Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Little Things :)

Hello Everyone!
It is SPRING BREAK here and I am spending it training hard, eating clean, posing, working, and catching up on homework. It is nice to just focus on the gym this week and not have the stresses that come along with school. I am quickly approaching the 5 week mark 'til show time. I am so excited and nervous at the same time.

This morning before work, so yes probably at 4:30 in the morning I started my day watching some more posing videos online from past NPC shows and I got goose bumps and teary eyed. I am just so proud of myself. A year ago I never would have thought that I would be where I am today. I am SO blessed to have met so many wonderful people on this journey that have supported me with my dreams. I am also so thankful my brother, Josh inspired me to change my life. I love you bro! Can't wait to rock the stage with you!!!

There are 5 weeks to go and I thought that by now I would be going insane missing chocolate and other favorite treats, but I am actually really focused and I am over the fact that I have to wait to eat those things. I am not even really looking forward to eating those things after my show now either because I can only imagine how sick and in pain I am going to be after that.

I thought I would share some tricks with you that I use. My sister, Amanda added some of her favorites too :)

Here 20 tricks that help me stay clear of my cravings:
(Note: Not all of these can be done the entire time of cutting)

1. Extra Dessert Gum:
This is my #1 saving :) I literally have a stash in my room of this gum. You can find packs of it in my gym bag, backpack, coat pockets, and even in my car (that doesn't even work ha!) My favorite flavor is Strawberry Shortcake as listed above. I am actually chewing on a piece right now :) There is also Mint Chocolate Chip Icecream and Key Lime Pie. They are all delicious. Whenever I am in class, doing cardio, or just around others that are eating foods that are a definite no-no for me, I pop a piece out and life is good again. In some of my longer classes I will literally be chewing this gum, spit it out when it loses flavor (it LASTS a LONG time!!) and then pop in another one right away.

2. Crystal Light:
Along with my gallon of water I like to flavor it with crystal light. Whenever there is a new flavor I get super excited to try it out. I have a shaker bottle that is designated for my crystal light :) I carry it around all day and keep a box of the single packets with me. I also buy the larger servings so I can put it in my gallon jugs of water. Whenever I get hungry between meals, or in the evening especially when I am taking in fewer calories I definitely get help from drinking this.
Some of my favorite Flavors: Cherry Pomegranate, Dragon Fruit, Raspberry Lemonade, Pomegranate Lemonade :)

3. Unsweetened Coco
Just recently, probably around 7 weeks out I started adding coco to my oatmeal. Never did I think that this would taste good, but it is as good as it can get right now :) It gives me the feeling that eating chocolate would, and the smell alone when slow cooking in my oats is heavenly :)


4. Diet Dew
I use to think Diet Mountain Dew was awful and one day my friend, Megan told me to try hers. I told her it's terrible but she convinced me since I never consume sugar anymore, that I might enjoy it. Sure enough...it was amazing. I try to limit myself to have only about 4 a week and I am going to cut it out 3-4 weeks out. This is one of the only things during my day that seems like a treat, so I enjoy it. I usually have it with lunch aka Meal 3 :) When I am eating at school and I am surrounded by people eating their carbs and grease I enjoy my chicken and oatmeal and drink my Diet Dewsky with a smile on my face:)

5. Emerald Coco Roast Almonds: Dark Chocolate
Ok if you have not tried these, you are not living :) They are fabulous! You just have to make sure you count out your serving (ex: I have 10 almonds before bed...not 11...not 20....ONLY 10) and then put the cover on and put them away :) They are a special treat!

6. Wishbone Salad Spritzers:
This is a new item I have added to my list. I like it because it adds a burst of flavor for not a lot of calories. When I make my new favorite salad: mixed greens, 3 oz chicken, raw asparagus, tomato, mushrooms and 5 sprays of salad spritzer :) I have tried the balsamic breeze and also raspberry bliss. They are both wonderful. I tried the raspberry flavor last night for the first time and it made my chicken taste like candy! No joke!!! Try it out and let me know which flavor you think is best :)

7. Nutella!
Ok this is not something I allow myself to have while cutting but it is great any other time of year. I like to mix 1-2 tsp of Nutella with my tbsp of natural peanut butter when I put it on my salt free/sugar free rice cake. Makes for a tasty treat!!

8. Mrs. Dash
There are endless possibilities with this seasoning. It is salt-free and very flavorful. Flavors I have used, and I used them:
Table Blend: Chicken
Garlic & Herb: Steamed Asparagus, Venison Steak, Chicken, Red Potatoes
Lemon Pepper: Tilapia!
Southwest Chipotle: Chicken, Ground Turkey
Chicken: This one is obvious :)

9. Truvia sweetener
I started using this sweetener a few weeks ago and I really like it. I add 1 tsp to my morning oats along with the coco :)

10. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is amazing. Not only does it give you antioxidants, but it is delicious and smells amazing. I put cinnamon in my oats (I rotate the coco and cinnamon).

11. Angel Delites
I call these Angel Delites because my very own friend, Angel gave me this amazing idea one day when I was having a chocolate craving (go figure hehe).
Ok here is what you do:
1 tbsp Natural Peanu tbutter
1 scoop whey (chocolate preferred)
Mix ingredients in a bowl with water for a paste-like consistency
Scoop contents into an ice cube tray and put in the freeze for one-two hours.
Depending on the size of your ice cube tray I eat 2-3. Sometimes I eat them just under the hour mark so they are still soft and remind me of a pudding consistency. Otherwise you can eat them when they are more frozen and let them melt in your mouth. Mmm mmmm thank you boo-boo<3

12. Protien Pudding
Here is a recipe my sister, Amanda enjoys :)
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tbsp natural peanut butter 
1 scoop protein
Mix contents together and it tastes like pudding!
13. Green Tea
I enjoy drinking green tea because the warm liquid makes me feel full and satisfied. I find myself drinking it when I am working to keep my hands busy or in the evening when I am taking in less calories and feel hungry more often. You can add 1tsp of Truvia to it for  sweet treat!



 15. Flavor up your Water!!!!
Make water more exciting by adding a few slices of cucumber, apple, lemon, few frozen berries.
16. Bulk up Your Egg Whites:
At the end of the day when I am at my 1/3 egg whites meal that could make for a long night of hunger if I didn't bulk up my egg whites with fresh greens, mushrooms, onions and sprinkle black pepper. This turns a depressing meal into something exciting!

17. Steamed Carrots with Cinnamon
For a special treat steam 1 cup of carrots and sprinkle cinnamon on them with 1tsp of Truvia. It is so good it tastes like you are cheating :)

18. Black Coffee
Coffee has a few wonderful benefits. Not only does it help me out from my early morning starts, but it also helps keep me full between meals. I add a natural sweetener to it to make it a little more enjoyable. I enjoy trying new flavors. Sometimes when I go to the grocery store and have a craving I stand in the coffee aisle and look for a solution to my problem. Some of my favorites (no particular brand) : Pumpkin Spice, Icing on the Cake, White Christmas, Peppermint, and White Chocolate Obsession! Mmm!

19. Protein Icecream
Here is another recipe my friend Angel sent me:
1 scoop chocolate Protein
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tbsp unsweetened coco
Put all of these contents mixed up in a plastic zip-lock bag. Take a larger freezer bag and fill it with 1 cup of salt (you are not actually consuming this) and ice.
Shake for 5 minutes and then leave it sit for 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

20. North Sea Coffee Mix: Mocha or French Vanilla
These packets only have 20 calories and are packed with flavor. They are the same concept as Crystal Light drink packets except you can add them to 8 oz of water or unsweetened almond milk. I do not use these when I am cutting but I sure enjoyed them over the winter. You can also add them in with your chocolate protien shake for more of a coffee flavor!!! DELISH!!!!!!!

I hope you found a few tricks that will work for you. Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the sunshine!!
SJ xo

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