1. chop veggies (pictured here are carrots, asparagus, celery, eggplant, yellow and red bell peppers, and sweet potatoes)2. put chopped veggies in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and mix them around so they are all lightly coated with oil
3. spread veggies onto a pan with foil
4. sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme on top5. bake! (I baked them at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes, but just check on them until they’re tender)
I eat this with egg whites for one of my daily snacks. YUM!
Posted in Healthy meals
So now that I’ve given up coffee, (headaches!) stopped eating after 7:30, bought tupperware, a waterbottle, and workout clothes, its time for the next step, the FOOD.
Time to clear out the fridge of all the crap, including high in fat/calorie cheeses, creams, ice cream, big breads from the pantry, candy, sweets, everything. I usually eat it. But as long as its gone, its good.
The most important part is to make a meal plan.
When preparing to drop weight for a fight, which is fast and effective, my meals consist of:
8:00am Breakfast: protein shake
10:00am Snack: carrots and hummus
12:00pm Lunch: chicken salad
2:00pm Snack: egg whites and vegetables
4:00pm Dinner: brown rice and vegetables or chicken
6:00pm pre-workout meal: either another protein shake, or a type of protein bar
Thats 1100-1200 calories per day.
I will throw in variations here and there, but that is mostly what I stick to. I drink lots of clear, sugar free flavored water throughout the day as well. This keeps me full. And hydrated 
I make my meal plan according to the calories I’ll need, and the amount I know will help me lose weight, because I”ve done this before. Also according to what I like to eat.I plan out my grocery list to cover two weeks of food. And then I go shopping!
Almost there, Day 4.
Posted in Healthy meals, How to eat, Other Advice, What to buy
Answer: Because its less processed.
White and brown rice are actually the same plant. When rice is processed, the outer layer or “hull” is removed, because you can’t eat it. After the outer layer, there is a bran layer where all the nutrients is. After that layer, is the white rice center.
Brown rice is made by removing the outer hull of the rice grain, and that’s it. They leave on the bran layer where all the fiber and nutrients is. That’s also how it gets the brown color.
White rice is made by removing the outer hull AND the bran layer. Why do they do this? I don’t know.
They both have around the same glycemic index, but I figure if I’m going to eat carbs I might as well be getting the most nutrients I can while doing it. So I choose brown rice.
Posted in Dieting truths/myths, How to eat
This pic was too cute not to post!
Sisters!
I kid you not, I just lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks and I literally only worked out twice. And one of those two times was a WEAK workout.
After my fight, I told you I gained 12 lbs from all my post-fight eating. In truth I gained 19 LBS! I was embarrassed.
I was at 163 lbs. Today I am at 154. It hasn’t even been 3 weeks. And what did I do? COUNT CALORIES. That was it. I stayed under 1200 calories per day, didn’t change anything else about my routine, and BAM. 9 lbs. Gone.
I just wanted to put this out there, to show you how it’s not complicated, it just takes a lot of discipline.
Happy Wednesday.
Posted in How to eat
I have kind of been in and out of training since August. I was supposed to fight in October, then December, but nothing happened.I’m only an amateur fighter, so I don’t know much, but The long journey has taught me many things about my mind, my body, and fighters in any combat sport.
1. Everyone needs a Mr. Miyagi
Mine is Santi. He’s from Thailand. Old school. Tells me what to do every day and tells me “not like that, like this” if I’m doing it wrong. He squeezes my bicep and says “hm. soft. you need more lift weight.” He punches my stomach and says “need six pack.” Biggest motivator and reason for making it this far.
2. Inviting people to my fight keeps me from quitting
Knowing that I have friends coming to come see me kept me going. I can’t promote my fight on Facebook and then back out, I would never hear the end of it. Those of you who come, are also to credit for me making it this far.
3. I’m a girl, dammit
I found myself thinking “I can’t workout without a headband because my bangs will look funny,” or “My eyes are red, I need eye drops so I don’t look scary.” or “I want to wear those shorts and this tank top Thursday because that cute guy will be at the gym.” And when it was that time of the month, yea, I cried at the gym over stupid things.
4. But I am one tough, scary-dangerous chick
In training, I busted my nose, sliced my toe foot open, got punched in the face, repeatedly, kicked in the stomach, kneed in the ribs, ran the hill to Universal Studios, got cramps in my calves, shin splints, ate less than 1200 calories/day, slept less than 5 hrs/night, countless bruises that I still have and don’t remember how I got them. I can go for five rounds of thai pads, rest, and do five more. Then spar for five more rounds. My energy comes from all this built up anger that I didn’t even know how I got. But its in there, and I know how to let it out.
5. Fighting makes everyone moody
Your body’s natural testosterone level increases. This makes me not give a f*** about anything or anyone, and make me angry. I am being trained to be a cold killer. But when the training session is done, I am back to who I am. Throughout the day I notice these changes as well. Being sensitive to a jerk, sad to angry, etc. much more.
6. I can eat the same thing for 3 months and not care
Protein shake, banana, chicken with spinach, egg whites and vegetables, brown rice, carrots with hummus. Everyday. For 3 months. And I’m still okay with it. I never thought I could push myself this far.
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7. You are not who you are in the ring
When you see a fighter in the ring, they are a product of months of training, exhaustion, dieting, working with training partners, coaches, etc. In the ring, however, there’s people watching, things going on to block your concentration, nerves, adrenaline, a lot of factors impact how you fight. Keeping the mental focus of your training while you’re IN the ring, is a whole other skill set. So when you see someone lose, it might not mean they are bad at fighting, they just lose their focus in the ring.
8. I kicked genetics in the face 
I have shaped my body into amazing. My legs are strong. my butt is round from running hills, my abs are cut from crunches and eating right, my arms are cut from boxing with 14oz gloves everyday. I can mold my body into anything I want.
9. My doubts about my abilities are what holds me back
I never thought I would ever be good enough to get in a ring, to get below 150 lbs, to have definition in my ABS, to diet and workout everyday, while working 2 or 3 jobs. The reason I didn’t do these things until now, at 26 years old, was because I never thought I could. To my surprise, I can do anything I want, if my mind can believe it.
10. Fighters are not born, they are trained
No one is born a champion fighter. Your coach teaches you how to move and how to react. Constant hard work, a good coach and training partners are what creates a champion fighter. I owe everything to my gym
11. Fighting isn’t really about fighting
Every fighter fights for different reasons. Every fighter goes through rigorous training for every fight. At the end of 3 rounds, whoever wins or loses, both fighters will walk away better people, more experienced, matured, confident, and their lives are changed forever.
12. You will learn who your real friends are
My friend Ming helped me train every night from 9-11pm. My friend John would leave work early to help me. My friend Travis gave me free private lessons once a week. My friends Sara and Dez gave me free supplements for recovery, energy, and fat loss. My friend Lily is driving from Vegas to see my fight. My friend Mark, a marine, is driving from the base in 29 Palms. Everyday at the gym my friends would offer to hold pads or spar with me. Its just a small amateur fight, but all these friends of mine support me in so many ways and I can’t describe how grateful I am.
Posted in Other Advice
My friends ask me this question a lot. Everyone HAS abs, its just that some are hidden under fat, and some are not strong enough to show shape. See above photos of me.
Of course everyone is different, and its much different for guys, but its basically simple; you just have to stop eating like crap, and make your ab muscles stronger.
Here’s how I did it:
And there you have it.
Ask your doctor before taking any supplements.
Posted in How to eat, How to workout
