February 09, 2012

250 cals in 20 min

February 09, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

i walked into the gym this morning and there were a cluster of stairmasters both to the left and to the right of me. i counted 12 people total marching like crazy. i also noticed that every single one of them were hunched over with either their hands or forearms resting on the rails. why do we do that? i think it's a combo of seeing others do it, and because they are just there. let's be honest..it makes it easier too.

stairmaster tips:

rails are there for balance- don't abuse them.
watch your posture. no hunched backs or shoulders. stand up straight and tall to elongate that spine. muscle imbalance doesn't look good on anyone.
no hands!! the more you involve your upper body and tip forward, the less work your legs do. that would be cheating. keep the weight in your heels so your quads, hams, and glutes feel the full effect.
stay centered- in the middle of the step, AND in the middle of the stairmaster itself. if you feel like you're sinking and might fall off, slow down and warm up to high speeds gradually. in retrospect, if you are at the very top and darn near tipping over waiting for the next step to appear, SPEED UP!
either put your hands on your hips or in front of you with your elbows bent and fists up, like a boxer. you can also swing your arms naturally (while they are still bent @ 90 deg.) with each step. opposite arm with opposite leg, just like walking.

that said, i have a quick, effective interval stairmaster workout i like to use. i can't stand looking at the time and thinking 'dang, only ___ minutes have passed!?!?' that's another reason i love intervals because they make the time go quicker. you are constantly switching speeds and movements. plus, doing the same boring speed the entire time is such a motivation killer. (60 and 90 are speeds, fyi)

0:00 - 2:00 straight step (warmup) 60

2:00-2:30 straight step 90

2:30-3:00 left side step 90

3:00-3:30 right side step 90

3:30-4:00 straight step 90

4:00-5:00 skip a step 90

5:00-6:00 straight step (active recovery...heart rate is coming back down) 60

REPEAT 3x's (sans the warm-up). when you get to 18:00 min., slow down to 40 and cool down for the last 2 min. with a straight step.

* side note: if you have the interval option on your stairmaster machine, use it! makes it so much easier to push one quick button to toggle speeds instead of having to hold it down each time to go from 60 to 90 and back.

i start craving my oatmeal smack in the middle of my morning workouts- couldn't get home fast enough this morning! today i did an egg white/turkey sausage scramble with 1 laughing cow cheese wedge and some salsa for around 275 cals. staying within the 250-300 calorie range satisfies me until my mid-morning snack.

here's to a productive Thursday!

what's is your go-to elliptical machine?

February 07, 2012

flat out...tasty

February 07, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

Sonny is home so i'm in dinner mode. i went to check the mail first though so my little guy could get some fresh air. all i need is a pair of wings and i'd be tinkerbell.

it's here! just what i was looking for. Rachel Ray's mag is so easy to read, colorful, and of course filled with recipes galore. she seems so down to earth and 'regular'.

alright, on to dinner. i have left over food from the super bowl party that needs to be used asap. i realized i left out the flat bread pizza recipe from my Super Bowl post. no worries, here we go:

@ 90 cals per flat bread, it's a pretty nice size serving. i cut up some fresh mozzarella balls, cilantro, tomatoes, and some shredded rotisserie chicken. i needed sauce and didn't want to open up a can or make any from scratch, so i used bbq sauce. oh and i brushed the bread with extra virgin olive oil first, then topped the whole thing with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

before.

just 7 min later in a 400 deg. oven,

dinner is served.

ok i added a lil bit more sauce first then dove in. finished just in time to catch my show- it's Game time!

February 07, 2012

ain't nothin to it

February 07, 2012/ fitfoodiele

for some reason, early morning workouts seem to always be out of the question when not having enough time is an issue! early morning workouts can literally change your life. they are that serious.

why?

they energize you!!! think of a match being lit. that workout is your energy source- that initial burst of fire. that flame continues to burn over the course of your day.
makes for a better nights sleep. that match eventually fizzles out, right? a.m. workouts promote better sleeping habits and regulate sleep cycles. after i get home, cook, eat, and spend time with my family, i'm naturally ready to wind down and go to bed at a reasonable hour. i find that after an evening workout, it's harder for me to relax as my adrenaline is still pumping and revving.
sets a healthy, positive tone. start the day with an amazing a.m. workout and you'll be more inclined to make better choices all day long. after a beasty session, i think twice about what and how much i put in my mouth when it's time to eat. i want to preserve all my hard work! you might surprise yourself and choose the stairs over the elevator, grilled instead of fried, etc. keep that up and you WILL see results.
you can go straight home after work. or wherever else you need to go. that just might be my fav reason. even if you don't have to go to work for the next 8 hrs, it will be done and you can scratch it off your to-do list. after a long work day, sometimes my energy is sapped and all i want to do is go home, eat, and lay around. and don't let me have to stay at work later than i expected, grrrrrrr. usually when your schedule takes an unexpected turn, your workout is the first thing axed.
mood and mind booster. i feel dramatically different on days when i haven't exercised in the morning. i'm not as focused, not as awake, not as TOGETHER as i'd like to be. not as friendly either! coffee alone doesn't have the same effect by far. after an energizing, early workout, you just can't suppress that cheesy 'take on the day' attitude no matter how hard you try!

now, HOW do you even begin to try to get up that early!? oooh just a little bit of discipline. there are a few things you should do the night before.

plan!

go to bed. seriously. if you have no other reason to be up, go get in the bed. tv and lights off. yeah, the first few nights you just might be staring at the ceiling, but over time (give or take a couple days), your body WILL adjust to your new bed time and start winding down on its own. after that, it's a wrap and will become routine. watch and see.
set your alarm CORRECTLY! yep, i've switched up the am/pm on accident before, ugh. so, along with my alarm clock, i set my cell phone for back up.
6-8hrs of rest, minimum. i am at my best after 8, but i try to get in at least 6. anything less and i wake up feeling crappy, usually have a crappy workout, and ultimately a crappy day. oh and then there's that 2:30 pm crash...yeah, that's real. too real. and it really hits hard when you only slept a hand full of hours. nevertheless, if i am well rested, i pop right UP. that's an incredible feeling that not enough people experience on a regular basis.
set your clothes/items out. get your stuff ready the night before so you can just get up and go immediately. if you are going to work afterwards, get all that stuff together too. you pack your gym bag for when you go after work, right? same thing.

i can tell you how much i love morning workouts and why you should do them until i'm blue in the face! it's just one of those things you must experience for yourself. you will realize how big an impact such a small scheduling change can have on your day and ultimately your life. start small and pick ONE day out of the week to just give it a shot. you have absolutely nothing to lose; you just might absolutely love it.

February 06, 2012

score

February 06, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

well, i didn't get that quick run in, but who cares! i had a blast prepping, cooking, and hanging out with friends and family. congrats to which ever team won the game, by the way. as promised, recipes! but first, check out my spread:

final menu: buffalo chicken bites, chicken taquitos, flat bread margherita pizzas, hot/bbq wings, pigs in a blanket, delivery pizza, red velvet cupcakes, white/dark chocolate dipped pretzel sticks, veggie booty, tortilla chips/dip, bbb brownies, chex mix, sloppy janes, carrots/celery sticks with greek yogurt veggie dip. WHEW. obviously some stuff was ready-made, but here are the treats i whipped up myself:

the big winner - buffalo chicken bites

i bit off way more than i thought before i snapped the pic! does it no justice. that captain crunch was a great move if i do say so myself. loved the combo of sweet/salty/spicy/tangy. will be making these again soon, party or not.

the stuff:

4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup chopped green onion
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup hot sauce
4 oz cream cheese (room temp for better mix-ability)
3-5 cups of capt. crunch or corn flakes cereal
4 beaten eggs
2 cups flour

do this:

put the cereal in a baggy and crush it- having a range of crumb sizes is actually a better texture; doesn't have to be all even. mix the chicken, cream cheese, onion, hot sauce, and cheese all together. then, roll into golf ball size balls. make your assembly line: bowl of flour, bowl of egg wash, then bowls of cereal. keep one hand wet, and one dry. line them on a baking sheet and cook them for 20-25 min in a 350 deg. oven. don't let the baking fool you- they were as crispy as ever! no frying needed.

chicken taquitos

the stuff:

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 packet chicken taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 cup sharp shredded cheese
extra thin corn tortillas

do this:

mix everything together except the tortillas. i would suggest doing this the night before so the flavors can marry in the fridge first (yep, the poppers too). i brushed the stack of tortillas with just a little extra virgin olive oil, covered them in damp paper towels, then microwaved them for a few seconds so they would be a bit more pliable and not break when rolling. scoop about a table-spoon or so onto the tortilla and roll starting from one end. they will crack in the oven, but that's ok. it's all goin to the same place. 15 min on 350 or until crispy.

pigs in a blanket

the stuff:

pilsbury crescent dough
little smokies (mini beef sausages)

do this:

yeah, we all remember these. but i applied a little tip from Hungry-Girl first- cut the single serving crescent triangle in half. no need to suffocate the little piggy and eat extra bread, right? don't worry, it's more than enough dough left to wrap around the sausage. unless you are using a regular size hot dog or something. 11-13 min on 350 or until brown.

sloppy janes

i am TOO proud of these. in the middle of chopping up the shallots, onions, and bell peppers, i actually said out loud, "CRAP i forgot to buy the sloppy joe seasoning mix!!!' i contemplated running to grab my keys and head back to the store when i had a moment. make it from scratch, duh. i had everything i needed and i am SO glad i went the scratch route cause they turned out pretty darn tasty. i cooked it up saturday night and by sunday afternoon the flavors were amazing. i buy this soft, pillowy, pull apart bread from HEB- but not every location sells them. as i was grabbing a few packs, a guy next to me excitedly explained how he drives from so far JUST for this bread. i completely understood! my next choice would be those hawaiian rolls in the orange package, yeah, these.

the stuff:

4 logs ground beef or turkey (i used 93/7% lean beef)
2 chopped shallots
1 chopped bell pepper
2 chopped yellow onions
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
salt/pepper/Tony Chacheres to taste
36 mini slider buns/rolls

do this:

in a big medium-high heated pot, add the chopped shallots and onions. toss in the meat and let it brown and cook through completely. then, you can pretty much toss in everything else and let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes. or, until the bell peppers have softened. the sauce is slightly sweet, so i added some dill pickles in my sandwich for crunch and tang. looking back though, i would have totally toasted the insides of the buns first. great nonetheless.

red velvet cupcakes

so this is the cake version of the bbb (best boxed brownies). i searched online a while back for tips on how to keep a cake moist, and this recipe right here has me sold for life. my homemade red velvet is a force to be reckoned with, but here's the bbc (best boxed cake) version for now. you're welcome.

the stuff:

1 box red velvet
1 box instant chocolate pudding
2 large eggs
2 cups of milk (2% is cool)
splash of vanilla
cream cheese or vanilla frosting

do this:

mix! try to get all the lumps out though. pour into whatever kind of pan you like, just adjust your cooking time accordingly. cupcakes are fun, so i did those. scrumptious.

i hope you had fun eating goodies and watching the game! after all that, we're gonna switch focus to workouts for the next few posts, lol.

February 04, 2012

SB eve

February 04, 2012/ fitfoodiele

i had forgotten that i was outta brown sugar this morning and my oatmeal was so not the same. it's all good cause i happily headed to HEB to get some more and to grab stuff for the big game tomorrow! yep. Sonny wants a party, so, we're having a party. i also stopped at Party City and got some decor.

i found these old school ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles- loved them and i wasn't leaving without them.

so, who's playing? i still don't know but the food will be the BOMB. not everyone cares to eat healthy that day, but some people do remain conscious of their diet. i figured the best thing to do is to have a 50/50 party! half will be low-cal, delicious finger foods, and the other half will be the usual game day stuff (pizza, wings, etc.). i appreciate options, don't you? i am too excited. the party menu will be documented in full so you can use these recipes for your parties all year round. i'm up doing prep work right now, so here's a sneak peek of some of the dishes i'll be serving.

baked buffalo chicken poppers.

i got my shredded rotisserie chicken mix going so the flavors can marry in the fridge overnight.

the original recipe calls for corn flakes to coat the poppers, but as i walked down the cereal isle i saw cap'n crunch and the light bulb came ON!! can't wait to try both varieties.