My Thoughts on Thanksgiving Eating

It's that time of year again ... holiday season. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I'm sure many of you might be stressed about what to eat and what not to eat. See what I have to say about eating on the upcoming holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake

If you're unsure about whether fall has arrived or not -- just take a look around.

Signs for pumpkin this, and pumpkin that, are everywhere. Any if you're lucky enough to live in a state that actually has leaves that are changing, you know the season is here. Watching the trees change is one thing I really miss about living in Michigan. Here in the Phoenix, AZ area, we miss out on that. But that doesn't mean I can't join in on the pumpkin madness.

So here you have it. My pumpkin inspired protein shake. Check it out!

Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
4 ice cubes of vanilla almond milk
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg
dash of sea salt

Directions: place all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a glass. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon and nutmeg on top.

Notes: I've found that using the vanilla almond milk gives it a sweeter taste. If you're in a leaning out phase of your fitness plan, go for original almond milk or unsweetened. But note that it will have a bit of a bite without the extra sweetness. I like to freeze ice cubes of almond milk for shakes so that my shakes are more creamy, and taste more dessert-like than health food-like.

Enjoy!

Back to Basics 5-Day Fitness Challenge

Let's take it back. Back to basics.

With all the information out there, it can be downright frustrating when deciding what to do with your fitness program.

Have no fear.

With this challenge, I'm taking in back to a simpler time. Back before things like green smoothies, quinoa, gluten-free, acai or maca became popular trends and made things confusing. You don't need all that fancy stuff to whip yourself into shape. All you need is an easy clean eating plan and a basic weight training program. For those of you looking for a routine that will help you shed some pounds that doesn't require referring to Google to get a million questions answered ... this is for you!

Below is a sample meal plan and training program for five days. If you can stick to this, it'll be a great boost to your current routine or a perfect place to jump start your fitness program.

Here's a bonus. I'll be doing the program with you! This challenge goes from Monday Oct. 21 through Friday Oct. 25, 2013. Use the hashtag #tiffs5day for posts on Instagram or Twitter. Post your meals, pics of your workout or whatever you want!

Let's go!

A few things to keep in mind this week:

• Drink a minimum of 64 oz.
• Have protein shake immediately following your workouts.
• No cheating: no sugar, no soda, no junk snacks, etc. 
• If you find yourself hungry after a meal, there's no limit on green veggies. Eat up!
• Have fun with it! Enjoy the challenge of pushing yourself. You'll be proud of yourself at the end.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
7:00 AM	1 banana ½ cup oatmeal	Egg and veggie scramble with 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg	1 banana ½ cup oatmeal	Egg and veggie scramble with 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg	1 banana ½ cup oatmeal
10:00 AM	Apple	Almond butter sandwich with 1 slice bread and 1 tbsp almond butter	Apple	Almond butter sandwich with 1 slice bread and 1 tbsp almond butter	Apple
12:00 PM	3 oz chicken ½ cup sweet potato 1-2 cups broccoli	Chicken stir-fry with 1-3 oz chicken, ½ cup brown rice and assorted bell peppers	3 oz chicken ½ cup sweet potato 1-2 cups broccoli	Chicken stir-fry with 1-3 oz chicken, ½ cup brown rice and assorted bell peppers	3 oz chicken ½ cup sweet potato 1-2 cups broccoli
2:00 PM	1 cup cucumber slices 1-2 tbsp hummus	Apple	1 cup cucumber slices 1-2 tbsp hummus	Apple	1 cup cucumber slices 1-2 tbsp hummus
4:00 PM	1 oz almonds	1 oz almonds	1 oz almonds	1 oz almonds	1 oz almonds
7:00 PM	3 oz salmon 6-7 asparagus spears	Large salad with 3 oz chicken Vinaigrette dressing	3 oz tilapia 2 cups broccoli	Large salad with 3 oz chicken Vinaigrette dressing	3 oz salmon 6-7 spears asparagus

 

 

Monday Cardio + Shoulders	30 minutes intense cardio of choice. Dumbbell Overhead press 3x10-12 Barbell Upright rows 3x10-12 Dumbbell lateral raises 3x10-12 Reverse flyes 3x10-12
Tuesday Cardio + Legs + Abs	30 minutes intense cardio of choice. Smith machine squats 3x10-12 Dumbbell deadlifts 3x10-12 Leg extensions 3x10-12 Lying leg curls 3x10-12 Crunches with legs at 90 degrees 3x30 Russian twists with medicine ball 3x30
Wednesday Cardio + Back + Biceps	30 minutes intense cardio of choice. Pull-ups 3x to failure Lat pulldowns 3x10-12 Seated rows 3x10-12 One-arm dumbbell rows 3x10-12 Cable bicep curls 3x10-12 Hammer curls 3x10-12
Thursday Cardio + Chest + Triceps	30 minutes intense cardio of choice. Push-ups 3x to failure Machine flyes 3x10-12 Dumbbell bench press 3x10-12 Rope pushdowns 3x10-12 Overhead rope extensions 3x10-12 Tricep cable kickbacks 3x to failure
Friday Cardio + Calves + Abs	30 minutes intense cardio of choice. Standing dumbbell calf raises 3x20 Seated dumbbell calf raise 3x20 Standing barbell calf raises 3x20 Stability ball knee tucks 3x20 Crossover crunches 3x20