For breakfast, I tried not to eat something too “greasy” or “fattening,” so I’d go for a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats in fat free milk, or a fruit smoothie with a side of a Nature’s Valley granola bar. It seemed so light on my stomach, so I thought I was doing a good thing.

Then came lunch. The easiest for me was a sandwich, but with baked chips (of course!). Since I lived in the dorms, I’d go downstairs to the sandwich shop and made what I thought was the best choice: whole wheat/whole grain bread, some slices of turkey, 1 slice of cheese, and a bag of baked chips on the side. I used to stock up on the boxes of baked chips that were sold in bulk at Sam’s Warehouse.

Dinner: a bowl of some “healthy” cereal, another sandwich (toasted, possibly) to change it up a bit.

Sometimes, on the weekends, I would treat myself to a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, but I still thought I was making a pretty healthy choice! Little did I know that the breaded chicken, fried in peanut oil, served in between 2 slices of bread was actually bad for me and making me look bloated. I’d go for the wheat bread (Chick-Fil-A’s most recent healthy choice at the time), and having made a pact with my dad to stop eating french fries a year before…I skipped the fries.  Instead, I would eat some baked potato chips on the side, yet I would dip them into a mountain of ketchup (sugar!!). Not to mention the half and half (half unsweetened tea, half diet lemonade) I was drinking. It was diet lemonade, but it was still so sweet!! Splenda is still a form of sugar!! As my brother, Mike, would say, “If it tastes sweet, it has sugar…or pseudo-sugar!”

I wasn’t eating red meat at all because I had heard that was very fattening and bad for me. I thought I was doing the right thing. Whole grains, low-fat, substituted Splenda for sugar, ate no meat (just chicken), egg whites only, used Pam instead of butter…but I was physically the biggest I have ever been. I remember going shopping with my mom and crying in the dressing room because everything felt so tight. I could feel every inch of my clothes plastered against my body, and I didn’t like it.

It wasn’t until I met the treadmill that I really started to lose weight/inches, but I soon realized that the only way to maintain my weight was to spend 2-3 hours at the gym. For 3 years, 5 times a week, I would run 6-10 miles on a treadmill. It was not fun spending hours on the treadmill, but it was the only way. The running caused many knee and foot injuries, but when I tried to stop running so much, I would quickly start regaining weight (especially in my stomach). I lost a lot of weight/inches during this time, but I was too skinny, had no muscle, constant injuries, and I spent way too much time on the treadmill.

When Mike and Rob (my brothers) first introduced me to the G7 Strength and Conditioning program, I was a bit skeptical. I thought (through experience) that the only way to maintain weight was to run…and run…and run some more.

I had no idea at the time that my “need” to run and my body weight fluctuation was due to the food I was eating. Food was the culprit. Food was making me unhealthy. I quickly learned I would get the most benefit from the The G7 program if I changed the way I ate. I had to completely put aside everything that I learned in school. Having a Masters Degree in Health Education from UT Austin might make someone think that I was an expert in nutrition…and I was…according to what I was taught. But none of that was working for me, so I decided to take my brothers’ recommendations and try something new.

That’s the lesson here…try it. I tried it, and I’ve never looked back. I weigh 118 lbs. now. Every meal is a great tasting one (with meat!), and I no longer spend my days running. My body feels good, I’m stronger, and I look great.

So what do I eat? That’s the next post…

I substituted a little less than 1/4 cup of maple syrup for the honey (if you like things sweeter, go for the full 1/4 cup) and 4 T melted coconut oil for the butter.

What I ended up with, surprisingly, was an hojarasca type cookie. Hojarascas are sooo delicious, and these grain-free cookies come pretty darn close to that. Everyone has loved them so far. Test it out for yourself!

Hojarascas

Ladies…let’s get this straight…being strong is attractive! If someone tells you otherwise, he/she is lying…or jealous…or just has issues.

As a coach for the Strong Women’s program at G7, I see ladies getting stronger every day. We all get excited when someone achieves a new power clean max, can now swing a heavier kettlebell, or is one step closer to completing a deadhang pull-up.

For every woman who is reading this…believe me…being strong is AWESOME! When you can pull the “heavy” boxes down from the closet with ease, open the jar of almond butter that no one else can, or carry in the 40 lb. bags of ice without breaking a sweat, it feels great!!

Broccoli, Sausage, and Egg

Before participating in the G7 G-Force Challenge, I would have NEVER thought to add broccoli to my egg. Now I love it!

What you need:
12-16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli (thawed)
1/2 Hormel (nitrate/nitrite free) sausage
organic butter
8 Pasture raised/Cage free/Organic eggs (whisked)
onion powder
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper

Directions:
This recipe makes enough for 2 people, plus leftovers! Cut 1/2 sausage into small pieces and place in a pan on medium. Once browning, add a T of butter and thawed broccoli to the pan. Sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper all over the mix. Let cook, and stir throughout. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with a dash of sea salt. When sausage and broccoli mix is cooked and spiced to your liking, add 1 more T of butter. Once butter has melted, add the eggs to the mix, and stir. After a few minutes of stirring, they should be ready! Enjoy!

Coconut Flour Pancakes

This recipe is adapted from Joyful Abode…

What you need:
6 eggs
6 T coconut milk (liquid form…not thick cream)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 medium apple (peeled)
6 T SIFTED coconut flour
2 T melted butter
2 T melted coconut oil
blender

Directions:
**Using a blender is important for this recipe. The pancakes won’t come out as smooth with a mixer. Blend eggs and coconut milk in the blender. Next add vanilla, sea salt, and baking soda, and blend some more. Chop up the peeled apple, add to the mix, and blend. Now add the coconut flour and melted oils. Blend some more. If your mixture seems too lumpy or thick, add 1-2 T more of coconut milk (The mixture should be pourable). Once your mixture is well blended, put a nice coating of butter on the pan you’ll be using to make the pancakes. Start pouring your mix onto the pan. I like to keep my pancakes small, so they are easier to flip. This recipe makes 16 nice-sized pancakes. Have fun, and enjoy!!

Barbacoa!

We can never be too sure about what is put into food that isn’t homemade. The next time you are craving barbacoa, make your own!! This recipe is a great alternative to store bought/restaurant barbacoa (thanks to my sister, Vero).

What you need:
Crockpot
Foil
Beef tongue
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
onion powder

Directions:
Spice all sides of the beef tongue with garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Place the spiced beef tongue in a nice-sized piece of foil and fully wrap it up. Put the wrapped meat in the crock-pot for 4-5 hours, and cook on a HIGH setting. Move the setting to LOW, and cook for 10-12 more hours. I like to do this overnight.
After the overnight cooking, open up the foil, and slice open the tongue. Next, remove the outer layer of the tongue and discard. Re-spice the meat with garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Move the meat around in the crock-pot, and leave unwrapped. Let the meat cook again for 30 minutes to an hour on HIGH (depending on how brown you like it). I don’t like my meat to have any redness to it!! There you go…BARBACOA!! Enjoy.

Make it Paleo recipe book

This looks like it’s going to be a great recipe book!! I love the stuff on their site. The book has over 200 grain free recipes…at such a low price! Pre-order it now!! Check out their website or buy their book here.

Spanish Rice

For those of you who miss having the scrumptious rice to go along with your fajita…this one’s for you!

Ingredients:
2 bags of frozen cauliflower
onion
1/2 bag of frozen carrots
coconut oil
free range/organic chicken broth
tomato sauce/paste
cilantro
garlic
onion powder
sea salt
pepper
oregano

Directions:
Thaw out the vegetables before using. Place cauliflower in a food processor, little bits at a time. Make sure it only gets to a rice consistency. If you put too much cauliflower in at once, it will turn into mash. Set aside. Do the same thing with the carrots, and set aside. Chop up some onion. Put a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a big pan on medium heat. Once heated, add the cauliflower, carrots, and onion. Let the mixture fry, and stir throughout. Add all spices (to taste) to the mixture.

Once fried, add some chicken broth to the mixture. Do NOT overdo it with the broth. The broth will not evaporate, and you will be left with a puddle of broth! Add some tomato sauce or paste to the rice, and stir. At this point, I usually do a taste test, and I’ll add more spice if necessary. Now enjoy!!

I AM STRONG, and I AM A WOMAN.

I AM A WOMAN, and I AM BEAUTIFUL.

During my conversations with women athletes at the gym, I have often found that they have much concern with lifting heavy weights. These common concerns include…they don’t want big legs…they don’t want big arms…or they just want to get “toned.” Getting toned…what exactly does that mean?

Women tell me that they have heard about the nasty side effects of lifting heavy and don’t want any part in that. Let me tell you about those nasty side effects. I’ve been lifting heavy weights for almost 2 years now, and those side effects are actually not all that nasty.

Nasty side effect #1: Fat loss. The more weight you lift, the more muscle you gain, the more fat you lose. Women…please keep in mind that we are not bodybuilders. We don’t have enough natural testosterone in our systems to build muscle like that, so unless you’re taking steroids, stop worrying about it! If you don’t believe me, you can read this article by Mark Sisson here.

Nasty side effect #2: Compliments. We all HATE compliments, don’t we?? If you lift heavy weights, expect compliments. I have received numerous compliments about my arms and legs, and I lift heavy weights all the time! I have also been told that my arms are nicely toned, yet I lift heavy stuff. Wait a second…lifting heavy gets you strong and toned?? Win-win!!

Nasty side effect #3: Clothes fit better. I have realized that the heavier my squats and deadlifts get, the better my jeans fit. Prior to my heavy lifting days (also known as my chronic cardio days), I often had to squeeze into my size 6 jeans. I’m talking about the lying down and buttoning, and once buttoned, doing squats and lunges to make them get a bit looser. It was quite frustrating feeling the jeans painted on my skin! These days, I squat over 170 lbs., deadlift over 200 lbs., I’m down to a size 2, and my jeans feel great!

G7 women, don’t be worried about what people might say about you when you start getting stronger. Out of the millions of compliments I have received, I have only encountered 1 person that has criticized my look. He stated that he would never want his wife to look like me or my sister and even used a derogatory word to very poorly describe how “manly” we look. The comment did not hurt me, and I still giggle about it today. I’m convinced it was a jealousy issue on his part. Let’s face it…people start to feel insecure when the ones they love are becoming stronger and fitter. Don’t let these people bring you down!

Lifting heavy is good for you and will force you to become a stronger and more beautiful woman, inside and out. Don’t be afraid, ladies! I’m not afraid.

Just recently I started to feel a slight pain in my back again. The pain doesn’t feel like it did when I first became injured, but I do feel like the injury is still lingering. A twist here, a step there, and I feel a shot of pain. The problem is…since I’ve had so many injuries and do consider myself a worrywart, I can no longer think about anything else other than the spot on my back that MIGHT hurt. During a workout, I’m completely focused on the pain that MIGHT occur. So is my back really injured, or am I simply experiencing normal aches and pains from working out? I can no longer distinguish between the two, and it frustrates me!!
After a long drive home from the gym (and an extra long phone call/crying spell with my younger brother, Mike), I was convinced that I’ll have to make another trip to Airrosti very soon. I need to know whether this back injury is still there or not…I need to have peace of mind…and I’d like to turn my Negative Nancy into a Positive Penny! Dr. Perry…you might be seeing me again soon.
For all you out there that know me and love me…here is a short clip from the movie, The Switch…who does the kid remind you of??

The Switch clip

And now…here is a recipe I found a few months ago for banana pudding. It’s delicious! When you’re having a Negative Nancy day (and feel like eating a tub of ice cream), make some Negative Nancy pudding instead!

Negative Nancy pudding!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).