FNTS: 30 Days Later

As mentioned in my last post, my sister (who is also my maid of honor) and I started working out at a new gym called Frank Nash Training Systems. They provide nutritional support, personal strength training sessions, and group classes such as spin, yoga, and my favorite, team conditioning - an intense 30 minute workout.

Here we are 30 days later and feeling stronger than ever. I have been running for the past few years, but I never did much with strength training, so these workouts have been a whole new world for my body. We work a lot with kettlebells, TRX, and some high intensity interval trainings (HIIT!). The trainers are all so great to work with and are uplifting and motivating for every single person at every single session. When you are there you really feel like they just want the best for you and they want to do everything they can to help you reach your goals. They listen to you if you have any pains and work around it so you can still workout.

During week 3 I actually pulled my right quadricep pretty bad to the point where it hurt to walk for a couple of days. Normally, I would just take a few days off and let it heal, but with FNTS I was able to go in and workout with the trainers and not have to be delayed in my training. It was really great because running injuries have always stopped me in my path in the past!

Here is a picture posted by Frank Nash from a Saturday morning team conditioning session. So much energy!

Post by Frank Nash.

30 Day Stats:

• 5 lbs lost (gained a lot of muscle!) 
• Unfortunately, I don't know how to work the fancy muscle mass calc on my scale :(
• 7.00 inches overall
• My size sixes all fit again! woo! Now gimme size 4!

Nutrition Status:

• I have been sticking to a 1200 calorie diet consisting of mostly lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. I will sometimes throw in a whole grains serving once a week (usually after a running day). 
• SHAKES! I basically live off shakes. FNTS offers dotFit recovery shakes after each workout which are delicious and only around 200 calories. I also have been drinking the GNC Total Lean 25 shakes daily - lately for both breakfast and lunch. Then I have a normal balanced dinner.
• I'm also slightly obsessed with Quest Protein Bars - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to be exact! These are gaining increasing popularity and are available at GNC. Perfect when you need a bite to eat on the go.

Struggles:

• Weekends: Even though I have consistently been attending the Saturday morning team classes, it is nutrition on the weekends that is hard to stick with... 

• Grains: Mostly just cravings, because I loooove me some bread and pasta (true Italian), but it is always hard to limit grains. So far so good, but it is still a struggle!
• Running: Since I've been doing so many workouts at FNTS I haven't been doing as much running. I did go for a run this past week and couldn't believe how much stronger and faster I felt! All the strength training is really paying off, but I need to hit the pavement a couple more times a week so I can keep up with distance and endurance.

I am officially a full time member of Frank Nash Training Systems and loving every day of it! I do have a before and after 30 days picture (that I'm pretty impressed with myself), but I don't want to post the progress pics until I reach my goal.

Summer 2014 update

Long time no blog!

We are in full planning mode with our wedding, I have been down a staffer at work, and we just recently bought our first home! Needless to say, life has been busy and I haven't had a second to post an update or any new recipes lately. I'm hoping that will change... but not likely until after the wedding :-)

Speaking of.... we have less than 5 months to go. Woo! My to do list is getting shorter by the weeks, but there is still a lot to be done. I seriously can't wait. My dress is perfection - that's all I really care about ha!

So with 5 months to go I have started my version of "Bridal Bootcamp". Time to get in the best shape ever! I started working out at a new gym called Frank Nash Training Systems (check it out!) and I am LOVING it! They provide nutrition support, personal strength training sessions, and classes like team conditioning.... an intense 30 minute workout.

In between gym days Matt and I are running a lot. I typically do around 3-5 miles, but Matt has been doing 6-7.  We have been having fun exploring different routes and paths in our new neighborhood. As much as we miss the city it is nice to be able to run on much less busy streets.

As far as my diet goes, I have been sticking to a max of 1200 calories per day, which hasn't changed the actual food I eat much, just the amount. Matt and I have always tried to stick to clean eating, so lean protein, organic produce, and I have to limit my intake of grains. The Italian in me hates that part, but it will all be worth it. I already feel much stronger, but don't get me wrong.... the first few workouts at Frank Nash were intense. My sister and I could barely walk after! It always amazes me that no matter how much I run I am still not using so many of my leg muscles. Kettle bells and squats all the way!!

I'm hoping all the strength training I'm doing will also benefit my running so I can finally make it to race a half marathon! The last two times I was almost there... 9 miles down, then something happened. Gotta love running injuries. I'm sure that getting stronger throughout will help prevent that this time.

I had Matt take my "before" pictures for this time around... hoping for awesome results! And I also can't wait to compare to my original before pictures... that should be good!

I'd like to do another post on Frank Nash Training Systems and give some more detail about the workouts, so that will be coming soon!

Eggplant Rollatini {Grain-free}

I have never been a huge fan of eggplant, most likely because I have never cooked it right! It is so important to salt and let the water drain from the eggplant before you cook with it....makes a world of a difference.

This recipe is taken from Gina at SkinnyTaste - you can click the link below for all the instructions. I followed them almost exactly, except I used my own TLS friendly tomato sauce. This recipe is a bit time consuming (but so worth it) and would be best for a weekend cooking sesh. You can make a bunch all at once and freeze it!! That makes an easy weeknight meal.

SkinnyTaste Eggplant Rollatini

Here are some photos of my version:













Aaand Matt needed pasta haha

Dirty Girl Mud Run Boston!

I'm back!...sort of :)  I have been very busy with my CPA exams the last few months and have had no chance to blog at all. I am happy to inform you I am half way to a CPA! Two exams passed, two more to go. I will likely still be MIA until I pass the final two, but I just HAD to come back and tell you about the Dirty Girl Mud Run here in Boston! And I also just got back from a vacation in Ireland, so I will share some pictures as well in another post :)

Just a bunch of girls gettin' muddy to support breast cancer research! We are hoping to recruit a much bigger team of "Pretty Little Mudders" for the 2014 race, so leave a comment or email me if you are interested!

Before...

Pretty Little Mudders

Zucchini Lasagna with Spicy Chicken Sausage

I never thought I would say this..... I don't even miss the lasagna noodles in this!!

SO GOOD. Love me a carb-free italian meal!

Lite & Creamy Chicken Marsala with Prosciutto

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Matt proclaimed this version of chicken marsala "One of the best meals ever!" wooohoooooooo

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie {Gluten Free}

My Irish ancestors might curse me for swapping out traditional mashed potatoes for sweet potatoes in this shepherd's pie, but it is sooo yummy and healthy I couldn't resist. Plus, Matt and I are going to Ireland this June with my family, so we will be getting all the traditional shepherd's pie our hearts desire!

This is a great meal to cook up on a Sunday and take for lunch all week. I love sweet potatoes so I could not get enough of this. Lucky for me, Matt is not a fan, so he was on his own :)

Another round of DETOX

After all of the holiday goodies and treats my body was basically begging me for a detox. I started having frequent stomach aches (gluten for sure) and even gained a few pounds (gasp!). I wanted to reverse the harmful effects of carbs and sweets and get back on track, so water and veggies galore!

I uesd all of my past detox recipes and even added in a few new ones:

Can't live without a little berry salad dressing-- Fresh Raspberry Dressing

OR SOUP! -- Detox Vegetable Soup

You can find my other detox recipes here.

This time around I added in some tomato soup, roasted spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce, and a delicious sauteed veggie medley that I could eat every day. And I did. I even adding in a sweet treat - frozen mango smoothies. YUM.

November Foodie PenPals

This month I discovered foodie penpals. Head over to theleangreenbean.com to find out more about the program. Basically, everyone sends and receives a package to/from another foodie from around the country. Then on the last day of the month, everyone reveals who their pen pal was and what they received in a post!

Being a first timer, this month was really exciting! I couldn't wait to come home and have a box full of goodies waiting in the mail for me. Monica from Nomstoppable sent me my package...

I can't lie...the second I opened the box I dove into the chocolate with hazelnuts. Amazing. I couldn't stop myself and could eat these all day everyday. No joke.

as you can see I couldn't even wait for a picture to dig in!

Also included was some yummy granola (I actually use this kind myself so it was perfect!), and homemade oatmeal baggies, ready to make. I haven't made the oatmeal yet with all the business of holidays and cooking, but I love the idea. 

The coconut chips were a big hit with Matt since he loooooves anything coconut, so I guess it was his lucky day. 

Chai green tea is always amazing and the multigrain crisps are the perfect salty snack. I have also yet to try the pickled radishes, but Monica gave some great tips on how to use them, like with soup or rice, so that will be on the menu this week!

Thank you for all of the treats, Monica!

Foodie PenPals is such a cool way to get to know other bloggers and even readers can join in the fun! I sent my package to Jason over at MaurPowerFoodie, so check out his blog to read about that, too!

Fall Engagement Photos!

My wonderful mother and step-father surprised Matt and I with an engagement present: a photo shoot! We spent a beautiful fall Sunday at the Wayside Inn site to capture some snapshots of this exciting time in our life together. Here are a few of my favorites

All photos courtesy of Prism Point Photography

I love having some nice photos of us, although I'm planning on a more journalistic style of photography for the actual wedding. And we are off to look at wedding venues for the first time this weekend! 

Loving every second of life with this man :)

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

KEEEN-WAHHH. yum. I am loving my 5lb bag of Quinoa from BJs - so worth the money and I like it better with most dishes than brown rice. This recipe is a winner in my book and so so sooo easy. My favorite way to cook... healthy, delicious, and easy.

Cheese makes everything better.

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins

I have had a big bag of ripe bananas in my freezer for months now, just waiting for the time I felt like baking. I do not bake much, mostly because I will end up eating all of the sweet treats myself! These muffins, however, are a guilt-free delight. Well...almost. They do have sugar of course, but everything in moderation like I always say. Even with a little sugar these babies are great compared to your average muffin because I cut out most of the fat by using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and non-fat Greek yogurt! By using whole wheat pastry flour you get a dose of the healthy grains as opposed to the simple carbs in white flour.

I was honestly surprised at how moist and delicious these came out! Gotta love low fat treats!

I was inspired by a recipe I found on Pinterest from Life's Simple Measures for Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting. Oh em gee I wanted to make this version so badly, but I knew I would eat the whole pan so I opted for a healthier version. I think I'll make her version for the holidays! Check out her blog for some irresistible looking treats.

Slow Cooked Apricot Pork Roast

I am really loving my crock pot. It just makes things so easy, especially when there are literally not enough minutes in a day. I don't even have time to be writing this post, but I'm taking a much needed break from my CPA cram sessions this week to share this yummy fall recipe.

Slow Cooked Apricot Pork Roast

Turkey, Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili

Another chili recipe! This time I decided to whip out my slow cooker to let this cook over night. This recipe is a favorite among TLS followers and if you are thinking, "What? Pumpkin in chili??" just know that this is amazing and the flavor of pumpkin does not over power this dish in the slightest.

Sweat Pink Ambassador!

I am so excited to announce that.....

The Sweat Pink movement is about inspiring people to feel strong, confident and tough no matter who you are or what you look like. You can find much more info about it on the FitApproach website.

This mean I am now connected to a wonderful group of inspirational individuals living and preaching a healthy lifestyle. I am so excited to have this opportunity to help others get inspired to do the same :)

Quoted from FitApproach :

"We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no stranger to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick."

I can't wait to get my pink laces and SWEAT PINK. I will totally be rocking them at my next race!

First 5k and an Announcement!

Matt and I are officially racers! We finally ran our first 5k. It was so much fun. I can't wait for the next one! Then a 10k and hopefully a half marathon not too far behind.

My PR for a 5k is 28:14 so I was really hoping to get right around the same time if not better. When the race started I had so much adrenaline and excitement that I just took off! Unfortunately, keeping up with the crowd was not in my best interest because I completely did not pace myself. Insert huge side cramp at 1 mile mark. Damn. I pushed through it, but it definitely slowed me down. I came in at 31:38.

Pineapple & Red Pepper Quinoa

I have eaten Quinoa many times, in many different varieties. However, I HAVE NEVER COOKED IT!

Disgraceful, I know. This fiber packed whole grain is absolutely delicious. I can't get enough. I picked up some flounder filets and shrimp and needed a good side dish to go with them. Enter: pineapple & red pepper quinoa. YUM YUM YUM.

Matt and I are running in our first 5k this weekend (late much? I know) I have been so focused on gaining endurance and staying consistent with my running workout that I never thought to sign up for a race! Now is the time and we are running in our hometown (America's hometown in fact!). The race also offers a 10k and half marathon, but I didn't think it would be right to just skip over the 5k. Can't wait! My PR for a 5k is just over 28 mins, so I'm hoping to at least not go over that :)

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Yes.... I needed my pasta fix.

Can we talk about how delicious this looks??

Adding slices of lemon right into the sauce really boosted up the flavor. And guess what.... every single thing in this is healthy. That's right, see all that creamy deliciousness? NO FAT. Why? Because there is no cream in this! I used fat free ricotta cheese mixed with a little non-fat milk and TONS of garlic. ohmigod.

This simple sauce can be mixed with so many combinations of veggies and protein. Tonight I chose spinach and feta chicken sausage along with some shrimp and broccoli. I want more.

Veggie & Turkey Sausage Crust-less Quiche Cups

I know how important it is to never skip a meal, especially breakfast, so I wanted to make some grab and go quiche cups to make hectic mornings that much easier.

These are so easy to make! Just choose your favorite veggies, some low fat cheese, and combine! I opted to add some turkey sausage since I had some I needed to use up and I used a 5:1 ratio for egg whites to whole eggs.

Life has been so busy lately with work, keeping up with my daily workouts, and I am studying to take the CPA exam this year (bring on the $$$!), so having healthy meals ready to go is a must. I will not eat Dunkin Donuts. New rule since that has always been my go-to for last minute breakfast :) As TLS coaches like to say, "You weren't born with a bagel in your mouth"

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I can't get enough sweet potato fries. They are my new addiction...

These are such a great alternative to regular white potato french fries, and there are so many different ways you can make them. Drizzle on a little agave syrup for a sweeter treat!

I made these the simple way - olive oil, salt & pepper.

Ingredients:
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp EVOO
Salt & Pepper
 *Garlic powder is a good addition if you aren't adding agave

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch strips. Toss the fries in a bowl with the EVOO and salt & pepper, then arrange on the baking sheet (I also sprayed the tin foil with canola oil spray to avoid sticking). Bake for 20 mins, flipping the fries half way through.

I could eat these for days...