Badass Fitness

Guest Blog: The Badass VP talks post-baby weight loss with a #BadassMama!

Note from the Badass CEO: I have never met Maria, but she is an inspiration! Chris, Badass Fitness VP, talked to her recently about how she went from nearly 200 pounds post-baby to her current 125 pounds of strength and lean muscle. Chris shares the "interview" in full below, but first I want to give a huge #fistbump to Maria for embracing such a healthy, and EFFECTIVE, approach to finding her figure - and her confidence - after giving birth. I have not had children, and probably won't ever, but I have so much admiration and respect for moms who are out there living their Badass Journeys while juggling those adorable Bad Donkeys!!! You all are rockstars in my book!

My favorite nuggets of wisdom from Maria:

• "Quitting is NOT an option and no one can make you lose weight. You have to get up, get out there, and do it."
• "These stretch marks aren’t scars to be ashamed of, they are tiger’s stripes. I am strong, and beautiful. I earned them." #PREACH, Maria!!
• "One thing I definitely learned was to change my relationship with food.  It is fuel, and it is good."

Chris, take it away.....

As a guy working in the fitness world there are quite a few things I don’t understand and CANNOT even pretend to wrap my head around.  The biggest one: post-pregnancy weight loss. So when I was looking recently at my Facebook feed, and saw a picture of my friend Maria McCorkle who had a baby last year, I had to talk to her. Here's our "interview," which has a lot of information - and inspiration - for other moms and moms-to-be out there!

When did you have your baby?

Conor was born May 11^th of 2011.  I was admitted to the hospital at 196 lbs (pictured, left, at 177 lbs).   The doctors had told me to expect to be around 165.  To put it into perspective, I was 134 lbs at 2 months into the pregnancy.  Early on in the pregnancy I was put on limited exercise due to family medical history, and in the 3^rd trimester I was diagnosed with preeclampsia, all of which led to me gaining more weight than expected.

What exercises were you doing prior?

Running. A lot. One of the hardest things when I started exercising again was getting back to running.  It felt like I was starting from scratch since I was unable to do much of anything during the pregnancy.

When did you start working out again?  What helped drop the weight? 

Well, I attempted to start on Weight Watchers in June, but due to complications with Connor’s health, was unable to start that and exercise until August.  Between May and August I MAYBE lost 5-6 lbs.  I can’t tell you how many times I looked in the mirror and thought I wasn’t going to be able to get my body back.  It was tough.  Although I don’t do Weight Watchers anymore, one thing I definitely learned was to change my relationship with food.  It is fuel, and it is good.  I went with something that I have seen work, not a fad.  And I made sure I was bringing in enough calories in order to lose weight.  Amazed to this day when I see people trying to lose weight AND workout and only consuming 1,000 a day.  I was eating 1,500-2,000 net and I’m currently 125 lbs.

Wow, what has motivated you?  I mean, you worked full time, are now a full time law school student, and your husband (Blake, whom I went to high school with) is a firefighter. Where do you find the time?

I made it. We made it. When you are a parent, you can’t wallow in your own self pity. Yes, I had postpostpartum depression. It is real, and it sucks. But when I started exercising again, I was able to get off the medication that they prescribed for me. I was able to smell the air, see the sky, run without headphones- these are sensations, experiences, beauties, that my battle with depression and PPD kept me from. I am too grateful to give it up now. Blake has seen this and has been very supportive.  If that means running with me in the evening when he gets home from the station, or just watching Conor while I go for a run, I could not have done this without the support of him and his parents.  We have actually turned workout nights into date nights. 

Do you have any advice for new or soon to be mothers?

Quitting is NOT an option and no one can make you lose weight. You have to get up, get out there, and do it.  For me, I am a high risk if we want to have another child. I am getting in the best shape I can to ensure if we do, it is a safer pregnancy.  I have also come to terms with my body. These stretch marks aren’t scars to be ashamed of, they are tiger’s stripes. I am strong, and beautiful.  I earned them.  And transfer those bad days to a harder workout.

There is always someone out there who is going through the same struggle as you; some are just different than others.  Maria told me that my #360to30 journey inspired her, but here's the deal: She’s an even bigger inspiration for me.

Power starts in your core...and this Power Core series is your start!

As an instructor, I'm known for leading hard-charging, high-energy Badass Bootcamps filled with burpees, jump squats, suicides, shuttle runs, ladder drills and more. Cycling classes are just as intense, with hard-driving, bass-pumping music and plenty of steep climbs followed by fast descents.

Yet one of my favorite classes to teach each week is the one set inside a yoga studio, with a backdrop of mellow music and low lighting. My Sunday afternoon PowerCore at Yoga Quest is outside my fitness comfort zone, which makes me love it all the more.

It forces me to settle down, to enjoy the quiet - and to push my body and that of students in a different way. In many ways, this is one of the most challenging classes to take, and teach.

Twelve-plus minutes of planks, plus warrior crunches and wood chops will do that! My students groan with every plank. But here is why I push: athletic performance - whether you are a true competitor or a weekend warrior - starts in the core. It is what holds you up during the last mile of the triathlon. It makes you a stronger swimmer, a better cyclist, a more powerful force on the baseball field, the football field, the basketball court, etc.

So try this core routine, and tell me what you think. It will take about 45 minutes.  

Not sure what a walkout plank is? Watch my demo here. Also check out demos for the walking plank and waist cinchers! Good stuff!

Coming up: Chicken "fried rice" you'll want to eat with a shovel, not chopsticks cuz it is just that good!

 

Cavegirl Eats: This Chicken Fried "Rice" Calls for Shovel, Not Chopstick!

I thought I had found Paleo Mecca when I discovered the versatile joy of spaghetti squash, which has been feeding my Italian genes lately with its delicious capellini-like strands.

But I recently learned how to turn cauliflower into rice - with a cheese grater as my "abracadabra wand." From there, chicken fried rice "hatched" in my kitchen! And at that moment, I swear I heard a cinematic overture for a split second. I had officially bought into the Paleo eating -- hook, line and coconut milk! The Paleo Cave Dwellers rejoiced like angels from on high!

This chicken fried rice contains zero actual rice. But here's my Badass CEO Guarantee: if I served it to you and didn't tell you otherwise, you would gobble up every bite and think you had just had some kick-ass fried (actual) rice. Then I would tell you, "Hey, that was actually made out of cauliflower." And you would be seriously confused, perhaps. Well, let me clear up the confusion! 

Fact: There is no rice in Paleo eating. It is a grain. It causes digestive irritation. It's no good for those with inflammatory issues like arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc. So this can be kind of a bummer if you liked rice but go Paleo.

Fact: Cauliflower is an awesome palate for flavor. On its own, much like rice, it is kind of bland. But it quickly soaks up spices and flavors and is a great "bed" for housing stir-fries, chili, soup, you name it.

Fact: A single head of cauliflower, grated into "rice" granules, yields an awesomely massive amount of "rice." Yet the whole thing is maybe 150 calories and minimal carbs, sugar, fat. For someone like me who loves to eat, this volume eating for less calories is called #winning!

Fact: When you sautee onions and spices in coconut oil and then add the cauliflower "rice," in just 5 minutes it is transformed into an amazing side dish or entree base.

For this chicken fried rice, I simply added eggs, broccoli slaw, peppers and the appropriate spices (I used curry, some chili and red pepper, because I love curry and heat) plus chopped rotisserie chicken from Fresh Market. Then I whipped together a nutty coconut sauce for a Thai twist. So fast, so easy, so healthy. And it made enough to give me a few days of leftovers. Even better!

 

 

Curried Chicken Fried "Rice" with Thai Coconut-Almond Sauce 

Ingredients

• 1 Whole head of cauliflower
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
• sea salt and black pepper 
• 1/2 each red and green pepper, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups broccoli slaw 
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken

Thai Sauce Ingredients

• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 3 Tbsp. lite coconut milk
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos

Directions

1. "Rice" the cauliflower by grating it with the widest hole in a cheese grater.

2. Make the Thai sauce by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

3. In a wok or large fry pan, heat coconut oil over high heat. Add the spices, onions and peppers and saute a few minutes until translucent.

4. Add in the eggs and let them fry, breaking them up as you would scrambled eggs.

5. Add the broccoli slaw and stir fry about 3-4 minutes.

6. Add the cauliflower rice and stir fry another 4-5 minutes.

7. Last, add the diced chicken and Thai sauce and stir fry until the whole dish is heated through. 

8. Devour!!!

Coming up: Badass Approved cake and ice cream in under 5 minutes? Oh yes! And one Badass Mama's inspiring post-baby transformation! 

Same blog, new location! Badassfitness.com

Just a quick note: The Badass Fitness blog can now be found at www.badassfitness.com ! Check it out:)

Cavegirl Eats: Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies Packed with Protein!

You know a brownie is pretty healthy if I am serving it up to my students after two challenging Halloween Eve cycling classes - one of them at 6 am!

And you know that brownie also happens to be really delicous when, after a bite or two, a few of them declare: 'I NEED this recipe!"

Well, I'm not one to deny the masses their healthy brownies, so here it is! They are gluten free, mostly paleo (primal, really), high in protein and fiber with a low glycemic index -- and fully tasty. Thanks to GNC Live Well for the awesome  protein powder I used in these!!!

I actually combined and then added my own twist to two separate recipes I found for pumpkin protein brownies, one of them dubbed a "breakfast brownie."

Here's how my recipe ended up:

Pumpkin Chocolate Protein Brownie

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 4 Tbsp. Chocolate PB2 Powder
• 1/2 cup protein powder - I highly recommend GNC Total Lean, Lean Shake chocolate or pumpkin spice
• 1 small can organic pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil 
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 10 drops chocolate flavored liquid stevia
• 1/2 cup raw cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips)

For frosting:

• 2 scoops protein powder (again, love the GNC Lean! Try the pumpkin spice for the frosting in one batch, chocolate in another!)
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease with Pam or coconut oil an 8x8 inch pan.

2. Combine (I mixed by hand) all brownie ingredients except cacao/chocolate in a large bowl, mixing just until all ingredients are blended into a nice uniform batter. There might be a few clumps - all good. Just don't overmix. Fold in the cacao/chocolate. 

3. Pour batter into the pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until batter comes away from sides of the pan and a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool.

4. For frosting, mix the protein powder and milk together, adding more or less milk to get to desired consistency. Spread over the brownies. Let it set, then cut and enjoy! 

Coming next week: A PowerCore circuit, healthy chicken "fried rice," and a new mom's inspiring post-baby transformation!