What I ate... (Sunday 5/3)

I'm back for another round of WIAW!  Thanks, as always, for hosting, Jenn Laura!

Yesterday (Sunday) was a random day of eating for me, everything started off pretty normal with my usual egg white pizza and some peanut butter oatmeal...

Recycled picture, but you get the idea..

I've had a lot of people ask me what I do with my yolks since I only buy whole eggs - they go to the dogs!  Egg yolks are full of nutrients and are great for their coats - plus they are a cheap way to bump up the calorie count of their dry food, and they absolutely love them!  Lily is still on a diet so she only gets 2, but Miss Bella desperately needs to gain some weight so she gets the rest!

 I spent the next few hours doing my weekly meal prep and doing some chores around the house (my usual Sunday routine - super exciting!).  My next meal is where things got weird - in preparation for an epic leg day, I had some Ben & Jerry's PB Half Baked and 2 scoops of Cellucor whey protein. And by 'some' Ben & Jerry's I mean the whole pint, obviously...  This is a limited edition flavor and is my current favorite - I hope they keep it around!

Pre-workout meal of champions!

I drank some C4 about an hour after my pre-workout feast and headed to the gym for a 2 hour leg day!  I guess between the C4, ice cream, and it having been well over a week since I had a quality leg lift I was just ready to go in there and kill it!

I followed my lift with 2 more scoops of Cellucor Whey (unpictured) to try to keep my muscles fed and provide them with the protein necessary to recover properly.  I love Cellucor's products - they have been a favorite of mine for years! If you want to try some for yourself, you can use code NBLYFIT at checkout (only through Cellucor's website) for 25% off your entire order!  The code never expires, so feel free to use it as often as you'd like!  Plus, if you give them your email address you will also get free shipping - that's tough to beat!

I went home and had some work to do on the computer, and enjoyed an Isopure drink while I hammered out some inventories - these are pretty expensive so I don't drink them often, but after all that ice cream earlier my appetite wasn't quite back yet, and I knew I needed some more protein so this worked out perfectly!  This has no fat or carbs - and no weird stuff in it - just protein!  The flavor is really good too and it doesn't weigh you down like some protein shakes can.

A couple hours later I finally got hungry again - I made a dinner consisting of brown rice, peas, chicken, and goat cheese, eaten tupperware style.

Hi, Lil!

And thats it - thanks to proper planning and utilizing IIFYM, my daily total was only 3014 calories (98 fat, 241 carbs, 274 protein) - not too shabby considering almost 1200 of those calories came from ice cream!  Hopefully it will help me gain some weight (spoiler alert - it didn't).  Check back tomorrow for a bi-weekly update and a sneak peak of my most recent posing practice (it's been almost 2 years since I've had posing practice - it was... interesting.).

Five Things Friday (4/17)

It’s been quite awhile since I've linked up with Clare for a Five Things Friday Post, but this week there is just too much I am loving not to share some of them!

First of all, I am LOVING warm weather!  Summer comes early in Georgia (MUCH earlier than I’m used to, being from Pennsylvania) and I couldn't be happier!  I think a trip to my favorite flip-flop wall is definitely in order.

Secondly, I am super excited for the upcoming travel plans we have!  This time next week, we will be with John’s parents, taking in my favorite view, with my favorite people!

AND we just booked our flights to PA to see my parents at the end of May!  I cannot wait to see them – since I moved we only get to see them about twice a year and I am so looking forward to getting back up there!

Third, CELLUCOR!  I am lucky enough to be working with this amazing company now, and as a result of that I get to offer all of YOU 25% off your entire order at cellucor.com by using code NBLYFIT at checkout – you will also get FREE SHIPPING if you sign up for their email list.  I absolutely love their products and have been using them for years – they are a great company and have some really incredible products, and I am so excited to be working with them.

Their preworkout, C4, is fantastic – and they have some of the best tasting protein (and fun flavors)!  My favorites are Peanut Butter Marshmallow, COR-fetti, SMORES, and Molten Chocolate – they have some other great flavors (Red Velvet?!) that I am looking forward to trying in the future.

They have also just recently launched a whole new line of products, I haven’t gotten to try any of them YET, but I have heard only good things – and based on my experiences with Cellucor’s products I don’t doubt that they will be great!

If you are looking for high-quality, cheap (hello 25% off) supplements to aid in your fitness journey, check them out!  And if you have any questions about any of their products, let me know :-)

Fourth – Counting Crows is touring again! They are easily my all-time favorite band, and I have seen them live more times than I can count.  I missed them last year, and was bummed, but am already looking at tickets for this year.  And an added bonus? They are touring with Citizen Cope, one of John’s (and my) favorites – they always tour with some amazing people, and this is no exception.  I can’t wait to see them!

And last, but absolutely not least, is this guy.  

Tomorrow marks 18 months with John, and I just have to take a second to get a little mushy.  I love this man with every ounce of my being – he is my very best friend and my other half.  He is so good to me, and makes me happier than I have ever been – I am so blessed to have him in my life.

I love you so much John, thank you for everything you do for me – for always loving me even when I don’t deserve it – for showing me that there is still hope for love when I thought there wasn’t – for making me a better person – for taking care of me and for always being there, no matter what.  You have made the past 18 months the very best 18 months of my life, I can’t wait to see what the next 18 months, years, and lifetimes have in store for us.

Ok, that’s all I have for today – I hope you all have a great weeked!

What are some of your favorites lately?

(Late) Bi-weekly check-in and a REVIEW!

I want to share a review with you today of my new absolute FAVORITE pre-workout: Megawatt HD by 1^st Phorm!  (And no, I was not compensated for or even asked to do this review – I bought this product with my own hard earned cash and fell in love, so I wanted to share it with you!)

First and foremost – daylight savings time has officially kicked my ass this week – like, all week.  Don’t get me wrong – I love the longer days, but because I start my day at 5 AM and am on the road by 6:30 – my mornings all week have been spent in total darkness, which really messes with me for some reason.  By the time I get off work and finally make it to the gym, I am beat.  My workouts all week have really suffered – until I found Megawatt HD!  I got it in the mail yesterday and took it before I went to train back, and let me tell you – I was immediately impressed.  For the first time this week I had a really amazing workout – I had energy and focus and endurance – I swear I could’ve lifted for 2 hours!  I successfully destroyed my back day and even had the energy after my lift to do some cardio (who am I?!).

From their website:
MegaWatt HD™ has been specifically formulated to boost energy levels and dial in your mental focus during training. MegaWatt HD will take your workouts to the next level by enhancing muscle endurance and vasodilation! Our uncompromising and extremely powerful pre-workout is unlike anything that has ever touched your lips. We took our time with this formula because we weren’t looking to just make another pre-workout … we focused on creating the BEST pre-workout! Period.

MegaWatt HD isn’t just a flavored powder filled with a bunch of stimulants to get you all jacked up before you hit the gym. We wanted to deliver something that would improve muscular endurance as well as something so powerful, you’ll never want to stop training. We would Never Settle® for anything less… and neither should you!

We started MegaWatt HD with research-proven micronized creatine monohydrate to boost ATP production, strength, and overall endurance. Secondly, we added in a potent dose of beta alanine to reduce lactic acid build up and decrease muscle fatigue so you can train longer and harder in the gym. Then we stacked in the Intracellular VoluMax Blend™ to boost blood flow as well as maximize oxygen and nutrient delivery to the muscle cells for powerful muscle contractions and skin-tearing pumps. This potent base takes your precious time in the gym to the next level and keeps your body from ever wanting to quit.

The mind is more powerful than the body when it comes to training intensity.  The final evolution was developing the Neurostatic Matrix™. This is the most potent and unheard of blend of powerful nootropics currently on the market today. MegaWatt HD is designed to keep your mind not just focused, but absolutely dialed-in and blasting through the pain while keeping energy levels at their peak. With MegaWatt HD’s dynamic mix of mental focus and ever lasting energy you will never want to give up.

The taste is phenomenal (I got Juicy Watermelon), and it doesn’t take long to kick in which is great for me because I hate to wait on a pre-workout that takes FOREVER to finally kick in.  I felt focused, strong, and ready to kick ass, without feeling overly jittery or weird at all.  And there was no crash at all – just a slow, easy come down without me really even noticing.  Not to mention, I was still able to fall asleep at a regular time after taking it – since I train so late in the day that is always a concern of mine, and a lot of pre-workouts on the market make it really hard for me to sleep even 5-6 hours after taking it – not this though, I slept like a baby!

My only complaint (let’s be real, not everything can be perfect) is the serving size – ¾ of a scoop.  As in, NOT a whole scoop.  I’ve seen this before in other products and have never really understood it – why not just make a smaller scoop to accommodate a serving size?  Either way – make sure to read labels, please – for reasons like this!  It states not to exceed 1 ½ scoops in a day, again, read labels – I know plenty of people (myself included) that takes 2 scoops of pre-workout occasionally – you really need to be careful with this one since 2 servings is NOT 2 scoops.  This is especially important to people that are caffeine sensitive as there is a pretty potent dose in Megawatt HD.  Seriously though, that is my only complaint – otherwise I am absolutely smitten, as I have been with every 1^st Phorm product I have ever used.

And before I go, I just realized I missed my bi-weekly check-in post (see – I told you this week has kicked my ass!) – I won’t bore you with everything BUT I did take measurements and snapped some progress pics last night, so I wanted to share them real quick.  One of these days I will get my act together!

Calf:  15 inches
Quad: 23 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 27 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 134
Height (since some of you have been asking): 5’2

And some progress pictures:

3-12

2-24

2-10

My Daily Supplements

A supplement is defined as:
· a thing added to something else in order to complete or enhance it.
· a substance taken to remedy the deficiencies in a person's diet

Supplements are not “magic pills” by any means, but when added to a proper diet and exercise program, they help to fill in the holes that even a good diet can miss – and help to give you an advantage over your health and fitness goals.



I take quite a few supplements – ranging from a general health viewpoint to bodybuilding goals to things like hair and skin health, I wanted to give you a look at what I take everyday, and what the purpose behind each supplement is.



Every morning I take 2 things – the first is Yohimbe, I take this on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, Yohimbe is shown to support fat loss, increase blood flow in the body, and support energy levels. The second thing I take is a multi-vitamin, in this case, One a Day Women’s Active Metabolism – I take this with my first meal of the day – it has an assortment of vitamins and minerals necessary for active women.



Every night I take a larger assortment of pills – I tend to take a majority of my supplements at night as it is said that by taking them at night you are giving your body a better chance to fully absorb them, I’m not sure if that’s true or not but I have stuck by it for years!

-Fish Oil is an Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) – one of the biggest benefits found in supplementing with EFA’s is heart health, but other benefits include: nervous system health, brain, eye, and joint health.

-Acidophilus is a probiotic which is ‘healthy bacteria’ found in your intestines and aids in digestion and the proper absorbtion of nutrients from the food you eat – I highly recommend this especially for those on higher protein diets, your insides will thank you!

-Calcium Magnesium & Zinc – this is a great product that gives you 3 incredible minerals together (you can buy them all separately too): Calcium promotes bone health, Magnesium aids in the contraction and relaxation of muscles, and Zinc is essential for protein and carbohydrate metabolism as well as immune system health.

-Biotin plays a key role in the growth and maintenance of hair, skin, mails, and bone tissue and also aids in the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

-Osteo Bi-Flex (or any blend of glucosamine and chondroitin) is, in my opinion, essential for anyone training with weights. Weight training can take a toll on your joints and this is a great product that may help save your joints!



I need to take a second here to mention my current favorite fat burner; Commander by 1st Phorm – this is a great product if you are trying to lose some extra weight – it helps to lessen your cravings and gives great energy without feeling jittery – and there is no crash! If you have taken fat burners before, you know how bad the crash can be – I have tried a lot of different fat burners over the past few years and this one in my new favorite!



I cannot express enough the importance of a good protein supplement – these are great for when you are running a little short on your protein goals for the day, or for immediately after a workout – I will always promote whole food over protein powder, but we have to be realistic and know that sometimes all you have time for (or all you really want, for that matter) is a shake.. I can’t tell you how many times I haven’t had an appetite, but knew I needed to get more calories in – shakes are perfect for this. They are also a great option to add to a meal like oatmeal to get some extra protein. I go through phases with protein (as you can see), but everything shown is fantastic and highly recommended!

I love a good preworkout too – after working all day I don’t get a chance to workout until sometime around 6 PM, and by then I need a little extra kick to get me going – everything pictured is great (I go through a lot of these too – obviously) – and as for the caffeine pills, I will take one of these before a lift if I am out of pre-workout, or whenever I need a little oomph during the day!



That’s everything for today – a look at my pill-habit ;-)

If there is anything you guys want to hear more about please feel free to let me know, I am always up for suggestions!