Pumpkin Protein Bars

Ok, we have all been there.  That one night where you secretly are craving every single sugary, indulgent dessert on the planet.  You try to fight your cravings, you even compensate by over-eating other things...then...you cave.  You eat the whole box of those Thin Mint cookies in a two minute span and wish the cute little girl scout down the block was out of town so you could break into her home and steal a year's worth of Tagalongs.  Oh yeah.  We have all been there.  The next morning we wake up, we look at our puffy stomachs and regret it.  Such a vicious cycle of not letting ourselves enjoy the things we love, and then finally overcompensating because we have psychologically made it a food craving thanks to our limitations of that food.  

I love dessert.  Any kind.  Sour, chocolate, cake, mousse...you name it.  I will never be one of those people who eats no sugar.  However, I have found a way to fulfill my cravings by making healthier options that have major benefits.  

Remember the saying 'you are what you eat'?  It is so true.  Sure you can workout every day, maybe you are even a skinny little beanpole, but to create a toned, fit, HEALTHY body; you have to make your diet a priority.  Eating quality "CLEAN" foods not only help you to lose weight, and develop the fit body we all strive for...but it also brings longevity and quality to your life.  

I am one who knows.  I lived 21 years not knowing I had Celiac's Disease.  I suffered through terrible headaches, stomach issues, fatigue, you name it...for most of my college career.  When they finally found out what was wrong with me, I was forced to make a diet change.  Sure I had been eating healthy, but the whole grains that I thought were good for me were actually poisoning my body.  The processed foods that I binged on would result in terrible side effects that would leave me sick for days after.  

So, sure Clean Eating is going to make a fit, sexy body (if combined with the right amount of cardio and strength training); however Clean Eating does soooo much more.  It prevents so many problems that our diets have caused.  Trust me, I know.  I have gone through it, and will never go back.  

However, we still need to enjoy our lives.  That means eating something sweet every once and a while. Last night I was craving a little sugary treat and found a recipe for Pumpkin Protein Bars that I tweaked a little bit to make it "cleaner" and in my case...Gluten Free.  Give it a try and let me know what ya think!

Pumpkin Bread Protein Bars

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Cup Apple Sauce
1 Can Pumpkin
1 1/2 Cup Protein Powder, unflavored
1/4 Cup All-Purpose Whole Wheat Flour (I use Black Bean or Rice Flour because of my Gluten Allergy)
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt 

Chobani Agave Nectar Icing
(Make enough to eat within the hour)

1 Part Nonfat Vanilla Chobani
2-3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
Cinnamon for dusting

Mix together the Chobani, and Agave Nectar.  Only make enough to spread on the bars that will be eaten within the hour.  If not, the bars get soggy.  I typically just mix up a batch of "icing" and leave it in my fridge for when I want a dessert.

Watcha think?

Just Show Up

Hey Preps!

This week I am tapering my distance run down to 14 miles...

that means cutting more calories out of the diet.  

I feel great though! 

Cut and taper time = Marathon is sooo soon!

 Pumped!

Last night after a Bootcamp class that I teach, I (being the crazy that I am) decided I needed to do a little bit more cardio for the day.  Sure, I had ran sprint intervals for my weekly 'speedwork' workout of the week earlier, but was zoning in on some chub above the knees.  We all do it.  There are always areas of our body that we feel self-concious about.  For me, I know that when I pack on a few pounds, they go straight to my booty and thighs.  Now that I am cutting for the marathon, I am slightly more self-aware of the areas I need to be targeting.  

So I sneak down to the Fitness Center by taking the back staircase from my classroom to avoid anyone who wants to talk to me for an hour.  The problem with being a trainer and teaching classes is that everyone wants your time, even when you are not on duty.  Being as busy as I am, I really can't talk to people during my own workouts.  That doesn't mean I am standoffish to people, it just means that I am matter of fact with them.  I love working with people and hearing their stories, but not when I have to crank out a run or a good solid lift (which I hardly rest in between sets) and someone comes over to me to tell me about the new helmet for their bike they got, I am supportive, but brief.  The point is, sometimes I struggle with getting in my own workouts because I am in the environment that is my profession.  

As soon as I enter the Fitness Center, a lady I work with comes blubbering in.  Gosh, I love her.  She has been kicking her own butt into shape and I am so proud of her dedication.  The issue was that she gained a pound in a month.  She gained instead of lost.  With anyone I am working with, I recommend that you don't obsess about your weight daily, but instead, weigh yourself once a month.  I also take my client's measurements so we can see where they have lost their weight.  To me, this is a more accurate count of how well you are doing...since the goal is to build lean muscle and lose fat...and fact known is muscle weights significantly more than fat.  

So, I got caught up in motivating her in other ways.  We measured her, and I asked her how her jeans were fitting.  She said loose.  I explained the muscle/fat ratio, and promised her that she would lose weight in the next three months if she kept up with her nutrition and workout plans.  

By the time that was over, it was an hour later.  I was cold from being sedentary so long after my class, and had to go through the motivation process again.  After finishing my run it was 10:30PM.  The fitness center had already closed, but since I work there I do have the advantage of staying after hours occasionally.  

I went home and ate something light since it was so late, and passed out.  

This morning, my alarm clock screeched at 5:30AM and I felt like I had gotten zero sleep.  To get up?  Not to get up?  I made the terrible decision to sleep in longer...I woke up at 6:30, and moved at a turtle pace to put on my swimsuit and make the trek over to the gym.  

"At least Janell and Heather will be gone by now..." 

I thought as I slipped into the locker room and stripped off the layers of sweats I had on.  

"Oh Kalyn! Good! You are here!  Heather and Ann are just getting in the pool!"

I turn around and there is Janell, a mother of two, a physical therapist, and an incredibly talented distance Triathlete.  

"Great. Busted."

Before I knew it, I was in a freezing cold pool pounding out sets of 200s followed by 50 sprints.  I was killing it.  I mean, they couldn't even keep up.  It was like every stroke I could pull even more water, as my legs propelled me forward in a fury of unsettled water.  Thank goodness I ran into Janell, or I would have been very lazy today.  

All three of the ladies I swim with are accomplished Triathletes.  They all have incredible careers, families (Heather is pregnant, and still keeps up with me in the water), and are some of the most dedicated athletes I know.  Do you think they have time to do a lazy workout?  Definitely not.  

I know there are days where you dread going to the gym.  It happens to all of us.  It happened to me today, yet getting up and showing up are the hardest steps in the process.  Sure, you will have to battle through sweat, pain, and really push yourself sometimes.  Yet, that's better than not showing up at all.  

For myself, I have found that the days I have little or no expectation about my workouts sometimes catch me by surprise and I leave the gym knowing I really did kick my own butt.  That's a really rewarding feeling.

I challenge you, to just show up.  No matter how hard it is, or what time limits you have, find a way.  I promise you won't disappoint yourself.  

P.S. to those who were wondering, yes, I am running the Pittsburgh Marathon!

Have a blessed day y'all!