Jump to content

Jenny Natural's Daily Journal


Recommended Posts

Day 1 of our Challenge!! Hooray!!

My name is Jenny, I am proud to be involved with the New Year's Resolution program that will help ALL of us kick start 2012 with a commitment to getting into our BEST shape YET!!

 

For my full profile, please go to: http://veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_nicol

 

Here I will post my daily workout routine and some super delish recipes and simple food ideas! Please share your recipes with me also, I'm a big FAN of eating well!! Truth be told, I'm constantly eating!!

 

Today's Breakfast:

 

Vega Vibrancy Bar- Wholesome Natural Flavor and a Berry-Avocado-Energy Shake

 

Berry-Avocado-Energy Shake:

300ml Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

100ml H2O

1/2 small Avocado

1/2 small Banana

4-5 small of fresh or frozen Strawberries

1 very small handful of fresh or frozen Blueberries

2 tbsp Chia seeds

2 tbsp Hemp Hearts

1 tbsp of Flax Seeds

1 tbsp of Cinnamon

Add a few cubes of ice if desired and Blend

*Purchase Organic ingredients whenever possible

 

For more info on the above noted seeds: Chia, Hemp Hearts and Flax...

READ MY ARTICLE: viewtopic.php?f=74&t=27165

 

Today's workout is VERY simple!!

I am attending a YOGA class to stretch out after a HARD week of training in preparation for January 1st, DAY 1 of the New Year's Resolution challenge .

 

Stretching is just as important in achieving fitness and endurance goals as Blasting your muscles! Don't underestimate the power of Yoga!! If you want to Run, Cycle, Swim and Train HARDER... Start Stretching MORE!!

 

LET'S DO THIS!!

Edited by Jenny Natural
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Dinner tonight: Pasta with Beans & Veggies and a Fresh salad

 

Kamut Pasta with Coconut Oil and lightly sauteed Garlic, carrots, onions, red & yellow peppers and zucchini. Then added black soy beans and hemp hearts once plated.... Super yummy and packed with protein!!

 

Salad: Baby arugula with strawberries and almonds, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

 

100% Organic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good Morning ALL!!

 

DAY 2

 

The very first thing I do in the morning is down a big glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon, then I take my dog for a quick walk. (He is a chihuahua so he doesn't make it very far in the winter)

Upon our arrival back home I spend a few moments stretching out my body (5-10 mins) Which REALLY helps wake up the body and get the blood flowing throughout the muscles.

 

My Breakfast: Vega Vibrancy Bar (Chocolate flavor) and a Protein Smoothie

 

Hemp Protein Smoothie

300ml Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

100ml H2O

1/2 small Banana

1 very small handful of fresh or frozen Blueberries

2 tbsp Chia seeds

2 tbsp Hemp Hearts

1 tbsp of Flax Seeds

1 tbsp of Cinnamon

30g of Hemp Protein

 

Add a few cubes of ice if desired and Blend

*Purchase Organic ingredients whenever possible

 

My day is rather hectic today, so I will hit the gym this evening for a 3-4 mile run and abdominal work.

 

How are YOU spending DAY 2??

 

LET'S DO THIS!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 3

 

Hello EVERYONE!! How is Day 3 going??

It is sooooo cold here in TORONTO today! The low for the day and night was over -20 degrees Celsius!!

On days like this I want hearty, warm foods to keep me nourished.

 

I started my day with a Vega Vibrancy bar (Chocolate flavor) and a piece of Ezekiel sprouted bread topped with organic coconut oil (instead of a fake butter or margarine, I use coconut oil)

 

I went to the gym at lunch time, attended a fantastic "Power Yoga" class then ran on the treadmill for 2.5 miles.

It is important when running on the treadmill to change up the terrain, if you keep the treadmill at zero incline it is nothing like an actual run, as the road or sidewalk is NEVER perfectly flat... So I set my workout at a 'Random' setting which will increase and decrease the incline slightly and ultimately simulate what it would be like to run outdoors.

No need to set the percentage of incline high... even at 0.5-1.0% incline will do wonders for the Run!

 

Lunch was YUMMY! I had an apple as soon as I returned home, and a small Bean burrito. Later in the afternoon I had a banana and a handful of raw almonds.

 

For dinner I made a super DELISH 100% Organic Veggie-Bean and Kamut Pasta soup.

I always stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil into the soup once bowled... I find it makes the taste a little richer and this way the soup is a complete meal with my Carbs-Protein and Fat.

 

Don't forget healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado and nuts are OK (in moderation) We need some good fat in our diets!!

If I add a little fat to my meals, I find it much easier to stick to my diet/meal plan.

 

**Please purchase ORGANIC foods whenever possible!!

 

Looking forward to DAY 4!!

 

So proud of all my participants!! WE ARE ROCKING THIS CHALLENGE!! YAY TEAM!!

 

Great Work: Ronnie, Sarah, Andrea and Lindsey!!

 

Rest well everyone! ☺

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 4

 

Good evening Friends!!

 

I started day 4 with a bowl of Organic Oats topped with Cinnamon, flax seeds, almonds and apple. Was sooooo Yummy!!

 

My exercise routine today was a mixture of cardio and core. I attended a KILLER spin class then completed push-ups, crunches with the medicine ball, assisted chin-ups and dips.

I was running around all day, so for lunch I ate a Vega Vibrancy Bar an apple and banana.

 

For dinner I went to one of my favorite vegan restaurants, enjoyed Lima bean and veggie stew with brown rice and Kale salad.

 

I was VERY hungry today so this evening I had edamame (soy beans in the pod) a kiwi and 2 dried figs for dessert.

 

I'm soooooo tired today, will head off to bed soon... Must get enough rest to be able to CRUSH it tomorrow!!

 

Also it REALLY IMPORTANT to Note:

Tomorrow's NEW YORK TIMES is featuring a story on body builder Jimi Sitko and The Vegan Body Building.com website!! Look in the Sports section of the newspaper.

HOORAY!!!

Props to founder Robert Cheeke!!

AMAZING work my friend!!

Soooooo incredibly proud of you and truly honored to be a member of the team!!

Congrats!!

 

In case you miss the opportunity to pick a physical copy of the TIMES tomorrow, please check out the story online:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/sports/vegans-muscle-their-way-into-bodybuilding.html?_r=2&ref=sports

 

WATCH OUT CARNIVORES!! THE VEGANS ARE TAKING OVER!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Jenny,

 

Thanks for the enthusiastic shout out. Very much appreciated! Hope you get a chance to grab a copy of the paper! Jimi used to be one of the most active people on the forum. He's back in school now so he has been spending time finishing his degree, but he's still a major part of our online forum family.

 

Have an awesome Thursday!

 

Thanks for your support!

 

-Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello ALL!

DAY 5

 

Did everyone get a chance to read the article the NY TIMES featured on Jimi Sitko, Robert Cheeke and the Vegan BodyBuilding website?? If not... Read the Story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/sport ... ref=sports

 

WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD TO BE APART OF THIS AMAZING ONLINE COMMUNITY!!

 

Today is my REST day!! Yay!!

I still rolled out my yoga mat and stretched for 20 minutes... this helps me to relax and recover from my workouts.

REST and STRETCHING are a very important part of achieving any and all fitness goals.

 

Will keep my post short today, as I am wiped! Long day.

 

Looking forward to DAY 6!!

 

Goodnight Friends!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the record, you were the NYT cheerleader of the day! I wasn't online much, was out and about, didn't even see the actual paper until 10PM when there were just a few left, but you were lighting things up online all day.

 

Thanks for all your support, not only of me, but for this whole community. Glad we connected on Twitter and I could introduce you to our community here. You're a great addition and I appreciate all of your contributions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 6

Today was ALL about VEGA!

Started my morning with a Vega Sport bar and a banana...YUM! Late morning I had a chocolate vega shake, just vega protein and water and an apple.

Lunch was a vega bar and spinach salad with almonds, carrots and homemade coconut oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Mid-afternoon I had a pomegranate snack...

Then for dinner a Vega shake with blueberries, Fresh squeezed orange juice, chia, hemp hearts, flax and cinnamon, with a piece of ezekiel sprouted bread topped with coconut oil and cinnamon.

 

For a snack after the gym, I had 2 kiwi fruits and another salad topped with walnuts, cucumber and the same dressing as noted above.

 

My workout:

On the treadmill with varying incline, I ran for 3 miles then hit my CORE exercises... Leg press, 100 crunches- 60 of them with a 10lb medicine ball, push-ups, burpees, lunges and squats. Then stretching.

 

Killer workout today, my butt is killing me already!!

 

Want to give a shout out to one of my participants, Lindsey: Congrats on refusing to take medication for lowering cholesterol... Lindsey is kicking her cholesterol's butt through her plant-based diet!! No medication needed, just a clean diet, even her doctor is impressed!! GO GIRL!!

 

Hope everyone had a strong day of training or if today was your rest day... ENJOY!!

 

Goodnight!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 9

Good Afternoon Friends!!

 

How was the weekend?

I trained on Saturday afternoon, a mixture of Running and my upper body, back extensions, burpees, curls. I'm really enjoying running at the moment, so Im doing quite a bit more of that lately. I go in and out of my interest for running more than just a quick warm up before hitting the weights and core training.

 

Saturday evening I was on RAW Chocolate over load!! I had the opportunity to attend a seminar with one of my heroes, naturalist David Wolfe, and there was a lot of cacao being passed around the room! SUPER TREAT!

 

Sundays I usually always practice Yoga, it is a welcomed relief to my muscles after a week of working my body.

 

Today is back to blasting my core, I haven't gone to the gym yet today, will go this evening.

My routine will be focused on legs and some abdominal work.

I try to do crunches as much as possible, no matter what muscle group I am working. Even if I reserve a very small amount of energy during my workout for one core exercise such as a 2-3 sets of burpees or crunches, it keeps my abs tight and engaged.

 

I picked up some Vega Vibrancy Bars today, they are my FAVORITE!! Had a bar with an apple and banana for breakfast , some strawberries and walnuts for a snack. Lunch is yet to come...

 

Enjoy the day!! Let's KILL it this week!!

Start of week TWO!! WhooooootWooooo!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 10

Today was one of those dreaded days in which you have to be driving the car for several hours... I was out of the City for work and did not make it to the gym today to complete the workout I thought I would have time for.

LUCKILY!! I keep a couple of fitness and yoga videos on hand so that in times when I'm left with just enough time to exercise at home, I roll out my mat and can follow a routine that will really work my body.

 

Tonight's video was "Fat Burning Yoga" by Crunch fitness.

Whenever the time is limited, and it is not a Rest-day, I try to use whatever I have access to, video or not, to get a workout in.

 

I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm hooked on the VEGA bars, so I always carry one with me, especially when on the road, with a piece or two of fresh organic fruit. Water is key when sitting stationary in a car, or at a desk, it keeps the blood flowing.

 

Tomorrow will be back to core and weight training.

 

Goodnight ALL!

 

Keep ROCKING that Body!!

Edited by Jenny Natural
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 12

I TOTALLY KILLED IT at the gym tonight!!

Went or a 2.5 mile run to warm up, then it was onto CORE. I love doing ab roll-outs on the ball, find that exercise to be very effective. I also did 2 sets of lunges with the ball and for my final set I used a 10lb medicine ball, swinging across my torso from side to side, calf raises and back extensions were in the mix and assisted dips and chin-ups too. I finished with a 0.5 mile sprint and stretching.

 

Diet was pretty simple today:

Breakfast- A vega sport protein shake with half an avocado, blueberries, chia and hemp hearts. + an apple and a small handful of raw unsalted sunflower seeds.

 

Snack: Grapefruit & Carrots

 

Dinner: Kale salad, spinach and lentil stew, edamame and half an orange for dessert.

 

Post workout: Harmonized vegan protein by Progressive mixed with half an avocado, strawberries and flax.

 

Hope everyone is having a great week!!

 

Let's keep pushing toward our goals together!!!

 

Goodnight!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 13

Who was feeling LUCKY today?? We're BUSTIN' myths all over the place!! Friday the 13th is LUCKY and Vegans are STRONG.... Share that with those who are conditioned to believe otherwise

 

Today was all about Yoga for me, after a heavy workout and intense week of work I sometimes need a couple of days of yoga to stretch out my muscles and calm my mind.

Unlike any other time when I'm in the gym, when practicing yoga, I don't have the music blasting in my earbuds so it really helps me focus on my breath and holding the pose.

 

Yoga practice can be done by ANYONE regardless of mass, age or experience. I highly recommend introducing it into your routine, IMMEDIATELY.

 

Today I decided to switch up my protein source and picked up RAW protein from Sun Warrior, it's delicious!!

I believe it is important to change up the supplements from time to time, for example if you ALWAYS use your favorite protein, purchase a different blend or brand and consume the different one every 6 or 7 days for a day then switch back.

This will allow the body to wake up and pay attention to the new source, then when switching back it will go through the same "awakening".

Obviously it is ok to stick with the same source of protein all the time, however in my opinion and experience, I believe it is best to change it up also.

 

I hope everyone had a fantastic second week of training, if the weekend is your REST time... ENJOY!!

Otherwise, Let's ROCK it out in the gym tomorrow friends!!

 

Goodnight!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 16

How was everyone's weekend??

I was crazy busy!

 

Today was my REST day!! Hooray!

With that said, I still did a heck of a lot of walking and carrying of heavy things like grocery bags, parcels and laundry.

I am dog sitting for a friend, which has been fun, so I have been taking the dogs for an extra walk today and yesterday, until both are on the same schedule.

 

I'm back on the Sun Warrior protein, but also eating my favorite protein bars Vega Vibrancy Bars.

Today I started my day with a delicious shake:

 

350ml of water

3Tbsp of Dry Oats

1 tsp of Cinnamon

1/2 Banana

1/3 cup of Blueberries

2Tbsp of Chia seeds

2Tbsp of Hemp Hearts

1Tbsp of Flax Seeds

Ice

 

I'm a creature of habit and typically start my day the same way everyday! I love a fresh shake packed full of nutrients to start my day!! I also have 1 piece of toasted sprouted ezekiel bread topped with 1/2 tsp of X-Virgin Coconut oil, sprinkled with Cinnamon.

 

For a snack I had a Vibrancy Bar and an Apple.

 

Lunch was an Arugula salad with Sunflower seeds, cucumber, carrot and tomato w/ a olive oil and balsamic mix lightly drizzled on top.

 

Mid afternoon snack: Vibrancy bar and a Grapefruit

 

DInner: Kamut Pasta with a veggie broth & coconut oil base + sauteed fennel, tomato, yellow pepper and onion.

Another apple for dessert.

 

I'm a snacker so, mid evening I had some sunflower seeds and carrots with 2Tbsp of homemade hummus.

 

Still up, its after 1am, and I have about another hour or so of work to do....

Attending Spin class in the morning, really looking forward to blasting my quads with the crazy cardio from Spin!!

 

Goodnight Friends!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 17

 

Today started with a killer SPIN class! Yay! Love the burn I feel in my quads after spin.

I followed class with some push-ups and assisted dips & chin-ups. I always make a point to STRETCH after a hard workout, even if it was a cardio day... It is super important to stretch!

 

Diet was somewhat predictable, I started my day with a Sun Warrior protein shake. Today instead of banana in my shake I used avocado, if you have yet to add avocado to your protein shakes, try it immediately!!

Avocado blends up very smooth and has no taste when mixed with a fruit like blueberries or strawberries.

Just make sure not to use the whole avocado, if it is a really big one, use only 1/3 or 1/2 if it is medium to small.

 

Lunch was some left over kamut pasta with lightly sauteed veggies, which I added on top of a bed of fresh arugula and hemp hearts.

I love grapefruit, and lately it seems I am eating one everyday... this was my afternoon snack with a Vega Vibrancy Bar.

 

Dinner was super delish, I went to Whole Foods and treated myself to the buffet. My choice: A salad with Raw Kale, spinach, quinoa, garbanzo beans, baked artichokes, shredded beets and carrots.

An apple for dessert.

 

Throughout the day, if I'm hungry I munch on raw shelled sunflower seeds, a small handful here and there really wards off the hunger.

*Please buy Organic ingredients whenever possible

 

Ok, it's time to walk the dogs for the last time tonight!!

 

Rest well everyone!!

 

Keep pushing toward a fitter you!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...