All posts by Kimberly

Double Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

Recipes, , , ,

Double Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

Ingredients:

1 scoop of banana whey protein* (About Time)

4 ounces of ripe banana

2 TBS of chocolate PB2** (powdered peanut butter)

1/2 cup of ice

6-8 ounces of water

 

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth.

Nutritional Info:

248 calories

32g carbs

1g fat

30g of protein

17g of sugar

112g sodium

*About Time protein is 100% whey protein isolate and contains no additives, artificial flavorings  zero carbs, lactose free, gluten free, sugar free, fat free, sweetened with Stevia only

**PB2 is all natural powdered peanuts with only 1g of fat and 45 calories per 2 TBS (regular peanut butter 16g of fat and 200 calories)

Enjoy!

Protein Whoopie Pies

Recipes, , , , , , , ,

Got a sweet tooth figure girl?

Here is a guilt-free recipe I got from Cheryl Davis, IFBB Figure Pro. It’s loaded with protein and chocolaty goodness!

Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

1 scoop of chocolate ultimate muscle protein (UMP)

1/2 tsp bking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup apple sauce or 1/2 large banana (I used Natural Motts Applesauce)
2 tbsp sugar free & fat free cool whip
water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix protein powder, baking powder, vanilla extract, and apple sauce/banana in a bowl.  Slowly stir in water until you get somewhat thinner consistency of cookie dough.  Spray a baking sheet with oil spray.  Pour 2-3″ round amounts of the mix onto the tray and bake for 5-7 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes.
Add fat free cool whip in between the two “cake” pieces, put in the fridge for 10 mins or enjoy instantly!
Nutritional Information:
Servings: 1
Calories 174,  18g carbs, 20g protein, 4g fat, 2g sugar, 2g fiber
KD-CPS-B5-eBook-3-200

6 Tips to Stop Cheating on Your Diet

Diet

What foods are you craving most right now?

Bread, pasta, sweets, salty treats? One of my worst cravings was peanut butter! One or two spoonfuls everyday can add up to one fat competitor!

Many new athletes (and coaches) feel that having a ‘cheat day’ where you get to eat what you want (like burgers, fries, pizza, sweets, etc), will achieve results. It is necessary to eat more at specific times of your prep but having a sanctioned free-for-all will leave you in the last call outs.

Consistent cheating on your contest diet will definitely keep you from leaning down enough to be competitive. Here are 6 tips to squash the cravings so you can walk across that stage…

1. Eat often. When you are hungry everything looks good. Missing or skipping meals will create calorie deficits that make you overeat or cheat. Try to eat every 2-3 hours, balanced meals with lean protein, good fat, and performance carbohydrates.

2. Don’t cut your calories (too soon). One of the common mistakes newbie figure athletes make is cutting their calories too early in their contest prep. If you are beginning your prep 16 or more weeks out, your calorie count should start between 1,500-2,000 depending on how much you currently weigh. The goal is to build and retain lean muscle mass while losing the maximum amount of body fat. If you are not eating enough calories, you’ll won’t be able to burn through those tough figure workouts. The body will not let go of fat if you starve the muscles.

3. Map out your week. Pick one day of the week to get all your food prep done. Dieting for a figure competition is very structured, so thinking through each meal ahead of time will limit falling off the wagon. I usually spend Sunday grocery shopping, measuring out meats, chopping veggies, boiling potatoes, grilling chicken, steaming rice, and making sure I have all my supplements. I use Tupperware to store each meal in the fridge for easy access.

4. Plan a strategic ‘refeed’ once a week. Exercising and eating low calories everyday can make you feel sluggish in the gym! Having a higher carb and higher fat day at the end of the week causes leptin levels to spike. This is important because low leptin levels caused by prolonged dieting will lead to a decrease in metabolism and an increase in appetite (leading to more cheats). Now this doesn’t mean head out for a calzone! It means make a healthier version of your favorite meals. Log those extra calories and keep an eye on the effects of each refeed.

5. Go to bed earlier. If you are up after you’ve finished your last meal–expect to be sniffing around for something else to eat! When the food is done, go to bed. Now if you cheat on your diet–its only in your dreams.

6. Throw it in the trash. Hey, everyone in the house is not on a diet, so expect to see take-out boxes with leftovers or goodies sitting around. But just because these items are available–doesn’t mean have a free for all! Throw away any uneaten food especially after events. You can even give it away. And when you throw it in the trash, cover it up with garbage. Nothing more unappealing than donuts with coffee grounds on them 🙂

With the right competitor diets–you won’t feel like cheating!  Click here to start eating & training like a champion!

10 Proteins for Vegetarian Figure Athletes

Diet, , ,

Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean you can’t compete in figure! Here are my top veggie friendly options for muscle building.

1. Legumes – beans
2. Nuts & Seeds – sunflower, almonds
3. Dairy Products – cottage cheese, Greek yogurt
4. Cereal & Food Grains – whole grains
5. Algae – Spirulina
6. Vegetable/Soy Protein Powders
7. Seitan – made from whole wheat and water (gluten)
8. Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, peppers
9. Eggs – white or brown
10. Fruit – peaches, strawberries, and bananas

Although these items are vegetarian, you still need to track the carbohydrate, calorie, and fat content to stay within your training nutritional goals.

Enjoy!

Ready to compete? Click here  

Are your arms too BIG for figure???

Workouts

While training for my second competition, I met a fellow figure coach at the gym. I had just won 2 first place trophies in the OCB Eastern Regional but this next competition was with the INBF organization.

And this guy just happened to be one of the judges for my upcoming event! So, I asked him what would keep me from winning my class. He said “your arms are too big.” They were really muscular but toned. With only two weeks left until the show, how could I fix my arms?

In figure, judges are looking for a toned & symmetrical physique. This is what’s called the v-taper. Figure girls have small, lean, and well defined arms. When I measured my arms, they were a little over 14 inches.  He told me I’d be more competitive at 11-13 inches when competing in the INBF. Regionally, judges for various agencies are looking for a specific body type when comparing physiques. Most of the time, it doesn’t match the look the athlete was going for 😉

It’s true that genetics, training, diet and supplementation play a huge role in how your physique will turn out. But there are some things you can do to reduce the size of your arms fast!

3 Tips for Smaller Arms

1. Stop training your arms with weight. You can do cardio movements with your arms (like jumping jacks, plyo push-ups, rope pulling, boxing etc) that will help lean them up without adding anymore bulk.

2. Reduce your protein. The normal regime would be to get in protein before and after your workouts. Skip the post workout protein serving. This will encourage your body to use some of your extra muscle as fuel.

3. Cut mass building supplements. If you are already blessed with size you don’t need any help with natural growth hormones, extra amino acids, or creatine. Focus on supplements that will help reduce body fat and increase muscle definition.

Now if you are just genetically gifted with larger arms and more muscle mass all over, you might want to think about other ways to compete. Consider bodybuilding or physique competitions. Typically these competitors are more muscle dense and expected to have bigger arms.

One thing is for sure, you need the right program to make sure your arms don’t get too big! LOL Get my complete figure coaching program here.

See you on stage!

Kimberly