A Small Glimpse Into "Body Built"

Just last Friday, I released my 12 week training program, "Body Built". In my last post about it, I gave details about the program and what is included when you purchase it. Since then, I have received more questions about the program and many asking for me to post a sample workout. I want to first address a few of the most frequently asked questions:

• Is the program for beginners?

Well, to be quite honest, not exactly. If you've never stepped foot in the weight room, this may not be the program for you. Now, I am not saying a beginning couldn't catch on and do Body Built, but these are intense lifting workouts. As far as knowledge, all exercises and how to perform them can be found here on bodybuilding.com. So, if you were unsure of an exercise or how to perform it, you simply need to look it up and watch the video. The workouts are structured in a very detailed manner. I provide definitions for all terms (supersets, dropsets, etc) and explain the structure for everything that is to be expected for each workout. In terms of physical intensity, you essentially determine how intense you make the workouts. If you're going all out and lifting heavy, it's going to be tough, but if you're kind of going through the motions leisurely, it won't be as tough or effective. 

I encourage you to lift as heavy as possible with proper form (safety always first). I include active rests and plyometric moves (think jump squats, burpees, jump rope, high knees). If you were able to do Insanity, Turbo Fire or P90X, then you most certainly can do the program. It isn't nearly as much jumping and impact as those Beachbody programs because it is essentially a weight lifting program supplemented with some active rests/plyo like mentioned above. The focus is weight lifting, so don't worry about having to jump around the whole time.

• What if I have bad knees or joints?

To this, I would say that Body Built does contain jumping and plyometric moves for active rests, but you may also "regress" the a certain exercise but substituting it with something not as intense. For example, if I call for you to do box/bench jumps but you have bad knees, or a bad ankle, or your level of coordination doesn't allow you to do them safely, then you can do another active rest instead like jumping jacks or jogging in place. The key is to keep the heart rate up during the rest time. Do what you can do safely. For cardio, it's mostly HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). If you're not able to do sprints/run on a treadmill, you can substitute it for walking on the treadmill on a high incline to still get your heart rate up. You don't need to follow the program to the "T" for it to be successful. As long as you're pushing yourself and at least following the structure as much as you can, then you will see results (assuming of course that you're eating clean).

• How will I receive the program and when?

I will email you the program using the email provided on your PayPal account within 24 hours from when you purchase it. If you do NOT receive it in 24 hours, first check your spam. If it's not there, contact me at www.spoonfuloffit@gmail.com and I will look into it and resolve the issue.

Many wanted a sample workout. I understand why you would want to see what Body Built is all about before you purchase it since it is a new program. I do want to explain something before I share any workouts. Now, Body Built is split into 3 phases. Phase 1, 2, and 3. Each phase is a progression, meaning each phase builds off the other. Now I don't want to compare my program to another, but to give you an idea, many of you probably know about Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer. If you look at her program, you'll see it's 3 phases and each phase, the workouts are vastly different. That's how my program is constructed. So, if I provide a workout or even two, you still are only seeing a glimpse of what there is. Just an FYI. 

The first phase focuses on building lean muscle and lifting heavy with proper form. We focus more on the slow twitch muscles in phase one. The second phase progresses into involving more supersets, some dropsets, dropsets to burnout, and active rest/plyo moves. The third phases involves some exercises that work your balance and coordination. The layout is constructed as mini circuits and we really focus on working the fast twitch muscles. All 3 phases are meant to help you build your skills in the weight room so you are well rounded in terms of form, balance, coordination, posture, flexibility, while increasing strength and building lean muscle. The workouts in all three phases will have your heart rate up pretty high (especially phases 2 and 3), so that you're torching fat and burning calories without doing cardio. That is why my program is weight based and not cardio based. Cardio is called for only 3 days a week for Body Built and detailed instructions are given for the cardio plan. There is no need for tons of cardio when you're doing things right in the weight room and eating clean.

With all that being said, I will share two workouts, both from Phase 2 of Body Built so you can get a small glimpse into what the workouts are essentially like:

  -->

WORKOUT #1

Shoulders/Abs- (All exercises 3x12 unless otherwise noted)

Superset:

- DB shoulder press

- Standing one arm DB shoulder press (12 reps each side)

Resume normal sets:

- BB clean and press

- Standing upright BB row

Set w/ active rest:

- Cable rear delt fly

- Jump rope (1 minute)

Triplet set/mini circuit (3x15)

- Bench leg pull-ins

- Reverse bench crunch

- Plate side bends (15 to each side)

 
 WORKOUT #2

*For phase 2 of the program, there are 2 leg days per week, one day focus is quads/calves and the other day, the focus is glutes/hamstrings

-->

 Legs (Quads/Calves emphasis) - All exercises 3x12 unless otherwise noted)

- Smith Machine squat (place a plate underneath your heels to target quads)

Superset:

- Smith machine split lunge (12 reps each side)

- Walking barbell lunges (12 reps each side)

Set w/ active rest:

- Single leg extension (12 reps each leg)

- Bench/box jumps (12)

- Leg press (two giant sets of 30)

- Jump pulse squats (pulse 5 times, jump, land, repeat)

Resume normal sets:

- Seated calf raise

- Standing calf raise (one set toes forward, one set toes angled in, one set toes angled out)

I truly hope this helps give you an idea of the type of workout you can expect from the program. Again, no two workouts are the same, so there are a TON of other workouts you'll be doing. If you do decide to purchase Body Built, the PayPal link is on my homepage here, in the top right hand corner. If you're on Instagram, hashtag your progress pics #SOFBodyBuilt so I can track your progress and you can motivate each other. :)

Eat Clean, Train Dirty,

Crystal
 xo

Body Built 12 Week Training Program

I am thrilled to introduce, Body Built, my 12 weektraining program! I want this to be more than just a "workout program", I truly hope that this program changes your life. My goal foryou in these next 12 weeks is for you to truly build your best body. Throughthis program,  I want you to becomeempowered and strengthened from the inside out. I created Body Built to be challenging, to push you to the limits so that you will grow in confidence inthe weight room and in your own body. 

I stand by the principle, "work smarter, not harder" in terms of fitness. This means, I constructed the workouts to be as efficient as possible, but in the least amount of time. Iwant to show you that you don't have to live in the gym and work out two hoursa day to see results. In fact, you will most likely find yourself spending lesstime in the gym than before. I do NOT believe in endless cardio, double days,etc. I want to provide you a program that gives you balance and you will seethat I include MANDATORY rest days so you can build your body up, not breakyour body down. 

I am a National Academy of Science andMedicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) and I createdmy program utilizing the NASM Optimum Performance Training (OPT) Modelstructure. The OPT Model is found to be one of the most effective methods inhelping individuals reach their highest level of personal fitness. You will find yourself becoming stronger, more flexible, more coordinated, and overall, morephysically fit and healthy. The goal is to build lean muscle and reshape your body. Body Built is broken down into 3 phases. Phase 1, 2, and 3 are each 4 weeks long and each phase builds off of the other. Instructions and breakdowns for each phase are given as you go along. As for cardio, instructions will be given for how cardio is to be performed with each workout. How much is the program? It is a one time payment of $75.00 (through Pay Pal). What do you get? You get 12 weeks worth of workouts, a cardio plan, a complete approved foods/recommended grocery list guide, a basic nutritional template to follow, and a complete sample meal plan. 

This plan is all about variety as no two workouts are the same. That's right, for 3 whole months, you will not do the same workout twice. The focus is lifting, supplemented with a specific cardio plan, and of course, a lean diet of adequate calories to fuel your body. The workouts are structured as high intensity workouts, incorporating active rests, supersets, drop sets, circuit training, etc. to keep your heart rate elevated and help you burn the most amount of calories and fat in the least amount of time. The workouts will take you an average of an hour or so five days a week. Unfortunately, this program probably can't be done from home unless you have a compete home gym. The workouts require dumbbells, barbells, benches, cable machines, stability balls, medicine balls, etc. 

I believe 100% in this method of training and it is what I used to get in the best shape of my life. I have gained balance and an overall healthy body and life. If this is something you are interested in, please go to my home page and on the top right hand corner, click on the PayPal link and purchase the program for $75.00 USD.Please allow me 24 hours to get the program emailed to you. If you DO NOT receive the program within 24 hours, please email me at www.spoonfuloffit.com and I will be sure to check PayPal and my records to confirm that payment went through. :)

I can't wait to hear feedback and see your results! If you're on Instagram hashtag your progress pictures with #SOFBodyBuilt so you can motivate each other and so I can check in on your progress and share results on Instagram and Facebook! Thank you all for your support and believing in me as I follow my passion to be the best trainer I can be.

Eat Clean, Train Dirty,

Crystal 

Coming Clean (Repost)

 I wrote this post back in October 2012, when I first came clean and went public with my experience with adrenal fatigue. I wanted to repost and share again for those of you who may benefit from reading this and need to hear it from someone who experienced the ugliness of adrenal fatigue first hand...

To be completely honest, I don’t even know where to begin. It is one of those things where I have so much to say and yet don’t have the words at the same time. This will not be the best written blog post. I am not going for quality here, but for honesty. It is time to be honest. With myself, and with all of you who follow me as Spoonful Of Fit (SOF). Many of you follow me on Facebook, others also on Instagram, and some just here on my blog.

Before I go further into telling my personal story and situation, let me just say that this is MY STORY. This does not mean that others can’t be passionate about fitness without being obsessed. This is not to say that others can’t have balance. But for me, I couldn’t handle it. What was too much for me may totally be fine for others. I do NOT judge others or their lifestyle in ANY WAY, SHAPE, or FORM. But this is what happened to me…

Those that follow me, know the gist of my story. I discovered fitness in December of 2011 and fell in love with it. I began this relationship with it that brought to life a passion I had never known. The empowerment I felt from feeling strong, feeling healthy, seeing results, and looking the best I ever had was liberating and satisfying in the deepest way. Unfortunately, as can happen in human relationships, my relationship with fitness became extremely unhealthy. It was something I kind of struggled with for a while. I was walking on that fine line for some time. Fitness was one strand away from being an obsession. I started SOF with every intention of being a positive role model to others. I was looking to motivate, encourage, inspire, and help others. For a while, I felt good and successful at it. I loved helping other women learn how to live healthy, with balance and purpose.

Somewhere along the line between June (when I started SOF) and now, I lost myself in my passion. It crossed the line into an obsession that instead of built me up, it broke me down. I was in the best shape of my life, but it wasn’t good enough. I wanted to be leaner and more cut. I wanted to decrease my body fat as much as I could. I had a six pack, but it wasn’t “popping” enough for my satisfaction. I looked in the mirror and all I could see were my flaws and shortcomings. All I saw was how much I didn’t look or feel like the fitness models or fitness competitors. Images flooded my mind as I spent all my free time looking at inspirational photos on Facebook, magazines, and Instagram. I would compare myself to others and use that “fitspiration” to drive myself to be good enough for me.

My mind was on fitness mode 24/7. I woke up 4:15 a.m. every morning. YES, every morning. I didn’t take rest days. I felt guilty if I didn’t workout one day. Here I was, telling other women to rest and not to over-train, yet in my own dark and secret world, I was going against my very advice. I became OBSESSED with my caloric burns on my Polar FT Heart Rate Monitor and would get so mad at myself when I saw my burns decreasing even though I was working harder than ever. I was eating the cleanest diet ever. Only veggies, lean proteins, water, and I cut my carbs drastically. I wouldn’t even touch fruit. In my mind, fruit = sugar, and sugar would inhibit my ab progress.

^ Here, about six weeks ago, I announced on my Instagram that I was doing a photo shoot and that I was going to prep to get in the best shape ever for it. I was going to be EVEN STRICTER on diet, UP my cardio, and look amazing for this shoot. I am a natural perfectionist. I put pressure on myself in everything I do, and it can be my best quality and worst quality all at the same time. In this case, it brought out the worst in me. The pressure of the shoot was just too much for me to take. In my mind, that camera was going to zero in on everything I have been working towards. On the outside, to others, maybe I looked good, but you see, to someone who is dealing with such a distorted vision of herself, I fell short. My worst fear was seeing the final pictures and not liking what I saw. It’s like when you watch a scary movie, and you seriously do not want to open your eyes because you are so afraid and nervous of what you will see when you look. I know to many, this may be the craziest thing you ever heard, but it is truly what was going on in my head.

So I used that fear of failure, and it became my motivator. I pushed and pushed my body. I was running on little sleep, my mind was on fitness EVERY WAKING MOMENT. I was pushing my body seven days a week in the gym, eating low carbs, limiting fat intake, and wanted to cut as much as possible. Not only did I want to look good in my pictures, but now that I knew what being lean and having popping muscle and a six pack looked like, I NEVER wanted to go back. Every morning, the first thing I would do, was go look in the mirror to be sure that my six pack was there. I wanted to look better than I did the day before. Looking at what I achieved was my only source of feeling good about myself. My body image was my self-worth. I had this hunger to be better and look better. Stagnant was not an option. I wanted PERFECTION.

As as result of my lifestyle and desire, is what happened to me:

I remember taking these pictures (the bottom row was just about 2 weeks ago, the top about a month ago) and feeling so proud. I had NEVER looked so lean in my life. But to be 100% honest, I was so weak while taking these pictures. I felt sick, dizzy, and low on energy, but still managed to go to the gym after taking them for my workout. Looking at these pictures was my motivation that what I was doing was working and could get me to what I wanted to be. I don’t know what my body fat percentage or weight is in these pictures, because I am never weighed myself or got my body fat tested, but I can tell you that I haven’t had my menstrual cycle since April of this year, so it is pretty low.

The past few weeks, I literally feel as if I hit a wall going 100 miles an hour. I crashed. Burnt out. At first, I thought, “well, that was just a bad workout.” or “I just need to get to bed earlier.” But then, I started feeling very irritable and on-edge. I was cold all the time. My hair was falling out. I was having trouble functioning, even at work. I worked at a desk job, and I could barely make it through the day. I would come home and lay down all night and on weekends,  all I wanted to do after my morning workout was sleep all day. So, I thought, well, maybe I just need to change my workout time. So, as I announced on Instagram, I changed my work schedule to workout in the evenings instead. That first evening workout, I left the gym nearly in tears. It had NOTHING to do with whether I worked out in the morning or the evening. I literally had NO strength to even walk on incline on the treadmill. I could barely lift the 10 pound dumbbells. I felt like I was going to collapse. My heart rate would not even go up on my heart rate monitor for the life of me.

I know a lot of people have been questioning why I have been so absent on my SOF Facebook page. Well, this is all the reason for that. There is a reason I am posting less on Instagram about my workouts. The truth of the matter is, I am suffering burnout. I could barely keep myself together, so on how earth could I go and motivate others? I felt like such a failure. I had no energy to even function, let alone be of any encouragement to anyone else. I was depressed, I was on edge, I was angry for no reason, I was exhausted, and I was drained. I could sleep for 10 hours straight wake up feeling exhausted as if I got no sleep at all. It took all my energy just to take a shower. I literally felt like a 90 year-old woman. I felt like my body weighed 5,000 pounds. I felt heavy and weak, even laying down. I stayed home from work on Wednesday because I couldn’t get out of bed and I went to the doctor’s this morning and my doctor only confirmed what I kind of already knew after doing some research of my own. ADRENAL FATIGUE. I have nearly every symptom of it. Here are the 30 most common symptoms:

The 30 symptoms include, but are not limited to:
1. Excessive fatigue and exhaustion, chronic fatigue
2. Non-refreshing sleep
3. Sleep disturbance, insomnia
4. Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
5. Craving salty and/or sweet foods
6. Sensitivity to light
7. Low stamina and slow to recover from exercise
8. Slow to recover from injury or illness
9. Difficulty concentrating, brain fog
10. Poor digestion
11. Irritable bowel syndrome, IBS
12. Low immune function
13. Premenstrual syndrome
14. Menopause symptoms
15. Low blood pressure
16. Sensitivity to cold
17. Fearfulness
18. Allergies,
19. Frequent influenza
20. Arthritis
21. Anxiety
22. Irritability
23. Depression
24. Reduced memory
25. Low libido, sexual drive or interest
26. Lack of lust for life and/or food
27. Excess hunger
28. Low appetite
29. Panic/anxiety attacks
30. Irritability, impatience, quick to anger.

(Source: http://selfadjustingtechnique.com/30-symptoms-of-adrenal-fatigue/)

My doctor was actually upset, because she said at the rate I was going, I could have a heart attack because of what I am doing to my body. My blood pressure is extremely low and she said if I want to get my menstrual cycle and estrogen levels at what they should be, I need to up my fats in my diet by a lot and put some “healthy” weight back on my bones. She said that on the outside, I may look healthy, but on the inside, I am so deficient in so many areas including iron levels, cholesterol, vitamin D, and estrogen.

So, needless to say, I am taking this week off of the gym. I am incorporating healthy carbs and definitely upping my healthy fats in my diet. A lot of this is a mental thing I will have to work through to do this. For so long, I deprived myself of so many foods because they weren’t “clean” enough.

But from now on, I will eat a freaking apple if I want to and not worry about the sugar content in a piece of fruit. I did the math and realized that it has been since January of this year that I had an actual cheat meal, unless you are counting half of a mini size Pinkberry yogurt. YES, HALF OF A MINI SIZE. Or unless you are counting the 4 glasses of wine I have had in the past year. I haven’t had a single french fry, bite of regular bread, regular frozen yogurt, slice of pizza, or ANYTHING in over 10 months! I’m not saying junk food is the answer, but I have deprived myself SO much for so long and for the wrong reasons.

^^^ This is all easier said than done. I have some physiological things to work through. I need to learn to let go of the image I have of needing to be perfect. I need to redefine what healthy is. I need to learn to love my body and be healthy, but let myself be human. I need to learn to truly take a rest day.

I have had a huge eye opening experience in the past week. I have learned a few really important things.

1.) FIT and HEALTHY does NOT mean PERFECT. There is no such thing as perfection. Fitness models and athletes are SO inspirational, but I can’t idolize them in the sense that I want to be them. I will be healthy and in shape, I will be fit and strong. I will be ME.

2.) My worth is NOT in my SIX PACK. <—- Yes, it really got to that point for me. As I put on healthy weight, my abs will not be what they were, I am sure. I am really struggling to accept that, but I need to and I will.

3.) BALANCE is absolutely necessary and DOES NOT equal WEAKNESS. Duh, of course, I am not going to go all crazy and eat doughnuts and pizza all day long, I LOVE my healthy eats. But like I said, a piece of fruit or an occasional frozen yogurt will not be the end of me and not equate me to being a failure. I can take a rest day, maybe even two, in a week without gaining all my weight back or losing all I worked for overnight.

As I said earlier, I totally give props to those that are able to pull the two-a-days at the gym, or follow a competitors diet. I admire those that have it in them to push through to run 10 miles a day at the gym or rock an ultra rock hard six pack all year round. But, for my body, that was too much. It told me, “Crystal, enough is enough.” I am listening to my body. If there is one thing about me that hasn’t changed through all this, it is believing that my body is my temple, and I need to treat it as such. I only have one life, and one body, and I need to love it and treat it right.

I love you all and thank you for your support, but as I go through this transition process, I may be shutting down my Spoonful Of Fit Facebook page, or at least taking a break from it. I won’t be posting on the blog for now. I will keep my Instagram active and open, but I may not post as frequently. I also will be changing my name. Not sure what to yet, but Spoonful Of Fit is just not me anymore. This is going to be a new season and a new me. A balanced and healthy me. A me full of life and energy, not perfectionism and exhaustion. If I lose followers because of this, then I do. Right now, the important thing to me, is to get my health back on track. I need to regain my strength and energy. I need to be honest because just in case any of you are going through something similar, I want you to know that you are not alone. As for me, I need to find my balance and myself.

So this was much longer of a post than I anticipated, but it is real, raw, and candid. It is the ugly truth. I’m just throwing it out like word vomit (Mean Girls anyone?? haha). It is time to close this chapter in my life and open up a new one. A fresh me and a fresh start. Thank you for listening.

Love,
Crystal xo

Sweet Potato Pie Pancakes

So ever since I made these sweet potato fries that I posted on Instagram the other day,

I have been straight OBESSESED with sweet potatoes. I literally can't get enough. I mean, what is not to love?

 

The sweet potato is the perfect complex carb that is high in Vitamin A, C, fiber, and potassium. They are high in antioxidants and they also have a low glycemic index which means they don't spike your blood sugar when you eat them. Plus, they are naturally so sweet, which makes a sweet tooth fiend like me think I am eating dessert....

Score! Another reason why I LOVE sweet potatoes is because they are versatile. I mean, there are so many different ways you can eat them and I have definitely been taking advantage of that: Baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, sweet potato coins (like fries only circular), pureed, steamed, or how about getting even more creative? How about combining sweet potato pie and pancakes? Mmmmm. Yea, I'll take a tall stack of those.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon oat flour (whole wheat flour would work too)
• 2 oz. already baked/cooked sweet potato (measures out to about 2 heaping tablespoons if you don't have a food scale)
• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Stevia to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (can also add a dash of allspice, nutmeg, pumpkin spice for extra flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• (1/4 teaspoon butter extract (not necessary, but adds an amazing flavor!)
• Toppings: non-fat Greek yogurt sweetened with Stevia, peanut butter, nuts, etc. 

*REMEMBER:  *All dishes are made using the ingredients listed in the recipe. If you are curious about a substitution, feel free to experiment, but I can't say what will or won't work as I have only tested the recipe as written. Thank you! :)

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Heat a pancake griddle or skillet pan to medium heat.
2. Add all ingredients to a Magic Bullet or other blender and blend well -OR- if you don't have one, add dry ingredients, then wet and mix very well.
3. Your batter should be THICK after letting it settle a minute. The thicker the batter, the thicker your pancakes. ;)
4. Spray the pan with non-stick spray of your choice and cook your pancakes. 
5. Be patient and wait a minute or two before flipping. Because of the moisture from the sweet potato, it takes a little longer to cook, but this makes for moist and delicious pancakes.
6. DEVOUR. STRAIGHT UP DESTROY. :) 

Love To Love You,

Crystal xo

Deep Dish Layer Mexican Pizza

Fact: When I was in high school, I used to eat Taco Bell at least three times a week. Sometimes five. No lie. I swear my stomach used to be made of steel. Ha. If we were bored, it was like...

If I were to have Taco Bell again now that my body is used to eating clean, I imagine I would hate life. Sick would be an understatement.

 

One of my favorite meals to get there was their Mexican Pizza. Pretty much my favorites combined. The goodness of Taco Bell (lol) in pizza form. I adore pizza. I also adore clean meals that don't taste like they are "healthy". I don't like to feel deprived with my food. I want flavor and I want to feel satisfied. Chicken and broccoli for the rest of my life? Um, thanks, but heck no.

So, you can imagine why I was fist pumping in my kitchen when I came up with this recipe. It is an older, yet classic recipe of mine. I had published it on my old Tumblr blog, but haven't shared it with all my new followers since then. Every single person I have made this for can't even believe how healthy it is. So you're probably wondering, "WTH, Crystal? You go from talking about Taco Bell Mexican Pizza to this?" Ok, stay with me here. ;)

AND....

Uh huh. Yup. ^ That is what it's all about. Finding a healthy recipe that is full of protein, carbs and fiber that you need to fuel your body and leave you satisfied. But WITHOUT the stomach pains that good ol' T.B. would leave you with.

INGREDIENTS:

•  4 corn tortillas

•  1 lb extra lean or lean ground turkey (I used extra lean)

•  1 C black beans1 can of El Pato Tomato Sauce

•  1 large bell pepper or 1 cup mini bell peppers chopped (frozen tri-color bell peppers work too)

•  ½ white onion diced

•  1/3 C shredded Almond cheese or low-fat shredded cheese

•  1/2 tsp garlic powder

•  1/2 tsp paprika

pepper and other seasonings to desired taste

•  Cilantro, chives for garnish

•  Avocado slices, or guacamole top if you like also.

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 375.

2.  Brown turkey in a pan, seasoning with garlic powder, paprika, and pepper.

3.  Add the onion and peppers and mix it so it cooks together and the onions caramelize.

4.  Remove from stove and place meat/veggie mixture in a large bowl. Add the beans to this mixture.

5.  Spray circular casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

6.  Warm tortillas over stove and get ready to start the assembling of the pizza!

7.  First layer will be a corn tortilla.

8.  On top of the tortilla, scoop ¼ of the meat/bean/veggie mix. Top with some El Pato sauce to moisten the layer. 

 

9.    Repeat steps 4 & 5 three more times.

10.  On the top layer of the filling mixture, add the shredded cheese.

11.  Pop this Mexican deep dish pizza into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

12.  Add some cilantro, chives, avocado, and whatever else your little heart desires on top for a completely clean and tasty Tex Mex meal!

This dish is awesome for weekly food prep because it freezes and reheats WONDERFULLY. It is a dish the whole family will love. It is man approved, kid approved, and I mean, I don't mean to toot my own horn with this recipe, but um, TOOT!!! ;) Lol. 

 

Ok, as usual, I LOVE to see what your thoughts and feedback are. I know I have been ridiculously swamped and busy and am SUPER behind on emails and responding to comments on the website still, but I promise, once my NASM test is over with, I will have more breathing time to get all areas caught up! 

 

Love to Love You!

 

Crystal xo

Fluffy Protein Pancakes

Oh hi, February! Where the heck did you come from?....

I mean, seriously? I am pretty positive that the fact that I have been so ridiculously busy has impacted how quickly each day flies by. Well, except the hours at work, for some reason those seem to defy the law of time and it actually seems that the clock is at a standstill for most the day. Go figure. But the rest of my life has been so busy that my only escape/free time lately has been my morning gym sesh. Here's a recent selfie of me:

I look sexy with six arms don't I? Haha. No, but really, at least, ^this is how I feel lately. I between work, studying and crunch time coming up for my NASM, gym time, food prep, family, my SOF Instagram account, and all the other extras life me busy with, I am SWAMPED. 

This is my lame explanation for why I haven't been in the kitchen creating recipes and sharing them with all of you. :( UGH, I miss my kitchen creativity time so much.

It's been NONSTOP boom, boom, bam since the first of the year. Don't get me wrong, life is good and I am SO extremely blessed to be able to be that much closer to obtaining my NASM CPT certification and doing what I am passionate about. In the meantime though, just know that I am sorry for being so behind on emails. I haven't been able to respond for a little while, but here and there when I have time. My Instagram account has been an awesome outlet and place for me to share my life, thoughts, feelings, foods, and fitness progression with all of you who follow me on there. I absolutely LOVE the #FITFAM support and I am doing my very best to motivate, inspire, and encourage you all. I seriously am SOOOOO blessed to have that little corner to share ME.

Anyway, this weekend, I realized, enough is enough. I really wanted to share a basic recipe that has been so valuable to me. My diet has been a little stricter and I am really focused right now on reaching some goals and working on some things coming up. I'll reveal more details in time. ;) But I need to look on point, so I've decided to cut out protein powder from my diet. I honestly am not a big fan of it in the first place. WHY? Well, I have a sensitive stomach, so many powders tend to not sit well with me. They make me bloat and feel kind of YUCK. I am a big fan of keeping things natural. I firmly believe that whole foods have all the nutrients and vitamins we need to fuel our bodies. So, that is why I created this protein powderless protein pancake recipe. It's higher in carbs because I eat it post workout to really fuel my body and give me that energy I need to replenish after a good smash sesh. I have been asked a lot about a basic pancake recipe like this. It works for me. The pancakes come out fluffy moist. And I'm in CARB CITY and loving every dang second of it. :D

*PLEASE know that the way this recipe is written is the only way I know it works. If you are wondering about a substitution, I am sorry, but I can't know what will or won't work besides what I use. Feel free to experiment though, as that what clean cooking and fun in the kitchen is all about. :)

 INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup oats (grind into a flour or can use any kind of flour you like)
• 1/3 cup liquid egg whites (you can convert this to use real egg whites)
• 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Stevia to taste (I used two packets of regular Stevia)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt (optional)
• protein frosting: 1/4 C greek yogurt mixed with Stevia to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove
2. Measure dry ingredients and pour into a small mixing bowl
3. Add wet ingredients and stir. *TIP: to get fluffy pancakes, the batter should be thicker. Not watery, but thick that you have to scoop with a spoon and not pour onto pan.
4. Make da pancakes. I made 4 with my batter.
5. Spread a layer of the protein frosting between each pancake layer and add some more cinnamon on top to beautify your tall stack of deliciousness.

Before I leave you all, I want to share that although I may be busy and overwhelmed a bit from time to time...I took this weekend to really re-focus and center myself. I found this quote that helped me and wanted to share with you...

Love to Love You,

Crystal xo

Italian Mini Pizzas...It's Amore!

PIZZA. It is my single most biggest weakness when it comes to food (aside from peanut butter, obvi). But when it comes time for me to choose a meal to indulge in, hands down, I will choose pizza. Thank you Italy. I owe you. 

^ Is it bad if I don't say "just kidding?"... Don't answer that.

Seriously, who doesn't like pizza? If you don't, I'm not sure we can be friends. Ha. But really, I mean, what is not to love about it? Bread, cheese, zesty sauce, italian spices, and for me, meat on meat on meat for toppings!

It just screams carbs, flavor, and unfortunately.....fat. Ugh, why is life so unfair? 

^ See, Rafael wannabe here ate too much pizza. Bahaha. 

Anyway, lately, I have had a craving for pizza like you can't even believe. I even had a dream about eating pizza one night. Don't judge me. I was thinking about cooking up one of those cauliflower crust pizza recipes that have been blowing up everywhere on blogs, Instagram, and what not, but honestly... I'm too lazy for all that ish. I'm sorry, but I made cauliflower crust pizza before and was like a ridiculous amount of work just to have pizza that I couldn't even pick up and eat like regular pizza. It ended up falling apart and looking more like a deconstructed pile of _____. Fill in the blank. Haha. What is the point of that?

I mean maybe it was just me and the recipe I used, but it didn't tickle my fancy. I at least want something that kind of tastes like bread/crust. So, I got my thinking cap on, tied on my apron, and got to business. 

It was nothing short of magic what happened next....

 BADA BING

BADA BOOM

 BADA BAM!!!

There is nothing left to say but to simply provide the easiest, healthiest, and legit tasting recipe for pizza crust that I have ever had...

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 4 egg whites
• 1-2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• basil, oregano, garlic powder to taste (I put a ton, haha)

** Now if you don't have any of these ingredients or are wondering about subs or alterations to the recipe, please feel free to experiment for yourself, but I do not know what will or won't work besides what this recipe calls for. :)


DIRECTIONS:

1.  Measure and pour dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients and mix well until it becomes a dough consistency.
3. On a cookie sheet lined with foil, spray non-stick cooking spray (I used EVOO spray).
4. Use the dough to form balls that you roll out (you can make as many as you like, my dough made 3 individual size pizzas)
5.  Pinch corners of dough to form a crust.
6. Place in the oven which should be set at 350 for about 8-10 minutes.
7. Take out of the oven, add sauce, toppings, etc. For my pizzas, I made a Hawaiian one with pineapple, ham, and part-skim mozzarella cheese. I also made a chicken pizza with red bell peppers, spinach, and low-fat feta cheese. The third one I made was just straight up pepperoni and cheese (I used Turkey Pepperoni).
8.  Place back in the oven for another few minutes so that the pizza can set and cheese can melt.
9. Stuff face. ;) 

Xoxo,
Crystal