Always With Your Heart

I know, I know! I am the definition of M.I.A. right now but what can I say? I am always on the go and between school, contest prep, work, working out, and sleeping, I have 0 time to do much else. I got to 600 page views which is pretty cool and I thank all of you guys for showing your support! I know I promised to post some more recipes but I haven't had much time to get into the kitchen and perfect the ones that I have been working on. My sister and I have decided that after my contest we are going to get into the kitchen and won't leave until we have created at least 10 great recipes that are healthy, protein packed, and all natural so stay tuned.

I little update on my progress! My coach has decided I will be more than ready to compete in a show that is only 5 weeks away! How fun! I will be competing in the Texas Shredder Classic on April 13th! As of today, that makes me 34 days out. I have also created a new goal for myself (after I take on my first goal of doing my first competition of course) which is to become an IFBB Pro. It will be hard and take months to years to achieve but this process has shown me that I am more capable than my mind lets me believe. I never would have imagined I would have the body I have today or that I would be striving toward such a crazy dream but I am and I am so proud! I want to be able to look back and say I did this and I pushed myself to almost breaking just to get back up and fight hard and be stronger. I hope one day I will be an Inspiration to others who do not believe it is possible. Always remember to put your heart into everything you do and no matter what, thank the Lord everyday for making you stronger both inside and out.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Ok here are a few of my favorite recipes! The first is a version of Clean Lemon Bars I saw on instagram by the fabulous _Hunny_Buns_Fit. It is also a paleo recipe meaning it is made with organic and all natural ingredients.

For the Crust:
-1 cup Almond Meal
-2 Tbsp coconut oil
-1 tsp pure agave syrup

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. After mixing crust ingredients together press into 8x8 pan. Place into oven until crust is golden brown.

For the Filling:
-Grated lemon zest (about 1 1/2 tsp)
-Juice from two lemons
-2 whole eggs
-1/4 cup pure agave syrup
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/4 cup Almond meal
-1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix all filling ingredients together and after crust has baked to a golden brown, pour mixed filling over the top of the crust. Place back into oven for another 8-10 minutes or until the filling is firm.
Let cool, cut, and enjoy. They are best after cooling down in the fridge over night! ( Warning! They are crazy good and it is easy to forget how much you have eaten!)

I am new to the whole healthy clean cooking so I will be experimenting to find some great recipes and pass them onto you guys!

**A little update on me!
I'm down to a crazy 112 lbs and my body has really transformed in these last 4 weeks I have been training with my coach. She even said I might be ready by April instead of the initial July date we set. Below is my 4 week transformation It really is amazing to see how fast your body can react to a great diet and training program.

Thanks for all of the support!
Chelcie <3

CLEAN it up!

A completely new lifestyle is not an easy thing to achieve and most have no clue where to even begin! It took me awhile to realize what I needed to do to get to where I am today! My biggest piece of advice and a little rule I like to go by is to have a C.L.E.A.N. lifestyle! 

-Create a goal for yourself. 

Setting a goal seems easy and it really is. Set a goal that will challenge you but is not so far fetched that you cannot achieve it in a healthy way. Set small goals for yourself and when you reached a goal, create a new one that will further challenge you. An example would be to set a goal to lose 10 lbs, after you have reached that goal, aim to lose an additional 30 and maybe lower your body fat by a couple percents. This is a healthy mindset so you don't discourage yourself and also so that you live a healthy life while working toward a goal. 

-Limit the amount you eat out.

 Eating out is inevitable but being reasonable with how often is smart. The meals served at restaurants are usually packed with unnecessary calories, fat, and sugar. Consuming excess amounts of any of this will ultimately halt any healthy lifestyle goals. Enjoying a treat occasionally is not bad but always in moderation of course. 

-Eat your calories and carbs, don't drink them. 

I can't stress enough damaging alcohol is. It is really pointless, the carbs found in alcohol are empty and pose no healthy benefit. I am not saying that a glass of wine occasionally is a bad thing but night outs at the bar consuming multiple drink will do nothing but give you a nice little "muffin top". 

-Allow yourself a treat. 

Sticking to a strict diet for a prolonged time without any type of  "cheat" or treat   will often result in a binging attitude toward food later on. Allow yourself to have some dessert or eat a nice hamburger every once in awhile. The shock it plays on your body will actually result in your body working harder to get rid of the unwanted sugar and fat which will help with plateau's in your progress. Keep in mind portion sizes when you do have these treats. Healthier treats are always preferred but a hamburger won't hurt every so often. 

-Never doubt yourself. 

Nothing is worse than telling yourself you can't. When we tell ourselves we can't do something our mind believes us and we don't work as hard to achieve our goals. Look for inspiration wherever you can and motivate yourself whenever you feel doubt coming on. 

An update on where I am now! 

Body weight- 114.5 lbs. 

Body fat- 18%

Coach is really having me put muscle on so I will have some great definition come contest time!

**Recipes coming soon I promise! :)

Ready, Set, DON'T GIVE UP!

I know, I know I haven't put a new post in awhile (blogging is not my specialty :))These last couple of weeks have been big for me! My coach and I officially started my training for the contest this summer and it has been so intense but rewarding. My diet hasn't changed much, I am actually eating a lot more than I was before, about 4 to 5 meals a day, which makes me happy. I think my real problem before was snacking, I always wanted to just nibble on whatever I saw. It makes my day so much more enjoyable when I eat my scheduled meals because I satisfy my hunger when I need to and it doesn't phase me one bit when I see yummy snack foods hanging around. Some simple steps to starting a good training program would be to plan out your meals for the day and even week so you are more conscious of how much you consume. 

I will share with you guys some great meal ideas that are super easy to prep!

For breakfast it is important for me to get the protein I need for my muscles throughout the day. Probably the biggest source of protein without the fat and calories is egg white! I absolutely despise egg whites so it was always hard for me to get the protein I needed in the mornings but my coach gave me a  great recipe for protein pancakes that only requires 4 ingredients! 

PROTEIN PANCAKES:

 what you will need:

4 egg white

 1/3 cup oats 

1/2 banana 

cinnamon to taste 

( I like to add a little pack of stevia in to give it a sweeter taste :))

How to make them:

Start by combining all of your ingredients in a blender.
One ingredients are blended, you simply pour into pan just as if making normal pancakes! (They do tend to stick more so be careful when you go to flip them!)

As for my coffee, I put 1 packet of stevia and a splash of unsweetended Almond milk (Coconut milk taste great too).

**I will post some awesome clean recipes in my next post :) Stay tuned! 

                               

Texas Sized Dream

    If you're not from Texas what is the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about the lovely state I call home?
  EXACTLY! BIGGER!

     And it is no stereotype! Everything from food to hair is bigger in the bluebonnet state and my dream is no exception. Many people "'round these parts" may also fall into the category of a bigger waistline  but in the NPC Bikini world that is the opposite of what ladies strive for. The Texas ladies who call bodybuilding their life will tell you that they work the hardest and are not afraid to work their butts off to make it to the top 5.

    For years I have thought of a portion to be way bigger than what it actually should be, which is no different than what a lot of people think around the country as well. By far the biggest change in my diet during this transformation into the competition ready body is the amount of food on my plate. Portion is everything!

    Any bodybuilder will tell you that failure to plan is planning to fail and that is way too true! My Sundays are now devoted to prepping meals for the week ahead and the most import tool when prepping my meals is my scale. Everything must be weighed out to the ounce and nothing more or less. Prepping my foods is very handy when knowing how much I eat but also when I don't have time to make food. Lets be real, I work and go to school. I cant stop in the middle of class and grill up some chicken or pop a sweet potato in the over, no, thats why it is so important to prep the food you will eat during the week ahead of time. Another thing I have noticed is that when I don't prep my foods I tend to go for the less healthy options. When I get home from school the first thing I think about is food which I am sure a lot of you can relate to. I want to hurry and get home and eat but if I don't have my perfectly portioned meal ready to pop in the microwave I will settle for those pretzels or crackers in my pantry, anything to ease the hunger. But if I have my meals ready all I need to do is pop it into the microwave for a couple of minutes and I am satisfied. It also helps to get plastic containers to store your food in that are a relatively smaller size, that way you can portion out your food and also feel like your eating a lot more than you are because you see the empty container at the end (and trust me, at the end of a workout it will be squeaky clean!)

Below are what my meals typically look like. However, I am starting a more intense training this weekend with my coach so they will change up a bit but these meals are great for those wanting to lose some weight for summer or gain a little more "girly muscles". :)

5 oz. Swai fish with a cup of green beans.

      5 oz. Grilled chicken with a cup of green beans

    Nicole Nagrani

Another fun little fact that my coach just told me.. The Ms. Bikini Olympia from 2011 was a college student! That definitly makes me feel better knowing that a Pro Bikini competitor is not much older than me!

                                                          

Instagram: Chelciefayee

Countdown to competition: 184 Days 

A Goal in Mind

                                                                Hey guys! I'm Chelcie!

Thanks for checking out my blog. I started this blog to hopefully inspire others to reach their goals and also to find a support group of other bikini competitors to help me on my journey to bodybuilding. To properly get my story out I should start from the beginning.

My childhood was very simple, for the most part I can remember playing outside... and eating at McDonalds, as sad as it is. My parents divorced when I was just 6 years old and perhaps that is where the weight gain started. My dads childhood consisted of taking trips to McDonald's and he wanted to share the same memories with me that his dad shared with him. It was also the more convenient option in regards to feeding me. After all, once divorced my dad moved 45 minutes away from my mother so the commute was easier with a happy meal in my lap. The habit of reverting back to fast food stayed with me into my teen years. Now 18, it took me 16 years to realize that my body is a temple, and McDonald's is anything but a treasure. 

Well guess what.. I am far from being the chubby kid who would rather eat a hamburger than go to the gym (although I can't lie, a hardy steak never sounds bad). All I can do now is look bad and see how far I have come. At 119 lbs, I have reached the goal I had in mind but their is a new apple of my eye and it is BodyBuilding. I know what words have probably just popped into your mind, manly, steroids, etc.. but that is not the case. The type of bodybuilding I am working towards is called Bikini (hints the name Becoming Bikini. My first show is July 14th and with the help of a coach and a strong dose of dedication, I will place. Im looking for support throughout my journey and a means to keep me motivated. 

As my journey progresses I will be posting weekly pictures as well as flashback pictures to show how far I have come, along with clever recipes and advice for those seeking a healthier life style. I would also be be more than thankful if any fellow fitness junkies had advice for me! I am here to get knowledge and give it. 

 Check back soon! Thanks guys. 

                                                                 My progress so far..
                                                  Weight: 119 Ibs  -------  Goal: 113 lbs
                                                  Fat Percentage: 24%  -------  Goal: 15%

                                                            Keli Marie Landowski

           MY GOAL--->

                                                           Instagram: @KMARIEFIT  

Any questions or advice, feel free to email me.  Chelciefay@yahoo.com