Rumor has it "Abs are made in the kitchen"

Your stomach should not be a waste basket! What you put in your body has more of an effect on your goal than you might think! I hear In the gym all the time "I worked out hard today so I'm going to eat a burger". That's cool but if you want to see progress you need to eat right! Going to the gym definitely helps but what you eat is actually more important. Surprised? Yeah a lot of people are when I tell them how important eating a clean diet is. Now obviously there is going to be those times when you're craving something bad and that's fine to have a cheat meal here in there but for the majority of the time its important to feed yourself with good clean food. It's important that you eat a balance of complex carbs, lean proteins and healthy fats. Below is a guideline you can use that I follow to help keep me on track :)

Rules:

Eat within 30 minutes of waking up.

Drink a minimum of 1 litre of water every day

No sodas or juices

Eat every 3-4 hours

Try and stay away from things that are fried, creamy, processed foods (things that come in a package)

Think portion control

Healthy Protein: (Baked or grilled)

Skinless chicken breast (4oz which is about the size of your palm)

Lean turkey (4oz which is about the size of your palm)

Salmon (4oz which is about the size of your palm)

Tuna (1 can)

Any white fish (size of palm is one serving)

Beans (1/2 cup is one serving)

Eggs (2 max a day)

Egg whites (3-4 egg whites is one serving)

Protein powder (isolate, 1 scoop is one serving)

Almond milk (1/2 cup is 1 serving)

Quinoa (1/2 cup cooked is 1 serving)

Healthy Fats (3 servings a day)

All natural peanut butter (1tbsp. per serving)

Avocado (1/4 of an avocado sliced is 1 serving)

All nuts (keep portion to a small handful)

Olive oil (1 tsp. is 1 serving)

Coconut oil (1 tsp. in 1 serving)

Flax seeds

Grains/ Complex Carbs

Sweet potato (1/2 a small sweet potato is 1 serving)

100% whole wheat bread and wraps (These are healthy but limit these)

Brown rice (1/2 cup is 1 serving)

Plain oats (1/2 cup is 1 serving)

Vegetables

All vegetables are good (1 cup is one serving)

Fruits

All fruits are good but limit to 2 per day. (½ a cup or one whole fruit is one serving )

Other

Splenda as a sweetener if you drink tea or coffee.

Day 6 of My 7-Day Bikini Body Workout

Hello Lovely's!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! If you have a long weekend then lucky you! I don't unfortunately :( Hopefully all of you are well rested after two rest days in a row! I actually went to the gym yesterday to do some circuit training because i was bored sitting at home in the morning ahahaha... Today is day 6 and its leg day again!!! YAY! Why do i train legs 2or sometimes 3 times a week? well so i can fit into my shorts for summer! ahah.. Here is the breakdown:

Warm up- treadmill on a 7 incline walking at a speed of 3.5.

Leg:

Hack Squats- 3 sets of 15 reps

One Legged Squats- 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg (back leg up on a bench)

Leg Extensions- 3 sets of 15 reps

Hamstring Leg Curls- 3 sets of 15 reps

Box Jumps- 3 sets of 20 reps

Calf raises- 3 sets of 15 reps

Cardio- 30 minutes on StairMaster using the fat burning program (I do level 13)

Have a great workout!

F.S.F Blogger xo

Fashion Friday

Day 5 of My 7 Day Bikini Body Workout.

Happy Friday and happy day 5!

Well it's finally Friday! I hope everyone has something exciting and fun going on this weekend! I'm planning on going to the beach tomorrow for the first time this summer woohoo! Today is the last workout until Monday so you will have 2 rest days. Now when I say rest day that doesn't mean you sit at home on the couch! It's summer and there is so many fun physical activities to do! Anyways todays workout includes shoulders and abs :)

Enjoy your weekend everyone!
F.S.F Blogger xo

Warm up-10 minutes steady state on Stairmaster

Cardio- 30 minutes on Stairmaster doing intervals using the "fat burner" program on the machine

Shoulders: Do 12 reps and 3 sets of each exercise:

deltoid raises

over head press

Arnold dumbbell press

barbell rear deltoid raises

front deltoid raises

Abs- repeat each exercises 3x.

Plank- 20lbs weight on back, 1 minute

Side plank (left/Right)- 1 minute each side

Stability ball knee tucks- 20 reps

Leg lifts (straight legs or tuck)- 15 reps

I Can't Beleive it's Healthy Cookie Dough Recipes!

Okay so yes it's true, there is a healthy version of cookie dough! Not only is it healthy and yummy it is super easy!

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, skin removed and patted dry.

1/3 cup all natural peanut butter (any nut butter)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

2 tbsp. Walden Farms sugar free maple syrup (or any sugar free maple syrup)

1/3 cup unsweetened dark chocolate chips (preferably vegan)

 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips into a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Add in chocolate chips and enjoy!

Day 4 of My 7-Day Bikini Body Workout

Welcome to day number 4!

I hope you all had a great workout yesterday :) Today we are stepping away from weights and instead using your own body weight. What's a workout without weights? Well you'd be surprised how effective your own body weight can be! Today's workout is slightly different than the last 3 workouts so far. Instead of doing 1 set then resting and then doing another, you will working non stop! WHAT!? Yup that's right! It's circuit training day! Here is the breakdown..

Warm up- walking on an incline on treadmill for 10 minutes

1 minute high knee run.

1 minute push ups.

1 minute plyometric split lunge jumps.

1 minute mountain climbers. 

1 minute jump squats.

1 minute triceps dips.

Rest for 1-2 minutes then repeat 3 more times!

Day 3 of My 7-Day Bikini Body Workout

Hello Day 3! So how are those legs feeling from yesterdays workout?! Sore?! You know that feeling when you go to sit down and your leg and but muscles hurt? Yup that's me today! But its such a good feeling :) Anyways we are giving the legs a break because today is back and chest day! It's probably one of my least favorite muscle groups but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! I added some links just in case you are not sure how to do the exercise :)

Have a good workout :)
F.S.F Blogger xo

Back: 3 sets, 15 reps of each exercise.

 

One arm bent over rows (left/right)

Pull ups

Seated rows

Lat pulldowns

 

Chest: 3 sets, 15 reps of each exercise.

 

Laying chest press

Mid cable cross over (click link for exercise- http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/build-your-best-chest-5-must-do-pec-exercises.html )

Dumbbell flyes

Butterflies (using the machine check out link-http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/butterfly )

Cardio- 30 minutes of interval training on treadmill- 30 second walk, 30 second jog, 30 second spring. Repeat this for a whole 30 minutes :)

just a little Wednesday outfits...

My 7 Day Vegetarian Bikini Body Meal Plan

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

This post is for all my vegetarian fans! I received an email from a lady asking for a vegetarian 7 day bikini body meal plan. I realised I have never posted a vegetarian meal plan. For starters lets just remember that I am NOT a nutritionist and I myself am NOT a vegetarian, this is just a guideline! Being vegetarian doesn't have to be boring, there are a lot of creative recipes out there you just have to experiment.

F.S.F Blogger xo

Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday:

Breakfast:

·        ½ cup plain oats

·        1 handful of blueberries

·        12 almonds

·        Unsweetened Almond milk (I don’t like my oats “watery” so I use just enough so the oats are not dry)

Snack 1:

·        1 apple

·        1 scoop of protein powder made with water and a dash cinnamon. (see below)

Lunch:

·        1 cup of spinach

·        ½ cup of mixed chopped raw veggies (I like tomato, carrots, red bell peppers)

·        ¼ avocado

·        ½ cup of chickpeas

·        Balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice for dressing. I use about 4 tbsp. but its preference. (NO VINEGARETTES)

Snack 2:

·        1 tbsp of all natural peanut butter on a chocolate caramel rice cake

Dinner:  Quinoa Stir fry

·        ½ cup of cooked Quinoa

·        ½ cup mixed veggies of your choice

·        ½ a small sweet potato chopped into squares and baked

·        Garlic powder (any other spices you like. NO SALT!)

Directions for stir fry: Cook Quinoa as package says and set aside once cooked.  Heat a skillet with 1 tsp of olive oil and stir fry veggies until veggies are softened to your liking. Add chosen spices and mix. You might need to add a little bit of water so that the veggies don’t dry out. Ones veggies are cooked add quinoa and mix.

Directions for sweet potato:  Bake sweet potatoes in oven and season them with cayenne powder and garlic powder .

Beverages: Drink lots of water! If you are going to drink coffee or tea have it with unsweetened almond milk and stevia instead of heavy cream and sugar. Stay away from soda, juices and alcohol.

**if you don’t want to buy protein powder you can have a cup of unsweetened almond milk or 12 raw nuts of your choice  

Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday

Breakfast:

·        ½ cup plain oats

·        ½ cup of Source strawberry Greek yogurt

·         12 almonds

·        ½ cup mixed berries

Snack 1:

·        1 cheddar cheese rice cake

·        1 tbsp of hummus

·        1 hardboiled egg

Lunch:

·        Stacked Portabellas (see below for recipes)

Snack 2:

·        1 tbsp of all natural peanut butter on a chocolate caramel rice cake

Dinner: 

·        Lentil Marinara Spaghetti Squash (see below for recipe)

***Beverages: Drink lots of water! If you are going to drink coffee or tea have it with unsweetened almond milk and stevia instead of heavy cream and sugar. Stay away from soda, juices and alcohol.

 Stacked Portabellas

 

Ingredients:

2 large mushroom portabella caps rinsed clean and dried

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup crumbled tempeh (you can sub with Tofu)

1/2 onion diced

1 cup spinach

1 tomato sliced

2 tbsp shredded almond cheese or fat-free mozzarella

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp each of paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

1. Turn on oven to high broil.

2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

3. Add onion and tempeh to pan and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until onion begins to soften.

4. Add quinoa, spices, salt and pepper and saute a few more minutes.

5. On a baking sheet, place portabello mushrooms brushed lightly with olive oil.

6. Stack mushroom caps with spinach, quinoa mixture, sliced tomatoes, and shredded cheese.

7. Broil for 5 minutes.

 

 Lentil Marinara Spaghetti Squash

 

Ingredients:

1 whole spaghetti squash

1 can diced tomatoes (look for low-sugar and low-sodium versions)

1 cup cooked lentils

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup broccoli chopped

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Salt and black pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Pierce squash with fork multiple times and bake for 60 min, or until outside is softened.

3. In a large pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat.

4. Add lentils, tomatoes, veggies and spices.

5. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.

6. While sauce is cooking, scrape out spaghetti squash with fork onto plate.

7. Top with about one cup of lentil marinara sauce.

Day 2 of My Bikini Body Workout

 

Good Morning lovely’s J Today is day 2 of my bikini body workouts and it’s my favorite workout day! Why?! Because its leg and bum day…what girl doesn’t want toned legs and a wicked bubble bum! I’m not going to lie this is a tough workout but at the end you will feel like throwing on your bikini and showing off those legs and butt cheeks ;) Good luck! If you have any questions please feel free to email me at fitstrongsexyblog@gmail.com or leave a comment or follow me on instagram and leave a comment on one of my pictures. My IG name is @pacitto4.

F.S.F Blogger xo

Warm up- 10 minutes of cardio on your favorite machine

Leg Workout

Front squat: 4 sets of 15 reps

Box jump: 4 sets of 25 reps

Reverse lunge (weighted): 4 sets of 15-18 reps per leg

Plyometric lunge: 4 sets of 50 jumps

Step-up (with dumbbells): 4 sets of 15-18 reps per leg

Squat jump: 4 sets of 20-30 jumps

Squats: 5 sets of 8-10 reps

Deadlifts: 5 sets of 8-10 reps

Walking Lunges: 4 sets of 20-30 steps

Leg Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Leg Extension: 4 sets of 8-12 reps

Leg Curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps

Cardio Session- 20-30 minutes of Stairmaster or running on treadmill (I use Stairmaster it does wonders to your bum! I do steady state on level 13) It’s good to do some cardio after so that you flush away all that lactic acid build up. Don’t forget to stretch!

Day 1 of my 7 Days Bikini Workout...

Alrighty so its Monday and its time to pump some iron! This is day one of my 7 day bikini body workout. What are we training today?! Well its shoulders and abs followed by some fat burning cardio! Here it is:  

Monday:  Shoulders, Abs and Cardio

Warm up- 10 minutes on Stairmaster on level 13.

Shoulders: Do 12 reps and 4 sets of each exercise (for weight chose a weight that challenges you. You should find the last 2-3 reps are almost impossible to do)

deltoid raises

overhead press

Arnold dumbbell press

barbell rear deltoid raises

front deltoid raises

Abs circuit: Try doing this circuit with NO rest!

30 crunches
20 bicycle crunches
30 toe touches
20 reverse crunches
15 side plank hip lifts (R)
30 crunches
15 side plank hip lift (L)
40 Russian twists
30 bicycle crunches
15 oblique v-ups (R)
20 reverse crunch
15 oblique v-ups (L)
10 laying leg lifts

Cardio Session: 30 minute steady state on Stairmaster level 13 (If you’re not a fan of the Stairmaster try another cardio machine that you like J )

 

Remember its suppose to be hard and challenging, If it's not then add more weight or do more reps and sets. Don't forget to stretch after!

Have a fantastic workout!

F.S.F Blogger xo

Black, Red and Leopard...

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! It's finally summer and the weather was awesome here in Toronto! I'm working on a blog post on my fitness regime to go along with my bikini diet plan :) Stay tuned it will be up this week!

Outfit- Top from Sirens, Pants from Zaras, Shoes from Ardene's, Watch from Aldo.

F.S.F Blogger xo

Quick and Easy Grilled Chicken Wrap.

-1 one hundred calorie Gluten free wrap
-1 grilled chicken breast chopped.
- 1/2 cup of spinach
-1/4 avocado sliced
- 2 slices of tomato
- drizzle of mustard and ketchup
-ENJOY!

My bikini body diet

Hello Ladies!

Sorry I have been M.I.A! I have been extremely busy with my new position at work and well really jut life in general! It's FINALLY summer! woohoo! Which also means it's bikini season. For some girls bikini season can be a bit terrifying! I mean common your pretty much naked. If you are feeling a little self conscious to step into your bikini then instead of dwelling and wishing start doing! I love that saying "if you don't change, you don't change!"

So Lets Start...

Diet:

Before I begin talking about diet, be aware that I am NOT a nutritionist. Everything I'm about to share is what I do to keep fit and healthy.

First of all enough with the starving yourself diets! They don't work trust me I know. You need to eat to boost your metabolism. I eat seriously like every 3 hours, doing this keeps my energy up, keeps my metabolism going and the best part is I don't starve. I eat a balanced meal of lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. I stick with all natural foods, the less ingredients the better! I try to stop eating at least 2 hours before I got to bed but if I am hungry ill have something small, like a protein shake. I drink tons and tons of water, probably about 3-4 litres a day (crazy water lady I know) Below is sample of my diet to help give you a guide line. For the most part I follow a dairy free, gluten free and junk food free diet. Believe it or not I crave things like apples and salads and how can I forget peanut butter!! OMG its my weakness! Any who here is a days worth of food for me :

7am- 1/3 cup of oats with 1/2 banana, 12 almonds (yes I count them), 1 packet of stevia or splenda, 1 scoop of protein powder (I use Cellulor peanut butter marshmallow flavor), dash of cinnamon. I use boiling water about 1/3 of a cup, just depends how you like your oats.

10am- 1 chocolate caramel rice cake with 1 tbsp. of all natural peanut butter and 1 scoop mixed with water.

1pm- salad- canned tuna with 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup of mixed raw veggies (I like peppers, tomato, cucumber, carrots), 1/4 of an avocado, dash of garlic powder. for dressing I use plain balsamic vinegar.

4pm- 1 Quest bar (These are AMAZING!)

7pm- Grilled chicken breast with 1 cup of veggies and 1/2 small sweet potato.

10pm- **if your hungry before bed** 1 protein shake made with water.

Beverages- 3-4 litres of water, 1-2 coffees a day made with almond milk and sweetened with splenda.

Hope this helps :) If you want me to send you a sample 7 day diet plan email me at fitstrongsexyblog@gmail.com or leave a comment :)

Until next time!
F.S.F Blogger xo

Great Summer Avocado Chicken Salad Recipes

Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken

1 avocado

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp fresh cilantro

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to let all those amazing flavors blend together.

Serve on rice cake, whole grain crackers, whole wheat wrap or on a bed of lettuce.

 

 

ref;http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2013/05/healthy-avocado-chicken-salad.html

Casual Summer Outfit Ideas

 

I love summer Fashion!!! It's my favorite time of year! Love all the pretty bright colors and light pastel colors! Simple and casual but chic and classy is my kind of style!

Healthy Baked Salmon Recipes

I tried this recipes from a site :) Its was amazing!! Click HERE for link to recipes :)

Why eat Salmon? Well Here are some Benefits:

 

1. Salmon contains small proteins called bioactive peptides. One in particular, called calcitonin, has been shown to increase, regulate and stabilize collagen synthesis in human osteoarthritic cartilage. This salmon-found protein also improves bone density and strength.

2. Eating salmon makes you smarter and happier. The brain is 60 percent fat and most of that is the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Thirty percent of the grey matter in the brain is DHA showing how critical it is to brain function and a healthy nervous system. Eating salmon regularly has been shown to reduce the risk and incidence of depression, hostility in young adults and cognitive decline in the elderly. 

3. Eating salmon increases your cardiovascular health. As noted, salmon contains high levels of the omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA. These fats are responsible for many cardiovascular benefits such as reducing inflammation, keeping the blood from clotting excessively and relaxing and dilating the arteries. When eaten 2-3 times per week, salmon can protect you from problems such as heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, high blood pressure and high triglycerides. 

4. Salmon protects your eyes. Eating salmon twice a week has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of macular degeneration — a chronic eye condition that leads to loss of vision. For the treatment and prevention of a condition called dry eye syndrome, eat 2-4 servings per week. 

5. Salmon helps build children’s brains. Eating salmon while pregnant and nursing can boost learning capability and academic performance in children. Salmon contains high levels of DHA which is the main structural fatty acid in the central nervous system and retina. Feeding salmon to preschool children also aids in the prevention of ADHD and can even boost academic performance. 

6. Salmon’s an excellent source of vitamin D. Sufficient vitamin D is crucial to maintaining optimal health. A deficiency of this essential vitamin has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and type-1 diabetes. One can of salmon, for example, contains a day’s worth of vitamin D. 

7. Salmon helps you sleep. Salmon is an excellent source of tryptophan, an all-natural sedative. Studies show that tryptophan increases sleepiness in subjects with mild insomnia and helps to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep.

 

 

 

ref;http://www.chatelaine.com/health/diet/seven-health-benefits-of-salmon-and-a-vitamin-rich-summer-recipe/