Back on Track

When the holidays roll around we all tend to attack the holidays the same way - we slowly start losing sight of our fitness goals and indulge in all of the wonderful food that the holidays bring. Needless to say, I certainly enjoyed my Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed it straight on through until yesterday. When my family gets together, we just enjoy each others company and since I come from a big Italian/Portuguese family, these get-togethers always include food! You can almost never get away without eating something.

However yesterday I realized that I had enjoyed myself to the fullest and needed to get myself back on track. I hit the grocery store, planned some meals for the week and got to cooking in the kitchen. While I had my food cooking, I sat down to analyze my week and to map out my plan of attack in the gym. Next year brings a lot of new challenges my way, so I need to stay on top of my workouts and clean eating in order to get to where I want to be next year. I have a lot of obstacles in my way, but I am certain with a little bit of planning and implementing that I will certainly get there.

When I am prepared like this, it always helps me to stay on top of myself and accountable. We must always remember that we are the only ones that can get in our way of being successful. I woke up today feeling refreshed as it is a new day and a new start to a great week. You can be sure that I plan on getting it done this week! I am looking forward to what lies ahead - take the time to sit down and map out your week. This may make it a little easier for you to stick to your workouts and nutrition, knowing you have it all planned out.

Healthy Homemade Protein Bars

INGREDIENTS:

4 scoops Whey Protein Powder, chocolate
2 Tbsp Flaxseed (organic, ground)
4 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter (chunky)
1/4 cup water


INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix everything together with in a bowl. It'll get incorporated eventually after some strenuous forearm and shoulder work. Divide mixture in 4 equal parts and place them into separate pieces of plastic wrap. Put the bars into your fridge, or store them in the freezer.

*makes 4 servings

Change It Up!

Working full time at a gym, you can be sure that I see some crazy things going on there such as really bad technique & form and women making up some exercises that are much too dangerous for them to be doing. However, more and more frequently I see the same of this....women doing the same thing every single day for weeks and even months! Whether it's doing cardio on the elliptical for 60 minutes straight at the same incline/resistance or doing the same leg routine every week - these women are doing the same thing over and over again, expecting to see changes in their physiques.

I wanted to take the time to write about the importance of changing it up at the gym. You cannot expect to go to the gym every day and do the same thing...this includes both lifting and cardio. If you are new to the gym and working out, you may want to play it safe and stick with 1 piece of cardio equipment like the elliptical until you feel more comfortable to try something new. That is fine. However, switch up your intensity 1 day...maybe you'll start with 20-30 minutes of a steady state pace. When you're in your groove, switch it up with intervals - maybe 1 minute at a higher resistance then 1 minute at a lower resistance and keep alternating.

You see, our bodies adapt quickly to whatever you throw its way, its part of the "survival" game. In order to beat hitting plateaus or getting stuck in a rut, you need to constantly keep challenging your body, keep it guessing as to what you'll be doing next in the gym. With this type of approach, you'll be sure to keep your progress moving forward and most importantly, you won't get bored at the gym!!!

In a week, try to do something different for each cardio workout - you want to try to not do the same thing in 1 week. Here are some ideas for doing cardio 5 days a week:

Elliptical
Treadmill
Stepmill (revolving staircase)
Jump Rope
Arc Trainer

Now the key with cardio machines is to try not to do the same thing/pace/resistance/incline for the whole time you're on the machine. Try to switch it up with intervals. So if you're on the treadmill, try jogging 1 minute, running 1 minute, sprinting 1 minute then recovering with a walk for 1 minute...keep doing that and you'll be sure to burn extra calories! With the jump rope, light skip for 1 minute, then hop for 1 minute then go all out for 1 minute. You could even lay the jump rope on the floor and hop side to side or front and back over it to switch it up.

Next time you go in the gym and start heading for your favorite cardio machine, steer away and head somewhere new. Just try it out! You may find your next favorite thing to incorporate into your future workouts.

Keep switching it up people and enjoy the benefits!

I am Thankful

Wow, do the holidays come and go so quickly! Yesterday was Thanksgiving and what a fantastic holiday it was...probably the best Thanksgiving to date! Due to growing up in a split family, half the day is always spent with my dad's side of the family in the morning/afternoon and the other half is always spent with my mom's side of the family in the afternoon/evening. Needless to say, it's always a long day of family, food, fun and laughs!

This year, it seemed as if both sides of the family were in great spirits and everyone, for the most part, was/is doing well with their lives. I feel that everyone was just on the same page and so happy to be together. I am thankful to have a large family - 2 sides of family that are closer than ever with each other and who are all healthy, happy and successful. I am very family oriented so spending this quality time with my family is always something to look forward to. There were new family stories, new laughs and new people who joined us (lucky them haha!).

My holiday proceeded to go well into the early hours of the morning the following day (yes you read that right). It's tradition to stay at my aunt's house (on my mom's side) pretty late at night on holidays. We'll all gather together around the kitchen table, drinking wine, telling stories, laughing while my cousins' friends proceed to enter the house for the annually anticipated holiday poker tournament. The house is filled with family, friends and some people we don't even know lol but it's always a great time and we have a blast!

I'm now gearing up and getting ready for Christmas and New Year's!!!!

Healthy Thanksgiving Stuffing

WILD RICE & BULGUR STUFFING

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup wild rice
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bulgur, (see Note)
2 cups water
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
*Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
*Add celery, onions and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
*Stir in wild rice. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil.
*Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
*Meanwhile, place bulgur and water in a bowl. Let soak for 30 minutes.
*Preheat oven to 350°F.
*Spread pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant. *Let cool and chop coarsely.
*Place raisins in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
*Stir the soaked bulgur, pecans, raisins and parsley into the cooked wild rice. *Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely before stuffing.

Post Vegas Blues

I'm officially home from my last trip of the year and by far, my best trip of the year! I was fortunate to spend an amazing 4 days in Las Vegas with some truly inspirational and motivational women. These women all make up a team - a team of empowered, supportive and dedicated women, my Savage Sisters, coached by the one and only Cathy Savage. It's true - not only are they my team mates, but they are my sisters. We are there for each other for support, through good times, difficult times, to cheer, motivate, move, inspire...it's a great team to be a part of!

I got in to Vegas late Wednesday evening. I met up with some fellow friends, then started preparing for an early sunrise photo shoot the next day. Thursday came quick and a bunch of us were up and hiking the Red Rock Canyon around 6am in order to get some gorgeous photos in...I can't wait to see them! What an amazing scene it was! I feel truly blessed to have been able to travel to such a location...and in such a city of lights, Sin City! Who would've thought that even existed there? The rest of the day was comprised of meeting up with old friends then all joining together for a group photo shoot outside the Bellagio fountains. We certainly caused quite the scene!

The rest of my weekend was filled with lots of cheering, motivating, laughs, good food and good times. I'm so glad that I spent some more quality time with good friends as the memories we created were priceless. I feel so lucky to have such good friends and am lucky to have such experiences as these.

I'm now gearing up for a great holiday week...Thanksgiving is right around the corner and now I can spend some quality time with my family. I can't wait!

Viva Las Vegas!

This week I will be jet setting to the fabulous city of Las Vegas! I know I know...I travel a lot! LOL However keep in mind that most trips this year have been work related and have offered very little time to myself. These last 2 trips of the year are mostly for pleasure however this trip will have some business aspects to it.

I'm pumped up and can't wait to spend the long weekend with my friends. This will officially be my final trip of the year and what better way to top it all off...in Sin City! I leave Wednesday night and will be pretty busy up until then with clients, getting in my workouts, last minute errands and packing, so I figured I better update my blog today while I have the time :)

When I get back, it'll officially be Thanksgiving week - can you believe it?! I'm excited to spend some quality time with family on that day, one of my favorite holidays as there is no stress with gifts just spending time with the people you care about.

Make it an aswesome week everyone! You can bet that mine will be!

Pump It Up!

Download these songs asap & rock it out in the gym:

"Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga
"Down" - Jay Sean ft Lil Wayne
"Evacuate the Dance Floor" - Cascada
"Don't Stop Believing" - Glee Cast version
"All Along the Watchtower" - Dave Matthews version
"Meet Me Half Way" - Black Eyed Peas
"City on Down" - O.A.R.

Food Food Food...

I am often asked by many people what I usually eat in a day - whether getting ready for a show or not. I thought it would be a good idea to let you all take a glance at one day in my off season to see what a typical day of eating could look like:

Egg white omelet made with spinach, salsa & fat free feta cheese
Oatmeal with blueberries

Greek yogurt with Kashi cereal, chopped apple & cinnamon

Weights & Cardio

1 scoop VPX Zero Carb Protein Powder (Graham Cracker flavor)
2 rice cakes

Ground turkey with brown rice, broccoli, peppers, onions

Shrimp stir fry with veggies & olive oil

Piece of dark chocolate


As you can see...there's a good amount of food variety in this day! A day set up like this gives me enough variety and satisfaction, which keeps me going all day long. It's comprised of my lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, veggies & good fat -not to mention a nice piece of chocolate at the end of the day :) Eating every 2-3 hours keeps my metabolism revved up and running, which ultimately keeps me burning calories all day long, and I'm never coming down crashing from my food, wanting more.

Take the time to write down what you eat in 1 day. At the end of the day, you might be surprised to see what you wrote. Sometimes as we near the end of a day, we can forget about those cookies we had after lunch or soda with dinner. Try to make better choices and please do not stay in the frame of mind of only eating breakfast, lunch & dinner. You need to have snacks in between these meals as well....this will keep your metabolism up and running!

Happy eating!

Serenity

How well rested do you feel? Are you getting in enough sleep? If you're like me, you are always on the run and always feel rushed. One thing I have currently been trying to focus on is making sure that I am getting in enough sleep at night. Everyone underestimates how important sleep is for you. This is the time when both our body and mind can rest, relax and take in what we've accomplished in the day. How much sleep and rest we get determines how productive we will be the following day, it will set our mood. Make it a point to check in with yourself to make sure you're getting in enough sleep!

Enjoying the Off Season

As discussed in a previous blog, there are 2 times of year for a fitness athlete: competition season & the "off season". I am currently in my off season, with my next show being in April 2010. I am absolutely loving this time of year and feel like I am getting so much accomplished! I am lifting like a maniac in the gym (watch out boys!), staying dedicated to my yoga practice, trying fun new classes and dare I say it - enjoying my cardio lol. It feels great to switch it up!

Although receiving my IFBB Pro Card in my bikini division at the 2009 NPC Team Universe show, I will be crossing over and competing in fitness for my first IFBB Pro show in April 2010 - it's very exciting! I'm thrilled with this decision, however I realize that I now need to work even harder in order to get there next year. In the IFBB, there are 5 mandatory strength/flexibility moves and I have yet to master all 5. This is something I am certainly working on right now and will take the next couple of months in order to do so. Along with working on my mandatory fitness routine moves, I also need to make some significant changes to my physique in order to stand tall and proud (ok, maybe not that tall because I'm only 5'1" haha)on that stage with the other IFBB competitors. This is why I am training like a maniac! I'm looking to put on some serious muscle in the short amount of time that I have.

So yes - lots of changes going on and in the works, but this girl is on fire and getting it done. I have the motivation, the drive and the desire...there's no stopping me! I'm working hard and putting everything I have into this in order to say that I absolutely gave it everything that I had...stay tuned for updates!

Pizza for Breakfast???

LOW CARB DEEP DISH PIZZA QUICHE
(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
4 oz. low fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups sliced mushrooms - sauteed
2 turkey sausages (crumbled & cooked)

Instructions:
*Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
*Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
*In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
*Add the skim milk, Parmesan, chives, garlic, and oregano. Blend until smooth.
*Scatter the Asiago and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. (This will make your crust.)
*Pour the egg mixture over the cheese.
*Bake for 30 minutes.
*Spread with the tomato sauce.
*Scatter the mushrooms and sausage over the top.
*Cover with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
*Turn on the broiler and broil about 6 inches from the heat until brown and bubbly.
*Let sit for 5 minutes or so before cutting.

From Coast to Coast

I'm just coming home from an AMAZING trip to the west coast with my sister - specifically, Ojai CA (right outside of Santa Barbara). My sister travels quite frequently for work, and once in a while I am very fortunate and lucky enough to join her on one of her work trips. In the past, I tagged along to Caribbean destinations such as the Turks & Caicos islands and St. Lucia for jazz festivals. However this time, we kept it in the U.S. and traveled across the country from the east coast to the west coast.

My trip started bright and early at 7:30am Thursday morning on the plane to CA. The flight was very comfortable and enjoyable. We flew low enough so that we could see everything below us that we were flying over and that made the flight that much more enjoyable. Leaving Boston, we flew over cities & towns then as we proceeded towards the west we were then flying over prairies, mountains and more notably the Colorado Rockies and the Grand Canyon - 2 glorious sights! I felt so blessed at that time that I had this opportunity to travel across the country.

From Los Angeles, I had to then take a 90 minute drive to Ojai, where I would be meeting my sister at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa - a spectacular resort hidden away where no one would even know it existed if not known. I was mesmerized when I arrived - the inn was so quaint and small yet had a big resort vibe with all that it had to offer its guests. We grabbed lunch then had time to walk around the property. As my sister went to a client dinner later that night, I was able to relax in our comfortable room fit with a fireplace. The rest of the weekend included events such as a unique yet challenging class at the gym, a 10 mile bike ride to Lake Casitas, horseback riding, dinner at the famous Biltmore resort in Santa Barbara, a unique spa treatment called Kuyam at the Spa Ojai, and a gorgeous drive up the Pacific Coast to LAX. Needless to say - this was 1 trip that does not come by often and I am so happy that I decided to join her and am thankful for the opportunity.

It's great trips and experiences like these, especially when shared with loved ones, that make you open your eyes to see what else is out there in the world. The scenery alone on this past weekend's trip was utterly breaktaking. I love Boston and cherish our seasons, but man - is there something about Cali! I look forward to going back there in the future, that's for sure!

Sweet Tooth?

CINNAMON ORANGES

Ingredients:
4 navel oranges
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Splenda
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions:
*With a sharp knife, remove rind & white pith from oranges
*Cut each into 5 or 6 slices & arrange on 4 plates
*Whisk together orange juice & lemon juice, Splenda & cinnamon
*Spoon over the orange slices

Rush Hour

It's the beginning of November, which kicks off the holiday season. Halloween is over and the Halloween decorations are coming down. In turn, new decorations are going up - winter holiday decorations. In November, we look forward to Thanksgiving but I feel that a lot of people just like to bypass this holiday all together and go straight to December. Yesterday I heard a local radio station officially start to play holiday music and malls/stores are starting to put up their holiday decorations! Is it me or are people jumping the gun here?

It seems as if everyone is in a rush these days - a rush to get to the next thing, a rush to end the day. Sometimes this can really frustrate me. Don't get me wrong - I'll find myself a lot of times running late and rushing. But why is it that our society is always in a state of rushing? Why can't we ever slow down? I'm making it a point to take each day one by one, to live each day to the fullest. Because if we constantly rush, we may just miss something fabulous that can happen in a a day. Make it a point to cherish every day!

What Did You Do For Halloween?

I'm sure that most people went out last night and celebrated Halloween in a regular fashion - got dressed up in costumes and went to a party. My Halloween was spent a little differently...

Yesterday (on Halloween), I was up early and on my way into Boston. There I was greeted by familiar faces, although a little more bronzed than usual, and proceeded to spend my day at the NPC New England States show at the John Hancock working for VPX. The show was comprised of bodybuilding, figure, fitness and bikini divisions. Now these people all had a choice - to either celebrate Halloween like everyone else or to spend it on a stage in a rather different costume...their costumes had a lot more thought and prep put into them. These people had been planning their costumes for close to 4 months and boy, did they pull it off and bring it together nicely!

The show was a success, despite being on a holiday and I was so glad to share the day with everyone. There's no where else I would have rather been than representing the best supplement company in the industry and cheering on all of my friends, who were getting recognized and rewarded for their costumes, probably their best costumes to date - the amazing transformations in their physiques that they have been working so hard to attain. Although ending late, the festivities were not over yet and a bunch of us proceeded to head out in order to celebrate.

I am so lucky to have found something in my life that brings me such joy, determination and drive. I thank everyone I have met through my own experiences and want to say a big CONGRATS to all of those that stepped on the stage yesterday - it was a great Halloween!