Dinners for the Week

I have been slacking on my cooking for a while now. That changes this week! I will be planning out my weekly dinners each week before I grocery shop and will be sharing what I choose, as well as the recipes, with you guys!

Each recipe was found on pinterest and they will be tweaked a little. To see the recipe just click on the recipe name

Roasted Veggies
-I added turkey sausage links to mine and cooked it in the crockpot


California Chicken, Veggie & Avocado Bowls (I will be using brown rice and cooking on stovetop)



Baked Spaghetti Squash





Pulled Pork Gyros


Chicken Fajita Bowls (I will be using Steak instead of chicken)

Balance and My Decision on Competing

I am working on balance in my life. Balance with food, mainly. I have decided to stop calculating my macros- I have been calculating since June I think- and I don't want to anymore. I want to have a healthy relationship with food and that means trusting myself and my body to make the right decisions on portions.

I am not saying that calculating your macros or counting calories is bad or unhealthy, because it isn't. In fact, it's needed for weight losss and specific fitness goals at times. I am not saying I have been eating unhealthy either. That is not the reason I am doing this. I have made the decision to just live, to not worry about eating a specific number of carbs, fats, and protein daily. I did just fine starting out and not worrying about these numbers and I want to go back to that place. I felt much more balanced then.

With this being said, I have also (for now) decided not to compete in a bikini or fitness competition. After much consideration and weighing the positives and the negatives- I have chosen to not move forward with it. Maybe someday I will change my mind, who knows, but for now this is where I stand with it:

1. It's A LOT of money - especially since my husband would be joining me if we did this. We would rather spend our money on our annual anniversary trip or family vacation.

2. I am working on a healthy relationship with food and this would cause me to regress. Competition prep is no joke, It takes so much hard work, calculating macros, and scientifcially changing your body to a state that is not maintainable. I think that would really mess me up. I don't think it would be fun for me to get down to that size and then have to gain weight back and possibly even binge after the show from being deprived for months. This is ME and my worries. I know some do just fine after and only gain 5-10 healthy pounds back, I just can't say that would be the same for me!

Those are my two main reasons for this decision. I have been thinking on it for about a week and talking it through with my husband and close friends. Maybe someday I can mark it off my bucket list but for now I am just going to live a healthy and fit life and work on becoming a better me daily!

To Compete or Not to Compete. That is MY Question!

I have been toying with the idea of competing in a bikini/figure competition for about 8 months now and with one of my besties wanting to compete as well as my husband...I am more seriously considering it. It would be sometime between Feb and May of 2014. There is a NPC competition in Austin, TX April 2014 called the Texas Shredder Classic. For this particular comp. the deadline to register, without an extra $50 fee, is March 25th. We would need to start prepping in January (12 weeks out) - This is not very far away. Especially with how fast the holidays seem to fly by.

My Current Core Situation - Not bad for all the indulging I've been doing honestly, but it can be better and I WILL tighten it up!

 

 

 

I'm a little worried about doing a competition for a few reasons

• Binging afterwards and gaining a lot of weight - I would want to prep in a very healthy way. No cutting carbs to an extreme, no excess cardio, etc...
• All the money that's involved - bikini, shoes, tan, jewelry, makeup, hair, nails, prep coach, posing coach, registration, lodging fees unless it was in the Dallas area.
• The posing. The bikini posing is....well....awkward. You stick your butt out and bend over, I know it's to show off your muscles/toned legs and glutes, but I surely would not feel comfortable having any men in my family come and watch me do that!
• I have stage fright....getting in front of a large audience isn't my most favorite thing to do.

So those are some of the reasons why I'm hesitant now and why I've always been hesitant.

I have reached out to a coach that represents a team that I admire and am waiting to hear back from him. Once I hear costs and whatnot for prepping and posing then I'll decide on whether I will be using a coach or just winging it myself.

I am not going to lie. If I do this I would be over the moon excited if I actually placed. I do not expect to place, not for my first rodeo. I think there is so much involved that I will not have experienced yet and that some girls will have experienced therefore giving them the upperhand. I could be wrong and I hope I am, but those are my thoughts.

I am totally OK with not placing seeing as I'm not expecting to, at least right now while i'm not even prepping or registered I can say that. Maybe once I take them leap I will feel differently.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you have experience in competing? Any suggestions, tips, advice, etc..you can share?

I will leave you with 2 women that motivate the hell out of me. Both are mothers. Chady Dunmore is a 2 time PRO Bikini World Champ and Ashley Horner is a WBFF PRO as well as an ironman athlete! These women defy what society says a mother should be, do and look. They are amazing and my fitness inspirations!

 (Chady Dunmore)

 (Ashley Horner)

eFitmama's Workout Program

I am realeasing my very first ebook of my very own personal workout program.

What's included: Types of Warm-Ups, Important Terminology, 4 week workout program consisting of 5 days a week broken down into 2 cardio days and 3 weight training days, and a sample meal plan

This program is not made for home workouts, although many of the exercises can be done at home - you could always change the ones that can't and add an exercise in its place.

This program is not for those just starting out in the weight room or with lifting weights. I have been weight training for 2 years now and this program reflects that.

If you purchase this ebook and follow this program please tag me on instagram @efitmama with the hashtag #efitmamaWP so I can see your progress!

I am very proud of this ebook and feel that you will enjoy using these workouts for your personal program to make lean gains, shed body fat, and take your exercise regimen to the next level!

Go to www.EricaNicoleFitness.com to purchase

How I come up with my workout routines

Instead of posting a workout today for you all, I decided I would let you in on my split routine for weights and cardio - what body parts I hit together and on what days and how I come up with the exercises.

Mondays - Chest and Triceps - I work these two muscle groups together because they are synergistic muscles meaning they compliment each other when they contract. Basically killing two birds with one stone in a sense.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Cardio - I change up my cardio weekly, just as I do with my weight lifting exercises. This is decided on how much energy I have that day, what I did the past week and what my goals with my body are for that week/month. If I have extra energy I will do HIIT - sprint intervals, bike intervals, or tabata. If I'm lower on energy I will do steady state cardio - no high intensity and move to a couple different machines.

Wednesdays - Biceps, Shoulders, and Back because again these are synergistic muscle groups. This is one of my favorite days, I love having toned arms!

Fridays - Leg Days! Depending on what I worked the week before and what my goals are with my legs/butt for the month - the certain muscle groups worked can change weekly. For instance - hamstrings and quads one week or glutes, calves and hamstrings one week, etc etc...I will also add in some plyometrics inbetween sets when I'm wanting to lean out my legs more (which I currently am)

Saturdays - These are my free days - If I had to miss a workout during the week (sickness, appointments, etc...) I will make up whatever day I missed. If I made all my workouts for the week but decide to also workout Saturday then I do whatever I feel like doing. I don't feel as pressured this day. Lately I've been doing extra cardio  and adding in a couple crossfit exercises with weights.

I work abs every day that I am at the gym, it's part of my warm-up. I do 5-10 minutes only.

The way I choose what exercises I am going to do for each workout is through many different avenues. Instagram, pinterest, googling, past workouts. I like to switch up my routines every single week. This is NOT necessary, so don't feel like you have to do that to see results. Generally your routine should be changed up every 3 to 4 weeks and you can change just the acute variables (weight, sets, reps, tempo, intensity, rest intervals, etc) and not the exercises themselves.

Anyways, since I switch mine up every single week I am always writing down what I do to be organized, I will look up exercises the night before, if it's new to me, I will also look up form and how to perform it. After the workout routine is finished, I will make note of what my calorie burn was (according to my polar FT7 watch) and if it was a good workout (to me) or one that I would rather not repeat - I jot this down in my fitness journal below

Throughout the week if I see cool exercises I want to try via instagram mainly, I will jot it down and add it to my workout for that specific day.

Being organized is KEY! You will waste less time which means your workout will be more efficient. You will be able to get through your routine in minimal time and keep your heart rate up. I challenge you to start writing down (or putting in your phone) your exercise routine the night before if you aren't already. You will be amazed at how much easier it will make your fitness life!

September Favorites

Ahh, the first day of October! It's beginning to feel like Fall around here, especially in the mornings and I LOVE it!

I think I'll start doing a monthly favorites post the first day/week of each month. I have a feeling lots of favorite things will have to do with food. Oops!

1. White Chocolate Raspberry Questbar! This protein packed bar is AMAZING. So damn good. I am not kidding, please do yourself a favor and try one out if you haven't already. Only 1g of sugar and all 'clean' ingredients!

2. Aquage Finishing Spray - freakin' awesome and working wonders on my hair! I have been trying to revive my damaged hair for some time now and this product has helped it tremendously! I use it after I dry my hair and before I flat iron it or use a curling iron on it.

 

 

3. Joseph's Lavash Bread - I can not tell you enough how amazing these tortilla/wrap type breads are! First of all they are HUGE! I usually only eat half of one which is just 50 calories and only 7g of carbs! I make veggie quesadillas, breakfast, lunch and dessert wraps, I even put some peanut butter on it and tear it into pieces and mix it into my egg whites with truvia, cinnamon and sugar free syrup for a delicious low carb breakfast! TRY THESE if that is the only thing you take away from this post!

 



 

 

4. OPI you don't know jacques nail color - Perfect for Fall - in fact I get a new one each year and go through the entire bottle in 3 months. I love this color that much. I also get compliments left and right when I wear this color!

 

 

 

 

5. Ralph Lauren Avaiator Sunglasses - I got these back in April or May but am so in love with them. I can't get enough! They are perfection and my only 'expensive' pair of sunglasses i've ever owned. Now I see what the fuss is about!

 

 





 



 

 

And there you go! Some of my favorite things for the Fall - really for any time!

 

 

 

 

 

My Husband and I - The Adventure

I don't ever really talk about my personal life much on here, outside of fitness so today I wanted to post about my husband and I. Our relationship and what works for us!

We have been married for 6.5 years, together for nearly 10. We have two kids together, Hayden who is 7 and Adalyn who turned 4 today! (EEK! My baby is growing up :( )

We have had to grow up together since getting married at the ripe ole' age of 20 and 24. We have learned a lot a long the way and each day we continue to learn. One of our biggest lessons in marriage is that it has its ebbs and flows. Sometimes it's really great and other times we want to kill each other! Not literally....at least I hope not! Haha

One thing that really binds us together and that we LOVE doing together is working out. We are both extremely into fitness and love sharing workouts, exercises, nutrition advice, etc etc...

BUT something you may not know about us is that we LOVE Adventure. We love doing new and exciting things. One being travelling, just the two of us. We haven't gone anywhere too extravagant as of yet, but it has been super fun nonetheless.

Our most fun trip we have taken together, to date, is Las Vegas last May 2013. We kind of planned it on a whim. I didn't know what to expect as we have never been nor have we ever gambled. Maybe that's what made it extra fun...the unknown? Can I just say that we had the TIME OF OUR LIVES there?!!

We stayed 4.5 days. Some things we did - went hiking (10 miles!), had a pool day, saw two Cirque De Soleil Shows, went to a night club and danced.

But our favorite day was when we decided to walk the strip and hit up as many hotel casinos as possible. We made a game out of it. We said we would go into each casino play enough to get a free drink and if we were winning we would stay a little longer, but if we were losing we would move on to the next casino. It was so freeing and so much fun! We made it to 10-12 I think! And we made sure to get a picture at/or of each . Here are a few.

 

We both feel like we got the full experience of Vegas - we did what you are 'supposed' to do there. We stayed up entirely too late, drank way too much, gambled our hearts out (even won a little!), explored, and had no regrets!

It was an experience we will both have forever and a wonderful memory we made together. We were able to get to know each other again and be 'kids'. We didn't make many plans like we do in real life. We were gypsies. We were young, wild, and free. And it was AMAZING.

I encourage you to do something fun, new and exciting in your marriage. Step outside of what is your norm and do something maybe you would never do. Take chances - be a little wild! Let your hair down and just be in the moment, whatever it is.