The gray areas.... inhabited

1st meal. Egg muffins with spinach, red & green peppers and...

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:29:24 -0400

1st meal. Egg muffins with spinach, red & green peppers and uncured ham. Drizzled a lil sriracha for some extra spice. Did some food prep last night, so I’ve got these babies ready to go for the rest of the week!! #delish #planahead (Taken with Instagram)

Got grapes?! #FruitOnRoids (Taken with Instagram)

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:28:37 -0400

Got grapes?! #FruitOnRoids (Taken with Instagram)

OK, last pic. It’s my cheat night and this is what I chose...

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:45:53 -0400

OK, last pic. It’s my cheat night and this is what I chose (real rebel, I know!). Obviously I haven’t cleared up the whole “craving pumpkin” thing yet 😉 I am now off to drink my beer and eat my Mac n Cheese and veg in front of the TV for the rest of the night. Like I said, total rebel over here 😂 (Taken with Instagram)

OK, last pic. It’s my cheat night and this is what I chose...

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:45:34 -0400

Christmas Tree Shop… I LOVE YOU!! All of this for under...

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:35:14 -0400

Christmas Tree Shop… I LOVE YOU!! All of this for under $50??!! Say WHAT?! I’ll start from the left. Pie plate shield (so I don’t burn the edges of the crust on the next pumpkin pie😉). Then we have Popsicle molds so I can make some yogurt/protein/whatever other concoction I come up with “pops” 😜 Then we have a grater/shredder/I’m really bad with knives so this makes the kitchen less dangerous contraption😚 A square baking pan so I can make my own protein bars! 👏 Now…. There’s the “consumables”. 3 bags of coffee in flavors that sound delish (and smelled unbelievable), Jamaican Me Crazy and Black Forrest Cake (really? #yum). 2 bags of Beanitos (chips made from black beans) one plain, one chipotle. Mmmm. 2 snack packs of dried fruit and an adorable little coffee scoop that I just had to have for $1.00! 👍 Last but not least…. Peanut Butter & Co. 3 jars, 16 oz size for ….. $3.29 ea!!!!😋 I’ve been paying almost $7 per jar!!! I let out a small yelp when I saw the price (yes, people were staring #whatevs). Awesome, awesome, awesome. I love getting a bargain!! (Taken with Instagram)

I don’t wanna 😫 😉 #P90X🙅 (Taken with Instagram)

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:06:23 -0400

I don’t wanna 😫 😉 #P90X🙅 (Taken with Instagram)

Yep, uh huh. That’s right!! 😄 (Taken with Instagram)

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:38:18 -0400

Yep, uh huh. That’s right!! 😄 (Taken with Instagram)

Yeeeea, ummm…. WOW!! #justhadmymindblown I sooo did NOT...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:30:39 -0400

Yeeeea, ummm…. WOW!! #justhadmymindblown I sooo did NOT expect this to be quite so tasty. Pumpkin Pie made with TOFU?? Huh, what?? SMH. Totally thought this would end up in the trash, instead I’m contemplating a 2nd piece 🐷 The filling I found online. 18oz extra firm tofu, 2 cups pumpkin and 2/3 cup honey (I used 1/3 cup honey flavored agave). I don’t measure spices, I do it all to “taste”, but it breaks down close to 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp clove (or you can KISS 😉 and use pumpkin pie spice). Mine has no clove, can’t stand the stuff (something to do with those trendy cigarettes everyone smoked in the 90’s 😝) Now, the crust in the originally recipe called for graham cracker. That would be good and you can buy a “lighter” version, but I decided to experiment. I mixed 1/2 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 scoop of vanilla casein, 2 tbsp of Honey flavored agave and 2 tbsp of Plain non-fat Chobani. Mixed it all together and pressed it into the pie dish. Poured the filling into that, stuck it into the oven at 350 for approx 90 mins. Once done, it sat for about 5 hrs at room temp. Still SMDH. #surprisinglydelish (Taken with Instagram)

This is what’s for dinner 😋 Big ol’ piece of romaine...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 22:26:28 -0400

This is what’s for dinner 😋 Big ol’ piece of romaine with a little WF miracle mayo on it. Topped with ground turkey, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and some sriracha. Basically a salad you can roll up and eat like a taco! #mighthavegottenalittlemessy 😉 Those little roll up things are fried tofu wrapped in a thin slice of cucumber. Those were just OK. Had some tofu left over from the dessert I made today….. which looks awesome, but I have yet to try it #fingerscrossed I’ll post a pic after the taste test 👅 (Taken with Instagram)

"The mind always fails first, not the body. The secret is to make your mind work FOR you not AGAINST..."

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:49:45 -0400

“The mind always fails first, not the body. The secret is to make your mind work FOR you not AGAINST you.”

- —Arnold Schwarzenegger (via mc-beast)

Photo

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:41:48 -0400

Dinner!! Nom Nom Nom! #stupidgood Inspired by cute little...

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:44:48 -0400

Dinner!! Nom Nom Nom! #stupidgood Inspired by cute little zucchini pizzas that @laurenirene1 had posted and having seen another similar idea on pinterest, I made these. Large portobello cap, 1/4 cup organic pizza sauce, 1 Laughing Cow Tomato Basil Mozzarella cheese wedge and some mini turkey pepperonis. Pop in the oven at 400* for 20 mins……. Yum! Pizza craving demolished! #lowcarb #delish #under200calories #winner (Taken with Instagram)

This is what went down last night. Dinner pretty basic…....

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:47:03 -0400

This is what went down last night. Dinner pretty basic…. pork loin on green and red peppers with some kidney beans and sprinkled with jerk seasoning. #simple #easy #delish. Dessert was casein cake. I don’t add any kind of flour to mine (keepin the “cake” low carb), so it’s more Casein Soufflé 😉 #whatevs
1 scoop ON’s cookies n cream casein, 1/3 cup egg whites and 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Stir it all up, toss it in the micro for a min, stir again, micro another 30 secs. Done! I topped mine with 1/4 cup of So Delicious’ Almond Milk vanilla ice cream, some shredded unsweetened coconut and some WF Chocolate syrup. #keepitstupidsimple 😜 (Taken with Instagram)

Obsessed with this song!! (Taken with Instagram)

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 23:38:37 -0400

Obsessed with this song!! (Taken with Instagram)

Wouldn’t you know, dead at work all morning then… as...

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:03:33 -0400

Wouldn’t you know, dead at work all morning then… as soon as it came time for lunch, THAT’s when I get busy! Ugh. Soooo, I had to skip it and just have this a little while ago. Time to head home and do a lil #P90X Kenpo! Then it’s dinner time and I’ma gonna chow!! BTW, new picture app 💣! I’m gonna have soooo much fun with this one! Lol #bigkid (Taken with Instagram)

Ah, the calorie question...

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:34:59 -0400

Net calories.
I was asked a question on Instagram about my calorie count (currently at 1200). The question was if the 1200 was Net calories (after exercise) or Gross calories (before exercise).
Such a simple, yet complicated question. The quick answer is Net. My net calories right now are 1200. That means if I eat 1800 (average for me) then I need to burn 600. Or if the workout I performed only burned 350, then I have 1550 allowed for consumption. This changes daily and is based on what workout is happening that day.
Now, I could easily just vaguely answer the question and walk away, but if there’s one thing I know…. there is far too much information on the Internet that does nothing more than confuse the reader. I have been there. Confused, frustrated and just looking for a real answer. I finally got sick of all the conflicting information and started digging into the science behind weight loss and the human body in general. I have spent the past 3 years trying (and succeeding) to lose weight. Just recently hitting 90lbs total gone. But, now that I’m somewhere in the “normal” range of weight, it’s becoming more complicated. In the beginning all I had to do was cut calories and the weight fell off. Now, well let’s just say my body has become a touch more finicky.
This is when I started diving into the science behind it all. I understood the whole “Calories in vs calories out” thing, but I was cutting them and not seeing results. I had hit a plateau. In my search for a solution I happened upon a bunch of websites. Weightloss ones, bodybuilding ones, clean eating, gluten free, fasting, etc. and like most people I had a few “Aha” moments and a few “WTF” ones too 😜.
I’m one of those people that takes nothing at face value. Naturally cynical. I don’t just believe what is said, I want proof. Give me more details, tell me why. Most articles you read online will tell you what to do, but won’t come close to a thorough explanation. “Eat low-carb”, they say. I ask, “why”? Search for an answer and you get “it forces your body to burn fat”. “Ok, cool…. how?” This is how my mind works. On and on until I’ve drilled down to the molecular structure of a carbohydrate and exactly what your body does with it (I totally blame the OCD😜). Although relatively time consuming, all of this information has been very helpful in my quest for weight loss. Ok, now that I’ve rambled (I apologize), back to the original question. Calories?
My first question to anyone reading this asking about calorie counts is this… Do you ACTUALLY need to lose WEIGHT? I know this sounds like a silly question, but I’ve been all over Tumblr and Instagram watching petite, thin girls grabbing an 1/8th inch skin fold on their stomachs and claiming “Look at this! I’m sooo fat! I need to lose weight”. No, sweet pea, you don’t. You need to eat some protein and carbs, lift some weights and build some damn muscle (and I will blog more about that later). Now, if you have 30+lbs to lose, then you need to be counting calories. Good ol’ calories in vs calories out will work just fine for you. First, you need to either go online and figure your BMR or download an app that will do it for you. *Side note* I use LoseIt!. It calculates your BMR for you then tells you how many net calories to consume in a day. It is accurate…. I checked… then double checked. OCD *shrug*.
Your BMR is, in Lamens terms, what your body would burn for calories if you just sat your butt on the couch all day and did nothing. You can find the calculator online. Once you’ve found that, you need to apply the HBE (Harris Benedict Factor). You can also find this online. This will account for your particular lifestyle. Sedentary, fairly active, and active. This factor takes into account all the activities you do on a daily basis. Workouts, leisure activities, your job, etc. You need to be honest with yourself here, because even a 100 cal swing can throw the whole thing off. Once you’ve got all those equations figured out, you now know what you burn on a daily basis. If you’re looking to maintain your weight, eat that amount of calories (preferably of whole foods😉). Want to lose weight? Then you need to cut ‘em. 3500 calories equals a pound. Wanna lose a pound per week? Cut 500 calories a day from your final number. 2lbs a week? 1000 cals a day. Do NOT exceed that. Once a week because you got busy and missed a meal, ok. Don’t do it on purpose, because you’ll actually create a much bigger problem. You may lose weight at first, but then it’s gonna stop and you could end up in a world of shit. 2lbs a week. Slow and steady is the way to win this race. Now, say 4 weeks in you’ve lost 8 lbs, maybe even 10. You now have to go back and recalculate all your numbers. As you lose weight, your BMR changes. This is why people hit plateaus. They don’t adjust the calories. To keep the weight loss steady, you must adjust!! Even if it’s just 20 calories a day. This is why I recommend the LoseIt! App. It does all this for you. ALL OF IT! If you’re counting calories, that app is worth every penny.
Like I said before, if you’re looking to lose 30, 40 or even 100lbs, calorie counting is the way to go. It’s simple (fairly) and doesn’t involve delving in Macros and all that jazz. Just eat good foods, keep an eye on the calories, adjust them every 10lbs or so and you’ll do just fine. When you get to within 15-20lbs of your goal, that’s where it starts getting more tricky.
Here’s the last thing I’m gonna say about calorie counting (calorie counting alone)…. It’s for us Fat People. It is simply to lose “weight”, no matter where the weight is coming from. When you restrict calories you will lose fat, but you will also lose lean body mass (muscle). Some of us who have been working on building lean mass need a way to burn fat and maintain as much muscle as possible. This is why calorie counting alone is not right for everyone. Have you been strength training? If yes, then you need to add another math equation to the whole thing. Macros. This is where I am. Fun. 😏
I’m done for now. I’ll get into the macros later😄.

So, my sudden pumpkin obsession continues…. Dessert last...

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 12:41:33 -0400

So, my sudden pumpkin obsession continues….
Dessert last night AND breakfast this morning! 😜 Breakfast was just my regular Protein Pancakes with some pumpkin mixed into the batter along with some cinnamon and nutmeg. Topped ‘em off with some WF pancake syrup and some more cinnamon. #yum Could only eat half the stack BTW, super filling. At least I know what I’ll be having for breakfast tomorrow! 😉 Now, let’s talk about that dessert! OMG! Pumpkin, ON’s Cookies & Cream Casein, Chobani plain non-fat yogurt and some almond milk whipped into a mousse. Then…. Some rolled oats, almond meal, cinnamon and some nutmeg tossed in a pan with a touch of coconut oil to brown it all up. Layered it all together into a parfait and topped it with a vanilla casein mixture as my “whipped cream”! #foodporn It was like pumpkin pie in a glass!! I still have plenty of pumpkin left and a few more ideas on how to use it. Low-fat, clean pumpkin cheesecake anyone?? Oh yeah, I’m gonna go there!! #cleaneats #delish #stupidgood (Taken with Instagram)

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Sun, 16 Sep 2012 10:46:57 -0400

fitnessluvr: loads of good intentions

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 10:14:36 -0400

fitnessluvr:

loads of good intentions

I struggle with the whole water thing. It’s too damn...

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:08:30 -0400

I struggle with the whole water thing. It’s too damn boring and drinking it is more of an afterthought than habit for me. So I’m trying to make it a little more interesting. Never had a thing for flavored waters (unless Kool-aid counts😜), but I figured I should give them a try again. Found this Chocolate/Mint stuff at the store. It’s actually kinda tasty, but at $1.75 a bottle it’s more “sip and savor” 😉. The pitcher on the right is something I saw online. Fresh mint leaves, lemons and cucumbers. This is #delish, homemade and about 1/25 of the cost! Ding, ding, ding!! We have a winner! 😄 (Taken with Instagram)