Fruit Salad with Key Lime Greek Whip

Hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas. Mine was pretty awesome. Lots of time with family, always nice.

My sweet husband surprised me with fitness equipment! It was a tad early, but much appreciated none the less.

Treadmill and power rack! He loves me ;)

Our home gym is coming along quite nicely. He even made me a little office space!

The best part of having a home gym is that you can train on Christmas eve...

And Christmas day!

So onto the recipe! This is a good one :) a keeper

A make again recipe, the kind you have memorized.

I am so tired of making this, but I will still happily eat it! Literally, we had SIX Christmas parties this year- and I was asked to bring this to FOUR of them. The other two must not know about it yet, or else I would have probably been making it for them too!

I think the reason this dish is such a hit is that it is super healthy but still perceived as being a delicious treat by everyone. I like to bring it because I know there is something highly filling there and on plan for me. Always a win. Take a look at the nutritional stats at the bottom too. This delicious concoction is pretty impressive!

P.S. Do not skip out on the key lime Greek whip- it is what makes it special, k?

Fruit Salad with Key Lime Greek Whip

Serves 16

Fruit Salad

Choose from the following, try to choose at least from each color of the rainbow.

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Ruby Grapefruit
• Peaches
• Clementine Oranges
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Grapes (Green, Red, or Purple)
• Kiwi
• Blackberries

(optional)

• Lime
• 1 tsp honey

Rinse and combine, cut fruit into bite size pieces as needed. To keep fruit fresh longer, I like to squeeze one fresh lime over the fruit and toss with honey, it also gives the fruit a pretty gloss.

Key Lime Greek Whip

• 8 oz container of Cool Whip Lite
• 32 oz container of 0% Fat plain Greek Yogurt (I prefer Fage)
• 1 box Sugar Free Jello Cheesecake Pudding Mix
• 6 key limes or 2 regular limes, zest reserved

In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt with box of pudding mix and zest of 1 lime. Add the juice of 2 limes. Mix well. Fold in container of Cool Whip. Garnish with remaining zest.

Enjoy.

Nutritional Stats

Per 1 cup of fruit salad and 1/2 cup of  key lime Greek whip

• Calories- 134 kcal
• Carbs- 27g
• Fat- 0g
• Protein- 6g

Spiced Pumpkin Brownies

From October to January, I get obsessed with pumpkin. It is an annual thing, I suppose.

Pumpkin even makes its way into my coffee. Have you tried this yet? I am addicted. I need to stockpile it.

Anyway, last year (yeah, I have been holding out on you guys) I came across this recipe on one of my fave fitness blogger's site- Fit Foodie Le. She is awesome, check her out!

I have been making these pumpkin brownies every since then. And the nutritional stats are not too shabby either, especially compared to traditional brownies!

Spiced Pumpkin Brownies

• 1 box of brownie mix (for 9x13 pans)
• 1 can pure pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix (or just cinnamon, up to you!)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (dark or semi sweet milk)

What you do-

Set oven to 350*F. Mix batter just until no big lumps but not too much! I reserved about a TBSP of chocolate chips for the top. Spread into a 9x13 dish (or you can use whatever pan really) and cook until toothpick comes out of the center clean. It is close to the cooking times on the box. Cut into 15 bars.

I made double for a party!

Enjoy, with some sparkly water :)

Nutritional Stats

(per 1/15th of recipe)

• Cals 141
• Fat 6g
• Carbs 23g
• Protein 2g

compared to a traditional brownie
(per 1/15th of recipe)

• Cals 356
• Fat 20 g
• Carbs 43 g
• Protein 4 g

The Flaw of Pictures

 

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting several of my dear Venus friends in person, actually it's my third time meeting different friends in person. 

We have developed relationships over the past year or two. As crazy as this sounds, I feel like I know them as well as a friend who lives in my own city- I know about their families, jobs, struggles, and victories. I have seen their pictures- selfies to professional photos. So you would think meeting them would mean no surprises. 

 

You can recognize everyone, almost instantly. Some take a bit longer to process than others, and women's hair is usually the most recognizable feature.

Everyone looks smaller in person. (I hear this about celebrities too, which makes sense). But I am not just talking about height. I am talking about the perception of circumference. In 3D- the bodies' circumferences look smaller. The rippling muscles are there- but you do not study them like you do a still picture. Also, muscles just do not look as pronounced as the camera lens sees, and part of that is because we do not walk around water depleted in daily life. 

 

 

Everyone looks younger. They are not just an image. There are people in there with heart and humor and brains. The personality behind the look just makes it even better. They are not just a body, void and meaningless. 

 

So this is the flaw with pictures: Everyone looks better in 3D. Everyone I have ever met. 

We know that the scale can not tell the whole story at times. Especially the closer you get to golden or "the look". We know, that at a certain point close to goal, that even metrics are meaningless. 

I will tell you that there is a point where the mirror is even an issue. It's actually mostly your very own head that is the real problem.  We all are our biggest critics. What we focus on once we are "there"- nobody else sees.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a point where pictures are useless too. The human eye in real life (looking at another physique, not your own) can detect minutia. Details that just go unseen in pictures.  Finding someone with a trained eye, whose opinion you trust and who understands your goals, can be invaluable to your personal journey. I know it is in mine. 

The Last 10 Pounds

Or the last 2" inches of waist for my girls who are focusing on metrics... 1" of waist is equal to approx. 5 lbs for most women. How do I get to the goal? I am almost there! This is one of the questions I get asked the most frequently.

In theory, you are almost there. It should be easy. But it is not always.

• You look good enough in clothes- self sabotage, anyone?
• People do not understand why you are still trying to change, so you get blowback. (Hint, keep it to yourself!)
• The smaller amount of fat reserves on your body limits the amount of fat you can burn.

Here is my take on it. In the past, I have jumped up an inch to an inch and a half in waist after cutting for pictures. So I have been where you are several times. I am happy to say this time is different. I have not rebounded whatsoever.

5 tips to get the last 10 pounds off

1. If you were cutting pretty intensely- you may consider doing a Reverse Taper with your calories.
As you approach your goal weight/metrics, your calories slowly increase to maintenance. You arrive at goal eating almost maintenance.

• So at 2" from waist (or +10 pounds)- you are approx. -500 cals a day from maintenance.
• Then when you get to -1.5" (or +7.5 lbs) you are -400 cal a day from maintenance.
• At -1" from waist (or + 5 lbs) you are -300 cals a day from M.
• Finally at 0.5" (or +2.5 lbs) you are -200 cals a day from M.

Then you just will tweak up to M cals. Doing this instead of frantically cutting leads to less of a "bingey" feeling and less likely to rebound hard. It will take a bit longer, so plan accordingly. But it is worth it.

2. Do not overkill with the cardio. I say no more than 3 hours a week of anything moderate to intense. That is my personal limit. I prefer 1-2 hours. Your threshold may be different, you will have to play with it. Around 2-3 hours per week is where most everyone that I know falls. What happens when I go past this? I just get crazy in the head hungry. I make poor food choices and am hungry/cranky- HANGRY! Not worth the little extra burn. I am better off watching my cals more tightly.

3. Add in more lifting days if your lifestyle allows it. Those of you only doing 3 days a week should strongly consider adding a 4th. Those of you lifting 4 days a week should consider 5 days. The key is to add it in slowly. You do not want to risk injury by over-stressing yourself. Make sure to take rest days as needed. I tend to need one every 7-14 days.

4. Focus on the inputs. There is little to no output at this point in the game. Your weight and metrics are only going to change veeerrrry slooowwwlllyy from now on. Do not expect to rack up inches and pound losses each week. So instead focus on hitting your workout and calorie goals.

5. Take pictures. The scale is basically useless at this point. Do not let it dictate your emotions. Once you get within the last inch, the measuring tape becomes useless. Pictures will tell the story. They do not lie. I take them weekly. And front-back-side selfies in the mirror are just fine.

One of my new pictures from the recent shoot

The last 2 inches of waist are what divides average from great in physiques. You can see it in a bikini. You are capable of it, do not sell yourself short from your goal.

Fitness Tips and Tricks from a Road Warrior

Last week I was out of town visiting the beautiful city of Boston to attend an iPad conference.
 

My challenge was to return at or very near the weight from when I left. Since I just got off a photo prep plan, a challenge to not go crazy with freedom. But that was my personal point of this shoot- a no rebound prep. I am happy to report that I came back within a pound of when I left.

I ate out every meal, but tracked every calories to help me make appropriate choices. I got up at 5 am to workout every morning, which I looked forward to.

I even got in a training run before we left. It ended up being my favorite part of the trip.

It got me to thinking that tips to survive travelling and keeping and/or getting fit are few and far between. So I know an expert on the topic, and asked if she would contribute to this article. Meet Kerry Z, one of my beautiful Venus sisters.

Tips from an Expert Road Warrior on Fitness and Nutrition

I am a data consultant (programmer/analyst doing both migrations and custom interfaces) for a software company – it is an accounting software. 

I gained 45 pounds the first year as a data consultant. My current travel schedule is 100% but it looks like I will start to be home more in 2014. Woohoo!! So, I leave home on Sunday and return on Friday. If I have a GOLive, I am usually on the road for a minimum of 2 weeks straight. The one good thing is that I usually go to the same city for 3+ months. So, I am not going to a different city every week. This project has been a little out of the norm as I have been here 3 years. It ends the end of December.

The type of work I do is extremely cyclical - meaning I have extremes. When I am working a GoLive I virtually get no sleep (about 2-4 hours a night). We typically have a short time window during GOLive because our client is down while we are working on the database. It is incredibly intense so a HUGE amount of stress in short period of time. :(  The early stages of the project are not so extreme.

So what I found is that I would gain weight during the extreme stages and lose it during the lighter periods. This would typically be within the same quarter. So my yoyos were in much more close proximity than most. The problem was that it was the same few pounds. So, I had to start losing more during the light periods given the track record of the GoLive weeks (about a 3 week window) in order to make a dent in the pounds gained. It took me a couple of years to figure out what works and what doesn’t for me. As they say, the show must go on…

Road Warrior random thoughts:

• My absolute favorite frozen meal is Garden Lite Souffles. They have the most natural ingredients I have found in a frozen meal and the protein is great with low fat and calories. I have found them in multiple cities so it is my GO TO frozen meal. Can be used a side dish or main course and I have done both.

• I worked out with my company that I only stay in hotels that will provide a microwave and refrigerator. This is not negotiable for me. And yes, I did have to talk to our travel manager about it. It works out though as most high end (costly hotels) don’t supply both. So, I stay in less expensive hotels anyway. I do currently cook more in my room now more than I ever have because I have been here so long. I didn’t always have that luxury. So before this assignment, I would always carry a portable blender with me.

• As soon as I arrive in town, I hit the grocery store. It was trial and error to find the right amount of food for a Sun – Fri trip.

·         Fruit (bananas, apples, berries, grapes)

·         Veggie trays (they always have small ones where they are precut – perfect for 1 week stay)

·         Precut mixed peppers

·         Premade side salads

·         Precooked brown rice and/or quinoa

·         Oatmeal

·         Al Fresco Chicken sausages

·         Bag of hardboiled eggs

·         Liquid eggs – small container ( I use the precut peppers to make omelets/scrambles in microwave)

·         Yogurt

·         Cottage cheese

·         Garden Lites

·         Single serving almond milk Usually a few of these à to make protein shake

·         Small container of grapefruit juice

·         Get hotel to cook me a grilled chicken breast and split it between 2 nights

 

Favorite dessert in my room is oatmeal + protein + pb2 + berries

 

Items I bring myself:

·         Quest protein bars (I don’t any other brand)

·         Protein in a ziplock

·         PB2 in a ziplock (don’t like using the packets cause I don’t use it all and I can’t close it so I just do the ziplock)

·         Ostrich/bison jerky (LOL – this is great for protein)

·         Small apple for travel day

Dining Out with clients:

·         Grilled Chicken salad

·         Soups

·         Grilled fish dishes (sometimes I order grilled fish sandwich and chunk the bread.  It is usually a smaller piece of fish than the regular dishes)

·         Grilled chicken dishes

·         Fish tacos

·         When possible try to keep the dining out to lunch

·         Try not to eat out more than 2 days in a row, if possible

 

I used to have a terrible time on the actual travel days.  I would randomly walk around the airport looking for something that I would be willing to eat.  It just isn’t worth it at all.  The calories in everything is crazy.  So, I fast or eat either protein bars or ostrich jerky with a small apple.  This also helps you get to your gate faster. J  Never ever ever travel without carrying something with you.  You never know how long you may be sitting on the tarmac.  I avoid eating the peanuts as they make me even more dehydrated.  In my opinion, the best snack for air travel is an apple.

My Workout history since I began travel:

·         First attempted to do the pear shape workout from fitness magazine. Um, I thought I was a pear but it turns out I am hourglass with pear tendencies.  This worked fairly well in the beginning as I had so much to lose.

·         Then I started doing a bunch of online workouts because I could get to them easily while on the road.  Like Bodyrock.TV in the older days. 

·         Next I started doing DVDs.  They are just too convenient on the road.  As a side note.  All my DVDs have been copied to my computer so I do not actually carry the DVDs with me.  Although, I used to.  Mainly Beachbody DVDs but I also did some Jillian and others.  Once I got on Beachbody, I started doing Chalean Extreme.  This got me into lifting much heavier.

·         Picked up Venus, within a month I was Immersion and within 3 months we had Adonis immersion.  One of the things that appealed to me was the fact that you could continue to get new workouts.  I am a workout junkie so this was very appealing to me.

·         I then bought Rusty Moore’s programs as I was intrigued by his cardio philosophy and I do still do cardio in that manner.  I also purchased Final Phase Fat Lose from John Ramaniello.  I still mix FPFL with Venus today.

·         ZGym/ZCut  - Although I love Venus/Adonis, I need variety and some short HIITs to keep me focused.  So, I also bought the ZCut DVDs (both cardio and strength) and joined the ZGym to continue getting WOs every week.

·         Beachbody Focus T25.  This is my go to cardio right now (plus stairs and running) and I only wish I had this in my early days.  This is the only program that got me through this last GOLive and I only gained a few pounds.  The workouts are short which is what I need at these intense times.  I know it isn’t for everyone but for this particular situation it is great

·         Get Glutes – yes, I got the Get Glutes to mainly try to get my trouble zones back in control.  I am having a tough time shrinking my legs/hips/butt so I wanted some added help.  I am lean all over except there and I just don’t like the look but I am being UBER patient.

So I am sure at this point you are saying what the heck.  LOL.  The truth is I am a junkie and probably always will be.  But, my core WO really is Venus and I bring these other things in to the mix to get a bit of variety, which seems to keep me focused.  I focused on the Circuits for a few reasons. 1. Cardio impact 2.  Can use lighter weight (better for travel) 3.  I am a HIIT person and it fits my personality

For VT8, I did the following:

·         Venus Circuits 3x a week

·         Final Phase Fat Lose 1x week

·         Focus T25 3x week (performed after the strength session)

·         Hotel stair circuits 1x week (performed after strength session)

·         Body Combat randomly

Hotel Stair Circuits:

6 Floors Perform the following:

·         2x straight sprints

·         2x side strides

·         2x Step Ups same leg going 2 stairs at a time

·         2x straight sprints

Currently:

·         Advanced Series 3x week + Get Glutes stuff at the end

·         Focus T25 Pyramids 2x week

·         Hotel Stair Circuits

·         Running (training is picking up for the HM)

I am in love with the Advanced Series workouts and may not ever go back.  I think next I will bring together the Final Phase Fat Lose + Advanced Series.  I tend to get a lot of strength gains from FPFL for some reason.

I use the following equipment on the road:

·         Hotel gyms when at all possible

·         Aquabells

·         Exercise bands (without the handles is ideal for combing with weights)

·         Exercise tubes

·         Door attached cords

·         Roller desk chair from room – leg work (I learned this in physical therapy for my knee, LOL)

·         Coffee table from room

·         Non rolling chair for stepups

·         Body weight exercises

·         Every piece of furniture is seen as fitness equipment J

 

My biggest tips to travel

·         Do not let the people that you are entertaining derail you.  You have to live with the current state of your health when you return home.  Every meal is an opportunity to make the right choice for your health and well-being.  I am not saying don’t enjoy any meal.  But, what I am saying is that you have to live with that decision

·         Don’t make travel an excuse to drop the reins and forget all your goals.  You can get great workouts done in a hotel room.  You may have to use your imagination a bit but just think of that as a challenge.

·         Online communities can help tremendously for road warriors.  They truly do become your family if you are on the road 100%.

·         If you have time at the airport, walk the terminal instead of sitting (you will have plenty of sit time on the plane)

I have also done challenges with other consultants going to the same city.  You can keep each other motivated.  We have often done a Circuit – Of – The – Day.   We have distributed circuits for all people to complete.  We have even put money in for every missed WO and the winner gets the pot at the end of the project.  We have also played the card game (like they have done on the Biggest Loser).  Keep your WOs on the road fun and challenging.

You can read Kerry's Venus transformation story here (which was done 100% on the road) and download her podcast for more detail on her incredible journey.

Progression Pictures and Upcoming Shoot

So my face showed up on Venus Index today.

My sweet friend Ro over at Bobbie's Fitness wrote a great article about "For Everything there is a Season" and made this collage of my pictures to accompany it. She makes some great points about going with the flow. Your life, and subsequently, your body does not stay stagnant. Learn to know when it is go time, and when it is time to enjoy. Your family and friends are what matter in life.

Side note on the pictures in the collage, they were all taken by my photographer- Forever Grace Photography. Interestingly- they show a weight range of 5 lbs and 1.0" difference of waist. Can you pick out which is which?

Alright... the pictures in the brown bikini are at VI (waist of 26.5" and 141 lbs), the pictures in the neon bikini and the coral sports bra are in between (waist of 27.0" and 144 lbs), finally the pictures in the purple sports bra and white bikini are at the highest weight (waist of 27.5" and 146 lbs).

Here is a comparison with the same pose so you can see what 5 lbs of difference looks like-

 

 

5 lbs does not sound like a lot, and is non-visible in clothing when you are 5'9". BUT, in photo shoot situations- IT MATTERS!!! I learned a very important lesson this spring, and it was hard to swallow.

 

My next shoot is actually less than a week away. I have been working towards it since June! And I am proud to say that I am back at VI! My goal is to stay here now, and maintain it for everyday. I think I have finally learned how to do that too. 

 

Here are some unedited selfies from yesterday morning-

 

 



That is my new little buddy Olive down there at my feet :) So what I have been doing since June to get here? I have been following Venus' Reverse Taper Diet (RTD) and lifting 5 days a week. I have also been doing 1-2 hours of cardio a week for the past couple of months.

And I cannot leave you without a food note. I made roasted fennel with parmesan the other day. It was my first time trying fennel, and I loved it!!!

 I served it with roasted chicken breast and sweet potato fries that I made. It was delicious. Always love a good Giada recipe.

Weight Lifting with Injuries and Pain

My friend and fellow Venus- Rhonda

I have gotten injured myself and coached others though new or existing injuries. They are a fact most of us with deal with at some point in time. What I see is a lack of information on how new and existing injuries should be addressed. Most people that I see with injuries fall into two camps- too conservative or too harsh. You need to find moderate ground when dealing with aches and pains.

What to do about new injuries

1) Most doctors and therapists allow from 3 days up to a week before they actually want to see you to treat the injury. (I am talking run of the mill sprains and strains here not broken parts, or wounds.) If you tweak something during a workout or while moving around, you should apply heat/cold and wait to see if the body will rectify it without intervention. After 3 days, if the injury is getting worse or not improving- go ahead and schedule an appointment. Better safe than sorry.

I had some tendonitus last year in my foot, I wrapped it up in an ACE bandage for a week or more. Running was out of the question for that week, but squats and lunges were fine. All upper and core work were fine. I still taught my gym class. I just worked around the injury.

2) Generally, 1-2 rest days are in order. (That does not meet you need to eat like there is no tomorrow either, it is not a nutritional rest haha!)

3) You can workout despite the injury. I find that most people are overly cautious here, they would rather just rest until they are healed up. An ankle sprain for example, can take weeks to fully heal up, which could set you back a bit. You should work around the injury.

My friend Rhonda, for example, broke a bone in the top of her foot recently in a random accident just walking, on uneven surfaces which required surgery to correct. Rhonda will be in a walking boot for 5 weeks (out for a total of 8 weeks probably). She has still been going to the gym on her normal schedule in a boot to keep her upper body from regressing. Rhonda can keep up with all of her upper body work. She has found many workarounds for her lower body too- she found she is still able to do leg extensions, leg presses, hamstring curls, and wall squats just fine. 

4) Pain should be your indicator. If it hurts, stop. Pops, crackles, grinding are actually all just fine as long as there is no pain. If it hurts though, it is not okay to do whatever you were doing.

What to do about existing injuries

1) I would try to strengthen the injury through lifting before I went to a therapist. It is very likely that most of the exercises they will have you do are what you do anyway in a good lifting routine (Venus Index is one of those, I highly recommend it) The only thing the therapist might give you that is new are some additional stretches, form modification, or work arounds. Generally, most people who are experienced at the gym will already know these things, if you do not, then going to the therapist would be a good idea.

My friend Stephanie has an existing shoulder injury from her youth. She can do lots of upper body work, but some things hurt while others do not. She can do a shoulder press no problem, but not push ups and tricep dips as well for example. Lateral raises are also very challenging for her. She works around the issue and we try to sub out similar exercises for the area. She finally went to a physical therapist this year after dealing with it for most of her life. She was surprised to see what most of the work they had her doing was exactly what she was doing during her lifting workouts with VI. They did teach her some new stretches and band work that she has now incorporated into her routine. But it only took a few sessions with the therapist to learn those, she is now doing her therapy on her own. Stephanie has now improved her strength in her shoulder and is using weight (8's and 10's for lateral raises) as she is able.

2) Existing injuries are often exaserbated by muscle imbalances from avoiding the use of the limb/joint. You should do an additional set on the weaker side until balance is restored. DXA scans are the gold standard to ID imbalances- you should do progressive scans until balance is evident.

John Barban, creator of the Venus Index, also has some shoulder issues from pervious injuries. When he got a DXA scan recently, his musculature imbalance from left to right in his upper body was significant. For the next 8 weeks, he did an additional set of the weak side of anything that targeting his back/shoulder area. He then went back for a DXA and he had brought up the weaker side enough to shift the balance to neutral.

3) If you are new to lifting- do not be surprised if existing pains go away over time. Sometimes painful knees or backs are due to the lack of musculature and/or overloading. As you lose weight and get stronger from your workout routine, these aches and pains generally go away. I have seen it with backs and knees time and again. So keep trying the movement each session, if it hurts work around it, but one day you might just be able to do the movement with good form and no pain!

These are just some ideas to go off of. I am not a licensed health care provider- your treatment should always be in conjunction with a physician's care. The good news is that the setback is just temporary. Any muscle that shrinks during your healing time will respond quickly; you will be back to where you started much more quickly than the amount of time that it took you to get there initially.