Training, Competitions, and PROTEIN PANCAKES!

Keywords: progress, workouts, fitness, NPC, bikini, bikini competition, protein, protein pancakes, healthy recipes, fitness

It’s been a while since I've updated you all about what’s going on in my life. Exciting things are happening. :) 

At the end of next semester, I will be an ACE certified personal trainer!!! I will be certified just in time for summer, so if you guys need help with your beach bodies, let me know. ;)

I have picked a show! I will be competing the first weekend of April at the Gopher State Classic NPC Bikini Show in Minnesota. This means I am officially 19 weeks out.

My competition suit is red and custom-made by Ravish Sands . I have yet to buy the competition shoes, but they are next on my to-do list. For now, I will just practice in a pair of heels that I already own.

I have started posing practice. Stage presence is very important when it comes to competition judging, so practice makes perfect! Carly and I try to practice our poses at least twice a week.

Posing is not as easy as you may think. You don’t just step on stage and strut your stuff. You definitely strut, but you have poses that you have to hit. There is front pose, side pose, back pose and more. I’ll save all that for another blog post. :)

I have been very focused in my workouts, and it is finally starting to pay off. My muscle definition

is showing, and my waist has really trimmed down. I do cardio every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning. I lift every night. Saturdays are my rest day.

For the first time ever, I have visible abs! They showed up after I started drinking a gallon of water a day. I literally carry a gallon jug around with me everywhere I go. It might look a little goofy, but that’s how you get it done! I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your body hydrated. DRINK A LOT OF WATER!

Oh, and I eat A LOT of protein pancakes! I have been making protein pancakes almost every day for the last week and a half. They are filling, fluffy and they satisfy my sweet tooth. They are healthy, too!

Pumpkin Mocha Protein Pancakes:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup oats ground into flour (or whole wheat flour)
• ½ scoop 100% whey protein (I use mocha cappuccino)
• ½ teaspoon cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sweetener (I use Stevia)
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree (if you don’t like pumpkin, you can use applesauce instead)
• 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 whole egg

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is smooth.
2. Fry in a sprayed pan for about one minute on each side.
3. Enjoy! :)

This makes one serving of four pancakes. Sometimes when I have a super strong sweet tooth, I throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips.