Hi guys!
If you missed my post earlier today.. I posted progress pictures just for you!
Today was an all-cardio day. I’m only doing cardio 2 days a week right now and one of my favorite classes (Tabata- the best HIIT ever!) is at the gym on Tuesday nights. Sometimes I’ll do some strength training in the morning but the way I planned out my workouts this week came down to no weight lifting today. So I took the time to make a special breakfast- blueberry protein pancakes! I simply blended up 1 serving Dynamize 12 Hour Protein Powder (Blueberry Muffin flavor) with 2/3 cup liquid egg whites, 1/4 cup wheatbran, 1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Then I added in 1/4 cup defrosted blueberries and cooked them up! And I topped them with another 1/4 cup of warmed defrosted blueberries:
310 calories, 48 grams of protein, 16 carbs, 5 grams of fat
The rest of the morning I spent studying my butt off (which included a 20 minute slow walk on the treadmill while studying my notecards) as well as fooling around online as usual.
3 hours after breakfast it was time for my next meal! I had one of my newest favorite combos- 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese mixed with 4.5 oz baked and mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla stevia microwaved for 1 minute and topped with 2 tsp natural nut butter:
340 calories, 34 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fat
And shortly after that I had a portion of Protein Brownie Batter with 1 tsp almond butter for no real reason at all:
135 calories, 22 grams of protein, 6 carbs, 3 grams of fat
And then I was off to take my microbiology exam! I actually did well.. I was happy about that! Afterwards I headed to the dollar store and picked up a few goodies. Then it was time for my next meal! I kept it simple and just mixed together a cup or two of defrosted green beans, 5 oz chicken breast, 1 Light Laughing Cow cheese wedge, fresh NM green chili, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, natural hot sauce, and Braggs:
210 calories, 28 grams of protein, 6 carbs, 3 fat
I was full for a while and then hunger hit hard! I had one of my favorite things ever.. french toast museli! (1 cup lowfat cottage cheese mixed with 1/4 cup oats, Capella French Toast Flavor Drops, vanilla stevia, cinnamon, and ginger. Topped with 1 tbsp almond butter):
335 calories, 36 grams of protein, 19 grams of carbs, 12 grams of fat
That was supposed to serve as my pre-workout snack but I was still hungry! So I devoured 2 EZ Protein Muffins from The EZ Whey Cookbook:
200 calories, 23 grams of protein, 17 grams of carbs, 1 fat
Emily from The EZ Whey cookbook sent me her cookbook to try out some recipes and review for you guys. This recipe actually was supposed to yield one big protein muffin but my muffin tins weren’t big enough so I made 3 instead! They were really yummy and filling. And the perfect ratio of protein to carbs for my pre-workout fuel.
However, that was way too much food to have before Tabata! Talk about major heartburn! I have GERD so it’s a delicate balance of enough food without too much. LOL. My workout was still awesome though- got my heart rate up to 180 during each interval!
When I came home I didn’t have much of an appetite but ate dinner anyway. I cooked up 1 cup liquid egg whites with cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and stevia. On the side I had 5 oz of roasted butternut squash with cinnamon and that naughty Walden Farms Spicy Calorie-Free BBQ Sauce:
195 calories, 25 grams of protein, 18 carbs, 0 fat
I’m actually really full but I gotta get those cals up so I’m planning on having 1/2 cup cottage cheese with pb. Obsessed much??
I hope you all are doing well! I’ve got more studying and eating to do.. see ya!!
Those pancakes look so good! I thought the egg white dinner was ice cream at first lol…I’m loving the bnut squash though!
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I’m such a cardio girl outside of my yoga! Tabata sounds like so much fun!
I need to get more butternut squash… looks so good.
xxoo
Heather
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I think your just excited about it all!
Keep it up
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Hi April! Girl the pics you posted in the last post are off the hook. You look amazing!!!!!!!! Clearly your boyfriend has got to be in hog heaven
not that it matters what he thinks or doesnt think LOL but hey, it’s nice when you get your man’s attention, right?! You are totally looking awesome!!!! And bikini pics, I posted them in Aruba over the holidays and got some nasty comments so I commend you for being brave! 95% of my comments were nice but we always remember the nasty ones, unfort.
Great eats in this pic, too
xoxo
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all the eats look great! and the pictures are also fab- you have such a great bod haha.
xoxo
shelley
http://findinghappinessandhealth.wordpress.com
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I’ve seen her promote her cookbook on Oxygen – are you liking it???
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I’m assuming you can’t share the EZ muffin recipe?? Better buy the cookbook! I bet there are some great ideas in there.
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I was hoping you could share that EZ muffin recipe too!!! Looks yummy as all your food does. I like my protein so love your recipes! THX!!! So creative! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookbook.
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ahhh i want to make that ez muffin! i’m glad you had cottage cheese a lot yesterday haha it makes me feel better about having it for all three meals!
i hateeeeee the feeling of working on with too much food in my tum! i think thats one of the major reasons i workout so early haha
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Hey! I just found your blog and I love it! Those pancakes look amaazing! And that protein brownie batter looks sooo good! I can’t wait to read more of your blog!
Megan
http://healthyontherun.wordpress.com
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Hey! I just found your blog and I love it!! Those pancakes and that protein brownie batter look amaaaazing! I can’t wait to read more!
Megan
http://healthyontherun.wordpress.com
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Do you like the calorie free BBQ sauce? I looooove BBQ sauce but don’t have it much because it’s usually full of sodium and carbs
I am seriously addicted to protein muffins and protein brownie batter…I have one or the other (or both!) every single day!
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Hiii! I just caught up on all your posts – awesome workouts and you already look great in those progress photos!!
I had cottage cheese for breakfast yesterday and thought of you
That sweet potato mix is next on my list – I always eat CC on top of my sweet potatoes, mixing one in sounds fab!
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Your green bean/chicken mix looks very yummy!!
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I finally bough protein powder so your brownie batter is on my ‘to make’ list! I ALWAYS drool over it! Love the blueberry pancakes!! How fun
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Those bikini pictures are AWESOME! Your rock April!
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Did I mention how proud of you I am?? just incase…I AM SO PROUD!
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Your protein pancakes look gorgeous!! And the blueberries on top have me drooling!!
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That cookbook looks awesome. Your pancakes look delish! I think I am going to try a microwaved protein muffin involving blueberries right now. I hope mine comes out as good as yours do!
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love the pics girl! you look hawwttt i have the EZ whey cookbook too, emily is awesome! there are some kick as* recipes in there!
cottage cheese and PB is the best combo everr I have it almost everyday!!
I hate eating too close to working out (cardio mostly!) all the jumping just doesnt go so well with a full tummy! glad you went toclass regardless thouggh
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wow i april i am sorry i missed you photos earlier on but you look amazing! keep up the great work! i am so proud of you for believing in your body and increasing your calories too. it’s crazy how much more energy one can get when there is more fuel going in right?
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