fitness

Easy Protein Ball Recipe

02.09.2013

This is the easiest no bake “baking” ever! So delicious and the perfect snack! Thank you Megan Trafton – I heart muscle for sharing this recipe! So here you have it… PROTEIN BALLS:

Ingredients:

whey protein (I used both vanilla and chocolate)
oats
water

Yep……thats it! Um, can you say easy? Oh, and not to mention, the fewer the ingredients the fewer the calories. Perfecto!

Step one: Blend the oats and protein in a blender to get a fine consistency. I used a 50/50 ratio and that seemed to taste great.

Step two: put the blended oats and protein in a bowl and dribble a little water into the bowl. It is tough to get the right amount of water, but be sure to start off with only a drip and add more as you need. The purpose of the water is to get the mixture to stick in a ball, but if you use too much water it will be a sticky mess! Trust me, it is hard to get the right consistency so start with very little water.

Step three: roll the dough in a circular motion with your hands to form a ball. I then rolled it in more protein powder to stop them from sticking to each other. This takes patience, but the results are worth it.

Step four: Refrigerate and enjoy!

And that’s all there is to it! I love bringing these to work to munch on every so often. They are the perfect protein snack and often curve my craving for sweets.

Be sure to check out Fit & Fierce on Facebook for more recipes, motivation and fitness tips!

Another great Facebook page for some fitness inspiration, is Megan Trafton-I heart muscle. Go check her out!

Have a great weekend! -Jenna

Fit Gal: Tiffany!

02.06.2013

Tiffany and I frequently see each other at the gym and she is such an inspiration that I had to get her on the blog! She just got Zumba certified and is working to become a personal trainer! Ah, I love this girl! Here she is….

1. Tell us about yourself and your “fitness lifestyle and journey”

I grew up in San Diego which is a very fit and active city. I tried many sports in elementary & middle school but running was always my favorite. In high school I ran track, Cross Country and played Soccer for the school and a competitive Soccer team. I went on to play College Soccer for Sonoma State University. After I graduated college I continued to play soccer for Club Soccer teams and started to compete in half marathons. I currently play for the SF nighthawks (a women’s Soccer team in the city) and I am hoping to sign up for a couple of new races starting in the New Year. Staying fit is very important to me and I always make time to incorporate some fitness into my schedule.

2. What are your goals and how are you working for them?

I have a lot of fitness goals that I am hoping to accomplish by this year. I just signed up for my first full marathon in March so I am hoping to get less than 4 hours for my time. Physically, I would like to be a little bit leaner and not have so much mass. I have always had a really athletic build because I felt I needed it for soccer. I feel like I could be just as strong without having so much mass. I am going to start taking Pilate’s classes and I am trying to be more disciplined with my eating regimen. My ultimate goal is to become a Personal Trainer by the end of 2013.

3. Do you “eat clean”?

I am lucky that I grew up in a home with a very health conscious family. I grew up always eating fresh fruit and vegetables and we were not big “meat eaters.” About 7 years ago I decided to become a vegetarian and I have noticed a big change since that time. I try not to eat any junk food and very careful of what I am putting into my body. I don’t drink soda and rarely eat fast food. I make sure to take certain vitamins to make up for the lack of dairy & protein in my diet. I feel better when I eat healthy and I definitely see the difference.

4. In what ways do you stay active?

I like to work out 6 days a week and rest on the 7th day. I adapted this workout schedule from soccer practice schedule in College and it just works for me. I just got my Zumba certification and I am very excited to begin teaching some classes. I try to switch up my workouts a lot so that I don’t get bored. I alternate between running outside, yoga, classes at the gym and soccer practice/games. When I am at the gym I usually do 45 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of weights. I can honestly say that I LOVE to work out and always make it a priority.

5. What inspires you to live this lifestyle?

I love to live this lifestyle because it makes me happy. After I get done with a workout my skin has a healthy glow and I just feel so much better!

Thank you so much for sharing your story Tiffany! I am positive you will inspire many by your active lifestyle. Good luck with your marathon, teaching, coaching and all of your goals! See ya at the gym. =)

If you are interested to be a Fit Gal along with Tiffany, feel free to contact me! I would love to have you.

xo,Jenna

all cuisines gone clean

01.29.2013

As much as I love my PAC (plain ass chicken), brown rice and greens, I am in need of a little variation! As I have said before, it is easy to eat clean when eating the same meals on a weekly basis. Especially if you are food prepping and cook one day a week for the meals the rest of the week. This is usually my lunch routine, but for dinner I love experimenting with different cuisines!

I also love going out to eat on the weekends, and that seems to be when I struggle the most with a healthy diet. Weekends are hard and there are so many temptations! Of course, while looking at a menu full of yummy goodness, you may want to go the opposite direction, but don’t be fooled! There ARE healthy things on the menu, we just need to become aware of what to swap out.

We recently had a sushi and movie date night this weekend, and I refused to go out on a limb and settle for white rice, tons of sauce or fried tempura. I LOVE sushi, but instead of the usual we can always opt for grilled salmon, brown rice, veggies or sashimi (raw fish). That is exactly what I did, and I left not regretting my meal.

Here are some clean eating thoughts for a sushi night out:

skip the white rice (head straight for brown rice)
go sauce-less (sauce is high in sugar and calories!)
say no to tempura (fried…enough said)
avoid the sake and go for water or tea (alcohol slows your metabolism and promotes fat storage!)
go raw! (fish are packed with nutrients and Omega 3s)

Sushi dates are do-able while eating clean as long as you make healthy swaps and take the time to think about what you are ordering!

Speaking of food, another cuisine that is one of my favs… Mexican! Who would have thought that you can actually eat a healthy burrito or taco. Here are some ideas to help guide you:

~~Tortilla~~ Wheat tortilla or wrap in lettuce
~~sour cream~~ non-fat greek yogurt (I swear it tastes the same)
~~salsa~~ chopped tomatoes
~~guacamole~~ avocado slices
~~taco meat~~ lean ground turkey

There are SO many variations to eating healthy, and you can still enjoy different cuisines. No need to avoid restaurants as long as you make the swaps, and maybe you’ll be fine with the occasional treat now and then!

What is your favorite cuisine to order out?

Did I mention that I am doing a GIVEAWAY as we speak?! Yup, I’m giving away a $25 Lululemon gift card to one very lucky winner. To enter:

REQUIREMENTS:

Like Fitness and the City on Facebook
Follow Fitness and the City here on WordPress, by email on the right hand side of this screen
Share this giveaway on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Blog

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

Follow Fitness and the City on Instagram: @ fitnessandthecity
Follow Fitness and the City on Twitter: @JennaPardini
Tell your friends about this page and encourage them to follow!

Be sure to leave a comment or message telling me what you completed.

Giveaway will run through 2/1 and Winner will be announced 2/2. Good luck!!

Leg Workout

01.17.2013

Ok, my legs are KILLING me today! This was what has brought me to such misery today, but let me tell ya…it is SO worth it. If you are not getting sore, you need to find that fire inside of you. It was not until I started to lift weights that I saw a huge change in a short amount of time. Instead of just going through the motions, I have been increasing the weights and conquering my mind. I am realizing while typing this, that I need to start posting progress photos! (My apologies, I’m not too fond of taking selfies!) I know a lot of women don’t know what to do the second they walk into a gym. I have been there myself, and I’m sure we all have. It can be very intimidating at first! I thought this layout of a workout can help “guide” you through your gym routine. Follow these exercises and you will soon get in the groove and feel your way around. Get inside your head, think positive, keep working hard and be patient. You will get there. I love this saying…”Sweat today, smile tomorrow.”

Try this leg workout and let me know what you think!

1. Lunge with dumbbells

2. Lunge with barbell

3. Squat with barbell

4. Deadlift

5. Seated Leg Extension

6. Laying Leg Curl

7. Leg Press

8. Seated Leg Curl

9. Seated Calf Raise

10.Box Jumps

[Photos compliments of bodybuilding.com]

I am so excited to announce that I am doing a GIVEAWAY on my Facebook page as soon as I hit 800 “likes”! Only a couple more to go. Please help me get there! Share, share, share Fitness and the City on Facebook so we can do this thing! The giveaway just might have something to do with my favorite brand below….!!! Thanks guys, and happy almost weekend! =)

Fit Gal: Brittany!

01.15.2013

I have been DYING to introduce you to this amazing woman and fitness guru! She has come a long way and I am so impressed with her dedication and committment to fitness. So here she is…

Fit Gal: Brittany!

1. Tell us about yourself and your fitness lifestyle.

Hi! my name is Brittany and I am a 23-year-old student studying Business Administration. I made my lifestyle change almost 3 years ago now. I had a free membership to the gym on campus and decided to take advantage of it. Starting out, I had no idea what I was doing. I would follow my boyfriend around in the gym and watch what he did. I was very self-conscious because I had no clue what to do with any of the equipment – I felt like everyone was staring at me. I started to follow fitness pages on Facebook and read up on some articles online to get the basics. One day I picked up a copy of Oxygen Magazine at the grocery store while I was waiting in line and thought wow, this girl looks amazing! I bought it, read it cover to cover and felt more motivated than ever. Not long after I was giving my boyfriend tips in the gym! It’s been a great journey so far and I’m so proud of myself for making this lifestyle change. I am continuously learning and loving every minute of it!

2) What are your goals and how are you working towards them?

My original goal was to lose some weight and tone up. In the beginning I did lose weight – but I pretty much gained it all back in MUSCLE. This was kind of discouraging at first but looking back at where I was and to now, I definitely look and feel smaller, more toned, fit and have a lot more shape. I think it’s important for women to realize that they shouldn’t be scared of lifting weights because all the muscle you build burns more calories and keeps your metabolism revved!! My goal recently was to compete in a fitness competition. I am excited to say that I will be doing that in April 2013!! I joined a local team that does coaching for athletes and fitness competitors and am so excited and proud at the progress I’ve been making so far.

3) Do you “eat clean”?

Yes! I believe it’s impossible to make progress in the gym if you do not eat clean. I did pretty well at eating clean before I joined my team but obviously still enjoyed treats..I have a terrible sweet tooth 🙂 Now that I have a deadline I’m kicking my butt into gear! Lots of protein – chicken, lean beef, salmon, haddock tuna etc, good nutritious veggies like kale, swiss chard, broccoli and good sources of carbs – sweet potato, oats, quinoa, & brown rice. I still have an occasional treat but keep it small in moderation.

4) In what ways do you stay active?

I am in the gym 3 days on, one day off then repeat. I work all muscle groups twice a week. Right now I am doing little cardio as I’m in the muscle building phase of my prep. I’m also doing some group yoga classes when I can.

5) What inspires you to live this lifestyle?

Those moments when your mind is telling you to stop because it hurts but you keep going and push past that weakness..those are the most important moments because it means growth. Seeing changes in myself no matter how small they may be makes the difference and keeps me inspired to work hard and stay motivated!

Lots of love!
Brittany
“Fit Brit”

Thank you so much Brittany for joining the Fitness and the City fam as a Fit Gal! You are so inspirational and I personally cannot wait to follow your journey to your first fitness competition!! Good luck girl!

Oh and by the way, she has an awesome fitness Facebook page as well, so be sure to go check it out!

—> www.facebook.com/fit.brit08

fitness

Latest from Instagram