Lifting, Diet, and GRATITUDE

HOLA! Finally the sun is shining again this morning, its been pretty rainy this past week, which I didnt mind at all since it gave me a chance to get caught up on my tornado-like mess at home. Ive been really busy focusing on my training the last couple weeks, upping my reps and weight. This has been a really awesome challenge, I forgot that I need to be challenged to stay motivated. For the remainder of this week I want to start adding more cardio to my regime again (I miss running!) I wanna do half hour 3 days a week at a moderate heart rate. I really need to get a monitor! Hint Hint KIRK! ;) 

I've also been focusing a lot on my diet- specifically counting calories and macros (eg: any nutritional component of the diet that are required in relatively large amounts; protein, carbohydrates, fat). Before, for quite a few months I was eating a bulletproof-paleo-hybrid-self-created-diet where I focused on high fat (probably 60% minimum) low carb (20% or less). Typically bacon and eggs and a veggie for breakfast, the famous butter coffee in between, maybe a herb salad for lunch, and then usually steak and veggies for dinner. This worked great at first, I lost huge inches and about 10 lbs of my already small frame (bound to happen with any drastic diet change) however I found I was starting to get a layer of fat on my abdomen LOL- I think it worked great while I was following it strictly, but the moment ièd eat carbs (or drink alcohol, lets face it, its summer, bring on the cold ones!) Id put on pounds (and not the good muscular ones). So now im focusing on leaning out again, counting my foods and keeping a journal. (ive been using the calorie count ap but I may switch to my fitness pal). This week my days have looked like pre-work out I have a coffee (still my butter coffee, unless I grab one after school drop off I get a non sweet latte with regular milk) then iève been having a egg white omelet with veggies or a protein pancakes. I want to start supplementing flax for some paleo-style fibre but I need to pick some up. Snack has been plain full fat greek yogurt and berries, or maybe celery and almond butter. Lunch: salad with palm sized chicken (I really need to get a food scale) and quinoa. Dinner is the same as before, typically a protein and veggies, but iève been trying to add more starchy veggies like yams or brown rice and a leaner protein (I've been eating more chicken than before). Ive been drinking A LOT less coffee. Only one per day now, and plain green tea the rest of the time.

I feel good about this diet revamp, it keeps me in check to keep track and know where my calories are coming from rather than drinking butter coffees all day.

Aside from my fitness, ive been trying to get out of a mental slump. I have been depressed for the last couple of months and really struggling with my home life because of some family problems. This has inspired me to keep a gratitude journal so I can not sweat the small stuff, so to speak:) Im actually really enjoying it- it reminds me how lucky I am and ive been wondering a lot how I forgot in the first place.

-Steph
(PS- if your wondering why my grammar is so terrible today, itès because my computer sucks and clearly im illiterate ;) é..^è^pè HELP! ;)

Baby blue arsenal leads to pancakes..recipe!

Today was the second day of the BC rotating teacher's strike in our region, so Becca was home from school, which was such a relief as i'm recovering from stomach flu/food poisoning so I didn't want to get up and rush out the door as per our usual routine. I have been too busy to do any baking or elaborate breakfasts (doing it butter-coffee-in-mug-out-the-door-sleep-zombie-girl-STYLE) for weeks...months maybe. However this morning I was inspired by Beccas baby blues and pouty lips, mummy can you pleeeeeeeaaaaseeee make pancakes. I could not say no, despite my tornado like kitchen (lasts nights dinner dishes still on my dining room table. ) They were super good, my littlest even at 3! Which is pretty much a miracle because she NEVER eats (unless its cheese:)

Blueberry Cinnamon Paleo Pancakes
local/organic ingredients whenever possible
Serves 4 

Ingredients:
5 eggs
3/4 cup coconut milk (or other dairy free milk alternative)
1/2 cup coconut flour (+ maybe 1tbs or two if it needs to be thicker, it takes a minute or two to 'fluff up' -patience:)
-1/4 cup coconut milk or grassfed butter (melted)
-1tsp baking soda
-1tsp cinnamon
-1tbs honey (optional)
-1/2 cup fresh blueberries

The Method:
Preheat pan to medium-low heat. Melt coconut oil or butter. While oil is melting, beat eggs and milk with a hand or electric mixer, then add the melted oil/butter. Mix coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and honey into the wet egg mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Fold in blueberries. pour in 1/4 cup diameter and cook 2-3 minutes per side, again, patience!

I served mine with some grass fed butter, and a drizzle of real Canadian maple syrup! Enjoy:)

staying active while away

My video from yesterday! I meant to post this earlier this morning but I had technical difficulties while uploading. It also gets cut off suddenly at the end because I had a giant blooper at the end which I had to cut out (lol) One day i'll master the Vblog, I promise;)

If you are interested in finding out what I included for my prepared meals this week you can find yesterdays post here.

Some pics from my vacation to the Island:)

BC Ferries

Running a long the ocean:)

My workout zone in Kirk's parents basement with the equipment I packed

My girls getting ready to go into Science World

Lego Exhibit! Which was amazing.

body parts

Beaver Dam

We <3 T-Rex

Hollow Tree

My New(ish) Niece, Kaycee

Becca, my not-so-baby-bro Noah, my mom and Summer, and myself.

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

my post vacay meal plan

I'm back! I was trying to make a quick little vblog about my trip but it got overwhelming so i'll try and post the video later :)

I only made it through 10 days of my Spring Clean Cleanse, though I still ate really clean on my trip I found it really challenging to make smoothies while on the road a lot. I also remember why I avoid fruit generally (I try to eat 1 serving of berries, unless i'm really craving something sweet). I find fruit never keeps me full, and then I get hungry with a vengeance! So back to the butter and bacon for this girl;) As I mentioned in my video I made my lunches/snacks packed in the fridge so I can focus on blogging, writing/doing my workouts, and paying catch up this week.

A typical breakfast for me is a vegetable (steamed broccoli/asparagus/green juice and soft poached eggs (you can read about the benefits of yolk, especially when 'runny' here), which I make post morning workout usually.

My prepared meals are (I used organic ingredients, do whenever possible):

Mid Morning Snack:

Day 1 & 2:
1 cup fresh rasperries
1/2 cup (shell on) pistashios

Day 3 & 4:
1 medium gala apple slices, sprinkled in cinnamon
1 tbs almond butter

Lunch:

Day 1 & 2:
-1 palm sized baked chicken breast (I cooked for 30 minutes on 350C- tossed in 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs oregano, 1 tbs basil, 1 lemon zested and juiced, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and cracked pepper)
-handful of chopped cucumber
-handful of chopped red bell pepper
-1tbs red onion
-2 cups each herb salad mix
-my green goddess salad dressing (I divided and used half of the ingredients)

Day 3 & 4:
-1 palm sized baked chicken breast
-handful of chopped cucumber
-handful of chopped red bell pepper
-1tbs red onion
-4 cup chopped and pitted kalamata olives
-2 cups each herb salad mix
-tossed in 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of fresh lemon

Afternoon Snack

Days 1-4:
1 cup sugar snap peas
8 oz buttered coffee (1 tbs grassfed organic butter, 1 tbs mct oil, and a dash of cinnmon buttered)

If I get hungry I may add a green juice somewhere in there, but so far I've found it filling enough until bedtime. When I eat a high fat breakfast I feel satiated throughout most of the day. 

Dinner: 

Tonight I'll make a palm sized local steak, small salad and some steamed broccoli latthered in butter;) maybe some avocado on the side. That's pretty typical for me, a meat, a salad, and some steamed veggies. I like to keep it pretty simple. |(i'll try and post my dinners but I don't have them preplanned because dinner plans sometimes change for us depending how crazy life gets:)

-

Spring Clean Cleanse 2/21

I SURVIVED DAY 2 of 21 of the Spring Clean Cleanse! And by some miracle even got my workout in. I think getting my sweat on actually really helped me de-stress, and yes i'm feeling some detox symptoms (irritable, hungry mostly, no headaches so far). My breakfast was a ton of lemon water, a bulletproof coffee and then a passionfruit/pineapple/strawberry-avocado/chia seed smoothie. That was more sugar than I typically eat but since I will be eating mostly liquid diet I wanted to be sure I had enough carbs to survive until lunch and fuel my workout. I even went for a walk with my sister but then discovered it was colder and icier than we anticipated so decided we'd hit up 'coffee' instead, which I resisted my usual honey latte and got a herbal tea, black. Definite will power. Coffee Fiend Resistance at it's finest.

 For lunch (my solid meal of the day) I had a mixed green salad with home made avocado dressing and a palm sized local steak. 

I actually did my run later in the afternoon and was feeling pretty weak so I ended up having a second bulletproof coffee (okay so not a complete success, but at least it wasn't a sugary latte:) and a organic rice cake with almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon, post run. My dinner smoothie will probably actually be a juice, i'm thinking lemon-cucumber-cilantro, maybe a bit of spring mix too.

My workout was whole body today, the usual 30 on 10 rest with my gymboss timer (if you don't have one maybe try for 10-15 reps for 3 sets)

1. Squat and Press
2. Spiderman Pushups
3. Stability Ball Crunches
4. Plie Squats
5. Dumbell Flies
6. Bicyle Abs
7. Ball Bridge
8. Bicep Curls
9. Tuck Abs
10. Squatting Side Lunge

I then did a half hour fast run, cooled down with 10 minutes of hula hooping and a stretch:)

Spring Cleaning (and no I'm not talking about my closet)

HOLA! This morning I woke up to a beautiful 10 degree celsius day in FSJ. I was supposed to take my dad and his girlfriend, Holly, to the airport this morning; they are on route to Puerto Vallarta as we speak. I am sooo envious. Unfortunately my body had other plans for me, and I got hit hard with the stomach flu. :( This would suck enough if our family wasn't already one man down with Kirk and his broken leg. Anyways. In the spirit of looking to the bright side, this has inspired me to kick my ass into gear and put my full focus into food, and feeling good. For the next 21 days (starting today, since solids are out as is), I will be doing a 'cleanse' (I use this word loosely as I already eat pretty strict paleo, so a lot of the foods you may have to cut to join are already not a part of my diet. Based on the Clean Cleanse, advocated by Gwyneht Paltrow. Now that's 'Spring Cleaning' at it's finest. ;)

Basic Guidelines:

1. Liquids only for breakfast and dinner—and allow 12 hours in between dinner and breakfast for optimal digestion.

2. Solids are allowed for lunch.

3. No soy, dairy, gluten, caffeine, or alcohol.

4. Moderate intensity exercise daily to aid circulation and cleansing of lymph nodes

I don't eat soy, gluten or dairy as is, but the alcohol and caffeine will be hard. I'm planning to still have my one bulletproof coffee with breakfast smoothie, but green tea for the res of the day, as I'm a true believer in the benefits of coffee, and think the fat content will be beneficial to stay energized throughout the cleanse. Since this morning I was very ill I skipped breakfast, had a bulletproof coffee, and water all morning. By noon I finally mustered up the strength to stumble in the kitchen and make a smoothie, so i'm thinking i'll skip the solid meal today and hope my stomach feels better for the schedule tomorrow. My solid meal throughout the cleanse will probably look like a big green clean salad with a lean cut of red meat, bacon, free range eggs, or wild salmon. I find my digestion works best when I'm not doing the vegan thing, and I try to avoid chicken most of the time. My liquid and solid meals will be abundant in healthy fats like nuts, seeds, coconut, avocado, olives, ect, and I will probably add hemp protein powder most of the time. I typically workout 45 minutes of HIIT/cardio (running), but I may have to adjust depending on my energy levels and hunger. I will drink green juices in between meals when necessary.

Clean green goddess dressing from last post, herb mix, and local bacon!

My smoothie this afternoon was:

1/2 cup organic passion fruit juice
1 cup pineapple
1 cup strawberries
half an avocado
1/2 cup cucumber
1 scoop chia seeds
2 tbs organic virgin coconut oil

For the duration of this cleanse I'm going to include 1 cup organic dandelion root tea with organic lemon on an empty stomach in the morning. I will be supplementing with cod liver supplements, 10 000 iu vitamin d (in the morning), a multivitamin, 2-3 acidophlilus (spaced throughout the day)  and 2 coconut charcoals (before bed).

I am so excited to feel rejuvenated by the end of this, I've been feeling very run down from being super social (and the liquid confidence that goes along with that;) and from the stress I've been under at home lately! I would love to hear your feedback via Facebook or email! Have you done a cleanse similar to this? Are you 'spring cleaning' your body with me? Support helps build adherence:) Happy Spring Cleaning! <3

fitness, food, and fashion = material heaven

Spring is in the air! Actually, not really in my 'neck of the woods', however, brown snow banks and gravel and dust is in the air which means 'summer' is just a round the corner. I love fashion just about as much as I love fitness, and I live in a place where my shopping options have been extremely limited; so you can only imagine my ecitement when it was opening day this morning at our new local WINNERS! Wahoooooo! I think I died and went to material heaven. My sister and I hit the racks bright and early at 8:40 am and shopped until we dropped. I am pretty impressed with my shopping skills. I had my eye out for bright pops of color (orange, yellow, red, turquoise, ect), bold black and white prints, and chevron stripes.

We worked up quite the apetite... thanks to our dad for treating us to a sushi feast. :)

spring break happenings, ass n' thigh burn

I'm back!!!! Over Spring break I took an unannounced and somewhat forced hiatus from blogging. My older daughter had two weeks off school so I was her main source of entertainment. It was really busy despite the fact that I didn't have to be up as early as usual, it totally threw me through a loop and out of my routine. Then to top off the chaos my fiance broke his shin the first Monday of Spring Break; gaining me my title of nurse, personal chef, and chauffeur extraordinaire. Just Kidding. I'm really struggling with my new role of nurturer but I am trying to be as accommodating as possible despite my already full schedule. He slipped on location at work. He spent the first seven days in a soft wrap (full leg) because he had an open wound they couldn't cast until it had some time to close. Last Monday I took him to the hospital to get his cast put on. He has to have a full leg (foot up to top of his thigh) for 6 weeks, and then if it's healing properly they will shorten the cast to just above his knee for another 4 weeks, followed by physio. Way to go Kirk;)

The only bonus to this whole leg mishap is I have more opportunities to get out and about without the kids since he csn't go anywhere. I for once didn't have to go to extraordinary measures to find a babysitter or bring my daughter to my hair appointment. I finally took the plunge and got an ombre hair style I've been itching to try for almost a year! I like it, i'm not used to change but I think it looks pretty hot!;)

I planned to rewrite my workouts for March however I didn't get to all of them, just ass day (which I do every third day of the week) Here it is below. I do it with my beloved gym boss timer, 30/10 for 30 rounds, but you could do in sets. I'd aim for 3 sets of 10-15 reps of each exercise.

Lemon Sockeye and Asian Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad

I BBQed the salmon with a rub of organic extra virgin olive oil, squeezed Lemon, and covered in lemon slices and cooked for about 10-15 mins on low (times will vary based on the size of fish)

Yam Bake: 

Organic ingredients whenever possible

Preheat oven to 400c. 

2 medium sized yams chopped into small cubes

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1 tbs raw honey (optional, I omitted)

2 tbs rosemary (I prefer fresh but dried is OK) 

1tsp himilayan or sea salt 

Cracked pepper

Mixed Herb Salad with Asian Balsamic Vinagrette 

Dressing:

2 tbs sesame oil

4 tbs balsamic 

1 tbs orange juice (could squeeze right from an orange) 

2 tsp gluten-free soy sauce (I used tamari brand) 

1/4 cup chopped red onion 

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup red pepper chopped 

1/4 carrot grated 

1/4 cucumber chopped 

1/2 ripe avocado chopped

4-5 cups of mixed greens of choice 

4 tbs sesame seeds 

 1tbs goat feta (optional) 

1/2 cup chopped orange (optional, I omitted) 

The Method: 

In a medium salad bowl whisk dressing ingredients (if you can do this ahead if time the flavours will 'blend' but if not that's ok). Chop remaining ingredients, toss and enjoy :) 

Greek Salad with Bacon Wrapped Prawns

I don't always eat goat feta, but when I do it's in greek salad;)

Greek Salad Recipe:
organic ingredients whenever possible

Dressing:
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp raw honey (to taste)
2 tbs feta brine (the liquid, OR 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste)
1 tbs basil
1 tbs oregano

1/2 a cucumber
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/4 red onion
1 cup kalamata olives
2-3 tbs goat feta, crumbled

The Method:
Whisk dressing ingredients in a medium salad bowl, then throw in salad ingredients, I like to chop all my veggies small so that every bite has lots of everything, toss and enjoy:)

Back in....PINK! (plus some yummies;)

I took a brief hiatus from blogging last week to play 'Cake Boss Babe & Party Planning Extraordinaire'  for my now 6 year old daughters who celebrated her birthday on the 20th. Everything I do in my life seems to heir on the side of an 'all or nothing' approach (which always gets me way, way over my head). Also, next year I will most likely be going to classes full time as I registered for Business Management at our local college, so this might have been my last chance to go overboard at birthday-time for a while. I spent weeks shopping, organizing, writing my plans for the cupcakes, and cake and decor, sending out invites and putting the day together. The party was Monster High themed and I think it turned out spooktacular, and went off without a hinge, the 'ghouls' had so much fun! Here's some photos of the day:

Makeup Modelling for Alicia Thompson Photograghy

On Sunday I had the pleasure of being a model for one of my amazing besties, Alicia Thompson, who is a local freelance makeup artist. The reason I was asked to be a model is because she was updating her portfolio to return to her passion in makeup artistry post-babies. Our other BFF Lana Hamilton (who I briefly mentioned in the previous post) is a talented local photographer who offered to take the head shots and help put the day in play! My baby sister, Nina, also came to model, so between the four of us it was a fabulous day of awesome laughs. I am so lucky that despite living in this shitty oil patch town, to be surrounded by a close network of such talented, inspiring, and beautiful women. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky! Lana is currently on a leave of absence until further notice but you can find her on facebook. Alicia is just kick starting her business, and can also be found on facebook. Some shots of the day:

Alicia hard at work on my beautiful sister 

A few of my shots

Valentines

Valentines just so happens to be my favorite day of the whole year. Not because i'm taken, or because I look forward to being lavishly spoiled with chocolate and roses (which was not the case this year), and I've never been the kind of girl who craves expensive jewelry, it's just not my style. Maybe I love the day because it's all about love and I am so lucky to have an army of friends and family who I love whole heartedly, it just makes me get right into the lovey spirit of the occasion. Then there's the whole lust part, but again i'll leave that part a mystery;) Anywho, so knowing Valentines was on it's way, a few weeks ago I made arrangements for a little surprise for my Mister. Boudoir photos. I had to pull some strings (to say the least) including sneaking to the next town to go lingerie shopping un-suspiciously, go to the session, take the money out of our joint bank account without it being noticed, then get down to my bra and panties in front of a complete stranger. It all went off without a hinge and honestly was an awesome experience. I went to a local photographer Lauren Brooke, whom my bestie (another local photographer whose on leave right now, Lana Hamilton) recommended. Lauren was awesome, super friendly and super comfortable, I didn't feel awkward for a second, and she was really good at posing me, which I feel is super important because a lot of the poses feel pretty weird and you feel like you look stupid even though you look hot. When I got the disc back I was sooooo excited. I'm still high on what a babe I am, I seriously recommend all ladies to just go for it and get sexy photos done, it is such a confidence boost (not that I really needed it) but it's an awesome experience, plus one day when you're old you'll be able to look back on your sexy younger self. :)

Heres just a little peek of Laurens fabulous work;)



Kirk worked all day on Valentines, so I got up early to give him the album of photos as a surprise before work, got in my cardi-oohhh, got dolled up and took my daughter to school and dropped my toher daughter off with my sister so I could clean while day drinking red wine, eating dark chocolate while listening to sexy music to feel Valentinesy. He didn't get home until late so we had a quick supper together and he had to go to bed (he worked again at 3am) so that kind of sucked but it's what you make of it so I still had a pretty good day. :) I cooked roasted oregano/basil potatoes, steak with sauteed mushrooms, and greek salad. It was so good!

Sexcersise....because I can!

HAPPY HUMP DAY! Figuratively, and hopefully to all of you literally as well. I won't go into my personal life details on this matter, because though I live a little bit on the wild side and like to push the limits (always) I still like to keep a little mystery too. ;) Some great reasons to talk about sex today.. hmmm. It's hump day. It also happens to be cardio day for me (sexcersise=great cardio), Valentines is just around the corner, it feels good, and feeling good is healthy. I'n also a huge believer in sex being a huge variable in performance. And I am all about performance on all aspects of life. So in honor of sexcersise on hump day:

True dat. I love you Tina Fey. You're a bad ass babe for sure. <3

Do your workout! Sexy people like other sexy people!

Speaks for itself.

You're training for a marathon and you didn't even know it.

Okay maybe among other things. I can almost relate.

Just do it.

On that note, time to go do my cardio! :)

<3- Steph 

Zombie Apocalypse Training (volume 1)

Okay so in honor of the Walking Dead season premier last night i'm going to dedicate today's post to surviving a zombie apocalypse. I'm kind of obsessed with Zombies, I even did the local zombie walk last summer with one of my besties (and awesome local freelance makeup artist). Okay, and I do kind of like biting. Just kidding? Walking dead, Dawn of the dead, Zombieland, I love em all. I think a zombie survival checklist is relevant to our everyday training schedules. ;)

Heres to the ugliest hot zombies, Alicia and I...

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

1. There's a reason they're called the walking dead. They don't jog. They definitely don't sprint. And if you're in reasonably good shape, heart and lungs and brains in working order (in addition to being absolutely scrumptious), once the dead rise you'll be getting a hellacious cardio workout. Good shoes are essential. (break em' in now, no time for blisters)

2. The world's gone horribly pear-shaped and there's shamblers toddling about everywhere, including the aisles of your local Whole Foods. Keep some granola bars handy. They'll give you the burst of energy you need to scale the side of the building from the fifth floor to the roof, make the flying leap over to the fire escape. Also, just because the world has ended doesn't mean you need to forget about having enough fiber in your diet. (always stay adequately nourished, you never know when it may strike)

3. Bet you thought I was going to say shotgun, didn't you? Nope. Firing a gun in any semi-populated area after Zombieggedon is tantamount to ringing a big-ass dinner bell. What you need is a good old headknocker for up close wetwork. Up close and personal zombie disposal without drawing a crowd of shamblers. Headknockers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can find one in every garage, every toolbox in America. A hammer, a hatchet, a crowbar, a two-by-four. A Louisville slugger. Destroy the brain and you're good to go. Big plus: relatively quiet and no need to reload. (it might be a good idea to take up organized sports now..specifically baseball)

4. They secrete fluids from the mouth, the nose. Goo pours from their eyes and ears and other orifices. And that's just the living homo sapiens. Zombies are a bajillion times worse and absolutely teeming with bacteria. You'll need some wet-naps for cleaning up after a good session of ooey-gooey headknocking. (They won't go to waste in the mean time when you're getting in your sweaty prep cardio)

5. The Surgeon General recommends six to eight cups of water a day, on average. But since you're gonna be running, jumping, climbing, and screaming all day long, you'll probably need more. Get used to drinking from toilets. (okay, we'll definitely wait until the zombies actually strike for that one).

6. Let's face it. America is fat and only getting fatter. I'm just ballparking numbers here, but let's say the average American weighs 170 pounds. So, New York is gonna have... Let's see, 9 million times 170... New York's gonna have 1,530,000,000 pounds of rotting human flesh sashaying about. That's a billion and a half to you and me. You're gonna want to sprinkle some Old Spice on your bandana and wrap it around your face to help with the stench. (This might be necessary in your day to day life depending on whos next to you at the gym)


7. Remember that leather jacket you got back in 1997 after browsing through a J. Crew catalog? I want you to dig that sucker out of the back of the closet and try to bite a hole in it. I'll wait. See? It's hard to bite through, isn't it? When the zombies rise, you'll want some good work gloves and a leather jacket. Dungarees. Steel-toed boots for stomping on zed skulls (if you've switched from running to last stand mode). A little leather can give you the protection you need when dealing with a onesy or twosy. A little protection can give you enough time for your buddy to brain Mr. Chompers while he's gnawing on your forearm. Any more zombies than two, your best bet is hunching over in a protective ball, placing your head between your legs and giving your gluteus maximus one last smooch in thanks for all the good times. If you have Kevlar motorcycle gear, in addition to looking cool, you're freaking gold, hombre. (it's okay to look hot in the mean time, afterall once the apocalypse strikes no one will care about your badass jacket)

8. Wal-Mart? Target? The mall? Whatever you do, don't go to a large retail outlet in hopes of living out your Dawn of the Dead consumer fantasy. That's where stupid people go, and stupid people usually become zombies. They're halfway there, after all. Nope, what you need to find is a defensible building, hopefully brick, with few windows. Old WPA buildings, dams, power stations, water treatment plants. Anywhere that the government might've beefed up security after 911. Get yourself to a defensible position first! Worry about food and water later.

9. You've been bitten by the dead girl in the garage - Of course she didn't need your help! She was just hungry for living flesh! - and you don't have much time left before your husband starts resembling a talking sirloin steak. You're gonna have to take yourself out, I'm afraid. You'll want a large enough caliber to make sure your noggin is vaporized. Place the barrel on your soft palette, pointing toward the ceiling, and give it a squeeze. Your loved ones will thank you for not having to shoot you themselves. Well, some of them, anyway. (Go to the gun rage, or stock your freezer with wild game in the mean time, the skills and meat will never be wasted.)


10. You've done it! You've reached safety, if only for a while. Now you need to reaffirm your humanity after all the running, screaming, headknocking, and death. Hopefully, along the way, you've run into another survivor with great abs and a canny ability to assess any situation. Best way to reaffirm your humanity? Sex. That's right. Bow-chicka-bow. Life affirming, mind blowing sex. Unless you're into the weird stuff.  (again, never a waste to have good cardio, you never know when you'll go from a wild sexcapade to zombie escaping during the apocalypse)

THIRSY, milk, and ABS!

Thirsty Thursday! Did you drink enough water?

Today was day 2 of the Raw Recharge Challenge! I'm happy to see on facebook that there was at least a few members participating! I love the energy of doing something health/wellness related as a team, I feel like it really builds adherence and becomes way more fun to participate in a 'challenge'!:)

My juice today consisted of coconut water that I had leftover, fresh dill, cucumber, celery, and lime. I was going to mix an avocado in after the juice was juiced but then decided I just liked it thin so I ate the avocado with a spoon. I used to find avocados SO nasty unless they were lathered in garlic and salsa in guac like form, but now my taste buds have changed a lot and I can pretty much just mow them and love them.. often times when I'm rushed I just eat an avocado on the go as they're full of good fat and I feel like they're substantial enough to be a small meal (with a side of bulletproof 'buttered' coffee of course;).

Tomorrow i'm thinking maybe coconut milk, celery, cilantro, and cucumber. I need to restock my fridge or I might have to repeat a juice recipe from the previous day.

I also wanted to share my awesome ab workout today.. 'basic' but effective (and grunty;)

10 minutes turbo skip followed by stretching (VERY IMPORTANT to warm up, and stretch! Don't skip this!)

I did  6 rounds of 5 exercises,  30 seconds on 10 seconds rest (totalling 30 rounds/15 minutes)

1. tuck abs
2. bicycle abs (advanced)
3. oblique crunch left
4. toe touches
5. oblique crunch right

(If you don't have a timer you could do 30 total of each exercise in sets of 10)

Take a Quick Breathe...QUICK (keep your heart rate up!)

50 Burpees (This is something I adopted from the wonderful Melissa from Hot Body Method:)<3
Full burpees please, with a push up, don't skip the pushup, go to your knees if you must but JUST DO IT!

Stretch! Don't forget post workout snack!

badass abs

I've been a bit quiet the last few days, I had a crazy girls night out last night, which was really needed. I feel rejuvenated now that I got a break from being a mom for a night, but i'm ready to get back to reality now. I don't really like to party because it interferes with my training but lately I just feel overwhelmed and maybe a mild case of the winter-blues. I just want to be on the beach or in my pool with a corona in hand soakin' in the sunshine. I am the biggest sun worshiper in the world, and somehow I ended up here. That said you have to make the best out of any situation you're in and not let it get you down, so maybe this week i'll go for a little artificial sunlight and keep extra warm by getting hot n' sweaty. Today I was feeling a little under the weather (to say the least) but I hydrated hard, and stuck with the coconut charcoal and I got a good ab workout in despite the hangover.

Just crazy lil' me on my girls night (and no I didn't wear fishnets and gum boots to the bar;) 

Don't forget to get on board the Sexy Squat Challenge, if you missed that post, it's not too late! You can find the post here. Day 4 already but rest day for the challenge. Tomorrow is inner thigh lifts, and for those of you who may be reading this and don't know what to do if you don't have an equalizer you can either get creative and carefully use a chair) or if you're really beginner you can do laying on your side and lift your thighs instead.

I've been writing my workouts to be specific muscle group days (with a little bit of cardio each day, usually skipping and burpees). I do an arm and chest day, then ass and leg day, then ab day, and then I repeat (6 days a week) today was ab day. I'm a big fan of bodyrock so occasionally I switch it up and do a workout (I did the last 30 day challenge 3 times through, and totally loved it, and the fact that it is FREE is a huge turn on for me compared to other HIIT workout videos) Since i'm still learning and working on my own body at the same time, it's become really important to me to be able to give credit to myself for writing the workout and doing the work. :)

I was reading bodybuilding.com just 'cuz I can and I think it's a great recourse, and I found this article about ab training, some really good tips! If you're interested you can find the article here.

My Workout Today:

I set my Gymboss interval timer to 30 seconds on/10 seconds rest (30 rounds total, 3 rounds of 10 exercises)

I start as usual with a 10 minute turbo skip, sometimes I switch this up with jumping jacks or a sprint on my treadmill but skipping is really efficient. Then stretch.

1. woodchop (left) - I used a 10 lb weight
2. tuck abs
3. woodchop (right)

4. sit ups

5. holding plank
6. reverse crunches
7. side plank pulses (left)
8. bicycle abs
9. side plank pulses (right)
10. holding plank

TAKE A BREATH! 5 seconds, gotta keep your heart beat bumpin';)

50 pushup variations
-10 spiderman
-10 tricep pushups
-10 staggered (left)
-10 staggered (right)
-10 regular

Then a Stretch! Don't forget a post workout snack!

<3 - Steph



***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

Thirsty for the weekend...

THIRSTY THURSDAY! In case you're not on my Facebook page this is your reminder for the week! Make sure you're getting enough water! 8+ cups depending on your sex and activity level. If you're in a situation over the weekend where drinking becomes irresistible, clear distilled liquors are the 'cleanest' and a cup of water per drink (and then there's always the coconut charcoal cure).

I am super tired today, which is unfortunate because it's ass day, but i'm a girl on a mission, so it might be a love affair with coffee at 6pm kind of night. Sometimes these things are crucial.

10 minutes turbo skip followed by stretching (VERY IMPORTANT to warm up, and stretch! Don't skip this!)

I did  6 rounds of 5 exercises,  30 seconds on 10 seconds rest (totaling 30 rounds/15 minutes)

1. 1 legged squat left
2. Low squat side lunge
3. Plie squat 'pulses (plie squat but stay low and move up and down slightly;)
4. Lunge and twist (right and left)
5. 1 legged squat  (right)

(If you don't have a timer you could do 30 total of each exercise in sets of 10)

Take a Quick Breathe...QUICK (keep your heart rate up!)

50 Burpees!!!!!
Full burpees please, with a push up, don't skip the pushup, go to your knees if you must but JUST DO IT!

Stretch! Don't forget post workout snack!

If it feels good, do it, on hump day!

HUMP DAY! YES! Friday is almost in sight, and it's another long weekend for me, which is fabulous, because I have all sorts of things to attend to. Today I got my nails done by my beautiful sister, and since i'm feeling extra hot I kinda wanna get out for a girls night! We'll see if this works out! You only live once, and there needs to be room for fun amongst the madness and dream catchin'. 

Today I launched the BodyRock.tv squat challenge, which I will refer to as the Sexy Squat Challenge for the next 30 days, lets work towards that spring break body together! I am so excited that 9 of you (at the time of writing this) participated in day one! And if you are starting late that's okay, just start NOW! Thank you so much to my awesome little team<3 Aso a huge thank you to the few people who participated in the Raw Recharge challenge with me, I think it was a great way to kickstart my page. xoxoxo

So in honor of the Sexy Squat Challenge...

On another note, In was so busy today that I probably didn't eat enough, eggs and green juice for breakfast (with butter-coffees-n-keep-em-commin'), so for dinner I was feeling quite hungry, so I created a little bit of heaven...
because if it feels good, do it.

Becca and I shared this, Summer insisted on quesadilla. It's 1 Avacado sliced wrapped in 6 pieces of bacon. :) 

If you're interested in why I think eating grain free and high fat is good for the body (and soul) you can find more info on the bulletproof lifestyle here. 

After dinner the girls had dessert done right. 

Banana 'bits', organic vanilla yogurt, raspberries, and a dark bittersweet chocolate chips.

<3-Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.