Mantrum and Pasta and more!

This week Mantrum is:

To prouve to myself that this dream can become a REALITY!

Found on Reasons to be Fit

I'm a big fan of pasta and naturally, I have to try them! Yummy! I picked up the recipe for you, but you can also go get it at Fitness Magazine!

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 jarred roasted red peppers, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, roasted red peppers and sugar and cook until just thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer red pepper mixture to a blender; process until smooth.

3. Return pan to stove, add thyme and red pepper flakes and cook over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spaghetti, red pepper puree and salt to pan, stirring to combine. Add reserved pasta water and cook over medium-low heat until sauce just clings to spaghetti, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts and goat cheese.

I'll try this one and feedback later!

Also: these are cute and seems comfortable! I know it's no more the season to wear these but if you're like me and you're training inside, it's still ok even in Autum! Still 88$ :S (Found on FitSugar)

Fit test #4 (of the Insanity program) is next week (Monday, October 1st, 2012) and I'm not quite sure (as usual) if I'm getting better on physical plan. Some people told me they saw some changes... I saw it too but I'm pretty intriguing right now with the pictures and measurements I will take on Monday!

So true!

Hope I will do better than Fit Test #3 who was a total massacre! Oh BTW my arms are better now and I can do my pushups too! In the second month of the Insanity program, we do differents figures as the pushups with the elbows ''in'' (the Triceps pushups)

Found on That Pretty Fit chick.com 

OMG it's even harder and my elbows are screaming! Anyway I'll come back later on this one too :P

Have a great weekend!

What is CrossFit?

I was wondering the same question for a few weeks already, and I didn't look for an answer until I stumbled upon a video via Pinterest (love this website! you can follow my ''Pins'' HERE!)

 And OMG it felt like.... I don't even know which word I should use for describing the feeling I had when I saw it... 

Girls Who DO CrossFit

Anyway, after seeing the video, I REALLY wanted to learn more about CrossFit and I guess some of you out there wants too, here another video I found on YouTube that explained a little bit more!

And CrossFit Games 2012 (Canada East Regional!)... Wish I knew this at the right time :P

Fit test #3

Wednesday September 19^th

123.4 lbs. (I lost 1.8 lb. since the Fit Test #2) YAY! Happy with this result because, last weekend, I had my friends at home for supper and I ate a lot of foods, desserts and drunk a lot of alcohol!!!

Week: 6

Fit Test #3

Switch Kicks (2 kicks = 1 rep): 45

Power jacks: 58

Power Knees: 100

Power Jumps: 40

Globe Jumps (4 Jumps = 1 rep): 9 

Suicide Jacks: 15

Push-up Jacks: 23

Low Plank Oblique: 60

Ok you might have noticed that I improved some exercises and others not really… Last Friday, I thought I was Wonder Woman or something because I did some push-up too hard and I hurt my right arm. Since Friday September 14th it’s a living hell with my arm IT HURTS!!!!! I started the new month a little slower and I see it in the Fit Test.

I had to say that the second month is also a little bit harder than the first one. The workouts are longer and the exercises are different, more intense… I just hope I'll heal fast (stupid arm… stupid me…)! So it’s a hard week for me, for my spirit. Since Monday I almost cry at every workout and it’s quite difficult for me to even complete the entire workout. I think the recovery week didn’t help me! Anyway now here are my measurements:

Arms: 26cm

Breast: 83cm (lost L)

Upper belly: 72cm

Lower belly: 82.5cm

Tights: 96.5cm

Butt: 95cm

Turkey Noodles soup, Asian Style!

You might like to try this one: here in Montreal, the temperature is going from hot to totally cold when the sun comes down... In September, I like to spice up and warmed up my meals for the upcoming fall, which’s my favorite season of the year!

I don’t switch instantly to butternut squash soup, but just in the middle, with turkey, instant noodles and veggies! Lots of veggies, you can almost put any kind of vegetables in that soup.

Turkey escalope: 114 calories for 100 gr

24 gr proteins

2 gr lipids

Mushroom: 15 calories for 100 gr

Spinach: 20 calories for 100 gr

Carrot: 26 calories for 100 gr

Celery: 12 calories for 100 gr

I add one little jalapenos + fresh rapped ginger + fresh rapped lemon zest + black pepper for taste (also will depend on the amount of water you put in, I do it by taste honestly... didn't look at the real amount of water for I needed for the right amount of chicken broth...)

Chicken Broth: 3 calories per 100 gr

Soy sauce: 107 calories per 100 gr

app. 250 calories max for one bowl if you add instant noodles.... add 280 calories for 100 gr... So if you're doing a diet.... maybe you shouldn't put the instant noodles...! It's almost 530-550 calories per bowl. But if you're like me and LOVE that kind of food, you'll pass over these 500 calories per portion!

Measures on September 10th, 2012

Ok Peeps, these are my news measures, after the first month of Insanity. I have to say that I didn't missed one workout, but sometime, I had to take my ''day off'' sooner (Usually on Sunday) because of my job. But, in general, everything went fine!

Monday September 10th;

124 LBS

Arms: 26 cm

Breast: 84 cm

Upper Belly: 72 cm

Belly or lower Belly: 82 cm

Legs: 56.5 cm

Butt: 96.5 cm

Thighs: 96 cm

Instead of

123.6 LBS

Arms: 28.5 cm

Breast: 86.5 cm

Upper Belly 71.5 cm

Belly or Low Belly: 83.5 cm

Legs: 57.5 cm

Butt: 97.5 cm

Thighs: 97.5 cm

I can see the progress on paper, a little bit on picture too, but I want greatest results. When I saw the pub of Insanity on TV I was: WOW look at these guys, they are all ripped up! I want to look like this:

I wish I was taller!

Found on Dang she Fine

Then I was wondering if I really needed to ''dry'' (Sorry I don't know the term in English... in French it's ''sèche'') to have my abs looking like those!

And I talked about meals...

First month done!

After a full month of Insanity Workout I feel.... weird?

I was hoping to see some drastic changes in my body, but since I'm the hardest judge for myself,  I don't or maybe won't see the progress I made so far. People around me saw some difference.

My arms are leaner and toned and maybe my legs are too, but the things that really bother me is my muffin top and upper belly that seems to hanging out while I'm working out. And it's all I notice. I didn't go on the balance so I don't know if I lost or not some weight; I'll add my progress sheet this week with all the measures.

The first picture was before the training, in July 2012.

The second one was the first day of my workout, August 13th, 2012.

The last one was taken at the second Fit Test, at the end of August, 2012.

I also think that I've been trying too much new recipes: a lot with whole wheat or oats flour so I think, I guess, it didn't help me lose weight.

But at this point I don't really care if I gain weight because I'm working out every day since a month and weight won't be representative of the workout I've been doing.

After a month, I will check the eating program that came with the DVD's of Insanity workout and eat better.

To all of you who are doing or have been done a program like P90X and Insanity or Brazil Butt Lift or else, did you follow the meal plan too?

Six moves from Shaun T. Insanity Program

I found this today while surfing on Pinterest: six moves, from my personal trainer (DVD at home :P) Shaun T. The six movements

Double Diamond, Stance Jacks, Hit the Floor, Power Jump, The Heisman, and Switch Kick.

 

BeachBody.com

they, together gives you a 20 minutes insane workout to do at home! Shaun T. described the movement and you can even see it in full action because they each have a video! Awesome, you should check this one out!

Found on Self

You can also follow me via Facebook and Pinterest now! YAY!!!

This week Mantrum: To Be Able To Say: I Did It!

Sometimes I wonder when I'm gonna see some changes in my body, seeing some progress? After 3 weeks of the Insanity workout, I can't seem to see a difference from the before I begun this training. I saw a difference with the Fit Test, but otherwise...

Anyway, I saw on a blog (can't remember the name, or maybe it was on Pinterest....) Yes I found it: it was on Pinterest!

It takes 4 weeks for you to see some changes in your body.

Another 4 weeks (8 weeks) for your family and friends to notice.

Then another 4 weeks (12 weeks) for your surrounding (co-workers, neighbors, acquaintance, the rest of the world....)

Si it takes almost 2 months for everybody you know, including you, to see/notice/aware of your body progress....

Damn! I want to see some changes right now! Boo Hoo for me then!

So that's why I choose this Week Mantrum:

Found it on :

Reason To Be Fit

Feedback on Carob Chips Protein Cookies

This is my feedback of my Carob Chips Protein Cookies!

Overall this recipe is an 8.5/10!

As for the time, preparation and cost for the ingredients, I give an 8/10

because it easy peasy to make, the preparation took almost 8 minutes and I had all the ingredients at home! It only makes app. 12 cookies so you have to double the recipe if you want do a big batch!

Then for the taste: 9/10, it was pretty good, actually I didn't though it would taste this good!

BUT

I did some change for this recipe:

I did 1 cup of oats instead of 1/2 cup,

I didn't had packets of stevia, so I put 1/2 tbsp. of powder stevia

and had 1/4 cup of almond milk (vanilla, unsweetened)

So the entire recipe will be:

Ingredients

1 tbsp. almond butter

1 cup oats

1 scoop of protein powder (I used Whey Protein Vanilla)

1 egg white

1/2 to 1 tbsp. of Stevia

1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chip, or raisin, or cranberries....)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with your hands, form into balls, and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 6-8 minutes.