The Week That I Drowned

A scientist by trade, I’m a very curious individual and I enjoy a good challenge. (I would totally work in research, but ain’t nobody got funding for that.) So when a good friend of mine asked me if I would consider water cutting down to the next weight class for a meet, I said LET’S DO IT. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. After determining my average daily water and sodium intake, she sent me a thorough spreadsheet on how to manipulate water, sodium, carbs, fiber, and caffeine throughout the week. At first glance, I thought, “no problem, this will be fine,” but it wasn’t until I started loading up my cart at Woodman’s with cases of water did it truly hit me how much water I was going to have to consume during the day AT WORK. When people ask you when the storm is coming, that’s when you know you’re in over your head.

**Please be ready to laugh and be mildly horrified at the lengths I went through to drop 7.5 pounds in 6 days.**

Sunday

Morning weight: 132.2 lbs.

Water intake 8L/Sodium intake 4400mg/Carbs 180g

Thoughts: This is fine. I can do this. It’s all good. Everything is all planned out.

Evening weight: 138.2 lbs.

 

Monday

Morning weight: 132.0 lbs.

Water intake 10L/Sodium intake 4400mg/Carbs 135g

Thoughts: How the HELL am I supposed to drink 10L of water at work? I forgot how much I love salt. Wow, am I glad I wear scrubs to work. This doesn’t seem so bad, everyone must think I’m just really thirsty. Gotta pee… AGAIN.

Evening weight: 136.2 lbs.

 

Tuesday

Morning weight: 131.0 lbs

Water intake 10L/Sodium intake 2200mg/Carbs 135g

Thoughts: Everyone at work must thing I’m pregnant because I’m spending half my life in the bathroom. This doesn’t seem like enough salt for all of this water. How am I not done with my water for today yet?! Peeing this much is getting really annoying.

Evening weight: 136.0 lbs.

 

Wednesday

Morning weight: 129.2 lbs.

Water intake 10L/Sodium intake <500mg/Carbs 90g

Thoughts: I am drowning. And peeing. And drowning. And peeing. I WANT MY SALT AND CARBS BACK.

Evening weight: 135.6 lbs.

 

Thursday

Morning weight: 128.0 lbs

Water intake 3L/Sodium intake <500mg/Carbs 90g

Thoughts: …I hate everything. Just give me some water.

Evening weight: 130.0 lbs.

 

Friday

Morning weight: 127.4 lbs

Water intake 1L/Sodium intake <500mg/Carbs 45g

Thoughts: Is this what dying feels like? I’m pretty sure my body think it’s dying. Is it 7am on Saturday yet? I just need some water. Wow, low sodium peanut butter tastes awful. How is my body still able to pee right now? THERE’S NOTHING LEFT.

Official scale check: 127.8 lbs/58 kg*

Final evening weight: 126.6 lbs

*At this point, I was overweight by 1 kg. JUST ONE KILO. Things got a little crazy after that. I had to resort to sour candy (never again) and cinnamon gum. We live in an apartment, so our hot water heater isn’t the best and we ended up BOILING water to put into the bath tub to get the water hot enough. Yes, boiling water. By the end of the night, we closed the vents in every room but the bedroom, turned the heat up to 80 degrees and I bundled up in my thickest pajamas under 5 blankets determined to sweat it out.

 

Meet Day

Morning weight: 124.6 lbs

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN: 124.8 lbs/56.6 kg

Thoughts: I MADE WEIGHT! Now what? TIME TO LIFT ALL THE THINGS.

And there you have it, folks. Proof that you can drop from the middle of the 63kg weight class to the 57kg weight class in 6 days. On meet day, I kept all of my openers the same was what I was expecting to hit in the higher weight class. This water cut didn’t have any negative effect on my performance and even though I didn’t hit a PR on squat (that’s another story), I did manage to tie my best competition bench and pulled 137.5kg (FINALLY) on the platform. I improved my Wilks and my overall ranking is better as a 57kg lifter vs. a 63kg lifter. During the course of the week, I learned that you can, in fact, live off of chicken and avocados, and that low sodium peanut butter is the worst.

So would I do it again?

Yes. Maybe not in a heartbeat, but I would do it again. I’m never touching Warheads candy again though.

Thank you Kelley Sherwin for helping me make it through this crazy week! I couldn’t have done it without your knowledge and expertise!

 

 

 

 

 

Be Great… And Grateful

For my first powerlifting meet, I meticulously planned out what I would wear on the platform. Look good, lift good… right? Anyways, I bought a shirt from Girls Who Powerlift with “Be Great” emblazoned on the front in gold lettering. At the time, being great meant getting all of my lifts and PRs that I wanted to hit that day and that was it. Well I didn’t get all of my lifts that day – I actually missed my squat opener and freaked out.

As I prep for my fifth powerlifting meet (yes, I did stick around), I’m learning YET. AGAIN. that progress is not always linear and being great means something entirely different now.

I’m very new to the powerlifting community; I will be the first to admit that. But since I started lifting, I’ve competed multiple times, passed my state level referee exam, and have worked with some amazing people on and off the platform. I could have easily quit after that first meet where I saw women my age lifting hundreds of pounds more than me, but instead of saying “I’ll never be able to do that,” I said, “someday I will be able to do that.”

To me, THAT is what it means to be great.

Greatness is cultivated before you even step foot on the platform.

So ask yourself…

Did you stay the course, even in the face of insurmountable odds?

Did you inspire those around you to be better, to keep pushing for more?

Did you give back when you could?

Did you thank everyone who helped you get to where you wanted to be?

You see, people will forget what your numbers, your PRs, and your hype. What they won’t forget is how you made them feel.

How will you inspire greatness this year?

Lift & Learn

In about three weeks, I’ll be rounding out my first year of powerlifting with my third competition. Training for this upcoming meet has felt far more difficult than I expected it to be, mentally and physically. I have a hard time trusting a process that I don’t fully understand  just yet, but I’m learning. That being said, there’s a few things I wish I had known before I started lifting and competing.

It’s about YOU and the bar… no one else. I competed in my first meet three months after learning the big three lifts. It was completely nerve-wracking, but so much fun at the end of the day. When everyone’s scores were posted after the meet, I was shocked at the difference between what I was lifting and what the other girls in my class were lifting. I thought I had done really well, and the truth is, I did. Strength is relative. Not everyone trains the same way, not everyone is built the same way, and not everyone has the same background, so how could I possibly compare my numbers? At the end of the day, no one else is up there on the platform with you.

Not every training session will be perfect. Lately I’ve had more bad training days than good ones. It’s taken a lot of effort to get myself into the gym and to make it through all of my sets, which means I have a tendency to rush through everything because I want to get it done and get out. The cumulative effect of all of these “bad” training sessions can be mentally damning, so before you let it get to that point, ask yourself why you’re classifying these sessions as “bad”. Forgive yourself for misgrooving that one rep or needing to drop the weight by five pounds.

You don’t know everything… and neither does your coach. I’m very ambitious and very curious. I like to know exactly why I’m doing something – from the programming to each individual exercise, and I like to learn it and perfect quickly. But I’ve found that the more I learn in this sport, the less I know. Technique can be changed, programming can be modified, and the weight of what you lift is not your worth. The way to survive in the sport is by adapting and by finding those who can help you change, and change with you. There’s no room for change if you think you know everything already.

Remind yourself why you started. I’ve had to remind myself a lot of this lately. Whenever I find myself wishing for a deload week or just fighting to find motivation to train, I remember the first time I ever maxed out on my deadlift and just how AMAZING it felt to pick 200+ pounds off the floor. It wasn’t the best technique and it wasn’t a ridiculous amount of weight, but it was empowering. Since I’ve started lifting, I found pieces of myself that I had lost somewhere over the years of growing up and trying to fit a specific mold. I became more confident, both in body and mind. And perhaps my biggest accomplishment of all is not any of my PRs, but the fact that I’ve not experienced a single depressive episode in the past year. For someone who has struggled with severe depression and anxiety since I was 16, that’s pretty damn good. So do this for you, do it for how it makes you feel, and always always ALWAYS remember that wherever you’re at, be it in life or training, it’s just one step of many.

Be kind to yourself. This one doesn’t need an explanation. Just do it.

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Cauliflower Curry

When I was first introduced to Indian food (thank you Mckenzie) I was a huge fan of butter chicken or tikka masala chicken, but then I realized how heavy those dishes can be. This recipe is an easy, lightened up version of a hearty chicken curry and it’s another slow cooker recipe so you can just dump it in the slow cooker and carry on with your day.

You can also spice this up as much as you want. I love heavily spiced foods, but Kevin would prefer that I take it easy with the spices sometimes. You do you.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
• 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup light cream or coconut milk
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
• 1-2 tbsp curry powder*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup peas
• 4-6 cups cooked brown basmati rice, for serving

*We used Penzey’s Now Curry, Sweet Curry, and a smidge of Vindaloo (for a little more of a kick)

Directions:

1. Place chicken, potatoes, and cauliflower in a slow cooker.
2. Mix tomatoes, cream or coconut milk, onion, ginger, curry powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Taste and add more curry powder if necessary.
3. Pour sauce over chicken, potatoes, and cauliflower. Place lid on slow cooker and turn to low or high. Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours on high and 5-6 on low.
4. Before serving, add lemon juice (if desired) and peas. The peas will cook from residual heat.
5. Serve with cooked rice or divide into containers for later.
6. Enjoy!

Yields 6 servings. 

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

Chinese food used to be my “go to” if I ever ordered take-out. Sweet and sour chicken or shrimp fried rice is where it’s at. As I’ve gotten older (I’m so old, I know) I’ve started leaning toward spicier dishes like Kung Pao chicken. Anything with a good kick, really.

This recipe is great because it’s cheaper than take-out, tastes even better, and is BETTER for you because you actually know what’s in your food. And it yields enough leftovers to enjoy for a few days.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4-6 dried red chili peppers (to taste)
• 2/3 cup roasted cashews or peanuts
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• sesame seeds, for garnish
• green onions, for garnish
• Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (or 1 part soy sauce, 1 part Bragg’s liquid aminos)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3-4 tbsp honey
  • 3-4 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp sambal oelek chili paste
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • dried red pepper flakes
• Cornstarch mixture:
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water

Directions:

1. In a large ziploc bag, combine the chicken, cornstarch, salt and black pepper. Shake until well coated.
2. Make the sauce in a medium sized bowl, whisking ingredients together for the sauce. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken about 2-3 minutes each side, until lightly browned. Transfer chicken into the slow cooker and pour sauce on top.
4. Cover and cook on low 2.5-4 hours or on high 1.5-3 hours.
5. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together cornstarch and water to make the cornstarch mixture. Stir into the slow cooker. Toss in the dried red chili peppers, chopped veggies, and nuts. Cover and cook on high another 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened up.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions, and serve over rice, quinoa, or veggie noodles.
7. Enjoy!

Yields 6-8 servings. 

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa

I don’t always buy kitchen gadgets, but when I do, I make sure they’re worth the splurge. I ordered an Instant Pot last week on a whim because for the longest time they were out of stock at Target. I figured that if they sold out that quickly, it should be worth the purchase, right? Right.

I was very skeptical at first – I’ve never used a pressure cooker and have always been happy with my three slow cookers, but having a pressure cooker is such a time saver. This recipe should’ve taken 4 hours to cook, but the Instant Pot does it in 65 minutes. And it turned out perfectly.

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2-4 tbsp chipotles in adobo sauce (to taste)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup water
• 3 lbs. beef eye of round or bottom round roast, fat trimmed
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1 tsp oil
• 3 bay leaves

Directions:

1. Place garlic, onion, lime juice, spices, chipotle peppers, and water in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Trim all of the fat off the meat, cut into 3-inch pieces. Season with salt and black pepper. Heat the pressure cooker on high (use saute button for Instant Pot). When hot, add the oil and brown the meat in batches on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the sauce and bay leaves, cover and cook on high pressure until the meat is tender and easily shreds with two forks, about 1 hour. (If you’re making this in a slow cooker or on the stove, simmer on low for about 4 hours, adding more water as needed to ensure that it doesn’t dry out).
3. Once cooked, check to make sure that the meat is tender, place in a dish and shred with two forks. Return shredded meat to the pot with the remaining liquid adding salt or pepper to taste.

Yields 8-10 servings. 

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew

You’ll notice that I post a lot of slow cooker meals on here and I have a very good reason for it. Are you ready?

It’s because they’re simple, no-fuss, and delicious. Almost too good to be true. Less time in the kitchen = more time to do what you love. For me, that’s more time to lift and bake.

This Spanish stew is so light and flavorful that we prepped this for two weeks in a row. It’s full of fresh veggies and perfect for spring.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes, halved
• 2 lbs. chicken thighs
• 2-3 carrots, sliced
• 4-6 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed, cut into small pieces (approx 1.5 cups)
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (including liquids)
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp smoked paprika*
• pinch of saffron threads*
• 1/2 tsp salt

*We have an obsession with Penzey’s spices, so I would highly recommend purchasing high quality spices from them.

Before serving:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker except the vinegar and peas.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
3. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and peas, cover and cook 5 more minutes before serving.

Yields 4 servings. Calories: 315 (30C, 37P, 5.4F)

Recipe adapted from Sweet Peas and Saffron.

Prosciutto and Spinach Egg Muffins

Working in a laboratory, my scheduled hours can vary quite a bit. I used to work until 2am and it was awful. Nowadays my start and end times only vary by about two hours, but on my early days I’d rather sleep in so that leaves less time for breakfast.

I’ve been testing out several “grab ‘n’ go” recipes and this recipe is one of my favorites. Mix everything in one bowl, bake, and enjoy warm out of the oven or pop these in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 4 oz. prosciutto, sliced into small strips
• 4 oz. feta cheese
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together until well combined. Add in any other desired seasonings; I added a smoked paprika salt blend and Penzey’s Rocky Mountain seasoning and it was quite tasty.
3. Use a measuring cup to scoop out the egg mixture and fill the muffin tins 2/3 – 3/4 full. Do NOT overfill – the eggs will spill over when baking.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let the pan cool before popping the muffins out of the pan.
5. Serve warm immediately or keep in the fridge up to 4 days. Microwave for 30 seconds if enjoying later.

Yields 18 muffins.

Calories per muffin: 90 (1.7C, 5.7F, 7.6P)

Sweet Potato Brownies

Now that I’ve already professed my love for sweet potatoes with that amazing sweet potato pancake recipe, this one is basically a bonus if you have some extra sweet potato purée leftover.

It’s also a good way to sneak more good, complex carbs in your diet without overdoing it. Flexible dieting, anyone?

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup sweet potato purée
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cinnamon baking chips (or chocolate – I just happened to have Eileen’s brand cinnamon chips on hand)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Generously spray an 8×8 baking pan with coconut oil spray. This also works if you have a 10 inch cast iron skillet.
2. Mix wet ingredients together until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Pour batter into baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Spread batter out evenly.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool and slice into squares.
5. Enjoy!

Yields 12 brownies. 

Recipe adapted from Fit Foodie Finds.

Sweet Potato Spiced Pancakes

Sweet potatoes can truly do no wrong. Dress ’em up sweet, savory, or spicy. Bake ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew. Alright, I think you get it. They’re one of my favorite carbs for pre or post-workout foods and these pancakes kept me fueled and ready for a very long deadlift session.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ground oat flour (make your own in a food processor or I recommend Bob’s Red Mill brand)
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or Penzey’s Pie spice for an extra punch of spice)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sweet potato puree*
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup almond or flax milk, unsweetened

*make your own sweet potato purée by slicing sweet potatoes length-wise, spray with coconut oil, give ’em a few pokes with a fork and roast for 40 minutes at 400 deg F on a baking sheet; scoop out innards and purée in a food processor until smooth (1 large potato = ~1 cup purée)

Directions:

1. Make oat flour if not using pre-made flour. I made blended my oat flour with the flax seeds in my food processor to thoroughly mix them. Mix dry ingredients through cinnamon together. Set aside. Whisk wet ingredients together.
2. Slowly add to dry ingredients until well combined. Make sure there are no lumps in the mix! Because I made my own oat flour, my mix was a little chunky so I let the mix rest to let the oats absorb the wet ingredients for about 5 minutes.
3. Preheat a skillet or griddle to medium high heat and spray with coconut oil cooking spray. Use 1/4 cup to scoop mix onto pan or griddle. Cook 2-4 minutes per side (will be slightly browned on each side).
4. Serve with syrup, fruit, sausage, or enjoy as is!

Yields 10-12 pancakes.

Recipe adapted from Fit Foodie Finds.