Changes and Snow White Oatmeal

Hello again to whoever is out there!

So after a long (long long long) time no see, I'm back! And a lot has changed. And I mean A LOT - related to fitness and otherwise. So what exactly changed you ask? Well.. I shall answer... I apologized for the long post but read it if you'd like... if not, there is a great recipe at the end  so just keep scrolling :)

Life in general 
I switched jobs not once, but twice, in a span of less than 2 months. For those who don't know I was going through a bit of a rough phase career-wise when I first started writing the blog. However now I am glad to say that I am now back to my beloved advertising industry and loving what I do once again.

Nutrition 
Now, as with every big life change (at least for me), my fitness and diet had a bit of ups and downs. But you know what? That was great! I learned a lot as far as what works and what doesn't for my body.

I went to a functional nutritionist and got a very restrictive diet which, although it wasn't sustainable, taught me a great deal about when to eat what, different food groups that go together and how to balance out my meals. I also learned that eating to gain muscle mass doesn't work for me. Yes, I need to eat protein and carbs and all and I can't deprive myself... but what I mean is that I realized I can't eat as if I'm a body builder even if that works for some. I work out hard but not that hard! Especially during the transition phase.

I joined weight watchers. Yep, I know. I'm opening myself up for criticism here, I know I am not overweight but portion control and moderation have always been an issue for me and the WW system helped me re-build a healthy relation with the foods I love. I'll admit the point counting did get obsessive at a certain stage but even that fades out as you start seeing result and begin eating more intuitively minding your portions.

Also, it's important to note that I used WW in addition to my knowledge of what to eat pre and post workout, clean eating, and my body's needs for certain nutrients according to my workouts. With that finally started seeing results! And no, I don't mean getting skinnier, I mean getting leaner! My body weight is going sloooowly down but still far from what WW set for me but I am way leaner than when I started - 6% less body fat to be precise. Sounds like a good deal to me. I'll share before and after pictures later.

Last, but definitely not least, I noticed that depriving myself during the week and splurging during the weekends was doing me more harm than good (thanks to my favorite brazilian fellow blogger Gabriela Pugliessi from @ tips4life for drilling that into my head through her posts and IG account).

Fitness
With all the changes in my work life I have to admit my workouts kind of fell through the cracks - and that was a-ok! I needed that time to re-align. Different times need different priorities. Once I finally got all setled and comfortable with my new work routine, my ideal workout schedule just kind of fell into place. I understood that my body does great for weights in the morning and I definitely have more energy for cardio at night so I combined both and BINGO! Also, I found some much needed space for my Yoga in the weekends. Recipe for mind and body success.


So basically I now know how to portion control and to eat in moderation and that one bad meal won't make or break my diet, just a one good one won't redeem me from a heavy load of naughtiness. I'm still eating clean but not as radical and I'm fine with that. I'm working out harder than ever but because I love it, not to lose weight. The feeling of getting stronger and better is sufficient reward. Most importantly though, I'm going through the never-ending learning process of what works for my body (you noticed I always italicized that... that's to emphasize it works for me but it won't necessarily work for everyone) and I strongly encourage everyone to embark on this journey - with or without me. Do it for you!


Now that you were nice enough to stick with me for my ramble and welcome (myself) back spiel, you are more than entitled to a reward, and it's a big one! Here is the best oatmeal recipe ever (I SWEAR) I call it Snow White because of the apple ans it's just that sinfully delicious (ha ha.. #not).


SNOW WHITE OATS


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of oats
• 1/3 cup of coconut almond mik (or milk of choice)
• 2/3 cups of water
• 1 tsp of Chia seeds
• Stevia to taste 
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 apple
• 2 tbsp of PB2
• Stevia sweetened Chocolate Chips

Preparation:

1. In a bowl combine oats, milk, water, chia and stevia
2. Microwave for 6 min on low power (50%) (crucial for creaminess and deliciousness) Keep an eye out so it doesn't overflow, seriously.
3. Once 6 min are over, add the egg whites and apple, stir and microwave on full power for 1.5 min. While you're waiting, mix your pB2 with water to the desired consistency.
4. Remove bowl from microwave, top with pb2, try to wait for it to cool down  (this is the hardest part) and enjoy!

Seems complicated but really isn't - I do this at work so no excuses! you have to try and and let me know what you think!!

Nutritional info without PB2 and choc chips:

Breakfast Bonanza - Blueberry Bliss Protein Pancakes

Well, hello there! Please forgive me for my extended absence (erm...again) but even though I am trying to keep at leas  a post a week, a lot of things have been getting in my way! Anyhow, as a cry for redemption, I bring you probably one of the best recipes I have tried in a while. Notice I said RECIPE, pure and simple, not CLEAN, just recipe, which oh so happens to be clean - I just love these fabulous coincidences of life! Don't you? :) 

Before I get to the good (delicious, mind blowing) stuff, I will just give you a quick assessment of my progress so far: amazing! I mean it, feeling better than ever (I've said that before but worth emphasizing), skin is great, hair is shiny, no bloating aaaand that's only, I believe, are the benefits of nutrition. If I get into my exercise and workout benefits it gets even better - less fat, muscles are starting to show, and energy levels and resistance are waaaaay up there - I am getting stronger and I love it! 

As far as the bulking and eating unsafe amounts of food.. I gave that a try for 2 days but it was too much for me. I need to take baby steps here. Mind you, I come from the diet, "anorexic" mindset, where less is more...so I need to take it slow in re-educating myself with food and nutrition. I am sticking to eating every 3 hours, focusing on proteins and carbs (yes, I now know carbs are my friends and they won't hurt me! haha) and I'm never hungry. 

I am thinking of posting up some of my exercise plans here as well, what do you guys think? Also have a pretty cool product list of grocery items I found in my quest that are guaranteed to keep you happily (and tasty-ly) on a clean and healthy plan that I'm planning on posting soon (reviews included). 

OK, enough with the rambling. Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present you - The glorious Blueberry Protein Pancakes! 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of Oats

1/2 Ripe Banana

1/2 tablespoon of baking powder

1/2 scoop vanilla whey

2 egg whites

1/4 cup Greek yogurt (no fat)

Stevia

1/2 cup of blueberries (or filling of choice) 

Preparation 

1. Blend all ingredients, except the blueberries, in a blender until smooth. 

2. Incorporate the blueberries to the batter. 

3. grill them as regular pancaked in a coated skillet (I coated mine with coconut oil spray). They cook fast, so you'll probably only need about 30-45 sec. on each side. 

4. For frosting: a bit of vanilla whey, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt (no fat)  stevia and a dash of unsweetened almond milk mixed together.

They're panCAKES, so cutting like a cake made perfect sense! 

Note: You can substitute the vanilla whey for other flavors, same for the blueberries. Get creative! Also, to save you time in the morning, mix the dry ingredients the night before and just dump them in the blender with the wet when you wake up for a fast and delicious breakfast. This recipe should be enough for 2 people with moderate appetite or 1 person post-workout. 

On the macros note the ridiculous amount of protein and the laughable amount of fat. IHOP's got some serious competition. 

ENJOY! =D 

2 for 2 and a Perfect Banana Oatmeal

All, I come bearing good news! Guess what... this whole thing actually works! And I've got numbers to prove it! In 1 month of the non-diet diet I lost 2% body fat which in my case are 2 pounds of fat. I think it's quiet impressive... not to mention I've never felt better! For the first time in my life the scale went up and I don't give a damn (weight went up 2 pounds since I started... coincidence?) because my clothes are all lose. I attest: muscle does weigh more than fat (I am a "see it to believe it" person.. never mind that I always read about it everywhere, I had to actually experience it...).

Now to amp up my muscle gain I am actually trying to eat a bit more proteins and carbs (for those of you who know me well... you know how hard that is for me). I'm eating every 3 hours which honestly is not as great as it sounds... I'm usually not hungry when it comes time to eat. I just started this though, so I'll keep you posted on the results and challenges.

Aaaaaanyhow... to celebrate success, I leave you with my absolute favorite breakfast oatmeal recipe (this is the basic version.. but I recently I started adding whey protein powder to increase my daily protein intake)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oats (I use steel cut oats old fashioned)
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 sliced ripe banana 
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Stevia or Truvia to taste
Sliced almond and dark chocolate chips to top it off.

Preparation: 

1. Combine the oats, water, almond milk, banana, cinnamon and sweetener in a bowl (microwavable) and stir. 
2. Place the bowl in the microwave for 6 minutes at 50% power (trust me, this makes all the difference in the consistency you'll get... part of the deliciousness comes form this step).
3. Let it sit for 3-5 min once it's done (if you can wait for that long)
4. Top it with some sliced almond, a bit more cinnamon, some chocolate chips or peanut butter - or whatever you fancy! ENJOY!!

Note: if you are an oatmeal expert you probably noticed that this recipe calls for a bit more liquid than you are used to BUT this is key! Adding more liquid improved the consistency and also makes the recipe "yield" more (so you feel you ate more). Got this tip from chocolatecoveredkatie.com and it changed my world. 

Turkey Sliders with Sweet Potato Buns

I told you guys I would be back soon...and with a recipe! So here I am! 

Recently  I have been doing a lot of research on simple, delicious and affordable recipes that I can convince you people to try and, even more importantly, love! 

That said, this turkey burger (but sliders really) with sweet potato 'bun' definitely hit jackpot and overcame my expectations! They have very few and uncomplicated ingredients (more often than not,  I noticed, clean recipies can have some very weird and hard to find ingredients that you will use once in a lifetime), almost no fat, a lot of protein and a decent amount of good carbs. The fact that they are almost too cute to eat also helps (I'm a girl so I'm allowed to call food cute). 

I got the original recipe from fitmencook.com but tweaked it a bit to fit what I had at home... and made a little happy mistake that was actually quite successful. I have to admit I had little faith in doing a turkey burger with only turkey (no bread crumbs or eggs), I was afraid they would get dry or just fall apart. However, after seeing (and tasting) the results, I have to admit I am now a true believer! :) 

OK, enough talking, let's go to the good stuff! 

Ingredients: 

9 oz Lean ground Turkey
3/4 cup chopped raw mushrooms (feel free to change this for bell-peppers or any other veggie you have handy)
Cumin, Paprika, Chilli powder, salt and pepper
2 Medium Sweet potatoes
50g All natural barbecue sauce
Some arugula

For Burgers
1) Mix the ground turkey, mushrooms and seasoning together in a large bowl. (I also added a bit of the barbecue sauce to the mix here - mainly because I read the original recipe wrong and I thought I had to mix everything together at this point - oops - but it turned out great and I think it helped to keep them moist!)
2) Portion out 1.5 oz servings (should yield aprox. 9 mini burgers). 
3) Grill them in a hot skillet sprayed with coconut oil (my newest addiction) 

For the "buns"
1) Slice your sweet potatoes horizontally, so you are left with 'circular' slices of about an inch thick each. 
2) spray a baking sheet with coconut oil (I mentioned the addiction above) and place your slices in a preheated oven at 405 F for 17-20 min (I flipped mine at around 10 min to get some nice outer crispiness going)

To serve: 
Place a mini burger on top of one of your 'buns', put a bit of sauce on it, some arugula on top, and top it off with another "bun" aaand voila: Sweet potato turkey sliders! 
(I used the tip of the potato for the top 'bun' on the one in the picture to give it more of a bun-y look. )
You can eat 3 of these guilt-free in a meal and get the perfect protein and carb combo you need! Guilt-free and super clean!! If anyone is planning on trying, let me know how it goes~ 

Nutrition fact per slider (recipe yields 9 - I recommend eating 3 if you are making it a meal) 

Still living, and still going!

Yes, I have been MIA for a bit but I'm still here, and still sticking to the plan! Well, kinda sticking to the plan... last week I flopped a bit - I had half a dirty, sinful burger on weekday and a couple of beers more than I should... also on a weekday! But hey, the Heat were playing so cut me some slack hehe. 

Here is one of my shameless (but actually shameful) selfies assessing my 2 week progress (fairly outdated, yes.. it's been 1 week since I did the second picture so hopefully I'll get something even better next week!). I think it's pretty good considering it was only 2 weeks!!

Yes, I am (very) embarrassed by this, but I think it is good motivation

Well, You'd be glad to know (I think) that I am back on track now and at full force. So full of force and determination that this week I decided to cut out my oatmeal from breakfast - just because I was close to getting clinically addicted to that stuff (sooo good *drool*). I mean, oatmeal is great for you and all that, but since I don't exercise in the morning I don't think I need all those carbs (what triggered me to do this was this post I read at hungry-runner.com). 

So, instead of my go to oats, I'm trying some crazy smoothies! So far so good! Second day in and I have to admit I miss the carb kick but I'm not altogether hating it. Smoothies are fun and every morning its like Christmas, you never know what to expect. I will post some of my best recipes here... but I am not sure if it is even worth it following recipes for smoothies.. you have to be adventurous, you know? 

Some more recipes to come (soon, I swear!) are (forgive me the pictures, I am NOT a food blogger): 

This is just a good meal idea

The patties are actually just sweet potatoes (these are slider size)

This chicken has some awesome tricks to it - trust me

I mean EVERYTHING

Just because I'm not eating it doesn't mean you shouldn't

Anyhow y'all (yes, I said 'y'all', it felt appropriate... don't ask me why) catch up with you later! Before I go though? Did anyone get motivated to at least eat a bit better by this? Let me know if you have any recipes too, I need ideas!!

Clean Eating Crash Course For Non-Scientists

Are you guys ready? *drum roll* Ladies and gentlemen here is the much awaited for, highly anticipated post on what (the f's, h's whatever you want to insert here, but this is a clean blog so I won't - HA like the pun?) exactly is clean eating, eating clean... whatever you want to call it!

First, things first, let me ask: do you have nutrition courses, food engineering degree, NASA certification in rocket science? No? GREAT! If yes was your answer, that's pretty impressive and congrats but you really won't need it. 

Clean eating means, at it's core, paying attention to what you eat and staying away from things that are not natural - let's call them dirty. Anything artificial or processed is considered "dirty" when it comes to clean eating. So pretty much when you go do your grocery shopping you want to stay away of package foods that contain a loooong list of ingredients, half of which you can't even pronounce, let alone know what it looks like.

Lean proteins, veggies, fruits, seasonings, wholegrain and healthy fats and sugars are fair game. Always keeping in mind portion sizes and daily recommended amounts - it's all about balance (caloriecount.com is pretty useful for that).

Other than that, to make sure you have the best results possible to your well-being, make sure to drink lots of water (and I mean LOTS - as in a gallon a day if possible), sleep well and obviously, exercise!!
Clean eating may or may not be expensive depending on where you live, how hard-core you decide to go. I found my groceries turned out pretty much the same price since I already ate a lot of fresh produce before and I substituted what I used to spend with 'dirty' foods for clean versions. I am also using up stuff I still have in my pantry that is relatively clean (ie: canned grains, which are technically 'dirty' but I honestly think I will stick to those because they are too practical #cheating).

As I said, it is pretty simple (sorry rocket science people :/) and the great thing is - it is NOT a diet! It is a lifestyle a change and a concept. It's really honoring your body as your temple (I forgot to mention I am a bit of a Yogi - Namaste) and treating it as such.

Now, all that said, I have to admit I am taking this easy. I don't like anything too radical (except when it comes too sports :) but that is a horse of a different color - and a different post maybe). We are living, breathing creatures with desires and sometimes that burger or ice cream will give you that dirty look that is just impossible to resist - I say (and do) go for it! Every once in a while, preferably on weekends allow yourself to get down and dirty, just pay attention to quantities and everything will be OK and life will go on - as long as you don't let a one-time-thing become routine.

Any of you pumped to try? Let me know if you have any questions and I will gladly help you out! :)

Some useful resources:
Grocery list: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5353/The-Essential-Grocery-List-for-Clean-Eating.html
Clean eating meal plans:  http://cleaneatingmag.com/meal-planning/meal-plans/

No-Hunger Games

And the clean eating continues! I am so motivated you guys have no idea! I found so many cool inspirational blogs, instagramers, pinners - you name it - that I am pumped! I don't think I am ever counting calories again and I feel so free! This "clean eating' mentality of reducing processed food, eating nutritious wholesome foods in smaller portions and more often, is extremely compatible with my lifestyle and I honestly think it is working better than any low-cal/ fad diet I've ever tried (ps: I've been getting a lot of questions along the lines of "clean eating?! huh?! what does that mean?" so I'm planning a post on explaining exactly what it is soon, so stay tuned).  Hopefully I will feel even better about this when the results come along - I've got to say I think I see some already (placebo or not, I don't care). 

As long as they are not processed, fake or 'un-clean' - GO FOR IT! 

So last week I decided to go a little wild and try my own Avocado Tuna Salad (recipe below) and it turned out awesome! I encourage you to try it as is or add your own twist - one can never go wrong with avocado (seriously, you just can't). 

This is what my days went like last week (pretty much had the same meals every day for lack of time/ planning): 

Breakfast: Vanilla oatmeal (same from previous post - creativity is not my forte in the morning)

Morning snack: 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 5 blueberries and a dash (and I MEAN a tiny little dash - not the food network definition of "a little olive oil") of honey

Lunch: Tuna avocado salad and a Plum for dessert (which was delicious by the way - is it season yet?)

Afternoon snack(pre-work out): Ripe banana with 1/2 teaspoon of PB (now this is not lach of creativity, I am just obsessed with PB and banana) 

Dinner: Chocolate protein shake (with almond milk - post workout), asparagus, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/4 cup butternut squash puree and 1/2 cup cooked zucchini (OK, creativity failed here again... ) 

Workout highlight of the week: Upper body and Zumba (1hr) - I was lucky enough to finish my workout just in time for Zumba class. I hadn't done zumba in a while and was usually really skeptical that it even really qualified as cardio... but I take all my suspicions back. It IS a workout. I was sweating like... someone who sweats a lot. Not to mention I had a blast - detoxed in every sense!

Oh I love the endorphin high! Do you? 

Tuna Avocado Clean Salad 

I promise it tastes better than it looks in my little bento box 

Ingredients:
1 Tuna pouch (low sodium in water)
1/4 Diced Avocado
1/2 Cup fat free greek yogurt
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cup baby greens
1/4 tomato diced
Parsely
Mr. Dash
Lemon juice (I cheated and used the ready made one)
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Mix the tuna, greek yogurt, celery, avocado and seasoning to taste. Place it over the tomato and baby greens (I added a liiiiiitle bit of olive oil and salt to the greens)


ENJOY! :)

Macros: