Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down Days 5-7

Hey guys, sorry I never got around to posting a video for my last days on the slim down. I got so busy with work that I didn't remember to post. But, to be honest I don't think days 5-7 were post worthy because I slacked on them big time. Things would get crazy with work and instead of keeping myself busy with other things I would find myself snacking on things that weren't so healthy. I know it didn't help that I was pms-ing and having mad cravings but I have to learn to be stronger with my cravings when that time comes around. I will definitely attempt the 7 day slim down (and complete it fully) again but I'll probably wait until I have an event or shoot coming up so I have something to look forward to when I'm finished. I am happy that I at least tried it, so I can better prepare myself for next time. :-)

Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down Day 4

Hey everyone! It's day 4 of the Tone It Up 7 day slim down and I'm not gonna lie but I am definitely having some cravings. I think it's mainly because my monthly friend decided to come early, which cause my chocolate craving to go into over drive. I did cave in today and have some maple quinoa cereal during lunch. I know that doesn't seem like such a big slip up...but it's still a slip up. I made it to Meal 4 and my workout without any hiccups. For today's workout I did Bodyrock's "Do you like it workout." After my workout I had some delicious dinner.

Black bean patty, peas, kale, spinach, red onions, and diced tomatoes with brussels sprouts. 

I've started following this "Fit Photo Challenge" and it's so much fun!

Basically, you just post pics of what each day tells you. So far I'm on Day 3. Check out my twitter page to see my pics! @veganwhat



Well, that's it for now. Have a good night everyone!

Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down Day 2 & 3

Yesterday, I was far too tired to upload my Day 2 of the the 7 day slim down so I'm combining day 2 and 3 together for today's post. For day 2 I woke up early to get my workout in before meeting my mom. I did 2 sets of Tone It Up Valentine's Day workout and then I had some breakfast. I met up with my mom to run some errands for the day and I picked up some cute new workout clothes. I'll post pics of new stuff later. When we finally got back to her place it was late afternoon and I completely missed lunch, so I ate when I got home. Being Valentine's Day and all I decided to make the hubby something sweet, so I made some dark chocolate covered strawberries. They looked so good that I caved in and ended up having two. I know! No good!lol But, I was glad that I stopped at two. I finished the night off with some ab exercises.



Day 3!

Today went a lot smoother. I got in a 3+mile run this morning at the gym. I usually run outside but it was raining today. After my workout I raced home to make a delicious protein pancake. Used unsweetened apple sauce instead of silken tofu this time and it came out even better. :-) For my afternoon workout I did another Bodyrock rep challenge and as usual I felt like dying half way through the workout but I powered through and finished strong. For dinner I sauteed some spinach and kale with a chickpea patty. I was feeling a bit off so I added some veggie soup on the side.

Four more days to go!

Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down

Hey Guys! Today I finished my first day of the Tone It Up 7 day slim down. If you're not familiar with the 7 day slim down it's a part of Tone It Up's nutrition plan where you can get slim and trim for your big event in 7 days. So, if you have a reunion or another big event you want to look great for, the Tone It Up ladies get you ready by setting up 7 days of strict eating and exercising. After the 7 days are over you can go back to the normal nutrition plan. I've been avoiding starting the plan for a while now for the mere fact that I hate strict eating. I want to be able to eat what I want when I want, but I've also learned over the past few months that if you want a hot body, you can't always eat what you want when you want it. The nutrition plan has been working great for me so far. So, I decided it was time to go ahead and give the 7 day slim down a try. I'll try and post videos everyday as I count down to the final day. Hopefully this will keep me honest and focused as I go on this week long journey. Here is day 1:

Dinner for day 1: Black bean patty over salad with corn, peas, and steamed zucchini  & cauliflower.

Vegan Power Cakes & New Shoes!

Hey guys! Last night's workout was brutal for my arms! I did the Bodyrock "Set It Off" Resistance Training Routine with the hubby last night and we were both dying by the time we finished. I love workouts that really push you and it's always nice to have someone there motivating you to push harder (even though I think I did most of the motivating...but I don't mind :-P). Here's the link: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/11/day-3-week-2-of-the-30-day-challenge-wild-ones-workout/. If you don't have a gym membership or have one but can't find the time, check out Bodyrock.tv and Toneitup.com. I can not stress enough how amazing these workout hosts are. They train you right in your home for FREE! And they really kick your butt too!lol

This morning I had Zumba class! So much fun every time I go. This class is always packed because we all love sweating and having a good time while dancing and losing weight. I try to go every week but sometimes I can't make it. I had a bowl of my favorite quinoa cereal before class because I knew I would be getting out too late for breakfast.

After the gym and errands I headed home to try my hand at making a Power Cake. This awesome chick named Kasey makes these power cakes which remind me of protein pancakes but a little more edgy.lol...I don't know if healthy pancakes can be considered edgy, but you have to check out her site to see what I'm talking about. Anyway, I've been wanting to make some for a while but she uses egg whites to make them and that's a no no in the world of veganism, so I asked her if she was planning on making a vegan version anytime soon and she said she was working on it. Me, being the impatient person that I am couldn't wait to taste one of these amazing looking powercakes, so I tried to veganize it myself. My first attempt was pretty bad. I'd show you but I threw them out.lol I used egg replacer from the box and for some reason it just did not come out right. So, last night I remembered that Tone It Up uses silken tofu in their protein pancakes. I also checked out one of my vegan cook books for ways to replace eggs. After the gym I stopped by Whole Foods (or as some say "Whole Paycheck") and picked up some silken tofu. I brought up the recipe for her Carrot Cake Power Cake and got to work. Here is the recipe:

WHIP 4 Egg Whites (I used ½ a tub of Organic Silken Tofu & 1 Whole Banana mashed)

Then fold in:

2 TB Ground Flax
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1 TB Coconut Flour
(sub protein powder or other flour)
1 Grated Carrot
2 TSP Baking Powder
Cinnamon/Ginger/Cloves
Vanilla
Stevia
(or other sweetener)

Spoon the mix onto a pan & SPRAY the pan. (I used parchment paper)

Bake @ 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes!

Vegan Carrot Cake Power Cakes. 

Topped with Protein Frosting (Vanilla Protein Powder w/water)

And last but not least, some yummy chia jam. Check the Power Cake link for the recipe. 

Nom nom nom

This came out so much better than the last batch. I think it definitely helped adding in the mashed banana. It gave it a more creamy texture. The Protein Powder Frosting was good but a little too sweet for me, so maybe I'll just stick with the chia jam as my topping. As a whole this was definitely a yummy treat for an after workout meal. I paired it with half a grapefruit.

Oh, before I forget...I got some new trainers to show you!

Nike Free TR Fit Winter Shoes

I've been in desperate need for some new workout shoes...and when I saw these I fell in love! Once I saw one of the Bodyrock host wearing the exact ones I wanted (same color too!), it was like a sign. These pretty blue babies were delivered to me on Friday and they're even more amazing than I thought they would be. They're so light and comfortable. My feet thank me after every workout. :-)

For lunch I had a Tone It Up black bean patty with brown rice, tomatoes, and avocado. I had half a whole wheat pita bread with a small dollop of hummus.

  

Week 3 & 4 Round Up of Exercise Challenges!

Hey guys! I didn't get a chance to post last week's workout challenge so I put week 3 and 4 together. Check out some of the exercises that really kicked my butt and try them out if you get a chance. :-)

My Last Week of My 30 day Bodyrock Challenge!

Wow! It's really hard to keep up with your blog, facebook page, twitter page, and youtube vlog...and the rest of your life.lol I just looked at the date of my last post and shook my head. I have to keep on track with my post. Not just for the sake of posting but because I love to write and this is where it all started with my vegan journey. So, anyway I've been really rocking this month's challenge from Tone It Up & Bodyrock. The workouts have been amazing and I'm feeling stronger everyday. There have been some slip ups with the food, but I try not to beat myself up about it. I love eating healthy and fueling my body but sometimes I do just want to indulge a little. So, if I do slip up, I just know that I have to work harder the next day to make up for it. I'm wondering how the rest of you guys deal with the slip ups. Morning workout was Tone It Up's "Beach Babe Workout."

This morning for breakfast (Meal 1) I had the Tone It Up Quinoa Cereal.

Here's the link to recipe: http://toneitup.com/blog.php?We-LOVE-Food-Friday-Home-made-Maple-Quinoa-Cereal-From-EyeItTryIt-5149. I love this stuff! :-)


For Meal 2 I had some kale chips and home made trail mix with: almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and unsweetened dried cranberries. Very happy to be able to use my dehydrator again. This time I used it for the cranberries.

For Meal 3 I had I burrito with black & kidney beans, brown rice, avocado, tomatoes, and lime juice. I had a salad on the side.

This meal was delicious and I was nice and full. I love brown rice and beans. They go together with almost everything...almost. ;-) Afternoon workout was Bodyrock's "Rock Star Booty Workout."

For my Meal 4 I thought I would celebrate Peanut Butter Day with a Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. I didn't know there was such a holiday as Peanut Butter Day, but apparently there is. Whatever, peanut butter is delicious so I'll celebrate it any time they want me to.

For dinner I had a scrumptious quinoa bowl. I had some leftover quinoa and beans and layered them with some onions & peppers my hubby sauteed, some lettuce, and fresh guacamole. Yum!

I hope everyone had a great day today. Keep up with your workouts and eat the best food to fuel your body. :-)

Week 3 of Tone It Up & Bodyrock Challenge Check In!

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a great weekend. If you checked my previous post about my birthday then you know I had an excellent weekend! :-) Now it's time to get back to work! It's week 3 of my challenges and I'm pumped for this week's exercises. Okay, so this mornings booty call was boot camp. I did the low impact version of this boot camp. For breakfast I had a tofu scramble with half a grapefruit and a slice of Ezekiel toast. I had class this morning so I brought snacks with me. For my meal 2 I had a mix of almonds, sunflower seeds, and pecans along with some orange slices. For meal 3 I had a whole wheat wrap with a tone it up black bean patty (black beans, onions, and ground flax seed), daiya cheese, spinach, and tomatoes...on the side I had a tomato and spinach salad. 

My afternoon workout was Bodyrock.tv's 600 reps challenge. For meal 4 I had the Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. For dinner I had a black bean patty, diced tomatoes with garlic, broccoli, and cauliflower on top of quinoa.

Very delicious meal! Hope everyone got their workouts in and ate some very healthy and delicious meals. :-)

Birthday Dinner & Weekly Roundup of Workouts 2!

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend...I know I did. Saturday was my birthday! :-) I had such a good day and it was so much better than last year (especially since I was sick last year). I started my day with a nice walk with the hubby and then went for some coffee. I got a free drink from Starbucks, so what better day to use it than on your actual birthday? :-)

It was nice to relax and chill at home with the hubby for the day. Then it was off to dinner at Masa of Echo Park! Masa is known for their Chicago style deep dish pizza. I have been dying to go there for months now and was so excited to finally get the chance. It was packed so we had to wait a little while but it was definitely worth the wait. The food was scrumptious and I was stuffed to the brim before it was time to leave. Vegan deep dish...oh yeah, I'll definitely be back. But, I'll have to wait a while cuz it's definitely not the healthiest cuisine. Loved it though! Check out some pics:

Vegan deep dish with teese cheese, tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach. 

One of the chef's brought this out to spice up the pizza. It was very yummy. 

A very delicious meal! And a very wonderful birthday...had such a blast! :-) Oh, and here is another weekly round up of some of the workouts I've done this week. Have you guys been keeping up with your workouts?



I know you're probably thinking "but you just totally stuffed your face full of deep dish pizza this weekend," which is true but I'm not going to let that deter me from my goals. I know I will have a few slip ups every now and then (especially if it's my birthday lol), but I'm not going to stop training hard and doing my very best to get in the best shape of my life. Stay focused everyone! :-)

Tempeh Pad Thai & Hard workouts for today.

Hey guys! Yesterday was pretty hard. I got my morning booty call in but after eating some breakfast I felt really sick. I'm thinking it was probably the oatmeal & peanut butter I ate. Maybe it just didn't sit right in my stomach or something...all I know is I was done for the day. I wasn't sure how today would go, but this morning when I woke up, after my quiet time, I felt good as new. I had a tofu scramble with a piece of Ezekiel toast, and a few orange slices.

I went to the gym and started the new Shredmill workout from Tone It Up..."oh my gosh," I felt like I was dying and I was so grateful that Zumba started because I needed a little break.lol After Zumba I came back and finished the Shredmill, luckily I didn't have much left to do. When I got home I made a Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. I had a grapefruit and a few almonds for a snack after running some errands. For lunch I had a salad with some leftover miso soup. For my afternoon workout I did Bodyrock (I know my arms are going to be sore tomorrow lol). For dinner tonight I made some Tempeh Pad Thai with brown rice pad thai noodles. Yum! Feeling good guys and I hope you are feeling strong and healthy as well! :-)

This is packed with protein and a scrumptious veggies! The ingredients include brown rice pad thai noodles, tempeh (I steam mine first for a few minutes), broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, and topped with green onions. For my sauce I used organic tamari, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, pepper, garlic powder, and red chili flakes. I put some olive oil in my wok and added my veggies. After stirring the veggies for a few minutes I added the tempeh (which soaked in the sauce while I chopped the veggies) and the sauce into the wok. I let everything cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies were soft and then I dumped in the noodles and mixed until they were fully coated. I turned off my burner and added my green onions on top. So good! I love making extra so I can munch on this for lunch tomorrow. :-)

Leftover Couscous & Miso Soup

Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing well and that you all had a great weekend! I started my week off right with a yoga morning booty call. Breakfast was rushed because I didn't want to be late for my class so I grabbed a home made protein bar. I had a long class this morning so I didn't have much time for lunch until I got home. I snacked on almonds and the Tone It Up's krazy koconut bites throughout my class and on the way home. When I actually got home I had a small salad with spinach, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I made my own dressing, which I tend to do a lot. For me, it's just easier to make my own dressing and also cheaper. I just throw a few of my favorite ingredients together: some apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, pepper, and sometimes a little soy sauce. Try making your own some time! For my workout I did Bodyrock.tv 400 reps and the rest of my Tone It Up lean leg pyramid challenge. I gobbled up a protein shake before making dinner. Here is tonight's quick dinner recipe:

Leftover Couscous & Veggies

Leftover plain couscous
Handful of Spinach
Half of a  Zucchini (Chopped)
1 Carrot (Chopped)
Some Organic Salsa (To taste)
Handful of Snap Peas

Saute your veggies until almost done. Add your organic salsa and mix in well with the veggies. You're going to add your couscous last since it's already cooked. Just make sure all of your ingredients are mixed in well and your couscous is warm and ready to eat. Season with pepper and top with some fresh parsley. Enjoy! 

I had some miso soup on the side. This recipe is super easy as well. I made extra so I would have some for lunch tomorrow, so you can make a smaller batch if you want.



Miso Soup

Silken Tofu (A few squares)
2 Stalks of Green Onion
A few pinches of wakame
3 cups of Water
About 2-3 tablespoons of Mellow White Miso

Heat your water in a pot on medium and add your wakame. After a few minutes you will see the wakame change into a softer texture. Add your green onion and tofu and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Take your miso and place in a bowl. Add some of your broth to the bowl and mix until it dissolves. Once the miso dissolves add it to your pot and stir. Continue to let your soup simmer just a few more minutes. Make sure you don't boil the miso. Serve!

Week 1 Round Up of Exercise Challenges!

Hey guys! Check out my video where I show you a 1 week worth of some of the exercise I do.




Oh! Here's another yummy recipe for you to check out:

Asian Style Tempeh with Brown Rice Noodles

Ingredients

-Tempeh (I used less than half a block)
-2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
-2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
-1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
-Brown Rice Noodles (I used enough for one serving)
-Broccoli (About a handful)
-1 green onion
-Handful of snap peas

Take your block of tempeh and slice into thin strips. Place in a steamer for about 10 minutes and then place in a bowl where you'll add your soy sauce, rive vinegar, and maple syrup. Make sure your tempeh is fully coated and set it in the fridge to marinate. Follow the directions on the package for your noodles and set them aside once they are finished. Prepare your veggies by setting your burner to medium and adding a little water, rice vinegar, and soy sauce to your pan. Add your veggies and continue to stir. When your veggies are almost done add your tempeh and continue mixing everything until done. Take your tempeh and veggies and place them on top of your noodles. Season to taste.

Quick Brown Rice Pasta & Tone It Up Check In!

Hey guys! Check out my video for my Tone It Up Check In. I also have a quick recipe on there for you of some yummy brown rice pasta.




Quick Brown Rice Pasta

Here are the ingredients that I used:

Organic Brown Rice Pasta (I used the Trader Joe's Brand)
A can of Organic Diced Tomatoes
Shiitake Mushrooms (Use whatever mushrooms you like)
Some greens (I used kale & spinach)
2 cloves of garlic
Herbamare (or a little salt)
Pepper

Cook your pasta until done. Saute your garlic in a little olive oil until a little golden then add your mushrooms and mix until they get soft. Add in your greens and stir until they wilt a little then add your diced tomatoes. Mix in your tomatoes well, add your seasonings, cover, and let simmer until ready. Yum!

Check out what I had for breakfast.

Half a grapefruit & a home made protein bar. Recipe from Bodyrock.tv

Day 2 of Tone It Up & Bodyrock Challenge! Spirulina in my juice!

Hey everyone! This is day 2 of my workout challenges and I feel great! I find myself more and more excited to wake up and find new ways to push myself physically and mentally. Because we all know that getting into shape starts with mentally forcing yourself to get your body up and moving. This morning for my Tone It Up Booty Call I did the stairs challenge. Running up and down stairs is definitely a good way to get your heart rate up and get that metabolism going.


For breakfast I made a tofu scramble with a slice of Ezekiel bread on the side.

Tofu scramble with red peppers, green & red onions, tomatoes, spinach,  and  some avocado on top. I also sprinkled in  some nutritional yeast. A slice of Ezekiel bread to accompany. 

For my snack I had some soaked raw almonds, kale chips, and green juice. I had to eat the almonds on the run because I had some errands. I ate the kale chips and made the green juice when I got home.

Green juice with spinach, apples, spirulina, cranberries, and squeezed orange juice.

I was going to do my workout around this time but Bodyrock was having some loading issues with youtube so I just decided For lunch I had some leftover curry with chickpeas, veggies, and couscous.

Okay, so after lunch they finally put up the workout for Bodyrock. Here is the link: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/03/day-2-of-our-30-day-challenge-good-feeling-workout/. OMG! This thing was brutal. I was drenched and exhausted by the time this was done. But, I'm so glad I made it through and finished it. After my workout I had my usual favorite, the Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake. Yes, I have a picture this time...but I gobbled half of it up before I realized that I needed to take a picture...sorry.lol 

Peanut Butter, Almond Milk, Organic Hemp Protein(Vanilla),  Frozen Banana, Ground Flax seed, and I added a scoop of Almond Butter. 

Dinner was yummity yum yum! Sushi night! One of my favorite things to eat is sushi. If you've checked out my post on Shojin, then you know how delicious vegan sushi can be, but sometimes you can't make out for some fine dining and you just have to make the sushi yourself. Well, I did all the chopping of the veggies & "meat" and my hubby does the sushi rollin. I used a gardein "chick'n" scallopin breast and seasoned it with some organic soy sauce & rice vinegar. 

Sushi with brown rice, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, and gardein chick'n.

Alright everyone, this is the conclusion to my day. I hope you all have a goodnight and make sure to get your workout in tomorrow! :-)

Tone It Up Check In & What I ate today

Hey guys! Today was the first day of the Tone It Up & Bodyrock challenge. Here are links to the two workouts that I did today:
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/02/day-1-of-our-30-day-challenge-fit-test/#comments

http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/06/04/l-a-hard-body-workout/

For breakfast I made some apple cinnamon oatmeal.



After my workouts I had the Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake.

For lunch  I had leftover potatoes, chard, mushrooms, green onions, and I added some spinach.

For dinner I had a whole wheat tortilla with brown rice, black beans, sauteed spinach, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, avocado, and organic salsa. 

Tone It Up Check In & Snacking on Kale Chips!

Hey guys! Just wanted to post a video since it's been a little while. Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and getting ready for the New Year that is approaching us. I'm staying on track with my workouts and just wanted to share with you what I worked on today and the healthy snack I gobbled up! Can you guess what it was??? :-)

Bodyrock Workout!

Tone It Up Quinoa Snack & Sandbag Workout!

Hey Peeps! I had a crazy workout today! I'm still all over from yesterday's workout.lol I finally got to make and use my new sandbag, which was awesome and really helped me feel the burn. I used it for my body rock workout this morning and for my Tone It Up Humps workout. I made a snack today from Tone It Up's site. They have this great recipe for Maple Quinoa Cereal. It's tasty and very easy to make, so check it out!

Snack, Healthy Dinner, & Tone It Up Christmas Workout!

Hey guys! I made some delicious dinner tonight before my Tone It Up Christmas workout. So, now I'll be nice and fit for the holidays...well, at least until I get a hold of some cookies! :-) All in moderation of course.lol

I sauteed some green peppers, zucchini, red onions, green onions,  and garlic. 

I added a can of organic diced tomatoes and let simmer. 

I scooped the finished product onto some black beans and rice. 

I made the black beans in the crock pot for about four hours. I used dried black beans and let them soak the night before. I rinsed them this morning and threw them in the crock pot with some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, herbamare, and some broth I saved from the collards and lentils I made. So easy to make. I love my crock pot!lol :-)

Tone It Up Protein Shake, Workout, & Healthy Snack!

Hey guys! I had a great workout this morning from Bodyrocktv. I did day 2 of their Christmas workout count down. For breakfast I made a Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake. It was so yummy and creamy, but the banana did upset my stomach a little, so I'll probably only use half of one next time. For a snack this week I made Tone It Up's Krazy Koconut Bites. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are raw and vegan. So, I'll snack on those yummy bites for the week. Check out the video and pics below. Have a great day! :-)

Krazy Koconut Bites (minus the coconut)