4 Tips to CRUSH Your Nutrition this Summer

 

Summer is supposed to be fun, so the last thing you want to do is worry about your waistline. 

Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your goals while also enjoying all things summer!

1. Focus on protein - Consuming enough protein is necessary for feeling satisfied, keeping your blood sugar stable, and helping you avoid mindless eating. Get my protein tips here.

2. Don't drink all your macro calories - Alcohol is the 4th macronutrient, but not essential. Enjoy a glass of wine, but be sure to properly log it. (Download my FREE guide, “How Happy Hour Hinders Fat Loss ~ and how to overcome it,” and then enjoy your Happy Hour!)

3. Plan in advance - Make a loose plan for the day with a focus on protein & veggies. That leaves room for you to enjoy the carbs & fats of the treats that pop up.

4. Progress, not perfection - Don't stress! Be mindful, make the best choices you can and enjoy making memories.

Comment below if you are ready for a fun summer!

Need to kickstart your healthy habits? I've got you covered! Click here to learn more about FASTer Way!

My Favorite FASTer Way Travel Friendly Snack Recipes

Brownie Protein Balls!!

1½ cup raw walnuts

1¼ cup pitted dates

1 scoop FASTer Way Chocolate Protein powder

2 scoops FASTer Way Collagen

2 tbsp 100% Dutch-Process Cocoa

Sprinkle of salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp maple syrup

Put walnuts in a food processor and grind to fine crumbs. Add dates, protein powder, cocoa, salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup and process until crumbly. If necessary, add 1 tsp of water at a time until batter sticks together. Roll into 1½ inch balls. Place on wax paper and freeze. Keep stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

MACROS: 17G CARBS, 9G FAT, 8G PROTEIN

👉 Get FASTer Way clean protein by clicking here.

Berry Baked Oatmeal

1 cup Oats (quick or traditional)

1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk 

1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce 

1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 cup Frozen Berries 

2 tbsp Sliced Almonds

Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Grease a baking pan with coconut oil. Add all ingredients except the sliced almonds to a mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer to baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Serve warm or let cool and cut into squares for a to-go option.

MACROS: 35G CARBS, 7G FAT, 6G PROTEIN, 7G FIBER

No Bake Energy Bites

Makes 12 bites (1 per serving)

Ingredients
1 ½ cup rolled oats
½ cup nut butter of choice
2 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 scoops FASTer Way Collagen
Pinch of sea salt

Add all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Once mixed, scoop equal-sized balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

MACROS: 13G CARBS, 6G FAT, 6G PROTEIN, 2G FIBER

Which one will you be trying first?? Comment below to let me know!

15 Minutes of Fire and Breaking in New Shoes

Tuesday's workout was 15 minutes of FIRE!!

Haha, not kidding. I should have known that Head Trainer Le was going to bring the fire to her Kettlebell workout. She always does. This workout had every single muscle shaking and completely dead in 15 minutes.

There were three pods

Each pod had 2 sets

Set 1 was 3 minutes of EMOM

Set 2 was 2 minutes of endurance

Here are some screen shots of some of the moves. To see videos of my workouts, you can follow my IG stories.

OMGOSH! Those were the longest 3 minutes and 2 minutes!!

It was the toughest FASTer Way workout for me so far in 2021 and I love it!

I love being part of a program that continues to challenge me. As I told my VIP clients this week, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. I might not have finished all the reps each time, but I know that in this program I will continue to get stronger and grow. I’m proud of that!

The weather was so much better (if you missed it, Monday I wore pants), so I was able to get in a walk for my LISS. Best part, I broke in my new shoes! I know they are running shoes and I don't run anymore, but after walking over 15 miles last week, I need shoes with cushion. This is my first pair of Brooks and I figure run happy, walk happy. Same, same.

I only had time to walk to the Lanikai Monument and back before getting home to eat and get cleaned up for client calls. The monument turn around used to be my long walk. I love going down the hill to the lava rock to look for honu (turtles) and enjoy the view. No honu today, but the view was spectacular.

Do wear different shoes for your workouts (HIIT, strength) from your running/walking?

Cold Enough for Pants + Low Carb Eats

Yesterday was our first low carb day of the week. Sometimes I like low carb days, sometimes I don't. I think I was feeling a little cranky about all things yesterday because it was cold and rainy in Hawaii. Full disclosure it was about 70 degrees most of the day. Cold enough for me to wear pants -> I wear shorts 99.9999% of the time for my workouts.

Our workout for the day was HIIT with giant sets. We did three giant sets and completed each one twice. Each giant set had 4 moves with 10 reps each. It was a typical high intensity workout. The first move is kind of easy and fools you into thinking the workout won't be that bad, but then the intensity sneaks up on you! This might sound crazy, but it's the ones on the ground that get me every time - in & outs, man makers, mountain climbers on steroids. I was happy when it was finished!

Since it was too rainy to go for a walk, I did 20 minutes of LISS (low intensity steady state cardio) on my spin bike as my cool down.

Then it was time to break my fast. In the FASTer Way lifestyle we practice intermittent fasting. I fast 16 hours a day and eat for 8 hours. Most of the time I break my fast around 11AM and close my eating window by 7PM. Yesterday, I made egg wraps using low carb (but not gluten free) wraps. These wraps are stuffed with eggs, ham, chicken sausage, spinach and avocado. They were soooo good!

For lunch I made a chocolate blueberry protein shake. It's a recipe from the FASTer Way meal guide and currently on repeat.

Before lunch, I used our indoor grill to prep a few chicken breasts for dinner and probably today since I'm on my own ---> mrC had another overnight trip. 

My afternoon snack: strawberries. Low carb day doesn't mean no carb. We subtract fiber from our carb total. So the more fiber you have, the more carbs you can have.

For dinner I heated up some green beans and mashed cauliflower to go with the chicken breast I grilled earlier. Protein and veggies is the basic combo for low carb meals. And simple.

I spent the rest of my day checking in on my clients and hanging out in my winter wear. It was kind of nice wearing pants all day because it doesn't happen often...or ever here.

What's the weather like where you live?

Do you eat low carb at all?

Banana Protein Pancakes

The first time I ever had banana pancakes was at 3AM in Bali, right before we climbed up the side of volcano in the dark to watch the sunrise from the top. Haha, true story! You can read about it here ---> Two Days in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

I'm not exactly sure how they made those banana pancakes, but they were pretty tasty and had me wanting to make my own after that. I researched lots of recipes, pulled a little from one and a little from another, and crossed my fingers. 

They were really, really good. I love having them on FASTer Way Leg Days or Feast Days because I can splurge a little more on the maple syrup! Ok, maybe a lot :) 

Recipe for one big serving:

1 mashed banana (I did not mind having some lumps)

2 whisked eggs

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 vanilla

1 scoop protein powder - I use unflavored collagen peptides but Vega vanilla is really good too

Combine all ingredients.  The mix is very liquidity, but the protein powder can help thicken it up. I used approximately 2 tbsp scoops of batter to make smaller pancakes. It was pretty easy to flip them this way. They cooked just like regular pancakes, about 1 minute per side.

The first time I made them, I did not add the protein powder. Either way, they were really good. Almost as good as the ones in Bali, but I personally think they look a lot better!

Sunrise and some beach fitness!

 The other day, mrC wanted to get up early and watch the sunrise at the beach. Umm, yes! 

Since the beaches just re-opened here on Oahu (well, technically for solo activities), I was in full LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE mode. I downloaded my FASTer Way workout to my iPad, put on my bathing suit and favorite sunscreen and packed the beach bag with towels. 

We sat for awhile listening to the waves, drinking our coffees and watching the the morning walkers. There is a very large number of people who walk their dogs on the beach, so it can be quite entertaining. 

The beach might seem like a crazy place to do a workout, but I love doing mine outside. Plus the scenery was A LOT better than my normal view on our lanai. FASTer Way workouts are available through the app and can be downloaded so you can easily take your workouts anywhere. I chose a HIIT Boxing workout from the workout studio because it is ALL BODY WEIGHT ---> perfect for doing it at the beach.

After a quick dip in the water, mrC and I decided to walk the entire length of the beach. I don't know why this appealed to me on this day except that it was so beautiful out and I wasn't ready to go home!

Even though it is one long stretch of sand, the beach has a different name depending on the location: Kailua, Kalama, Dunes, Oneawa, Castle's. At the dead end, the beach becomes blocked by lava rock which is the foundation of the beach front homes that continue. It's pretty private, but there was too much seaweed.

Hawaii (at the time) had a social distancing mandate that stated, "Individuals may engage in any lawful activity (e.g., walking, running, sitting, fishing, etc.) on the beach, but only by oneself. No group use or group activities are allowed." Believe it or not, this meant that even family members couldn't be together!! 

We knew that the Kailua Police would be patrolling the beach on their 4-wheelers, so when we heard them coming, we made sure that we were by ourselves! 

We haven't had that many beach days this year, because COVID restrictions closed them for months except to access the water for exercise.

I am planning to make up for it, big time!

What has been closed in your area that was frustrating?