Recipe: Clean Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Because breakfast is my favorite meal:

Comment if you love egg whites!

Egg whites are high in protein, low in cholesterol, good for the immune system, and easy to make. Reduced sugar ketchup is my kryptonite. To keep my calorie and sodium amounts low, I cook using only Olive Oil spray or half a tablespoon of Coconut oil. Expect my tribute to coconut oil soon.

Veggies for breakfast!

When you eat clean, finding healthy recipe alternatives for considerably unhealthy dishes is comparable to finding money in the pockets of pants you haven't worn in awhile. I'm telling you, when I come across a healthier substitute for brownies or pizza, my eyes grow, my heart rate increases and I'm double checking my kitchen for the ingredients. Clean living is like a fun treasure hunt, searching for new recipes and creating your own wholesome versions.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of carrot cake, but for whatever reason, when I came across this recipe for carrot cake oatmeal  my heart skipped a beat. Because I am who I am, I never follow the recipe to the letter-I take out the ingredients I don't like, and I will replace them with the ingredients I do like so I know I will actually enjoy the meal.

Clean Carrot Cake Oatmeal

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

3 baby carrots finely chopped (or grated)

3 tablespoons of orange juice

Water (enough to cover oats, don't drown them)

1/2 tablespoon of brown flaxseeds (love them, they make oatmeal bread-like)

Cardamom 

Cinnamon

Pumpkin pie spice 

Nutmeg 

Microwave for 3 minutes

Top with toasted coconut yogurt, enjoy!

 I don't remember the original recipe for this, or even where I got it (poor documentation on my part, life goes on), but my final creation wasn't half bad...I definitely need to perfect it at another time. Maybe using raisins and walnuts. 

Try a healthier alternative to your favorite recipe & send me your final clean creation!

Pilates and Puppies

Before I got the flu a few weeks ago, I was running 3-4 miles a day.. so to celebrate my first day cleared to exercise, I laced up my Nikes, and... just kidding, I totally didn't go running.

But I did do an hour and a half of Pilates for the first time in two years! Just when I think I'm a tough cookie, Pilates shows up, makes my muscles shake, leaves me dripping in sweat, and gets me feeling long and lean (when you are 5'0, the long and lean feeling doesn't come often).

My dogs are making sure I don't drop my plank.

"Pilates is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work." -Joseph Pilates

My Top 10 Reasons to Practice Pilates:

1) Get a stronger core

2) Establish body awareness

3) Engage neglected muscle groups

4) Improve posture

5) A leaner physique

6) Reduce back pain

7) Increase flexibility

8) Overall strength without bulk

9) Improve coordination

10) Stress Relief 

It felt so great to finally workout after two weeks! Maybe tomorrow I'll go running.

And do some more Pilates.

Pull up challenge!

Let's cut to the chase.

ONE IN FIVE FEMALES CAN DO A PULL UP.

Really, ladies?

Gentlemen, don't think you are off the hook...THE AVERAGE GUY CAN ONLY DO ONE PULL UP!

There we have it folks, our daily statistics and the bane of my existence.

Since I struggle to accept these facts, I started using this military-inspired pyramid workout last year to make sure every one of my clients could do a minimum of one pull up, regardless of their goal.  Whether you are a non-puller-upper or a seasoned athlete pumping out 50 pull ups (without kipping or assistance ;) , Trainer Triton has your back. Literally.

The Pull Up Challenge for Beginners!

This is my progressive workout designed to help you establish or improve your pull up output by using jumping pull ups. Jumping pull ups can be done by jumping up to the bar from the ground or a Bosu ball.  The Pull ups in this challenge can be done using a resistance band or an assist, but I find the jumping pull ups to be more effective.

How to execute a jumping pull up:
1) Jump to grab the bar with an overhand grip (whatever, use a grip that gets you up)
2) Pull yourself up (if you didn't jump high enough), aiming to get your chin over the bar, squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling your elbows to your sides. Even if you are unable to complete the pull up, still go through the motion to activate your muscles!
3) Lower your body slowly (known as a negative pull up).
4) Release your grip and jump off the bar.
That is one rep. Repeat in accordance with the Pyramid.


HOW TO USE THE PYRAMID
If you can do 0-1 pull up, start with 3 sets, 3 times a week.
If you can do 2-6 pull ups, start with 6 sets, 4 times a week.
If you can do 6-10 pull ups, complete the entire Pull Up Pyramid 4-5 times a week.
If you are bending the bar by doing an insane amount of pull ups (20-50+), check in with me next week and I promise to slay your body.

Why pull up?
Pull ups are commonly used as a physical test to measure strength because they require true muscular effort. Essentially, all of the upper body muscles are recruited, mainly targeting the larger back muscles. When done correctly (without kipping or swinging), pull ups will challenge you and improve your strength! By practicing pull ups, you strengthen your latissimus dorsi (the lats, or those larger back muscles I mentioned before), your arms (biceps, triceps, forearms), your shoulders (traps, teres major, levator scapulae, rhomboids and even your delts), and by stabilizing your body, your abs even put in work! So, the real question is, why not pull up?

Send me your best pull-up picture!

Do or Die

The only workout my body has seen in almost two weeks was from my bed to the doctors office, and let me tell you, that was a real shlep. This flu has practically consumed me! I have been down for the count for awhile, and although I have yet to be cleared to exercise, I'm feeling good enough to send my thoughts through my fingertips today. Since I'm unable to physically workout, you know I want to talk about it!

Some clients come to me and describe their super amazing, detailed body image goals. Then they say, "Meghan I hate exercise." Whoa! Hate is a strong word there my friend. When I ask, "Why do you hate exercise?", some typical responses are: I don't like to sweat, I don't like wearing gym clothes, I feel uncomfortable in the gym, I feel uncomfortable with myself, I don't want to be sore the next day, I don't like to move...add what you wish.

I say this all the time, that is your choice. And most of those choices smell like excuses from where I'm sitting.

My goal is to not only help you learn to love fitness, but to make you realize why you can't afford to live without it. 

Transformation is a journey, not a destination.

Stop attaching a negative connotation to exercise! Flip the negative over and create a positive.

•   Hate to sweat? Perspiration promotes good health by burning calories, lowering stress levels, removing toxins and even slowing the signs of aging. Think of sweat as beads of achievement! 
•   Not digging athletic wear? Wait...seriously? Yeah right, I'm not going to have that conversation. Your health is priority.
•   Anxious in the gym? I totally get it. The gym can be an intimidating place. Remember that everyone under that roof has a common goal: to improve themselves. If you are unfamiliar with the fitness equipment, ask someone at the front desk about a tour, or schedule a session with a personal trainer.
•   Feel awkward? Exercises have some strange movements and can make us feel like we look funny. Some of the weirdest looking exercises yield the best results! If you feel uncomfortable working out in front of people, take a class! Everyone else will be doing the same movements as you and you might make a few pals.
•   Scared of being sore?  Don't be a wimp! If you are really working out, you should be sore. Love and appreciate the sore. That means your body was challenged and is recovering. However, if you are physically unable to carry out daily tasks, you might be doing too much too soon. Release the lactic acid built up in your muscle tissues by taking 10 minutes to stretch each muscle group. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. And don't be a wimp.

You know I don't like statistics. Something about numbers and percentages puts me on the edge. So, I try to change them! Only 29% of Americans report regular physical activity. You don't want to be part of that statistic, right? Physical activity keeps your blood flowing, boosts self-esteem, decreases your risk of health problems and life-threatening diseases, delivers oxygen to your cardiovascular system providing you with more energy, and it makes you look smoking hot. You have nothing to lose.

Change your mind, change your life!
-Meghan.

Success Is Your Only Option

First and foremost, if you are reading this, I want to congratulate you for wanting to make lifestyle improvements (unless you are just trying to stalk my life, that's totally cool too)!

Now that you're hanging out around these parts, you're going to quickly learn that I strongly dislike statistics and will do everything in my power to defy them.

Seventy percent of people who start a fitness program quit. 

Well, that's reassuring.
Starting something to quit doesn't exactly sound logical to me.
Why the hell would you come up with a goal, begin to work toward it, get so close, and then just quit?
Simple answer: the outcome of your goal was not specific, nor did it mean enough to you, and your plan wasn't strategic.

The most common goal that we see today is weight loss.
Approaching our weight loss goal terrifies us.
With so much information on the internet, different "thinspo" blogs, new diets, weight loss books, and magic wasteofmoney get-skinny-now formulas, its understandable why so many weight loss goals fail.
Ew, FAIL is a four letter word. And after you are done reading this, it needs to be eliminated from your vocabulary, train of thought and I know damn well you will never let it happen.

I'll kick it to you straight: weight loss takes work and dedication. It takes time to put weight on, so it's going to take time to peel it off.

That wasn't a real push-up.

• Here are some reasons why your previous weight loss attempts have failed

-You eat too much. 

-You don't move.

-You do too much too soon. 

-You expected results yesterday. You only started today.

-You choose quantity over quality. Eating a bag of 100 calorie cookies instead of a handful of unsalted nuts isn't helping your body! The nutritional value vs low calorie argument ended in the 90's.

-You are stressed.
-Sugar, sugar, sugar.
-You drink too much. Alcohol puts weight on your midsection. Check out Bart Simpson if you need an example.
-You're allergic to food.
  Haha, got you on that one. Yes, you could have a food allergy. A lot of people are unaware that they are lactose intolerant! Take a week off from dairy products (milk, cheese, cream, chocolate) and see how your body feels.
-You are inconsistent.
-You are bored.
  Really? Unless you are Joey Chestnut, Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion, eating is not an event.
-You won't let go of your past.
  Ok, enough is enough. The last time you tried to lose weight, you fell off the wagon. Don't give up or think of failure. Get back on.

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time of day for accuracy

• Here is how you will succeed.

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS.
Instead of obsessing over all those weird diets you keep trying, focus on living a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy = Happy , Unhealthy = Unhappy
Enjoy the choice to be healthy.

-Educate yourself. Knowing the science of your body will make it easier for you to eat your 3-5 daily servings of veggies.
-Incorporate small changes to create a lasting impact.
-If the path you are on isn't leading you to your goal, don't change your goal, change your path.
-Eat breakfast within the first hour of rising. You already know this. Break the fast with some eggs and oatmeal or a protein smoothie to wake up your metabolism.
-MOVE! Get up, take a 10 minute walk. Take the long way. Stretch at your desk. Ditch the elevator, they break all the time anyway! Although adding more movement to your day won't replace a quality workout, you will still be improving your metabolism.
-Stop stressing. Stress throws your hormones out of balance. Hormones play a vital role in how your body stores fat.
-Say no to sugar. You are sweet enough. Sugar is a high calorie non-nutrient that spikes insulin (a hormone) and stores fat.
-Go to sleep. 6-8 hours every night. Sleep is like a restart button for your body. Your hormones are being balanced and your body is getting its opportunity to rest (obviously) and reset.
-Drink water! Your body is 60% water. So is your brain. Every system in your body relies on water. When you don't drink enough water, your body struggles to carry out its necessary means to remove waste and deliver vital nutrients to your cells. Men need about 13 glasses per day, women around 9.
-Focus on nutrients. Quality sources of protein, carbohydrate and fat should compose every meal.
-Take a multivitamin. Look, unless you are Michael Phelps (in which case, I would love to interview you), eating an upwards amount of 12,000 calories per day, you aren't getting the necessary amount of nutrients your body needs!
-Quit eating chemicals. Next time you read "diet" on a food label, you are actually reading "poison" in the health language.
-Exercise. If you really thought that I was going to let you get around this, you either haven't met me or you have a terrible sense of judgement. Sedentary lifestyles develop an array of health issues. Join a gym, put in a workout DVD, ride your bike, go for a run or a brisk walk. 45-60 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Your workout is your recess.
-Find your motivation. When you find something that truly motivates you, there is only room for success.

Its about effort.

Change your mind, change your life.
-Meghan

Give a little love

Lets have a little talk about about your body image. 

Puberty came early for me, like pre-double digits early.

At 10 years old, I remember standing in the gymnasium in my leotard trying to cover up my chest and hide my little hourglass figure.  None of my friends were experiencing these changes yet, I was the only kid in the fourth grade rocking a Pooh Bear training bra and I didn't understand what was happening to my body. 

That summer, during a family beach vacation, I overheard my aunts say to my mother "look at that amazing little figure and those hips!"  Grown women checking me out? Sweet, I'll take it.

This would be the first body compliment I will remember to document, and it forever changed the way I look at myself. That tiny compliment that wasn't intended for me to hear is what would push me through the next five years while I waited for my female counterparts to reach my level of maturity. 

While I learned to love my body at a young age, I notice that a lot of women (men too!) go out of their way to criticize and pick themselves apart. Ok, so society shows us this beautiful image and says "look like this, good luck", but what we don't see is how much work goes into developing that image!  Not to fret, Meghan is here to save the day: You don't need to look like that. You're welcome.

Here is the part where I change your perception: Unless you have some kind of fortune for drastic cosmetic reconstruction, your broad shoulders are going to stay broad, the 5 inches missing from your height aren't going to show up tomorrow, or in my case, these child-bearing hips of mine will be accompanying me to my 30 year high school reunion. What I'm trying to say here is that we are allowed to embrace our genetics. Cliche? Maybe, but its a good cliche. 

From today forward, keep your critical eye shut! 

If you have been waiting for permission to live happily in your own skin, here it is.

Don't be a statistic: 9 out of 10 women are unsatisfied with their image

Below are a few ways I learned to love my body and take pride in what "society" considers to be flawed.

1) Find a full body mirror

Spend some time checking yourself out. Don't think of this as narcissistic, vain, or shallow. Take this time to appreciate yourself as an individual. Balance any negative thoughts with positive compliments. 

2) Accept yourself today

Seriously, stop constantly thriving on what you are going to look like tomorrow. Tomorrow hasn't happened yet, so take the opportunity to accept yourself for who you are in this moment. Change your mentality to focus on the present.

3) Be beautiful

Sit up straight. Pull your shoulders back. Smile. Now stay like that. Own your confidence. You are beautiful.

4) Find out what your body is capable of

This is a subject I will be going in depth on because, really, you don't appreciate what you have! The human body can do some really phenomenal things!  Instead of whining about your chicken legs, go lace up your sneakers and find out how fast they can take you around the block.

5) Stop comparing yourself

You don't need me to tell you that bodies come in all shapes and sizes-but that is what makes them so fascinating! You don't have to be like everyone else! What a beautiful concept! Besides, the person behind you in the line at the grocery store was wishing they had what you've got.

Change your mind, change your life.

-Meghan

Give me a break

Athletes and avid exercisers know to give their body the opportunity to recover from training once a week. This recovery period allows our bodies to repair, rebuild and strengthen after putting them through the stress of demanding workouts. When we overlook "rest day" and train through this crucial recovery period, we can actually weaken ourselves and develop over-training syndrome.
She has done it again, folks. In my last post, I wrote about how I was getting sick but I was going to workout anyway. Poor choices only make matters worse, so here I am, battling the flu, drinking tea and taking antibiotics against my will.
This wouldn't be my first over-training rodeo. Last time I had over-trained, I was putting my body through pre-competition hell: an hour of fasted cardio before breakfast, an hour of cardio after lunch, half an hour of weight training followed by an hour of cardio before dinner, and I was only eating tilapia, sweet potatoes and asparagus. All I could think about was frozen Oreos, how much longer I had until my next meal, and why everyone on the road hadn't had their drivers licenses revoked. All in all, I was bitchy and neurotic. But, I looked awesome, so the stress was irrelevant.
After about four weeks of this intense training, I noticed that I wasn't enjoying my workouts or my lifestyle anymore and I felt depressed and weak. I was having a hard time sleeping and I was getting sick for the first time in years. But how?! I was eating healthy, I was exercising, I was taking hundreds of dollars worth of vitamins and supplements every single day. When I went to see my coach, I told him about everything that was going on. He asked me if I had been taking rest days. Well, no.
It had happened to me, I had developed over-training syndrome.
Listen to your body and treat it right.

For more information on over training and taking care of your body

Misplaced immunity

Ok, so, I'm your personal trainer.

You come to me and say "Meghan I want capped shoulders." I put you to work tell you what to eat & when to eat it and boom, 4 weeks later you start to see your shoulder caps. Or how about "Meghan, I want round glutes." Very well, 4000 walking lunges...go! 

Or maybe you call me one morning and say "Meghan, I'm not feeling so hot today, I think I'm catching a cold."  Hold the phone! I'm actively promoting wellness and trying to prevent illness here: stay in bed, take some meds, drink tea I don't want to hear your voice until you can do 10 burpees without hacking a lung or spreading your nasty cold germs.

So I want to know two things here.

 1) Why the hell can I not follow my own advice when I'm sick? 

I practice what I preach. To the letter. The whole "do as I say not as I do" principle doesn't fly with me. If we tell someone to do something, shouldn't we be doing it as well? Yes! Unfortunately when I am sick, my advice is suddenly irrelevant and I find myself in the gym working my ass off in hopes of sweating out the bacteria. I feel that I'm the Sheldon Cooper of sick people. Except I'm slaying my body in the gym despite my burning eyes, runny nose and manly cough. And I am far too stubborn to take medicine (Ok, totally not Sheldon Cooper). 

 2) How the hell did I get sick in the first place?!

On a daily basis I take a multivitamin, drink over a gallon of water, enjoy a few glasses of natural green tea (from a tea bag, people-not the stuff with an added pound of sugar), I have a healthy obsession with fresh fruit and raw veggies, I exercise and I sleep an average of 7 hours every night. I even add a table spoon of apple cider vinegar (which tastes like absolute piss) and lemon to hot water every morning to make sure these little sickly events don't occur. 

I wish I could say I'm going to take the day off and rest today, but I don't see that happening. 

Immunity protein shake! 

7 ice cubes for volume. I usually use 6, but I was feeling froggy.

A handful of blueberries. 18, I counted, but I have tiny hands.

8oz orange juice

A spoonful of 0% Greek yogurt

A dash of cinnamon

3/4 scoop vanilla protein.

So delicious. 

Sunday Funday

"Abs are made in the kitchen. You can't get a six pack by working out, and eating crap."
Yeah, yeah, I know.
This past weekend, one of my very best friends graduated from UCF, so we had a party.
Let me just quit beating around the bush and spit it out: Sangria, cake, *white bread. How that translates to us and our bodies: empty calories and sugar, empty calories and sugar, and some form of non-nutrient that makes me feel bloated and sluggish. And there you have it.
Everything we do is a choice. I didn't have to drink the sangria. I didn't need a bite of cake (icing only). And to be honest, I am shocked that I even looked in the same direction as the white bread. I must have been hungry. Oh, but I ate a salad so that makes my meal healthy right?! Nope. Damage is done.
To try and reverse my weekend-long celebration, I decided to throw on some ankle weights and head out on a 3 mile run (side note: back when my hips still had cartilage, 3 miles would be a walk in the park). When I got to my 1.5 mile mark, my little tree trunks kept trotting. Once I make it to my 3 mile mark, I give my legs and hips a stretch. I didn't want to walk 3 miles back home, but I wasn't sure what my hip would do if I went all out for the 6. What to do? *Fartlek run! Perfect.
I'm almost to 6 miles, feeling like a champion. Hell, lets make it 8 miles! After all you did eat white bread.

8 miles weighted Fartlek run on a Sunday afternoon.
Followed closely by a protein shake & a 40 minute Epsom salt bath.

*Studies from the University of Washington report that by simply switching from white bread to wheat bread, we can lower our risk of heart disease by 20%

*Fartlek Training: A flexible style of interval running, commonly used by beginners to improve endurance and speed by alternating changes in pace.

A Tuesday Tuna Salad Rant

I make the walk to my refrigerator, confident about cooking a delicious juicy chicken breast, or perhaps preparing a citrus tilapia filet baked in coconut oil. Well...apparently my refrigerator had other plans. No chicken. No tilapia. No lettuce.

There is always the egg white option. But of course that idea didn't even come to me until just now.

So, I ended up with a measly can of tuna & a rice cake. Canned tuna might be a dietary staple for some fitness freaks, but I can't seem to find a liking for the stuff. Regardless, I made the healthy choice (um, ok, pretty much the only choice) and found myself busting out the can opener to mix up some kind of tuna salad concoction.

 Now, don't get me wrong here, eating clean doesn't have to mean compromising flavor (your girl can make a mean 5 course meal using just the basics). My tuna was definitely doctored with spices & veggies until even he questioned whether or not he had been a tuna at one point. And yes, I just gave my lunch a personality.

We gather here today to remember that food is fuel.  Eat for energy.

 

Clean Tuna Tuesday
1 can of white chunk tuna packed in water, drained and fluffed with a fork.

1 teaspoon of coconut oil, 1 table spoon of plain 0% Greek yogurt, 1 orange baby pepper, 1 yellow baby pepper, 1/4 tomato, squeeze of half a lemon, and an absolutely ridiculous amount of Caribbean spices. 

Not-quite-enjoyed with a salt free rice cake.