Protein Pancakes!

Protein Pancakes

My friend, Stephanie, gave me this recipe a couple of years ago. I made them this morning and it occurred to me that I hadn't posted them here. Silly me! These Protein Pancakes are ridiculously easy and fast as well. It's all lean protein and complex carbs. It's a great way to start your morning or an easy snack. I'm going to give you the basic recipe but note that the amounts can be increased to make a huge batch and stuff can be added to the mixture to add variety.

Ingredients

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup egg whites (I use All Whites, doesn't really matter. It's just easier when it's in a carton)

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Spray skillet with Pam (I use Olive Oil Pam).

Pour small, equal portions of the batter onto the heated pan. Cook until brown (about 30 -60 seconds) then flip and repeat!

See, it's very easy. You could also add frozen fruit or applesauce to the batter in the blender. You can top them with sugar free fruit spread, peanut butter, honey, whatever your pleasure.

If you decide to make a big batch you might want to make it in the amounts listed above, and just do it more than once.

Note: They're not as poofy as regular pancakes. Also, they don't seem to bubble when they're ready to flip so you'll have to keep watch.

Enjoy!

NO EXCUSES!

I come from the no excuses school of fitness. I know that sounds harsh. But that's what works for me. If I constantly gave myself excuses I wouldn't make any progress. I can think of 10 million reasons why I shouldn't work out tomorrow. If I constantly succumbed to that ideal I'd still be 240 pounds. That's why I say "no excuses."

To be more accurate, because I'm sure you're saying to yourself there has to be SOME acceptable reason, there are a reasons not to exercise.

Yes...you're on your death bed and/or bleeding profusely....

I kid.

Kinda.

Not really.

I'm not saying that if I have 104 temperature I shuffle along in my robe and slippers. If I'm injured I don't hobble along through my routine. I take time to care for myself. Everyone should. What I'm talking about are those days that I set aside for myself to exercise, and then getting there and giving myself reason I don't have to.

It's kind of a pet peeve when someone says, "I just don't have time." Bullshit. You can get in a pretty intense workout in 30 minutes or less. There are probably a million ways to maneuvers\ one's schedule to fit in a 30 minute slot for your health. I am a mother of three and a full time student. There are errands, school events, chores, homework assignments, etc. to be done every single day. My family also requires my time and those relationships are important. If I can make time, I know every one else can. Even when I did everything I do now AND worked two jobs I STILL fit it in. Granted, not as often as I do now, but at least 3 or 4 days a week.

Another common excuse "is this condition or that condition prevents me from working out." No, sorry, no dice. There are very few physical ailments that won't allow physical activity. If you're a paraplegic, sure, you can't move. I won't scold you. If you have one arm.... do one-armed push ups. Bottom line, if you have working body parts then move them. Do whatever you can to make yourself healthy. You only get one life. You only get one body. Take care of it.

A Day in My Diet

Hello!

I wanted to post up a quick example of how I eat in a typical day. Keep in mind I'm pretty active. On less active days I eat fewer calories (around 1300-1400). On more active days I eat more. Makes sense, right? ;)

Here's today's menu:

7:30 - 1 cup shredded wheat bran with 1/2 cup 1% milk, 2 cups coffee

10:30 - 1/2 cup oatmeal with a handful of almonds (roughly 8 - 10) and a few dried cherries

1:30 - A mixed greens salad with 1/2 a tomato diced, 1 carrot, 2 slices of turkey with lemon juice and pepper.

4:00 - 1/2 c yogurt with a handful of walnuts (about 8)

7:00 - Turkey burgers on whole wheat buns, 1 leaf lettuce, 1 slice of tomato, dill pickle, mayo (made with olive oil) and yellow mustard

I'll have a bunch of water in there and possibly some tea.

This whole day is just under 1600 calories. I have weight lifting and some intense cardio scheduled for today's workouts in addition to my regular daily activity (cleaning house, errands, playing with kids, etc). I'll burn 2500 - 2600 calories. My calorie deficit will be some where around 1000 calories for the day. That's a pretty good deficit if you're looking to lose 1-2 pounds per week. I have a few pounds left so that's good for me. I try to keep my deficit in the 500 - 1000 calories range. When I'm maintaining I won't have that deficit.

If you notice, I'm eating every 2 - 3 hours. My meals aren't very big but they come often. I'm never hungry. I never feel too full, either. This is the best way to maintain energy throughout the day as well as keeping your body in a "fuel burning"mode. Your body is less likely to store fat if it's getting just as much food as it needs often.

I also eat a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats, and whole grains. This way I'm getting everything my body needs and I'm not bored with my meals. I believe in "food as fuel" but I also like to enjoy what I'm eating.

I use caloriecount.about.com to track my meals and activities. Keep in mind it's an estimate but it's a good idea to keep track anyway. Most people underestimate their calorie intake and over estimate their calorie burn. So, keeping track helps eliminate that. In addition, keeping track of your food means you're less likely to "cheat" and eats foods you probably shouldn't, or you're more mindful and can augment your entire daily diet to make up for it, or you can work out a little more.

Remember, healthy living is part exercise, but mostly diet. You need both to see results.

Good luck! :)

Tasty Tuna

Tuna Patties

These are so easy and really full of protein

Ingredients

1 large egg

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tbls chopped onion

1 can of tuna

Direction

1. Spray skillet with cooking spray olive oil or cooking spray and heat on medium.
2. Mix all ingredients together well.
3. Divide the mixture to make six patties or a size that makes it easy to flip them over with a spatula without breaking.
4. Cook patties until both sides are a light brown.

These are awesome because you can easily add extra stuff. You could mix in bread crumbs if you like. I like to add a little drop of lemon juice and add pepper. You can add a little red pepper to make them spicy.

I often eat them on a whole wheat bun with a thick tomato slice and some red leaf lettuce.

Enjoy!

Some Shocking Before and After

Okay.. so you want to see where I started and where I am now?

The left was me maybe 5 years ago teetering the scale around 240 pounds. No, I don't know my exact measurements at that time. I never took any. I didn't want to know. Ever. I did take them at the start of my new fit life but I admit I didn't keep them.

The right is me as of 9-6-10. My current measurements are in other posts. Check the arms! I look at that picture and it makes me smile. Those are SKINNY jeans. I bought them 6 months ago and they didn't quite fit. Now I have a little room around the waist.

Being involved with Beachbody has changed my life.

So, how's that for a visual comparison?

What am I doing?

I've had a couple of friends ask what I'm currently doing so I thought I'd post my workout regimen.

Right now I'm doing a hybrid of Chalean Extreme and Turbo Jam with a little running and Zumba.

Chalean Extreme is a 90 day strength training program that helps you build strong muscles and get lean. There are three 30 day phases. First the Burn, then the Push, then the Lean. There is also some pretty intense cardio interval training involved in the program. Turbo Jam is a more cardio centered program that combines dance and martial arts. I've been doing this program for three years and I just love it.

I just started my second bout with Chalean Extreme, adding Turbo Jam to the mix this time. I wanted to kick it up a notch, so to speak. I'm also running often because I would like to do some marathons this year. Running has never been my strong suit. So I figure, what better way to get good at something than to just do it and do it often.

Here is a one week sample of this hybrid.

Monday - Burn Circuit 1, Punch Kick and Jam, AM 3mi run

Tuesday - Burn Intervals, Ab Burner

Wednesday -Burn Circuit 2, Turbo Jam 2, AM 3mi run

Thursday - Burn It Off, Recharge, Ab Jam

Friday - Burn Circuit 3, Turbo Jam 3, AM 3mi run

Saturday - Zumba, Fat Blaster, OptionaL Run

Sunday - rest day

My first time through Chalean Extreme I lost 16 inches over all and 11 pounds. Then I took a month break, doing whatever I felt like over then end of Summer. I started again and I'm about a week in. I'll be following this schedule for the first 30 day and then I'll move on to the Push Circuit. That will look pretty much just like this one, except different strength training exercises.

I'm going to post my progress at the 30 days mark every 30 days. So, here's day one's measurements. At day 30 I'll be posting the new measurements.

Waist - 32.5

Hips - 40

Abductors - 40.5

Chest - 33.5

R arm - 12

L arm - 12

R thigh - 22.5

L thigh - 22.5

Weight - 154

Keep coming back!

If you want to know about the programs I'm using just send me a message or go to my website. http://www.beachbodycoach.com/ginn81 click "Shop" and look for the programs. Good luck!

Tips for Muscle Soreness

Everyone experiences muscles soreness at one point or another. If you've ever exerted yourself, whether it's an intense workout or hard labor, you've felt soreness. Before you can treat it, you need to understand it.

Why do my muscles get sore?

What you experience after a hard workout is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. DOMS is felt 24 - 48 hours after an intense workout. When you train your muscles you cause microscopic tears in the muscle. As the muscle heals, it rebuilds itself, making stronger, bigger muscles. If you're a beginner, you will experience more severe DOMS. After a while, your body will grow accustomed to the exercises and you will experience less or no soreness. That means what you're doing isn't having the same effect and you will need to increase the intensity of your workouts. Keep challenging yourself!

Is it okay to train through muscle soreness?

If the soreness is mild, feel free! Train right through it! As you work out, blood will get pumping and your body will get warmer. The soreness will dissipate. However, if soreness is very intense then I would suggest waiting. Listen to your body and let it heal.

What are some tips for treating muscle soreness?

Well, I personally like being a little sore. Muscle soreness lets me know I worked hard and I am making progress. No pain, no gain, right? I see muscle soreness as a good thing. I realize that probably puts me in a minority and so I will share some tips to treat muscle soreness. Keep in mind that there are no 100% effective treatments for DOMS but some people have found certain methods helpful. Obviously, you can just wait it out. Give yourself a couple of days to completely recover. Some people report that massage is helpful in reducing soreness. Mostly, it just feels nice. Taking relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium can help reduce soreness. Stretching or yoga also feels good and have been reported to help reduce soreness. Active recovery, which is lower impact aerobic activity, can help warm up the muscles and reduce soreness. One of the best ways to treat soreness is to prevent it! Make sure to warm up before training muscles and you'll experience less soreness after the workout.

If soreness exceeds a couple of days, you may want to take a visit to your doctor. Remember that getting fit is awesome. It's even better if you've made a schedule and you're sticking to it. But if you hurt yourself you can't train at all so make sure to listen to your body!

Again, thanks for reading. If you liked this or any other article, please follow me! If you have any questions, please ask. If you'd like to know more about Beachbody's products, becoming a coach, a free Team Beachbody membership, or anything at all fitness related, feel free to send me a message. Any suggestions for future articles, let me know!

Have fun and stay fit!