Burner WODS for Week of May 30th

Burner 1

10 Rounds
100 M sprint
10 Burpees
30 sec squat holds

Burner 2 

400 M on 4 min for 32 min
****Run 400 M sprint every 4 min for 32 min





Burner 3


EMOM for 10 mins
40 DU's then max air squats for remainder of min

Pecan Crusted Chicken from Everyday Paleo

I have had this recipe before and loved it so much I decided it was a must make again.  I made it for one of my weekly meals. 


Pecan Crusted Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup organic spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp raw organic honey
1 cup pecans
sea salt
Pre heat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together the mustard and honey.  Toss the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.  Pour the chopped pecans either on a plate or in a pie pan if you have one.  Using a paper towel, remove any excess moisture from the outside of your chicken breasts.  Taking one chicken breast at a time, first place the chicken into the mustard/honey mixture and coat on both sides.  Transfer chicken to the chopped pecans and again cover both sides.  Place coated chicken into a greased glass baking dish (I used a little olive oil spray to cover the bottom of the dish) and sprinkle each chicken breast with just a little sea salt.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

 http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/05/01/pecan-crusted-chicken/

Great Article "Are Carbs more addictive than Cocaine?"

http://www.details.com/style-advice/the-body/201103/carbs-caffeine-food-cocaine-addiction?mbid=synd_yshine






This article makes you think a bit!!  :)

Bangin Burner Workouts for Week of th 23rd

This week I tried to incorporate some nice new elements.  It gives you a chance to Enjoy the amazing SoCal weather !  Have Fun!!

               Burner 1

Five rounds for time of:
Swim 50 meters
25 burpees


**Try a cool open water swim or in a pool.  All out effort!!!!





Burner 2
"Peterson's Ghost" Compliments of CFE 

Run WOD Only.
Run:2 x 1 mile rest 3 min between intervals, 2 x 800 rest 2 min between intervals, 2 x 400m rest 90 sec between intervals, Rest 3-5 min,  1 mile TT rest 3 min, 2 x 800 holding 1 mile TT pace -5 sec pace per mile rest 2 min, 2 x 400m holding 1 mile TT pace -10 sec pace per mile .


Burner 3 
"Butt Burner"
400M walking Lunge

Going Into week 3 Bangin Beach Bod Contest

I must tell you that going into week three of the this contest I am feeling really good as well as noticing small changes.  I am not holding as much water, my ab muscles are starting to show through more.  I work out in a sports bra at least 3 times a week.  Those of you that know me well,  know that used to be unheard of for me.  My confidence level is a little better and I am overall happier and feel great.  My workouts have been stronger,and my body has had a few less tweaks.  Those of you that are doing zone blocks I am right around 14-16 Protein blocks daily about 10-14 carb blocks depending on the day and about 2 X fat or to be exact 20-22 blocks of fat. 

I am getting closer to my goal that I am working towards and I gave myself a deadline of the last weekend of the month.  If I stay on the right track I will be there in no time.  I have been doing well with taking out certain kinds of nuts, almond butter and bananas.  To be honest I haven' t had almond butter and bananas in over 3 weeks.  I used to be addicted and it was like my crack, now I don't even miss it.  Interesting how that works out!!!  I have had a few small cheat meals with sugar and to be honest I don't have the urge to turn into the cookie monster and devour all sugar in site and binge on it.  I am okay with a small brownie and after that it becomes overwhelming.  Even sugar free gum and coke zero tastes so sweet it is almost too much.  My taste buds have switched a little bit instead of craving carbs and sugar I want fat.  It is interesting what your body will do if you switch to eat the way you are supposed to. I only have two sugar cheats, as I promised myself, left until the end of June and I am oddly okay with it.  Last week I cheated with some amazing sushi.  This week I am thinking it may have to be a Dairy Queen Blizzard or Wings.  :)

Keep up the good work!

Burner Workouts for Week of May 16th

Burner 1 

7 X 2 mins All Out effort for distance
Rest 1 min between

(Row, Swim, Bike, Run)


Burner 2

45 min Trail Run

**Try and check out some new scenery!! Some cool places Casper's Park, El Moro Canyon. 



Burner 3 

Advanced
"Flight Simulator"
Complete for time:
5 unbroken double unders
10 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken double unders
20 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken double unders
30 unbroken double unders
35 unbroken double unders
40 unbroken double unders
45 unbroken double unders
50 unbroken double unders
45 unbroken double unders
40 unbroken double unders
35 unbroken double unders
30 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken double unders
20 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken double unders
10 unbroken double unders
5 unbroken double unders

**** All DU's must be separated by set.  If you mess up at 20 of 25 you have to start over. 

***** Mod for DU's Tuck jumps, Note all tuck jumps must be unbroken not stopping in each set to count or must restart set 



Burner 4

Tabata
20secs work / 10 rest of each exercise for 8 Rounds each exercise
-bottom to bottom squats (hold in bottom of squat during 10 sec rest)
-Pushups (hold in plank on forearms for 10 sec rest)
- Hollow rocks (hold hollow for rest adv.)  Mod is V-ups

GET SOME!!!!!

Chicken Larb from Cooking Light

 I am always looking for new and interesting Paleo food to make with interesting flavors. I hate getting bored with food and I really like to cook.   I am going to give this a try this week.  I have had this made for me before and I really liked it.  I am going to put my own special Amanda spin on it as I always tweak every recipe I use to make it my own.  I always share so here you go!!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/3 cup chopped English cucumber
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 8 cabbage leaves
• Thai chile paste (optional)

Preparation

• 1. Combine curry paste, chicken, and salt in a food processor; process until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Remove pan from heat; stir in cucumber and next 3 ingredients (through juice). Place 2 cabbage leaves on each of 4 plates; divide chicken mixture evenly among leaves. Serve with chile paste, if desired.

Stuffed Avocados from Everyday Paleo

I made this for lunch today and it was actually fairly easy and pretty good! I threw it over a bed of spinach and just put avocado on top.  Hope you enjoy

Stuffed Avocados
3 -4 ripe avocados
1 Apple sliced into small chunks (an Amanda add)
4 cans of Trader Joe’s tuna packed in water
3 green onions
3 celery stalks
1 palm full of dried dill
1 tbsp garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
grape tomatoes halved
about 1 cup of Olive Oil Mayo- 1egg, 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, pinch of sea salt, few shakes of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1 cup olive oil
Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove the stone – leave the peel on.  In a large mixing bowl mix together the tuna, celery,  onions, and spices. In a food processor process for 5 seconds the egg, vinegar, mustard, cayenne pepper, and sea salt.  For another 5 seconds of blending slowly add the olive oil until it makes mayo.
Add the mayo mixture to the tuna, mix well, and scoop onto halved avocados and top with tomatoes.
Enjoy!

Random update of Start of Week 2

So We are entering week 2 of the challenge and as you all know I am doing as well to try and hit those bigger goals I thought were out of reach for me.  I feel great so far and to be honest notice changes everyday in my physique and the way my body feels as small as they may be.  In the last week, I have managed to be sleeping better, my energy levels are more regulated.  I have managed to keep my sensitive stomach under control, and my tummy (my problem area) seems to be getting a lil flatter everyday, and I am more vascular.  It is interesting if you are in tune with your body and what you are putting in it you can see what a huge impact nutrition has.

As far as my performance goes, I have managed to sustain 2 workouts a day at the very least 3-4 days a week and my strength is going up.  Today after not deadlifting for a while I managed to do an easy set of 3  at 80% of my 1RM with 215lbs tap and go.  That is good for me!  My head is so in the right place right now alot due to having my Nutrition and workouts dialed and a great support system.  I encourage all of you doing the Challenge to create a team or a support system in which you can help motivate each other and help reach your goals.  As well as have people to do burner WOD's with, and share recipes.  The more you can wrap your mind around this and have a attainable goal you will see great results!

As far as cooking goes this  week I have been on a cooking kick since I got my Everyday Paleo Cookbook.  I have been to the store I think 3 times since last Friday getting fun ingredients to make some great Paleo Recipes.  Most of which will be posted later, Stay Tuned!!  I have made 4 or more things out of the cookbook, all have been really good!  Eating Paleo has opened up my creative side to cooking, I am constantly trying to recreate a Paleo version of something or tweak certain recipes with my crazy randomness.  If you are struggling try and think outside the box a bit and be creative!  Try new recipes, new fruits, veggies, and oils.  Make it a goal to try one new thing each week. 

Burner WODS for Week 2

For this weeks workouts try to get outside and enjoy the nice weather.  Most of them require you to be outdoors!  Have Fun!

WOD 1 

4 X 2 min stair Intervals
Rest 2 min between each one
(I do my stair intervals at Thousand steps beach on 9th Street in Laguna, Awesome workout for something different)

**Note If you do those stairs they are destructive but go hard!!! Any stairs will do at a stadium or on the stair climber at gym if last resort)


WOD 2

Run A Mile as fast as possible but every Every Min on Min must stop to complete 5 Pushups, 20 JumpSquats (butt past knee crease)

***I would suggest doing this at a track


WOD 3

As Many Rounds In 12 mins
10 Hollow Rocks
10 Handstand kickups (against wall or advanced in middle of floor)
10 Burpees
10 Rollups

Ask me if you are unsure of these movements.

1st week Down

So the first week of the challenge is down.  I stated my goals at the beginning of last week and so far I have managed to stick to them.  It has been more than 5 days since I last had almond butter.  That is a huge feat for me.  I have managed to limit my fruit intake as well.  I have upped my protein and fat to account for that.  I have had a lot o questions after I posted on my blog last week, about why nuts are bad or bananas etc.  They are definitely not bad!!! I just have a little different goals in mind and to see if I can get a little bit more defined and lean I am removing from my diet.  I have been doing the paleo/zone diet for over two years.  I have played with all aspects been strict, had dairy no dairy, zoned and not zoned.  I know my body very well now what makes it respond react, feel better, feel worse. 

The more I play around with my nutrition, the more it helps me learn the little things matter.  It also helps me to be able to tweak others nutrition to help them better respond.  In a week of following my laid out guidelines, I have lost some bloating in my stomach and a few of my problem areas have gotten better.  I have noticed that I feel a lot better, I have not had really any sugar cravings, and my confidence level has gone up.  In the last week I purchased two pairs of shorts that I thought I would never be able to wear.  That is huge for me!!! 

Don't get me wrong I said that I was going to have one cheat day a week.  Only a handful of those cheats were going to be sugar cheats.  Cheat days make the diet worth it, and make me realize why eating clean and paleo is so important.  I won't just cheat on anything anymore, it has to be something fantastic.  I get really upset if I cheat on something not worth it( hahah yes I am a little nuts).  Last night I made the best brownies ever from scratch for mother's day.  I have been wanting to make them for months, as they remind me of my best friend Julia who lives far away.  It is her mother's secret recipe that are to die for! Ummm let me just say totally worth it!!!  On exception for having to run to the bathroom a few times (and yes this happens when you fully convert to strict Paleo, sorry to be gross!) I feel great today, and am ready to go back to super clean until my next cheat!  Next week will be Sushi!


Also some of my goals for the summer Bikini challenge were to get out and do extra burner workouts that I wouldn't normally do such as outdoorsy things or beach workouts etc.  I hit Thousand steps beach this week in Laguna and did some stair intervals by myself and then hit the water afterward.  It was me myself, my ipod, battling it out.  It was a small piece of hell but so nice to get a workout outside the gym! 

My new short shorts I would have never worn before!!

Amazing Paleo Dish!!!!

I went over to the Ramos household last night and they made this new awesome Sweet Potato recipe.  I got to tell you it was good enough that everyone at the table had seconds.  Luckily I scored some of the leftovers.  This is a definite must make again! The recipe was found on the PaleoDish.

 

bacon n’ dill sweet potato salad

 

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes – chopped and roasted
• 4 cloves of garlic – chopped and roasted
• olive oil for roasting and dressing
• 8 slices of thick bacon – cooked and ripped into pieces

Dressing:

• 2 limes – freshly squeezed juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 green onions – thinly chopped
• a handful of fresh dill – chopped
• a dash or two of pepper flakes (optional)
• a few sprinkles of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• garnish with a handful of raw pumpkin seeds

Note: as with any dressing, feel free to taste and tweak it as you go!
Prep:

• arrange slices of bacon on a tin foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 25-30 mins at 375 heat – keep an eye on it, as thickness of the bacon can vary cooking time
• when cooked, set aside to cool
• next, peel and chop sweet potatoes and garlic into cubed-like chunks
• toss in some olive/coconut oil and arrange on another baking sheet and roast for 30 mins or so at the same heat, until slightly browned
• remove and set aside to cool
• in the meantime, chop up green onion, fresh dill and prepare the other ingredients to form the dressing mixture in a bowl.  Stir all dressing ingredients together.
• once the roasted sweet potatoes and garlic are cooled, proceed by adding in bacon pieces.
• finally, pour in dressing and mix everything together thoroughly – I like to use my hands here to make sure all is coated well!
• garnish with raw pumpkin seeds or other nut/seed of choice
• can be stored in refrigerator and is even more delicious and flavorful if served cold the next day!

 

A different Version of Paleo Banana Bread for that sweet Tooth!!

Paleo Banana Bread

Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
• 4 really ripe bananas (mashed well)
• 2 tbsp local honey
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, add the mashed bananas, eggs, honey, and vanilla and mix well.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Normally with breads or muffin recipes, you don’t want to overmix, but since there’s no gluten here, mix to your heart’s content. The muffins won’t get gummy or icky.
5. Fill greased muffin tins, baking cups, mini-loaf pans or big loaf pans about 3/4 full. Bake muffins for 23-25 minutes and loaves for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool slightly and enjoy with a pat of almond butter, coconut oil or grass-fed butter. Mmmm.

---

Tonight's easy Dinner from Paleo Girls

 From : http://paleogirls.com/2010/02/23/turkey-tacos/

I decided to make a quick and easy dinner.  I found this Recipe and put my own tweaks on it.  I seasoned meat to taste and served with spicy guacamole and salsa.  Now I also have my lunch for tomorrow.  I always like to share great easy recipes!

Ingredients:

• 6 full Romaine leaves, stems intact
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided (you could also use coconut oil)
• 1.5 lbs. ground Turkey (chicken and beef will work just as well)
• Scratch Taco Seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, black pepper)
• Top with your favorite: fresh organic salsa, homemade guacamole, sliced olives, diced tomatoes

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the Olive Oil at medium-high, and then add the ground turkey. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until done. Drain excess juice from the pan. Turn the heat down to low, and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and about 1/4 cup of water to the turkey. Add your taco seasoning and mix well.


Place scoops of the taco meat onto your washed Romaine leaves. (Using the full leaves gives them stability for holding while eating.) Top with whatever Paleo taco toppings sound good to you! I did mine with a store-bought organic salsa, and our favorite homemade guacamole.

Burner Workouts for Bangin Beach Bod for Week of May 1st

So for a little something extra here are 3 Burner workouts to add in on top of CrossFitting this week!


Burner 1

100 Burpee Broad Jumps for time

**at the top of every min must do 5 situps AFAP


Burner 2 
Run/ Row/ or Bike

4 min all out effort
3 mins Rest

2 min all out effort
30 sec Rest

1 min all out effort
3 min Rest

2 min all out effort
30 sec  Rest

4 min all out effort

DONE!!!!



Burner 3

EMOM for 12 mins
30 Double Unders or 30 Tuck jumps

**Every Min on the Min for 12 min complete 30 DU's  ADV challenge yourself with 50

HAVE FUN!!!

Here It goes my Kick off to Bangin Beach Bod contest

So just like all of my clients, I will be doing the Bangin Bikini Contest as well.  I have posted my starting pictures over the last few days.  I feel it is slightly more humiliating for me that hundreds of people have to see my blog not just 1 person such as myself that sees all of yours.  I have decided to do the Challenge because it helps everyone see that like most people, there are things I want to change about my body too.  I eat a very well controlled Paleo Zone diet.  It is very easy for me to eat this way because I have a few food allergies, and a ultra sensitive tummy.  I have a few goals over the course of the next few months  that I am trying to achieve.

1.) To get as lean as I possibly can. 

2.) is to pull out a few favorite foods that may be causing some stomach issues, and 

3.) is to gain better performance for CrossFit Regionals next month.

I have devised a plan that will help me achieve all of these goals without sacrificing my social life or my sanity.  I do like to go out occasionally and have a great cheat meal like sushi or chips and guacamole and Mexican Restaurant, or a drink here and there.  I am allowing myself one cheat meal a week.  If I do have a week and i have to take two cheats in one week knowing myself I will just tweak my workouts a bit to adjust.  My goal is to try and cheat with sugar as little as possible because it tears my stomach apart and makes me feel lie absolute crap!!!  I will be eliminating a few things from my diet such as bananas, and a majority of nuts :(.  Those of you that read my blog throughout the Paleo Challenge know that banana and almond butter is a staple in my daily diet.  We shall see how that goes! 

I wish you all the best during this Challenge!  I will be posting Recipes, extra burner wods, and my usual rants and raves.  Please feel free to email me or ask questions at the gym!