Battle of the Whey!

When you're a girl that's getting ready for a figure competition, your food choices are non-existent limited. You cannot walk up the refrigerator, open it, and just pick out anything to eat. Some days that really really sucks! Some days it's nice to not have to think about what you're going to eat and just pull a Ziploc container out of the refrigerator and know that it's prep-approved!

Protein is a definite must-have, not only for those preparing for a competition but for the "average" person as well. According to Harvard School of Public Health's article "Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage", lack of protein can lead to loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, and weakening of the heart and respiratory system. In other words, protein is a MUST-HAVE!

Currently, my protein sources are consistent but boring :) My daily meals usually have a serving (4-5 oz) of chicken, white fish, sirloin, or protein powder (1-2 scoops) in them. I do my best to keep my food tasty while still staying within the parameters of the my diet. Food items that are multi-purpose make my heart & tummy happy in addition to keeping things interesting!

One such multi-purpose item is whey isolate protein powder! Let's be honest, drinking a shake can get boring really quickly! Drinking a shake made from the same protein powder you use day in & day out can push you to the brink of insanity. On the border between "I Can Do This" and "I'm About to Lose My Damn Mind" is where I was when I was presented with the opportunity to try out a new protein powder.  

*cue the choir of angels*

New versus old ;)

I was thisclose to finishing my current container of chocolate whey isolate from Body Fortress when I received a package from Muscle Gauge Nutrition. The package contained a tub of their Pure Isolate Whey Protein in Vanilla. I couldn't wait to use this powder, not only because I was growing weary of my current flavor, but because I was truly intrigued by some of the information the company provided about this particular powder. This isolate powder, according to their website, has been filtered twice through the most advanced micro-filters separating/isolating it from its impurities. In one scoop (30g), there are 25g of protein and only 110 calories! It is also lactose-free, fat free, and sugar free. Can you see why I was excited about it??

In the past 3-4 weeks since I've received the powder, I have used it in various ways. I decided to use it for protein pancakes for The Princess. The recipe is one I'm sure you've seen before --> 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup of oats, 1 scoop of protein powder, dash of cinnamon (optional).

Protein pancake topped with some cinnamon sugar and a side of turkey bacon

Gobblin' up her protein-packed breakfast!

She approved! I asked her what she thought of the taste and her reply was "I like these better than the other ones, Mom". The other ones were made with another vanilla protein powder...cough cough...Dymatize..cough cough... ;)

Simple but filling meal #1

My first meal of the day (on my low carb days) has been 1/4 cup of cream of rice and 1 scoop of protein powder. I like my cream of rice with extra water and I was initially concerned that the Muscle Gauge protein powder may not mix well in the hot excess water. That was a silly thing to worry about because there were very few clumps when I added the protein powder after cooking the cream of rice. There is an element of sweetness to this protein powder that worked perfectly with my cream of rice and oats (on my high carb days).

Declumpers (?)

I also used the powder for the standard protein shake made with 1 scoop of powder and 10 oz of cold water. A few times, I forgot my "declumper" (that's my name for it..lol) and I had some small clumps of powder in my shaker bottle. It wasn't a huge deal on the days I had a spoon with me but on the days that I didn't, I did make an "eww" face when I tasted the powdery clumps.

All in all, I have to give this powder two thumbs up. The Princess liked it, I was able to use it successfully in a variety of ways, and it made me do my "this is tasty" wiggle - what more do you need?? :) Definitely consider Muscle Gauge Nutrition the next time you need to restock your supply of protein powder!!

Disclaimer:

This product was provided to me for review purposes.
All opinions expressed are my own.

It Finally Happened!!

photo credit

For the past 5 plus years, Tom and I have talked about going to Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, NV. Each year it seems that is doesn't work out for us to attend for any number of reasons and each year we look at each other and say "Next year we'll be there!"

This year, Tom turned 30 (I know...his expiration date is fast approaching...I kid..I kid..I'm two years older than him so I can't really say anything...lol) and I planned to give him a trip to Olympia as a gift. Accommodations were taken care of, the sitter for The Princess was handled, and all the other little things were falling into place...right up until the moment he decided that I should compete in a November show! I was adamant that I did not want to be prepping while in Vegas for Olympia weekend. We both know how we like to do Vegas and I can tell you it is NOT conducive to prep! With heavy hearts we decided to scrap the plans to attend this year's Olympia and focus on getting me ready for my last show of the year.

Eeeekkk!! I'm going to Olympia!!!

Our plans changed, however, when we ran into the owner of our gym and he gave us two free tickets to the Olympia. We knew it would be a scramble to make it work but we said it was obvious that the powers that be wanted us to attend! Expedia hooked it up with a reasonable room rate at the Riviera, Budget practically gave us our rental car for free (being a Costco member has some definite perks), and pay day just happened to fall on the day we were leaving :)

We made it!!

I have a crap ton of pictures from the weekend and so many things I want to tell you guys about! But, it's late and I have to get up at 4:45 am to own my morning cardio session so I'll have to wait to tell you about the incredible experience I had.

Before I go, let me tell you this. I have never been so overwhelmed, giddy, in awe, and motivated in my life. It was quite the experience to see so many competitors that I look up to in person versus in a magazine or on a computer screen!

Taking a breather at the Expo!

This past weekend was a once in a lifetime experience and I am so thankful to everyone (my husband, Frank, my in-laws) who made it happen.

Wow!! What else can I say besides that?!?

New Release Tuesday

The first time I heard this song was in the Beats headphones commercial. I really liked it but didn't catch the end of the commercial where they showed what song it was. The next time I heard it, I was in the car and luckily I was able to hear the deejay introduce the song.

Her voice reminds me a bit of Robyn whom I love!!

Enjoy!

Wordless Thursday :)

I know most bloggers do a "Wordless Wednesday" post but I can't do what everyone else does, can I?!?! :) With that in mind, I present to you my version of "Wordless Thursday"!

The Prep 4-1-1 and a Winner!

Last week was filled with random awesomeness and a side of "ain't that some shit!"...let's recap what took place but only the good stuff, shall we??

The Princess enjoying an Eegee's!

The Princess was due for her annual appointment with her pediatric neurologist so last Monday she & I trekked to the northside of town, met with her doctor, endured some medical tests, and then heard the words that we long to hear "She looks great and we'll see you guys in 6 months". There was a visit to the Pima County Health Department's shot clinic for immunizations and three shots later, we were ready to have some real fun! DSW, here we come! I didn't find any shoes but The Princess spotted some neon blue Nikes that she just had to have. Since I'm a softie and I felt guilty about the fact that she got 3 shots instead of the ONE shot I told her she needed, I bought her the shoes. Hey, don't judge me! :)

Nerd alert!! The Endeavor flew over Tucson this past Thursday and I swear, everything in the city stood still as it passed over our city. It was the most amazing thing, I kid you not. There are a ton of amazing pictures of the shuttle as it flew over Tucson but the above picture was taken my one of my amazing co-workers from the balcony of our library. #sofrickingcool If you're interested in seeing some of the pictures that were featured in our local newspaper, the Arizona Daily Star, check out their "Endeavor flies over Tucson" gallery.

Prep is moving along...slowly...but it's moving. Saturday marked 7 weeks out and there were no jumps for joy when I saw my progress pictures. TOM was making its presence known and I felt large & in charge! :) Feedback from The Boss #1 was not what I was expecting given how I felt - she told me that I look "itty bitty" - score! I have also been practicing my posing and tweaking a few things here & there. No workout or diet changes so I'm going to keep doin' what I'm doin' :)

And now for the real fun - announcing the winner of the giveaway! Rafflecopter had the honor of selecting the name and it was.....

SHEA! 

Congrats, Shea! Please email me (teneciap at gmail dot com) your mailing address by Wednesday, September 26 so I can get your supplements goodies to you!

Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway! I will be holding another giveaway in the next few weeks!

Muscle & Fitness Goodies & A Giveaway!!!

A short time ago, I was contacted by Muscle & Fitness (insert giddy screech here!) and asked if I would be interested in reviewing one of the sample boxes from their Supplement Sampling Program. Of course, I said yes (because what normal person would say anything other than "hellz ya!"?!?!) and a few weeks later a box of goodies showed up on my doorstep!

Before I tell you about the supplement box I received, let me tell you a little bit about the program. You may sign up to receive 5-7 samples of different products each month. The cost of the membership is $15 a month or $11.25 with an annual membership. Shipping is free and members receive $15 off any $75+ order from the Muscle & Fitness store when they join. If this sounds like something you might be interested, you can find additional information about the program at the Muscle & Fitness Store.

Let's talk about the sample box I received, shall we?!? :)

Goodies!!

The box I received contained the samples that were mailed to members for the month of August. Included in the box were the supplement samples, pamphlets advertising certain products, and a postcard describing the samples in the box and what they are used for. I really liked that the postcard was included because I hadn't heard of some of the samples and it was nice to have a "Cliff's Notes" version of what they are & what they do.

The first supplement sample I tried was the MHP X-Fit Trainer. I received two packets (Cranberry Orange & Citrus Lime) of this particular sample and decided to try the Cranberry Orange flavor first. X-Fit Trainer is a pre-workout supplement that is said to, among other things, increase energy by 79% and improve mental focus & maximize workout intensity.

It was a "Workin' On My Wheels" workout the day I decided to try this and I knew that I would need all of the help I could get in order to kill my workout. The instructions on the packet state to take it 30 minutes before training and since the drive to my gym from my house is 25 minutes, I took it right before climbing in the car to leave. I'm not a huge fan of cranberry so I was a little concerned about how the drink would taste. I was pleasantly surprised when I sipped it and it reminded me of a less sugary version of Hi-C. Score!!

I did feel a slight tingle before & after my workout but it wasn't anything crazy. As I began my workout, I felt more focused on the exercises, reps, and my form. This is not to say that I'm not usually focused on my workouts when I do them but this was different. I didn't feel like I could push ridiculously high weight but did feel like I could knock out more reps  than normal during certain exercises. It's funny because when I got to the end of my workout (including a 3 mile run) despite being sweaty & stank  slightly smelly, I still felt like I could keep going.

A few days after trying the Trainer sample, I used my usual pre-workout supplement and I was disappointed. I just didn't feel the same way I did when I took Trainer. I hate to say this but once I finish the container I have of my current pre-workout supplement, I think we're going to break up...shhh...don't tell ;)

The next sample I tried out was Image Sports SAAs with Energy. This sample could not have come at a better time because I had just been reading an article entitled "7 Exciting New Supplements" in the September/October issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers. One of the new supplements that is mentioned in the article is silk amino acids. These amino acids are said to more than double exercise endurance while at the same time increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat (pg.68).

The packet states that you can take these amino acids before, during, or after a workout. You may also take it on a non-training day, first thing in the morning. The amino acids I'm currently taking do not dissolve well in water so I brought a spoon with me just in case. The powder mixed well with my room temp water so I never had to take my spoon out of my backpack!

Half-way back to work & still hadn't taken a sip!

The watermelon flavor was very subtle and for that, I was eternally grateful! Watermelon is not one of the flavors at the top of my yummy list so I stalled a little after mixing the drink before sipping it...lol!

I am intrigued by this particular type of amino acids and will be having The Boss #2 do some research to determine if I should add it to my supplement "Power Pack"!

Tom was eyeballin' the Bullnox sample so I begrudingly graciously let him have it. I asked him to share his thoughts on it and this is what he wrote up:

"I have tried over a dozen pre-workout supplements in the past from popular (N.O. Explode, Super Pump, Neurocore, Jack3d, 1MR, White Flood, nanoVAPOR, hemorage, etc) and some not so poplular (noxipro, NO ignite, anadraulic state GT,  and a few others).  I can definitely tell which pre-workout supps are for energy, focus, and pumps…   Just a quick back story on my review of Bullnox.  I work out at the Fire Station every shift and my captain received the same sample pack (1.5 servings).  We are not new to pre workout supps, so he took the whole packet.  After about 10 minutes he was flush red and ready to workout, however he could not focus and had cold sweats…  After about 20 minutes it subsided, and he was able to start his workout and said it was a good and very strong preworkout supplement.  With that in mind, I used about ¾ of the sample at about 4am.  Got the usual burning sensation on tops of hands, feet, scalp, and redness in the face.  Had a great back workout with a decent pump which I normally do not get from Jack3d and 1MR.  I would compare it with a mix of Superpump and a super concentrated preworkout.  Overall a great product and will definitely try again.  Taste was probably the best I’ve had for sure, mixed very well and left minimal amount of residue in the cup."

If you've made it to the bottom of this endless post, congrats! :) Guess what?? The folks at Muscle & Fitness sent me an additional sample box and I'm giving it away to one of you! Tell me you're excited about that?!?!

All you have to do to enter is tell me what supplement you would love to try that's available from the Muscle & Fitness Store. That's it! Easy peasy! The contest will end at 12:00 am on Sunday, September 23rd so get your entries in now! Winner will be announced Monday, September 24th!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:

I received these products free of charge and received no compensation for this review.
All opinions expressed are my own (and Tom's)!

New Release Tuesday

I have always been a H-U-G-E fan of Alicia Keys! I remember the first time I saw the video "Fallin" and all I could say was "Damn, that girl can SANG!!"

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and it's the MTV Video Music Awards. I'm anxiously awaiting Alicia Keys performance and after what seems like forever, she takes the stage. She begins singing and I start to frown. This is not the Alicia Keys I love. I'm wondering what the heck is going on...what is this song...who is the person at the piano...Tom & I look at each other confused...what the what?!?!

I decided to look up the song she sang on youtube and guess what? It's really good but you wouldn't know it from the performance she gave.

So....if you watched the VMA's and felt the same way I did about the song....give it another chance...