Peach Pie Smoothie

~A quick protein smoothie recipe that reminds me of summer :)

Ingredients: 10oz milk (skim, soy or almond), 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, ½ cup frozen peaches, dash of ground cinnamon, 1 packet truvia, 4-5 ice cubes.
Directions: Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth....ENJOY!

"Sarah, what do you eat?"

A popular topic of conversation during training sessions with my clients is nutrition. What to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. I always go over the basics, whole grains, lean protein, lots of veggies and fruit (notice I listed veggies first). After I’ve presented my case on why nutrition is key to any weight loss program, the question always comes up, ”Sarah, what do you eat??” Well here it is…

I basically eat the same thing Monday through Friday. Weekends are not quite as structured, but I do try to stay within my calorie/ macro nutrient totals.

*7:30am: WAKE UP drink 16oz of water

8am: 5 Egg Whites with 1 cup Spinach, topped with 1 tsp Franks Red Hot (omelet)

8:30am: 1-2 cups of Coffee

10:30am: 2 slices of Whole Wheat Toast topped with 2 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter and ½ Banana (sandwich) and 5oz Light Almond Milk

11am: 2 scoops Optimum Nutrition’s Essential Amino Energy

**11:30am: Train (90mins heavy lifting six days a week. I also do three 30min cardio sessions per week)** drink 16oz of water

1pm: 25g Whey Protein Shake

2pm: ½ cup Oatmeal, 1 packet of Truvia, 1/3 cup blueberries and 8oz water

5pm: 1 Apple and 1 packet of Tuna and 8oz Water

8pm: 1 cup Mixed Veggies and 4oz Grilled Chicken and 1 GNC Lean Body shake

9:30pm: Chicken Salad: 2 cups Spring Mix greens, 1/4 cup Broccoli Slaw, 5 Cherry Tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers, 1 cup baby carrots, 6oz Grilled Chicken topped with 2 tbsp All Natural Light Balsamic Vinaigrette and 16oz of water.

10:30pm: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal with 6oz Light Almond Milk.

11:30pm BED TIME

**If hungry…1 rice cake with 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter as a snack.

My evening meals are very difficult to squeeze in between training sessions with my clients which is why I had to divide them up into very small portions. A quick mouth full, then it’s back to work!

My calorie budget is around 1900-2100 for the day; 200-225g carbs, 160-175g protein and 40-50 g fat and 70oz min water. I do try to buy Organic as much as possible, I am a firm believer in the harmful side effects of pesticides. I have no intention of loosing weight at this time, this is a muscle gaining diet! I train as hard as I can and I absolutely need these calories for energy in the gym. The exact totals for the diet I listed above are 1852 cals, 203g carbs, 165g protein, 44g fat and 72oz of water. So yes I am slightly under, but that gives me more freedom on the weekends if I choose indulge a little J So there you have it! Remember…this is MY diet! I have tailored it to suit my needs, and it may not work for everyone.

Train hard, eat right and stay FIT! ~peace.

Focused or Obsessed?

This is a question I sometimes have trouble answering myself! Obsessing over fitness goals can lead to loosing focus on your life. How do we find balance?

Prepping for fitness competitions means intense dieting, hours in the gym and posing practice. All this work can really put a strain on relationships. Life is about balance, we can't be perfect 24-7, and thank God the people in my life accept me for who I am. Let's face it, we humans base our happiness on our relationships with others. If you are starting a new exercise program try not to let your fitness goals consume your thoughts, this is about health! It's time we stop obsessing about our waistline, and focus on living life! So how can we implement this idea of balance in our daily life? Here is a short list of a few things I've done that have helped me stay connected.

1. Plan a weekly date night. Not monthly, weekly! Not in a relationship? Have a date with a friend.

2. Have your morning coffee with your loved ones, chat about the day ahead and upcoming plans. Wake up earlier if you have to, try to make time to connect.

3. Haven't seen a friend in awhile? Who says you have to go to dinner?! Invite them to join you for a workout in the gym!

4. Share your new love of healthy food with your family and friends by asking them to help you prepare a healthy dinner or Saturday morning breakfast. Eating healthy shouldn't mean eating alone.

5. Instead of crashing in front of the TV in the evenings go for a walk with someone special. I really enjoy chatting with my fiancé on our evening strolls through the neighborhood.

6. Enjoy a weekly day OFF, that means NO exercising! Relax, you've earned it!

Enjoy your workouts, enjoy your healthy food and enjoy the time you have with the important people in your life. Hope this helps to "refocus" you on what's really important. Feel free to post comments below and share how you've managed to find balance :)

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancake:

1/2 c oatmeal
4 egg whites
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 c shredded apple
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 packet stevia extract


Simply blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth, and gently fold in the shredded apple by hand. Coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat. Cook your pancake until golden on each side (about 1 min each). Top with sugar free maple syrup and enjoy!

Stephy's Wild Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 cup stevia
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
-2 egg whites
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla
-1 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
-1 cup blueberries

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls (except the blueberries). Combine ingredients and mix together, fold in the blueberries last.
Scoop rounded spoonfuls of cookie batter onto a baking sheet sprayed with non stick spray. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on a rack...then enjoy post workout!