Fitness Fashion

Let's talk about this for just a minute. I used to be one of those girls that wore some old shorts and a huge old t-shirt with holes in it to the gym. I would leer at those girls with their matchy matchy outfits, perfectly fixed hair and strategically matched tennis shoes. **sidenote- I still leer at the girls who bring in large tote bags and their cell phone. Please do not text on the machines. It's like texting and driving. Except you can't die. But you can look like an idiot.**

Well. I have had a slight change of heart. There is a boost of confidence that comes from some awesome workout gear. A lot of girls are into like yoga, beachy style workout gear. Like Lululemon. I am not one of those girls. In fact, I still am not 100% positive I know how to say Lululemon correctly. I think I shy away from them because 1. They are $$$ and 2. I don't have the slim body type that I always see prancing around in Lulu. No thank you, I don't want my entire back hanging out of my shirt. 

I am a certified Nike addict. At first, I resisted. They are pretty pricey. But they just keep coming out with the COOLEST STUFF. Awesome patterns. Better and better dri-fit. And they have the best spokespeople. Spokeswomen? Meh. I mean, who doesn't want to look and train like Olympic athletes? 

I even keep one of those old marketing print ads from the "Make Yourself _____" era as a background on my computer. Mine says "Make Yourself Fit". 

So here are is some of my fav workout gear! Some I own, some that's on my wish list. After blowing too much moolah at the Nike store, I now only allow myself one thing per paycheck. And if it's shoes, that counts as 2 paychecks. 

1. Nike Graphic Hoodie. I have this in the black, they didn't have this awesome citron color when I bought mine. Not fair. 

2. Nike Pro Compression Capris. I always love these tight. But this girl cannot wear them. First of all, I need a drawstring. ::sigh:: Curvy girl problems right here. If I get the size that fits me in the legs and hips, it NEVER fits me in the waist. Then they fall and no one wants to running and pulling up their pants. Plus, this don't offer and sort of smoke and mirrors for the jiggle. Let's just be real here. 

3.. Nike Relay Print Capris. These are my next thing to buy. Don't they look awesome? What a great spring/summer color. They better have them at my Nike store. You know what- the Nike Dallas store sucks. They hardly get anything good. I got my Nike Dip Dye capris from Sports Authority. 

4. Nike Legend Twist Tie Capri. I mean, there is really nothing to say here. These are just plain awesome. If I find these at the same time as the above item, I might have to get both. Eeek. 

5. Nike Free TR Fit 3. I have some Nike Free's that I got on sale, but didn't realize they really are just for running. The TR Fit is for cross training, like boot camp. They are totally different even if they don't look it. The TR Fit is way more flexible and a little wider which really helps with your stance when doing skaters lunges or any lateral work. I love them. I have a gray pair and that volt color above is next. Who wouldn't want to workout with a shoe like that?! 

6. My Puma workout bag. It's actually a tote I think. I ordered it for vacation because uh hello cute carryon, but now I use it as my workout bag. I like it because it's sturdy and structured and I like the shoulder strap. I also have another Puma bag that is an actual workout bag with pockets and zippers and mesh and stuff. But this one is cuter. And sorry, you might be able to find this on eBay, but they definitely don't sell it in stores anymore. 

7. My Gatorade water bottle. I got one for Christmas a while back. I used to steal friends in college (cause you know, athletes get all kinds of crap for free) and I love it. It's leak proof (unless you don't screw the cap on all the way, which I have done) and it is squeeze activated. Not one of those tops you have to pull up to drink out of then mid drink it closes on you. 

8. High Speed Cable Jump Rope. I love to jump rose but I cannot even tell you how many I have been through. The plastic ones, the weighted ones, the rope ones, the vinyl ones. Nothing works. THEY ALWAYS GET CAUGHT. These cable ropes are what they use in Crossfit. They allow you to jump super fast without tripping. They are cheap and come in cool colors. I'm lame and got black on black haha. 

9. Bondi Bands headbands. I learned about these through another Crossfitter. These are dri-fit (they also have Lycra options in AWESOME PATTERNS) headbands that are super wide, so they hold all that hair back. They say they don't slip but one of my Lycra ones totally does. I got an orange one, a bright star pattern and a neon green zebra pattern. **sidenote- you can customize them. How cool would it be to make some Tone It Up and Beach Babe ones?!** 

10. Last but not least, my prize possession: my Gymboss. It's a beeping interval timer. It also vibrates so you can still feel it when you are jammin out. You set the rounds and the times and no more watching the treadmill or wondering when to switch workouts. I clip mine onto my sports bra strap. I've had mine for years, just like the one above. I feel like it's time to upgrade. Maybe just because they have new colors and they look new now. Waahhhh. Lol. 

As for what shirts I wear when I workout? None. Haha sike. No one wants to see that. I have a couple ombre tunics from Nike, but other than that I literally have like 4 packs of men's white v-necks by Fruit of the Loom. I cannot STAND anything tight. No sports tanks or fitted cute workout shirts. Nope. I will hyperventilate from claustrophobia. Needless to say, I wash whites a lot lol. 

Just out of the gym (pat on the back for sticking to my Bikini Series cardio and working out at night! I hate going to the gym after work, I'm a morning glory) now to heat up some leftovers and clean up around the house so I can go out of town this weekend for my birthday!! Woohoo! 

Grain and Gluten-Free Protein Balls

I've been reading Wheat Belly. It's really a good book. I"m not against grains or wheat, but when I was doing my sugar detox it was Paleo based, which removes grains. This is the first time I saw immediate change in my body. Not only weight wise, but mentally. Within 2 days I was sleeping like a baby. No afternoon slumps. Tons of energy. It was almost unbelievable, and I am a skeptic. So I picked up the book. And the Wheat Belly Cookbook. WHICH IS AMAZING. I am hands down in love with this cookbook. Today I made a cheeseburger soup from the cookbook that will literally cover the burger craving. My mind almost couldn't handle what was happening.

The main thing I have been missing cutting out grains is my beloved PB Protein Balls. They have oats. While oats are technically gluten-free, they are still a whole grain. I was sitting here trying to think of ways to make a protein ball without the oats.

Then it hit me.

Grain and Gluten Free Protein Balls: makes about 20

You need:

2 ripe bananas (I'm normally all for green tipped bananas, but in this case the banana is going to serve as the "liquid"

Peanut butter (crunchy is my fav)

Protein powder (I use a raw vegan protein powder Sunwarrior)

Dark chocolate chips (or you can use cacao nibs if you somehow think they taste better than the real thing)

Chia seeds

Directions:

I know, there aren't really any measurements. Just get all your ingredients out, set them on the counter next to you and be prepared to keep nipping and tucking until you get the right consistency. Consistency is key here. In a medium mixing bowl, mash up your bananas with a fork. Mash them really good, so they are.. creamy.. for lack of a better word. Next, add in some peanut butter. I probably did half a cup. Maybe a little more. I really like peanut butter. Mix it all together, then add your chocolate chips. Not too much, these aren't cookies. Or... the whole bag... whatever. Then about a TBS of chia seeds. This is purely for the extra health benefit. Finally, add the protein powder in one scoop at a time. You want to get a crumbly, doughy consistency. Not too sticky. It took me about 2.5 scoops. Once you have it right, it shouldn't stick to the bowl and it should crumble a little bit. Form it into small balls and store in an airtight container in the fridge. This will help it set and become a little more firm.

Pop a few of these with a glass of grass-fed milk and you have a protein packed dessert or post-workout snack.

Today and tomorrow have been full of meal prep. Cheeseburger soup, some steak tips with roasted mini peppers, broccoli cheese egg muffins and a few other things. Got to get prepped for the week!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! TIU girls- don't forget to sign up for TIU Motivation Mail!

Bikini Series + Motivation Mail- CLOSED

Aloha Beach Babes!


I am so stoked to be taking over Motivation Mail! For those of you that don't know what it is, here is the 4-1-1.

It started with a group of Tone It Up girls getting together to partner up and send each other motivational packages each month. If you want to see some past mail, check out the hashtag #motivationmail on Instagram. It's awesome. I've seen health and fitness magazines, compression socks, water bottles, headbands and more. You can never have too much motivation. Tone It Up truly is a family, and you get to know a different TIU sister each month! Now- who is ready to sign up?!

It's only fitting that the theme for this month (and probably next) is....

BIKINI SERIES! That's right. For the month of May, we are going to do Bikini Series Motivation Mail! Find out what your partner loves in the summer or some goals she is trying to hit during the Bikini Series and bless her with tools to get her there! Don't know what the Bikini Series is? Click the picture above and sign up! It's an 8 week health and fitness program that is full of prizes, recipes, workouts and TOTALLY FREE. Whaaaa? Bananas.

So, currently this is only open to members of Tone It Up. I just took over organizing the mail, so I want to get an idea of how many people are interested before I open it up to everyone. I'm only one person! Lol. All the more reason to join Tone It Up!

How do you sign-up?

Just fill out the form below! Sign-ups are open now and will close Monday night. Please only sign up if you are interested, we don't want to leave anyone hanging! Especially during the Bikini Series! Wednesday, May 1st, I will send out a spreadsheet with all the pairings, so you will just have to search for your name then you will find your partner. Shoot over an email, follow them on Twitter and Instagram and find them in the TIU Community!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my blog to get the notification that sign ups are open. I'll open them each month, and you will need to sign-up each month. This gives you a chance to opt out if something comes up that month.

Rules:

1. Partner will be sent out on the 1st of every month.
2. Packages need to be sent out by the 15th of every month.
3. Package minimum is $15. Fill that bad boy up with some awesome goodies!
4. Use the hashtag #tiumotivationmail on Twitter and Instagram to show off your stuff.

Alright- go for it girls! Fill out the form, and take a button from my sidebar to share the news with other TIU girls! You can post the button on Twitter and IG as well!

TIU MOTIVATION MAIL IS NOW CLOSED! CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH!

I can't wait to see some of your packages! If you have any questions, feel free to email me cristina@theartofcookingchic.com.

xoxo

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

Dude. Sometimes I'm smart and other times I'm genius. Like with this recipe. I've made a similar chicken off of Pinterest once, but it required chicken breasts and breading which didn't really work well for me. Plus, I had to make it sugar detox friendly.

And then I said "Let there be bacon wrapped chicken" Oh and I should probably tell you Cody said this was the best thing I've ever made.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken serves 6. Or 3 if you are a piggy like me.

You need:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 block of cream cheese (room temp)

6 pieces of bacon (I used uncured organic bacon)

1 can of diced green chiles

2 jalapenos, diced (with some seeds for spice)

garlic salt, pepper

Optional: some of the sauce from chipotle peppers in adobo for drizzling. Drool. I should have done this but I didn't think of it until now.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a small mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, chiles and diced jalapeños together. Trim chicken thighs if there is excess fat. I guess you don't have to do this, but if you aren't eating organic or local chicken, the skin/fat holds a lot of the toxins (or so I have read). Then season with garlic salt and pepper. Roll out the chicken, smooth side down and place a golf ball sized dollop of the cheese mix on one end of each piece. Then roll. Once you have them all rolled up, wrap each slice in bacon. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes. Then broil for 5 or so minutes (keep an eye on it) to brown the bacon. These would be great on the grill too!

(the cream cheese makes a lot, so half it and save some for later so you don't contaminate the whole batch)

The chicken thighs make all the difference. They cook so much juicier, they roll so much easier and they just love bacon way more than a chicken breast. Plus, their cheaper. Total win.

In case you were wondering I totally fell off the wagon, then rolled down the hill with the sugar detox. Cody surprised me with a dinner/movie date. We also have a vendor in town so I had one vendor dinner Monday and I have another tomorrow. Good news is I'm already prepped to dive right back in Monday, and probably extend it a little longer.


Tonight I made yet another version of shrimp and grits, but with a paleo twist so I can eat it on the detox. Stay tuned. I've outdone myself.


Lataaahhh,