come from? Does anyone else know!? Has anyone else seen it!? 

From that moment on, I was on a life long mission to destroy, eliminate, perform magic, and completely make cellulite disappear from my body. I hated it! I hated myself for having it and thinking it was acceptable and ok to call myself a personal trainer and have this chunky dunk dimple on me legs! All that happiness and bliss I was experiencing with the vacation was over! No more wineries, pizza, adventures or anything that didn't involve some serious FAT BURNING exercising and dieting! (Not even kidding) 

As far as I was concerned, anyone in the personal training or fitness industry was supposed to be flawless, perfect, looking like you just stepped off the cover of Oxygen or Women's Health and then they were supposed to tell the rest of us how to look like that. So this whole cellulite crap was completely unacceptable. No longer did I work out because I love my body and want to treat it with respect giving it the exercise and conditioning it needs to perform at its' best. Nope, now I worked out because I hated my body and wanted it to be something completely different then it was. Same thing with eating; I normally eat clean to give my body fuel and energy and to take care of it, but now it had turned in that I gave my body the least amount of food it could tolerate to function hoping that it would eat the cellulite out of starvation and then I would be fine. 

I cut my calories down to about 1,000 calories a day (don't do that, it's very unhealthy!), I was running 4-5 miles a day on top of doing serious weight training 6 days a week. I took every supplement I knew of that was supposed to get rid of fat (legal and natural supplements that is) and no matter how hard I tried the stupid chunky dunk dimples on the back of my legs would not go away. I hated wearing a bathing suit, wearing shorts, wearing dresses, wearing anything that showed my legs because I was so focused on this one area I assumed that is all everyone else saw when they looked at me and my career was completely shot because nobody would ever train with a trainer who has her own cellulite. Then one day, I was reading a book by a trainer I highly respect (but do not mimic my training style after) who we all know, Jillian Michaels, and I got to a part in her book where she talked about how she has these dimples on her left but cheek a.k.a. cellulite that no matter how many workouts she does she just can't seem to get rid of them! Yessssssssss! Jillian Michaels has cellulite too! It's ok :)

As women we are already our own worst critics. We get a gray hair and we are already calling the hair stylist making an appointment or in the bathroom with tweezers ripping it out so nobody sees we aren't perfect. Or the opposite, we get in these "who hates themselves the most" conversations with friends as if we are trying to compete with how much we dislike ourselves with each other. Oh you think your thighs are bad!? Look at this!....Yes, well at least when you put on jeans you don't look like a busted can of Pillsbury biscuits...(think about that image)

We feel that we always have to make fun of ourselves, put on this image in whatever role we play in life as a mom, a banker, a trainer, a student, a girlfriend, a church leader, that we are perfect and we have no flaws and we never have days where we dislike ourselves or that we sit on the couch and eat an entire tub of ice cream because What would everyone else think if they saw the real you?!

Well, I have no idea what everyone else would think. I have no idea what you think now that I've let out my secret, but I can tell you that the more you love yourself and accept yourself the more everyone else will too. Can people see your gray hairs? Maybe. Do people notice your cellulite or muffin top? Maybe. Do people love you or like you less because of any of those things? No. Neither should you and even if they do then that is just a reflection of their own judgment of their own life so it doesn't matter anyways. While you are working out, think about what your motives are behind it. Are you doing it because you love your body and want to treat it respectfully by making positive changes? Or is it because you hate the way you look and you are punishing your body for all of its flaws?

Take your approach to health and fitness the same way you would approach a new born baby or a puppy (stick with me here). When you first get either one, they will pee and poop, cry or whine, want your attention all the time and get annoying at times, but that doesn't mean that just because of their flaws you will not still provide them with the best foods, the best clothes, the best hygiene, the best everything. You love them so your actions are totally based out of love and you ignore the flaws. Do the same thing for yourself! Ignore your flaws, because honestly flaws or what we call flaws are there to test how much we love ourselves. Will you still like who you are if you don't lose the 5 extra pounds? Will you still like yourself if you never get down to a size 4,6,8,10...? Will you still like who you are if you fall off the bandwagon and eat an entire bag of potato chips today or will you hate yourself and starve yourself for the next few days because of it? Think about it. View yourself through the eyes of a close loved one and see how much differently the world is for you. 

We know what we want to do so why don't we do it!

"It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not." -Andre Gide

Making a life is doing the things that you love without fear or regret...that fill your soul. Making a living is finding something that pays the bills and the luxuries of life without ever filling more than your bank account. -Me :)

Sunsets like this are one of the things that truly matter in life.

One of the biggest struggles I think everyone experiences in life is finding something they love and doing it as a career. We are all taught that if we do something we love and are passionate about then it never feels like work. I completely agree with this in every area of life. If we are passionate about our "job" or relationship then we do things completely out of love and not for rewards or attention and they always turn out better!

Remember when you took the aptitude and personality test in high school or college to figure out your career and it told you one day you would be a great doctor, lawyer, librarian, computer tech, financial adviser etc? Well I don't know about you, but I remember that thing not once asked me what my passions are or what inspired me. It was more situational questions to figure out how you could work in stressful environments, with multiple employees, if you worked better independently, or whatever. When are we ever encouraged to follow our hearts and pursue our passions? Do you ever remember going through school and that being one of your lectures? Did anyone ever tell you not to worry about money, trust yourself, trust your instinct and the money will follow? I doubt it. Most of us are taught to go to school, get a good career, make sure we have the money first then we can pursue some "Hobbies" that we love while hating our 9-5 job every day dreading to get up and go to work.

I did that for a longgggg time! I was actually in the process of finishing my last semester for my Business degree when I decided I was going to be a personal trainer. I'll never forget that phone call to home..."Hey mom/dad, so I think I figured out what I want to do!" ...Dad: "Oh ya? Great! What are ya thinking?" Me: "I want to become a personal trainer. So after 4 years of business school, I'm just going to do all my fitness certifications". Dad: "A trainer....(pause)...um where did that come from? And what about business school?" Me: "I don't know, I hate corporate America so I"m going to give this a shot." 

I remember my parents had no idea where that idea came from and neither did I other than I was tired of being unhappy with work and I knew I didn't want to spend my life in an office all day answering phone calls and doing customer service. I had NO IDEA how to be a trainer, how to get certified, how to get clients, how to do anything! I just jumped the gun, ordered my  books and then applied for jobs. And voila here I am 5 years later and I still think it's the best decision I ever made.

However, now I'm at one of those times we all go through life where you feel like ok it's time to pursue something more...something bigger...something better. Again though, not sure what exactly that looks like. While thinking this though, I feel like we all feel t his way. The whole "why am I here? What is my calling? What is my purpose?" Then I read this in a book: "Much of the time we pretend we aren't clear on what our calling is when what's really going on is that we're horrified to face it because it seems too big or too impossible to make a living at or completely out of the question for us." How true is that!!??

How many times have you thought, if money weren't an issue I would love to do ______. Or, if I could do it all over again I would do this_________.

Right now, I am ready for something bigger and it has been a daily search for me to figure out what that is and quite often I'm like OH THIS WOULD BE AWESOME then I stop myself when the thought of money comes to mind. Last time I did this though, someone posed a question to me that when something like this and I will pose the same question to you.....

Is this something you love? 
Do you get excited when you talk about this idea and does it just light you up?
Does it help other people and inspire you to help them?
Do you feel in your gut/heart like this is something you would be good at and you should do? 

If you answered yes....then why aren't you doing it?

For me, this solely was my reason: Because I don't know if I'll make any money doing it and I need to pay my bills. The next response I got was....

So you know without a doubt this is your passion and is a way of helping people which God calls us to do yet you're telling me you feel like God is big enough to give you these desires, but not big enough to provide for you financially if you follow your heart?

This would be my brother with me who posed all these questions to me and one of my closest friends :)

Wow, that was a bit of a reality check for me so I put aside the fear and just decided I was going to do what I love and if it didn't work out I would still love myself regardless. One great book that goes over a lot of people's struggles with figuring out their purpose and figuring out your calling would be MY LIFE PURPOSE. 

Any book that has interactive questions, guides, and testimonies is going to help show you similar areas other people have gone through and how each event or situation they went through in life led them to their ultimate purpose just like you experience in your own life, but maybe you just need more direction to help you figure out what your passions are and how the Law of attraction works.

#1 Rule in life, business, relationships, pursuing your goals, is LOVE YOURSELF because at the end of the day and end of life no matter who comes and goes...YOU will always still be there. Happy Monday!

When you want to quit the stupid diet and workout!

I woke up this morning exhausted and starving not wanting to keep up with this lean-clean diet and would rather eat a massive bowl of my favorite cereal and stay in watching movies all day then eat oatmeal and do a crazy hard leg workout today. This is the end of the first week of the eat clean diet and I have been more cranky then ever trying to cut out all salt and sugar. (My weakness is salty chips and decadent desserts by the way, hence the recipe from yesterday). As I'm typing this right now, I am on meal 2 for the day which is cold lemon pepper salmon and 4oz of a dry sweet potato with cinnamon and stevia. Yes, I would much rather eat a freakin candy bar at this point! 

So if you think this is easy, it's not. It is changing habits and changing cravings you have had for a longgggg time. So you are going to be cranky and frustrated and when you are starving because your stomach is trying to shrink down to the PROPER serving sizes you find out you all of a sudden get road rage that you've never had before. (I feel this way lately). As I'm eating this, I also know in about 2 hours I have a ridiculous leg workout ahead of me that I need proper fuel and nutrition for. Do I want to do legs today when I'm tired and sugar deprived...NO! Do I want to follow up my crazy workout with protein powder and water? NO! At the same time, am I going to quit at how hard I've been working this week. Absolutely not!

I will guess that a lot of you feel this way when starting a new eating or exercise plan. All your thinking is "Oh my Gosh how many more days of this crap do I have to eat!? How many more days do I have to do this ridiculous workout and my body be this sore and achy!?" Well you can quit today if you want. You can stop all this healthy eating and exercise non-sense right now and eat what you want. However, that also means you can go back to being unhappy with the way you look, tired all the time, frustrated that your clothes don't fit anymore or you don't look the way you want in a bathing suit so you eat foods that aren't good for you to make yourself feel better temporarily. You can go back to looking at pictures and thinking "ugh I look so gross, my butt looks huge!" Yep, you can go back to your old routine and guess what no one will yell at you...no one will tell you I'm disappointed or say "see I knew you couldn't do it".....however, I bet you'll do it to yourself. I'll bet you'll be frustrated and still unhappy with how you look. Nobody else will care how hard you work or whether you stick with it...you know why? Because it's your body not theirs. It's your life not theirs.

Whether it's this clean eating, a new workout program, a new financial goal, a new job, whatever it is nobody else cares because they have their own life and own problems. So yes, close friends and family want you to be happy with who you are, but they're not the ones putting in the hard work...YOU ARE! I get it, trust me I DO! So ultimately it comes down to you....do you want to go back to your old routine and take it easy...if so that's fine and there's nothing wrong with that if you were happy with where you were at BUT if you're reading this and starting this program I'm going to bet that's not the case. If it's not, why not take the discomfort for a few weeks and see how much discipline you have for yourself and find out what kind of strength you have when strength is your only option because I can GUARANTEE when you step on that scale or take your AFTER picture in a few more weeks and you see the difference you made in your energy, weight, clothes, mindset, and you realize that YOU DID THAT....nobody else! YOU PUSHED YOURSELF AND WORKED HARD TO GET THOSE RESULTS....you'll want to keep going and then it isn't so hard to stick with it. 

So if you're like me having one of those days where you're thinking "THIS SUCKS!"....pull out your before picture and ask yourself...does it suck bad enough that I would be happier going back to that?! 

Stay motivated, stay strong, if you need support then I'm here...I'm doing all of this with you guys so lets go!

Cinnamon Cheesecake Cupcakes!

Yummmmm!

So it is day 3 of the 3 week detox and for me the hardest part I am having is finding sweets that actually taste good and work for this clean eating plan. I am a girl and there are times when I am just dying to eat some sort of dessert at night and the protein shakes just don't cut it! So I am now creating different High Protein, VERY low carb, low sugar desserts to help me curb the sweet tooth and stick to this program. I hope these dessert recipes help you too and if you have anyone who would enjoy a healthy guilt free dessert please share with them :)

So here's what I've got today is Cinnamon Cheesecake Protein Cupcakes. They actually taste pretty great and are just as easy as any other cupcake to make.

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 Scoop Whey Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Nectar Sweets) or Vanilla Casein for thicker consistency
8 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup Stevia or other natural sweetener
Few Drops of Vanilla Extract
1 Egg White
1 Whole Egg
1 Tsp Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
6 oz. Fat. Free Plain Greek Yogurt ( I used Fage)

Mix all ingredients in a blender or you can use a hand held mixer. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray. Pour ingredients evenly into muffin pan. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. DO NOT OVER COOK! 

Let Cool then top with 1 tbsp Fat Free Greek Yogurt sprinkled with stevia and cinnamon. Or just top with 2 tbsp Fat Free Dairy Free Whipped Cream. Enjoy!

Here is the nutrition info for 1 cupcake if ingredients are spread into 8 cupcakes
Calories: 67 Calories
Fat:<1
Sugar: 1.8g
Carbs: 2.87g
Protein: 7g

Realistically you're probably going to eat 2 of the cakes so your nutrition would be this:
Calories: 134
Fat: 1.2g
Sugars: 3.6
Carbs: 5.6
Protein: 14g

Try it out and see if you like it! The nutrition does not include the topping...the icing will vary depending on if you choose fat free greek yogurt or the whipped topping. 2 tbsp of whipped topping is usually 15 calories. 

We all hate change, but why?

Can you find me? :)

I was reading my new "Bad Ass" book again yesterday and I got kind of lost in a certain section where the author begins talking about each of our purposes and how change ALWAYS is a good thing and I had to stop and ponder if I really agreed that it is ALWAYS good...what if change involves losing a job and living on food stamps or involves losing a loved one and going through life without them? Is it still good? It is so easy to see how change can be good when it involves something easy or something exciting like a promotion so now you have to get used to bigger paychecks or a new city with endless opportunities, but why is it so hard for some of us to accept change in our lives if we don't know where they lead?

The answer is exactly in the question...because we don't like the "unknown"! We our taught our whole lives to map out our plan, come up with a 5 year/10 year goal, write up a schedule, plan out our whole life to keep from xyz from happening because heaven forbid something "unplanned" comes up you won't have any idea how to handle it or what to do with a foreign idea/event.

It's like your first day of college (Ha remember how intimidating that was...or your first day at a new job)...you graduate high school thinking you just know everything and you have officially hit the top of the food chain and are ready to conquer the world and college is going to be nothing but an amplified version of your Senior year. Then you step on campus the first day and you know nobody, you don't know where your classes are, who your professors are, how to get from point A to point B some how in the 15 minute gap you have between classes and you have a complete breakdown your first week of classes because you have NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

The same is true with new jobs, new churches, new friends, a new marriage, changing career paths, changing diet and fitness regimens, everything! It sounds all exciting and great until we get into it and realize we are lost and clueless as to how life works like this. What happens next though?....

We take things day by day. We learn through trial and error. We learn our strengths and weaknesses. We learn our passions and what inspires us. We find out what is important to us when for a while we thought things like money, social status, and looks were all that mattered. We learn to dig deep and push through the discomfort because EVERY SINGLE TIME it leads to something greater and an opportunity of personal growth. Think about it, every time both easy and hard that you have experienced change...looking back, have you not grown into a better person? Have you not learned something that you would not have known if you wouldn't have gone through that? Maybe you learned to value people more or to spend more time with loved ones than at work. Maybe you quit being so hard on yourself for screwing up something because you realized everyone screws up and even screw ups are just ways of being directed to where you're supposed to be.

I am currently experiencing a ton of change in my own life between new friendships, new business endeavors, this blog, new connections, a new church, and new traveling adventures and yes some of it does scare the crap out of me because I am learning every day and have no idea what the outcome will be, but when I reflect back at every other time in my life that has been this way...I realize, if I want something greater or different then I have to do something greater and different. I have to get out of my routine and get out of my comfort zone. It also forces you to TRUST YOUR OWN INTUITION knowing that God's going to get you where you need to be and YOU know better than anyone else what is right for your life! If you feel like it's time to pursue something then don't ask everyone else if you should, go with what you feel you should do and surround yourself with people who support you!

So after all of that...I guess I do agree with the author's statement that all change is good because even the hard times created growth and new opportunities to find out who I am and what life is really all about. When you look at it that way, change isn't all that scary :) Do something that you have been scared to do even if it's just trying out a new social group or going to a job interview and look at it as a door way to a chance for you to grow and experience life differently!

3 week Detox Starts Today!

For those of you who have 4th of July plans or awesome vacations coming up and need to kick start your workout or weight loss regimen today is the day to start the 3 week Detox! It doesn't cost anything, you don't have to go purchase any special kit it's just simple a Lean Clean Eating plan to follow and I'll be doing it with you so don't worry you're not by yourself! 

The Eating Plan is very similar to a Paleo Diet which is based around eating food in its most natural form, eliminating processed foods and sugar. Here is the basics of it:

Basically a clean lean diet: fruits, veggies, only lean white meat of fish/chicken breast/lean turkey, raw nuts, no alcohol, no dairy except eggs, legumes, and for seasonings use olive oils, coconut oils, flaxseed and sesame oils, no butter, caffeine limited to two cups of coffee or switch to green tea, and last thing only sugar comes from fruits or stevia supplements, no bread but can have oats, barley, quinoa, and sweet potatoes. Oh and Lean Protein Powders (no artificial sweeteners, lactose, sugar, or crap) You're going to eat 4-5 meals a day, no carbs at your last meal except from starchy veggies. Drink a gallon of water a day. No added salt to anything. Start today Take a before photo and then after three weeks take your after photo! 

The deal is that after 3 weeks whoever has the best After picture will get a free week of training! This is available online too so for those of you who do not live in the Tampa area, don't worry you can participate too! When you are structuring your meals throughout the day make them as simple as possible.  For example, my breakfast this morning was 1/2 cup cooked of oats mixed with 1 scoop protein powder seasoned with cinnamon and stevia. Do not over complicate it just think of what is in it's more natural form. 

Obviously incorporating exercise with this detox will increase your results, but follow this plan and come July 4th you'll be ready for all the holiday festivities and vacations! Make sure to send in your before photo either through a Facebook message or you can send it to ashleydrummondsfitness@gmail.com!

Time to get lean and clean! :)

Those parts of you that don't make sense....

I posted yesterday a new book called "You are a BadAss" that I recently started reading that encompasses everything I believe we all feel and want our lives to be. Do you remember the age when you started questioning the beliefs that you were always taught from a young age and all of a sudden thought "wait, that just doesn't make sense to me anymore"? Or the time when you were telling someone your views on a subject and they asked the dreaded "why do you think that?" and the only answer you had for them was "oh it was just how I was raised" instead of being able to actually give your own thoughts on the subject matter? 

Just for now, why not be open to the possibility of anything? The possibility that maybe your whole life you were given views and beliefs that don't fit you or your lifestyle anymore. The possibility that just because you were raised poor doesn't mean that YOU are poor and can't be a multimillionaire. The possibility that you have never played in front of thousands of people or been asked to be the next American Idol, but that doesn't mean someone will not discover your incredible talents today, tomorrow or next month!

We all have daily thoughts that kind of define or mold us into the person we are on a daily basis that are probably outdated for the person we truly would like to be, but the problem is they are so engrained that we have no idea we are carrying around these old views anymore.  

Moment of truth, since I was a kid I carried around the thought and told myself and even told others that I am a tomboy because when I was younger I didn't like poofy lacy dresses, I was good at sports, and would rather play outside then be doing arts and crafts. I had a hard time accepting the fact that girls were allowed to be good at sports and participate in active things while still being girly and pretty. I would use this tomboy term to describe myself so it directed my behavior, my likes and dislikes, my associations with certain people, etc not even realizing it. I would go shopping with friends and feel awkward (literally awkward) putting on super girly outfits or dresses because I thought I looked funny in anything feminine. (Some of my friends laugh at me when I say I am a tomboy because in reality, I am not). However, it took some serious personal reflection to figure out this tomboy complex I had. It resulted in me always dating men who were insecure in their masculinity and a series of other issues because I held onto this belief that screwed up my selections. If you know me today, I am actually quite girly and the exact opposite of tomboy. I love pedicures, baking, wine tastings, decorating, reading, writing, makeup, dressing up for a night out, painting....I just happen to also love working out and giving people brutal workouts and am actually pretty great at it! (by the way I bought a dress yesterday and have decided to completely trash the tomboy thoughts because it just didn't suit me anymore).

Yea some how I believed I was a tom boy at this age, it sounds funny when you see a picture...but think about how many thoughts you have that no longer fit you!? Did you use to be a fat kid and now you always think you're fat even though you look awesome?

Anyways, all this to ask you- what thoughts are you caring around that don't fit you anymore? Maybe you went through tough financial times that have passed, but you still identify yourself as someone who just gets by or lives paycheck to paycheck so every action you have is simply limiting your financial situation. Or maybe you would love to get married and find your soul mate, but you have it so buried in your subconscious that love and falling in love leads to pain and suffering so therefore you keep dating morons and guess what you also stay single. Most people live their lives based entirely on someone else's beliefs for them whether it be a parents, a grandparent, a pastor, spouse, whoever...and we wonder why so many people are so unhappy!

Today I challenge you to write out 5 thoughts you carry around EVERY DAY that do not really fit you anymore, then write out 5 new ones and start telling yourself those awesome new thoughts that actually fall in line with what you believe and what YOU want out of life!  I will be doing this challenge with you :)