Clean, Cute and Portable Meatloaf Muffins

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The other day we had meatloaf at work in the cafeteria. Because most of my co-workers eat down there for convenience sake instead of going out, it seemed like the entire work world was eating meatloaf. It smelled heavenly, let me tell you. Unfortunately swimming in gravy does not go well with contest prep, so I passed on the delightfully scented slices of meat.

I did vow at that moment to come up with my own healthy version. One that was also cute, portable and kid friendly. How can you resist meatloaf muffins that meet all of the criteria? I love spicy foods so I added some crushed red pepper and chipotle to my version. You can add more or less of these to your taste, or even substitute other spices for a different flavor.

Why 4 saltines, you ask? The other day I got two small packs of saltines with my salad from Subway. In my mind saltines are not a salad food. They are clearly a soup food and eating them with a salad is just wrong. So I saved them for that point in time when The Kid or I had soup. When the meatloaf moment came up, I remembered them and found it to be the perfect amount to add some hold to the recipe instead of the standard breadcrumbs.

I added just a bit of barbecue on the top for flavor. I used Stubb’s BBQ Sauce because it’s low sugar and not full of chemicals like some sauces can be. Like my turkey muffins, these were incredibly easy to whip up. I ate two for dinner for a few nights and served them with different toppings and sides. One day was avocado and grilled beets, another with pico di gallo, another I topped with mustard, and so on. I even had them for breakfast one day with my eggs. Just like eggs and sausage? Close, and it was good!

Meatloaf Muffins

meatloaf-muffins

  • 1 lb ground beef (93/7)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 4 crumbled saltines
  • 1/4 cup egg whites
  • Optional, Chipotle Mrs. Dash
  • 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the barbecue sauce together in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide evenly amongst 12 muffin cups. Top each muffin with 1/2 tsp of barbecue sauce. I sorta drizzled it on top in a stripe. Nothing fancy. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. Makes 12 meatloaf muffins at 61 calories each.

In case you’re curious about what I’m eating while in contest prep, I’ve been posting meal pictures and descriptions on Instagram. You can find me under AccidentalFit over there.

Workouts of the Week: Week 7

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Quest-for-the-StageI can’t believe it’s been another week already. As of last weekend, I am officially 6 months out from my contest. It’s funny how relaxed I am about doing it now that the decision is made. I hemmed and hawwed for months about whether I would be ready or not. Should I do it or should I wait. Now that I’m registered and it’s real, I’m focused and strangely calm about the choice.

Yes, that will change as we get closer and I have to work to get everything done but this time I’m determined to enjoy the journey. Last time I just lived through it instead of treating it like an adventure. I’m so glad I’m taking the time to document it this contest. It will be great to look back on all of the details later.Win or no win, I’m doing this and loving every second!

Today for the first time ever, someone stopped me in the gym to tell me that they’re noticing a huge difference in my body the past couple months. I’ve never been stopped by a stranger before and been told that. Friends have told me, but never someone that I’ve never met. She seriously made my day and probably now thinks I’m crazy for tearing up at her compliment. 

This week I was back to 80% of my one rep max with lower reps. I was able to go up in either weights or reps on every exercise this week but one. The darn incline dumbbell presses were just too much after the record setting decline chest press. I can’t believe how much my chest press is skyrocketing. I’ve finally conquered the weight that I got stuck at before. Done, officially.

Next week’s workouts will be at 90% and I’ll use them to see if my 1RMs have gone up this month. I can’t wait!

Squat Day
Core Lift – BB Front Squat at 80% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 1 set to failure – I got 6.
  • 2 sets of 3 reps

DB Walking Lunge – 3 sets of 12 reps
BB Back Squat – 3 sets of 12 reps
Seated Leg Curl – 3 sets of 12 reps
Decline Situp – 3 sets of 12 reps
Hanging Leg Raise – 3 sets of 12 reps

Pull Day
Seated Dip – 3 sets of 12 reps
Tricep Pressdown with Rope – 3 sets of 12 reps

Core Lift – Chin Grip Pulldown at 80% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 1 set to failure – I got 7.
  • 2 sets of 3 reps

Bent BB Row – 3 sets of 12 reps
Flat DB Row – 3 sets of 12 reps
Standing BB Curls – 3 sets of 12 reps

Lift Day
Core Lift – BB Deadlift at 80% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 1 set to failure – I got 8.
  • 2 sets of 3 reps

Cable Face Pull – 3 sets of 12 reps
Romanian Deadlift – 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl – 3 sets of 12 reps
Plank – 3 sets for 60 seconds each

Press Day
Standing DB Hammer – 3 sets of 12 reps
Standing Cable Curl – 3 sets of 12 reps

Core Lift – Decline BB Press at 80% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 1 set to failure – I got 12.
  • 2 sets of 3 reps

Incline DB Press – 3 sets of 12 reps
Decline Skullcrusher – 3 sets of 12 reps
BB Upright Row – 3 sets of 12 reps

Frozen Protein Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites

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My adventure in frozen protein treats continued this week since I loved the Protein PB Cups so much. This week I decided to try frozen peanut butter cheesecake bites. Really, who doesn’t love peanut butter and cheesecake? A combination of the two just had amazing written all over it.

The hardest part of these was waiting for them to actually freeze. However, if you get impatient you can always turn the bites into pudding instead and just eat it straight away. Somehow I found the willpower to wait. You can easily change this up to suit your preference by using chocolate protein powder or even banana protein powder. Be still my heart at the thought of banana. If I’d had some, I would have used that for sure.

If you don’t have almond milk, you can use regular milk, soy milk, rice milk or even water would probably be just fine. I topped mine with chocolate chips but now my imagination is going to different combinations like banana and walnuts or chocolate and slivered almonds. Or maybe a sprinkle of unsweetened cocoa powder. Chocolate protein with sliced strawberries. Yes, you can see where my mind is going now…

Frozen Protein Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites

protein-pb-cheesecake-bites

  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 cup fat free cream cheese
  • 4 Tbsp PB2
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • Chocolate chips (optional)

Mix the protein powder, cream cheese and PB2 in a bowl with the almond milk until smooth. You can use a blender if you really want a smooth texture, but I just mixed by hand and didn’t have any problem with lumps. Spoon evenly into 8 silicone muffin cups or a metal muffin pan. Again, don’t use paper liners or you’ll end up having a meltdown trying to eat them.

If you’re feeling crazy, top with a few chocolate chips. I put 3 chips each on mine. Place the cups in the freezer until firm. Since I have leftovers, I just leave mine in the freezer and take them out when I’m ready to eat one. Makes 8 bites at 53 calories each.

If you give the recipe a try with water or a different milk, let me know how your results were so I can report back to others. I’d love to hear about your combinations too.

Workouts of the Week: Week 6 AKA Hate The Scale

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Last week’s workouts were hard! I know, I always say that but really this time. Really really. With the sets of higher reps thrown in after hitting 70% of my one rep max, the pump in my muscles was incredible. The skin on my arms felt tight on pull day and I was sore most of the week.

I’m pretty sure I’m still progressing on all my lifts. I looked back to the last time I did these weights, and I was able to get out a few more reps on most of the exercises. I love being able to see actual progress even if the scale is being a psychotic friend. It’s going up and down more than the Texas temperatures this month.

ignore-the-scaleSince I’m in the process of cutting and using myself as a personal science experiment, I’ve been weighing myself every morning. There is so much in life that causes weight fluctuations – stress, soreness, water intake, salt in food, time of the month, and more. Physique contests are all about how you look on stage and not a specific body fat or weight.

I’m at the point where I’m trying to figure out a pattern between the scale, what I ate, and the look in the mirror. It’s definitely a wild ride. Some mornings I get up and the mirror looks amazeballs! I squeal and jump on the scale thinking it must be down. Then I stare at a larger number than the day before and ask WTF.

It’s definitely teaching me that the scale does not matter one bit. I will admit that it is a bit of a mental challenge to remain strong at times. I have one higher carb day a week and the rest of the week is almost identical in the foods I eat. The combinations are different, but the foods themselves are the same.

Thus one would expect that the scale would be steadily going down. Or at the very least staying still. Nope, up 2 down 3, up 2 down 3, up 2 down 1. Last week on Tuesday I hit an all time low. The very next day I started a slow 2 pound climb that lasted until yesterday. This morning I got up and was down over 2 pounds. Another low.

Years ago when I was “dieting” this kind of thing would have thrown me completely off the wagon. I would have followed my eating plan for a few days and when the scale went up, I would have eaten a handful of cookies and given up. Convinced it wasn’t working. Now that I know so much more of what to expect, I can reason with myself when the scale ride gets rough.

There is no physical way to gain or lose 2+ pounds overnight. Even if I hit the all you can eat buffet and put a champion eater to shame, the fat doesn’t arrive that fast. I haven’t strayed one bite from my plan so patience is all that is needed here. The overall trend is downward and day to day fluctuations are just that. The only reason I’m looking for them now is to figure out a pattern so that I can repeat the process (or not) to get the look I’m aiming for.

Simple, right? Ha, not so much but I’ll get there. So the moral of this story is… If you are honest and true to your food tracking and calories, don’t let the scale mess with your mind. Stay true to the plan and it will work. Take a step back and look at the big picture. Or at least commiserate with me because I’m right there with you. ;-)

Squat Day
Core Lift – BB Front Squat at 70% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 2 sets of 6 reps
  • 1 set to failure – I got 9.

DB Walking Lunge – 2 sets of 20 reps
BB Back Squat – 2 sets of 20 reps
Seated Leg Curl – 2 sets of 20 reps
Decline Situp – 2 sets of 20 reps
Hanging Leg Raise – 2 sets of 20 reps

Pull Day
Seated Dip – 2 sets of 20 reps
Tricep Pressdown with Rope – 2 sets of 20 reps

Core Lift – Chin Grip Pulldown at 70% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 2 sets of 6 reps
  • 1 set to failure – I got 11.

Bent BB Row – 2 sets of 20 reps
Flat DB Row – 2 sets of 20 reps
Standing BB Curls – 2 sets of 20 reps

Lift Day
Core Lift – BB Deadlift at 70% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 2 sets of 6 reps
  • 1 set to failure – I got 13.

Cable Face Pull – 2 sets of 20 reps
Romanian Deadlift – 2 sets of 20 reps
Lying Leg Curl – 2 sets of 20 reps
Plank – 2 sets for 90 seconds each

Press Day
Standing DB Hammer – 2 sets of 20 reps
Standing Cable Curl – 2 sets of 20 reps

Core Lift – Decline BB Press at 70% of 1RM

  • 3 Warm Up Sets
  • 2 sets of 6 reps
  • 1 set to failure – I got 13.

Incline DB Press – 2 sets of 20 reps
Decline Skullcrusher – 2 sets of 20 reps
BB Upright Row – 2 sets of 20 reps

Protein Peanut Butter Cups – No Lie!

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Do you love peanut butter cups? I do with their salty, sweet peanut buttery goodness. I haven’t had a single PB cup since my experiment at Halloween, believe it or not. I usually just settle for PB off a spoon from the jar. That’s how I roll. The other day I decided I wanted PB cups.

Unfortunately since I’m attempting to stay on track for contest, the real thing isn’t an option right now. I guess it could be, but I’d rather spend my calories on other things. It’s all about choices. I may not choose to eat them now but I can stay true to my promise to be more creative in my prep this time around.

I whipped up high protein, low fat peanut butter cups as a compromise. No, I won’t yank your chain and tell you that they would pass for the Halloweeny goodness. BUT they were pretty good and it was a struggle to not eat all 4 in one sitting. I made the traditional chocolate and peanut butter version, but I’m now thinking about other flavors that I can try out with different protein powders.

Protein Peanut Butter Cups

protein-peanut-butter-cups

  • 2 scoops chocolate protein
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 Tbsp PB2 or other powdered peanut butter
  • Stevia, sugar or other sweetener to taste
  • Water

Mix 1 scoop of chocolate protein with 1 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa. Add a small amount of water to mix into a consistency that is slightly thinner than pudding. You don’t want it runny. It should just ooze off the spoon if that makes sense. Depending on how sweet your protein powder is already, you may or may not want to add sweetener to it. This is absolutely a personal preference. I didn’t add any.

Divide the batter evenly amongst 4 silicone muffin cups or into 4 metal pan muffin cups. Do NOT use the paper liners as they will stick, and you’ll end up eating paper out of desperation and teaching your children some new curse words. Tap the cups lightly to flatten out the batter. Next mix the 2 Tbsp of PB2 with a small amount of water and sweetener, if using. You are aiming for the same consistency as with the protein.

Divide the peanut butter batter evenly in the muffin cups over the bottom chocolate layer. For aesthetic purposes, I tried to center my PB so that there would be a chocolate edge when finished, but you don’t have to be as precise. Mix the remaining scoop of chocolate protein, 1 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa, water and sweetener the same way. Divide evenly in the muffin cups on top of the PB. Tap lightly to flatten the layers but not so hard you mix them.

Place the cups in the freezer until firm. Mine were ready to eat in about an hour. I also left 2 of them for the following night and took them out about 30 minutes before I planned to eat them so they thawed a bit. They just pop right out of the muffin cups with no problem. Makes 4 peanut butter cups at 87 calories each. This is also dependent on the calories in your protein powder.

I’m definitely glad I figured this trick out and it satisfied my craving until I have a chance to choose the real thing. If you could make them in a different protein flavor, which would you choose?