Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

I am in heaven!

I made turkey meatballs and had them with shirataki noodles for lunch. Life has blossomed again! 

I adapted this recipe from musclemag and changed the proportions since it was designed for a huge bodybuilding male. 

To be completely truthful, it isn't as good as the big, beefy, breadcrumb laden, olive oil coated, Parmesan cheese meatballs that I make for my family (and if you want that recipe, let me know, it's fantastic!)

Considering the amazingly low calorie and carb count though, I am a happy camper eating this, in fact, I froze 7 single serving bags for myself and stocked up on shirataki noodles.

This recipe makes 4 servings. If you were feeding a big guy, you may want to give him double :)

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey breast
3 egg whites (or use 1/2 cup liquid egg whites)

1 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt

pepper

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees, lightly coat a cookie sheet or baking dish with cooking spray.

Remember that spray has no calories only when you use the recommended amount, which is 1/3 of a second spray! I kept testing to see if I was using the correct amount and I am a slow sprayer, I couldn't spray in 1/3 of a second....a can of Trader Joe's olive oil spray has 564 sprays in it, maybe when I am bored some time I should track my usage to see if I am over using it, but I am fairly sure I am.

Mix all ingredients together, if using whole, dried spices, rub them together in your hands to pulverize them.

Scoop out spoonfuls of mixture to form 1" to 2" meatballs and place on tray.

Bake approximately 15 minutes. These won't brown, there isn't anything to brown, no fat, no bread, nothing.

While the meatballs cook, make the noodles. For 2 people use 2 packages shirataki noodles.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Drain and rinse noodles very well under lots of water, then boil 3 minutes. Drain again and place onto paper towels, blot well. It is very important to do this and dry them well to reduce the gelatinous texture. Leave noodles there until ready to add to sauce.

Sauce: 

1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth


Place sauce ingredients into a skillet, then transfer meatballs into the sauce, simmer 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked noodles, stir together and warm for a couple minutes. 

This will have very little sauce, only enough to coat the noodles. Feel free to add as much sauce, prepared spaghetti sauce, anything but remember that tomato sauce has a great deal of carbohydrate, so if you are really watching your weight, try to use more broth based sauces, with just a small amount of tomato sauce added, or use fresh tomatoes, chopped up finely.

Sauces can all be made more flavorful by using mushroom soaking liquid (from dried wild mushrooms), beef broth, a small amount of balsamic vinegar, truffle salt or chicken stock.

This dish, when prepared as I describe, without extra sauce or any cheese has the following nutritional breakdown: 

212.5 calories (yes that is the noodles and the meatballs!)
15.2 grams carbs (yup!)

33 grams protein (wow!)
3.5 grams fat (I love it!) 

Give it a try.

Shirataki Pasta

This looks fabulous doesn't it?! Doesn't even look like "diet" food, but it sure is.

"R" and I went to do a little shopping at Mitsuawa market today, it is my favorite Japanese grocery store.

Among other things, I found some beautiful scallops, I can eat them this week then no more for a few weeks due to the sodium content.
 

I also picked up a few packages of Shirataki pasta- it's made from tofu and yam flour. If you follow Hungry Girl, you read about this years ago, it's actually available at almost any grocery store, in the refrigerator section. I tried it then and didn't care for it, but after tonight I have decided it had to have been my method of preparation that failed me previously.

It has a gelatinous texture, so it is crucial to prepare it correctly so that is almost eliminated. The pasta comes in water, drain it and rinse it very well, using tongs or your hands to clean it all off. Then boil it for 3 minutes and drain well again.

Now this is the most important part, lay it out on paper towels then dab it with more towels to get it as dry as possible.  Now let it sit till you plan to toss it in your dish.

I heated a cast iron skillet till very hot, then sprayed it very quickly with olive oil cooking spray. Salt and pepper on the scallops, and seared them on each side for 2 minutes.

I added 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (it can give sauces a meaty, rich flavor if used sparingly), it quickly cooked off, and I removed the scallops from the pan. I then added 5 ounces diced up fresh tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped green onion, 2 Tablespoons julienned basil, a dash red pepper flakes and let it cook a couple minutes, then added salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.

Simmer a few minutes longer, then add 1/4 cup chicken broth. Add the pasta to the sauce, stir and warm a minute then add the scallops back in, stir.
Serve in a bowl with a few shreds of fresh basil on top.

 Now the good part-  An entire package of shirataki pasta is supposed to serve 2, I ate all of it. The whole package has the following nutritional breakdown:

Calories 40
Carbs 6 grams
Fiber 4 grams

Fat 1/2 gram

Protein 2 grams

Sodium 30 grams

So, when you add the other ingredients to this, the total breakdown was:

6 ounces (uncooked weight) scallops

5 ounces tomato

1/4 cup green onions

2 Tbls Basil

1 Tbls + 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 package shirataki noodles

258 calories

16.6 grams carbs (tomatoes have a lot)

28 grams protein

3 grams fat

To put this into perspective, if you were to use 2 ounces dried pasta (the recommended serving on the box, that's 1/8 of a box), instead of the shirataki noodles,  the breakdwon would look like this:

418 calories

51.6 grams carbs

33 grams protein

3.5 grams fat

That's a HUGE difference, I rarely ever eat a meal with that many calories, and the only meal I eat with that many carbs is immediately following a heavy training session.

I am making turkey meatballs next and shall try a meat based broth with just a few tomatoes and will let you know how it is!

Sweeps and Cuts

I am forever working on my legs, I can never get them big enough. The average woman would probably kill for my legs, long, lean, I don't carry weight in my thighs, I do not have cankles.

But I also don't have those nice big quadriceps muscles, that make a beautiful sweep out to the side, just above the knee , but I have been working on it and working hard.

I am striving to have big, meaty thighs so that when I lose bodyfat, the muscles really pop, and with the right training, strict diet and addition of cardio, you will see deep cuts in the muscles.

I am training legs three times a week, two days heavy and one day light. I require multiple training sessions in a week in order to induce supercompensation increases.

The General Adaptation Syndrome, proposed by Hans Seyle in 1936, requires that an increase in training load be applied as soon as it is apparent that recovery has occurred. Continued use of the initial, adapted-to-load will not induce any disruption of homeostasis and therefore cannot lead to further progress.  Because I have been training many years, and I am no longer a novice, I do not adapt with just one heavy session, it takes more and therefore a longer training and recovery cycle.

I will be changing everything around soon as I am heading into the last few weeks of training prior to my show. I will start using higher reps, lower weights, more cables, more machines, more mindless circuit training.

I will incorporate more cardio and not try to add muscle, I will try to sculpt my body more.

I will start in two days, but for now, this is what I have been doing.

Sweeps and Cuts

Chorizo Turkey Cutlets

We returned home from a lacrosse game, about an hour and a half later than I thought we would. Of all people, I didn't bring food with me! The game was a one hour indoor game, and was smack dab in between meals.

Shaydon Santos, the program director asked Cooper to stay a bit longer, Telemundo was filming and wanted some of the Cali*Lax players in the footage.  

 
By the time I got home, I was hungry and missed a meal. Missing a meal is a real problem when you are prepping for a competition, it may even be worse than eating too much!

I had a rice cake and some peanut butter to hold me a bit, then started making dinner.

David was making cooper "a little snack". He had a chorizo quesadilla, dripping in melted cheese. It made me really, really hungry for chorizo. I knew the cheese was out of the question though.

Dinner was turkey cutlets, they are pre sliced, thin rounds of turkey breast that cooks very quickly. I decided to make turkey cutlet chorizo!
 

I got a large non-stick skillet, sprayed it with olive oil cooking spray, then placed the turkey cutlets in the pan. I generously sprinkled them with chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder (be sure to use the powders and not the salts), pepper and salt.

Once they browned, I turned them over and sprinkled the same thing on the other side then poured in a generous amount of red wine vinegar, which sizzled and began to cook off quickly. One more turn, a bit more vinegar and it was done.

I served it with a side of plain brown rice, (2 ounces), I am now eating to lose fat so starches are restricted, steamed cauliflower and a mixture I had made the previous day of roasted cubed eggplant and sauteed red bell peppers, poblano peppers, and pimiento de padron peppers.

It satisfied my chorizo craving, and I now have a new tasty meal in my repertoire.

Are you Natural?

 That question can mean a zillion things, but for me I am talking about bodybuilding and the use of anabolic steroids , growth hormone, illegal drugs.

The question has been on my mind quite a bit lately.  Unless you compete, or know someone who does, you probably were not aware that there are two types of bodybuilding organizations. There are  "competitions" (non-drug tested) and there are "Natural Competitions".

The non-tested competitions don't drug test, the naturals do. They usually require each competitor to take a lie detector test prior to the competition. Those who place high, and a few random competitors will be tested with urinalysis.  If you are caught with evidence of drugs in your system, you are stripped of your title, banned form the organization, labeled as a "cheater" and you may even get your picture plastered all over the promoters website! They typically test for anything banned by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

Now just because the non-tested shows don't test, it doesn't mean all the competitors are taking drugs. I have been competing in the non-tested shows for two years, and I don't take drugs.  I know many other competitors who do not take drugs either. It just so happens that there are a lot more non-tested competitions than tested ones. It is expensive to have everyone take a lie detector test, and then the urinalysis is even more expensive.

Now the bodybuilding industry has been notoriously involved in drugs forever, this does not mean that all individuals who compete take drugs, but there are quite a large number that do.

People always asume that a woman with an amazing physique takes drugs, this is not so. Most of us are just busting our butts at the gym and carefully monitoring  what we eat. We also employ nutrient timing, when you eat is just as important as what you eat.

One of the most common comments I hear after a woman starts competing, or gets ready to is that they never knew the food was such a huge factor.  Look around the gym, you will see many people working very hard, every day. They may not look that great, and that is because they may have the mindset that "I have worked hard at the gym, so I can eat whatever I want!"

Big, big mistake.

Now as far as "bulking up" and a woman getting so big she looks like a man, well that is quite difficult to do. I have tried it countless times! They can get big, sure, real big, but not that huge look, similar to a bodybuilding male.

Consider the fact that a woman simply cannot build muscles like a man without the testosterone, unless she has consierably more testosterone in her system than most women. Look at Caster Semenya, the poor thing had to submit to a gender test to prove she was legit! She is not the norm though.

For most women, they can lift all the heavy weights that they like and without drugs, they just cannot look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is almost impossible. Speaking of Arnold, it is even impossible for HIM to look like himself! Here are some quotes of his regarding his past steroid use:

1974. "I take steroids because they help me an extra 5 percent. Women take the (contraception) pill.
They are somewhat similar. I do it under a doctor's supervision."

1977: "Yes I have used them, but no, they didn't make me what I am. Anabolic steroids were helpful
to me in maintaining muscle size while on a strict diet in preparation for a contest."

1987: "I don't worry about it, because I never took an overdosage."

1992: "In those days you didn't have to deal with the black market.
You could go to your physician and just say, 'Listen, I want to gain some weight,
and I want to take something.' Then the physician would say, 'Do it six weeks before
competition, then it will be safe.' And that's what you would do. The dosage that
 was taken then versus taken now is not even 10 percent. It's probably 5 percent."

1996: "I used steroids. It was a risky thing to do, but I have no regrets.
It was what I had to do to compete. The danger with steroids is overusage.
I only did it before a difficult competition – for two months, but not for
a period of time that could harm me. And then afterward, it was over.
I would stop. I have no health problems, no kidney damage or anything like that from using them."

When you read about a successful Natural Bodybuilder, you will notice that they ALWAYS ensure that the word NATURAL proceeds their title and name. There just are not that many natural, successful bodybuilders. It's hard to get that big naturally.

I do want to repeat, that many competitors don't rely on any drugs to get where they are, the work hard, diet smart and train day after day. It's the ones using drugs who give the rest of us the bad rap.

The one group of people you would imagine to be the healthiest are often the least healthy. I do think that drugs will be the death of the sport eventually, and that's unfortunate. 

Calorie Free Chocolate

I was at the grocery store the other day and spied this in the fruit section. Now I usually stay away from packaged foods, but right about now, when I am on a pretty strict diet, just about anything looks good.

This is zero calorie chocolate sauce.

Of course, food labeling laws allow them to say this, as long as you stay within the serving size of 2 tablespoons, you are OK, but eat half the jar, and you will be consuming a lot of calories.

I cannot eat this now, but I did have a taste. I thought it was pretty darn good. They have caramel sauce and many other yummy sounding things.

It is Walden Farms Calorie Free Chocolate Dip . Once I visited their website, I saw quite a few things I might like to try, including the Whipped Peanut Butter Spread.

The main ingredients are water, there are thickeners but no bad ingredients, so if you are really watching your calories, these might be just the ticket for you.

So how good is this chocolate sauce? I made Cooper and Logan try it, they are 16 and 17 respectively. The 16 year old says "It's good if you can't have chocolate", the 17 year old says "It doesn't really taste like chocolate".

David  says "It's good in a Hershey sort of way, it definitely does not taste like a rich, dark Scharffen Berger chocolate bar"

Me? I am thinking this will be a great, guilt free way to make my oatmeal taste fabulous, spread some peanut butter on a rice cake and a tablespoon of this on top, and I will be in heaven! 

Next time I am at Cosentino's Grocery I will be looking for the whipped peanut butter,  blueberry fruit spread and their single serving items such as pancake syrup! If they don't have it there, it's my trusty friend the Internet!

Leg Day Motivation

It was leg day and I attacked it with a ferocity I hadn't felt in a long time.
What did it? A couple comments from a fellow competitor.
There was chatter on facebook about who was attending the upcoming San Francisco competition on October 2, and Maegan Swain wanted to know which friends were in.
I said I was and here is what she said:

Yaaaay Kristy!...Ill see you there chica. Looking forward to competing WITH you and not tanning all you ladies. bwahaha ;-)
 
How are you feeling anyway? Man you are a MACHINE woman, I don't know how you do all these shows year round.
I then told her I had just been looking at her stunning pictures and was wondering how on earth SHE maintained such a rockin' body and her response was:
 

OMG wutever, you are the most conditioned little thing ever!
Now this may not seem like much to you, but it does to me. This is a woman, 23 years my junior, a stunning model and figure competitor who will be standing right next to me on stage telling me I am a MACHINE and well conditioned!
 
Honestly, you cannot say anything nicer to a gal than how well conditioned she is (at least in the Figure world) .
Maegan is a Figure competitor and is one of the tanning artists at many of the shows I compete in, she also owns her own mobile tanning business MissFit Mobile Tanning in Lincoln, California.
Even though we may be competing against each other, we are still supportive of each other.
I remember when I first started I was told by a seasoned veteran, "don't talk to anyone, just listen to your ipod and stay to yourself, they are mean and catty".
I have not met one woman who was unkind, unhelpful, or unfriendly.
Everyone supports each other, everyone is friendly, we are all suffering in our own way, alone, yet together.
The excitement of fantasizing together about what we will eat the moment we step off stage, and what we will do the days following is an experience that I cannot describe here.
To spend so many months or weeks preparing for a short one day event takes it's toll. Not many will ever understand the emotional roller coaster, even those who live with a competitor may only know bits and pieces. But to spend the day with someone who knows, who has experienced all the same ups and downs, is like having a lifeline at your side. You grow close to complete strangers, and friendships can last a lifetime.
Every one of these women you see standing on stage looking absolutely stunning has worked very hard to get where they are. They have given up the foods that most of their friends and family's take for granted, they have shunned alcohol, cut their sleep short to get to the gym early, passed on events to get back to the gym again at night, and all the while her head keeps telling her she doesn't look lean enough, full enough, tight enough, it goes on and on.
And when it is all over, the sense of accomplishment, the feeling that she is invincible will remain forever. She will gain a sense of power, power over her mind, her body and the world around her.
 
It's the small comments, the little gestures that can turn a bad day into a wonderful, uplifting, motivating day.  And what makes it even more special, is she didn't even know how much she motivated me, she was speaking from her heart, and from her own experiences.
Meeting people like Maegan make competing more than just a personal accomplishment for me, they enrich  my life.


Here is a picture of Maegan, how would you like to stand next to her? I am honored to.