Getting Back on Track

Vacation is coming to an end (boo hoo). It's been a great vacation, full of travel and plenty of entertainment (read: hours spent in front of video poker machines). Food has been so-so...not too many sweets but definitely too much food. So it's time to dial it back in and get back on the fat loss track by cutting the daily calorie counts.

Right before vacation I had been dieting using calorie cycling which basically is varying the calorie level from day to day so the body doesn't think it's in starvation mode. I was also eating semi-Paleo which brings the carb level down to around 30-35%. This was working pretty well for me so I'll go back to those same levels for the Summer of Sexification Challenge. I'll share that info in a future post.

Today I want to share a recipe I've used a lot since I started on the Paleo trail. I modified it from the original recipe found here http://www.jencomaskeck.com/2010/09/pumpkin-bread-tis-season.html to one more Paleo friendly by substituting ground flaxseed and coconut flour for the oat flour.

Pumpkin Muffins (yields 18 muffins)

1 c. almond flour
3/4 c. coconut flour
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
4 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
1t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
8 packets stevia
1 14 oz can of pureed pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix)
1/3-1/2 c. egg whites (enough to moisten the dough to a pliable mix)

Add dry ingredients to large bowl. Add canned pumpkin and mix to incorporate dry ingredients. Add egg whites starting at 1/3 c. Mix to incorporate. Add more egg whites to bring dough to stiff but pliable consistency.

Spray muffin tins with baking spray or use paper muffin tin liners. Drop dough into tins, dividing for 18 servings. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. A few minutes may need to be added or subtracted depending on your oven. Let cool and enjoy with a schmear of almond butter. Yum!

Summer of Sexification Challenge

I love challenges. I love it when fitness website host challenges. 90 days, 12 weeks, 3 months. They are all awesome and I love to sign up for them. Problem is, I rarely finish them and even when I do, I don't do all that well because something (usually me!) derails my progress midway through the challenge and I never recover.

Nobody on the fitness websites I'm following is hosting a challenge for the summer. So I thought I have one for myself. The Summer of Sexification Challenge. Sounds pretty good! Very official. So it will start on June 1 and run until Labor Day. It's a little more than 3 months but it's my challenge and I can do it as long as I want. I'll start on June 1 by posting pictures and stats and then posting every day on how I'm doing. It will be a weight loss challenge because that's always where I'm at. Gotta get the weight off. I'll post my goals when I post the pics/stats.

I'm thinking of breaking the 3 months into a series of mini-challenges to keep things more interesting but I'm still thinking about that. I always bite off more than I can chew, sometimes literally. LOL We'll see...since I'm not accountable to anyone other than myself I want to make this successful. Because if I fail I fail myself and that would suck big time.

Talking to Myself

I read a lot of blogs. Political blogs, fitness blogs, beauty blogs...I've got a lot of 'em. My husband is always telling me I should start blogging too but I figure no one gives a good diddly damn about anything I have to say. Except for me...I care what I have to say and I need to say it. So I've created this blog and we'll see where it goes.

Sexification is a term my trainer made up. My trainer is Roger Lawson and if anyone is interested, you can find him here (www.roglawfitness.com). Rog has been my trainer since Janary 2011 and he's taught me a lot about strength and conditioning. Rog's expertise is sexification which he defines as becoming the best you can be, generally through nutrition and exercise, but also through pursuing your passions to the fullest. That's what I want to explore through this blog...my fitness journey and my passions of which there are many. My husband says with me it's always Something. And I tend to live in my head a lot and don't express what goes on in there too often.

Who knows what I'll find interesting enough to post? I hope to make every day an adventure and an expression of joy and wonder. If you're reading this, I hope you find it fun and interesting. If not, well, there are plenty of other blogs out there. Trust me, I know. I read a bunch.