Cinnamon Scones

This recipe was adapted from Money Saving Mom

I came across this scone recipe and tweaked it a bit to make it low carb and healthier. 

It was low carb at first, but I had to add in whole wheat flour to thicken it up in the end.

What you need: 

-2 cups flour (I used 1 cup Almond Flour and 1 cup Oat Flour)

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 cup butter

-1 egg, separated

-3 Tablespoons honey (I used granulated Splenda)

-1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice)

Crumb Topping:

1-2 tbsp sugar, I used Splenda)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

 1 cup powdered sugar

1-3 teaspoons milk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

What you need to do:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

-Separate the egg white and yolk. Set the egg white aside.

 -In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk, honey (or splenda) and buttermilk (or milk/lemon juice mixture). Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

 -Form dough into a ball on a floured surface. Roll or pat out to half an inch in thickness and eight inches in diameter. Cut into eight equally-sized pieces.

 -Transfer to a greased baking sheet (or Parchment paper). Whisk the egg white until froth forms and brush over the tops of scones. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over egg-white-topped scones.

 -Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

 -Mix together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until glaze forms. Drizzle over scones after they bake.

I also froze some of them for a later time

Here is the nutritional value:

188 Calories, 17 g Carbs, 13 g Fat, 5 g Protein, 4 g Fiber, 5 g Sugar

Blog Parties:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Introducing the Loyalty Program!!

      I know I have very few readers and that's okay. But I stumbled across this site called Punch Tab. And I knew I had to do it! Basically, every time you click onto my blog, you can redeem points. And if you share my blog through Facebook, Twitter or Google  you get more points! If you comment, you guessed it you get points. And I'm not talking about 5 -10 points. You get 100 for checking out my blog and you get 200 for sharing and commenting! You can then redeem your points. Not for meh stuff either.

For starbucks, target, amazon and more gift cards! Heck, even I'm checking out my blog every day and sharing! I want gift cards!!
     So share with your friends. But every once in a while, could you actually show a little interest in what I say? that would be fantastic. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. :)

Apps I use

I received a question from x0m36a asking if I use any apps and what do I use.

Well, I do use apps and am always on the search for more. If you have any that you think I should try out, I'd love to know.

My top favorite:

• NikePlus - My #1 app I use on my phone to track my running. I love it because it has GPS tracking, and tracks your pace and the elevation. I can also view my runs online and compare them to last runs.   can also connect it to Facebook so it'll remember my password and posts when I run and it'll have a cheer sound for you when your friends like it. Nike does so well tracking every little detail for your runs and I love it. I like to race against myself and out-best myself constantly, so with this app, I can do just that. Plus, you can connect your music to it and pick a power song.

• Endomodo - Endomondo is great for tracking just about anything outdoors. I mostly use it for walking and playing tennis. But what I love most about it is that when you're done working out, it'll post onto myfitnesspal how many calories you burned.
  
• Myfitnesspal - Best calorie/food/workout tracker. I love that I can use it from an app or online. I can fix it up however I want it and post recipes and it'll save them. There are a lot of great people who are working on the same goals as you and you can friend them or find your Facebook friends and keep each other accountable. (Add me at blkenigma8)
  
• Instagram - this is more of a motivational app. I post my results, foods I eat, motivational words, the works. I love getting tips/ praise from other people, even if I don't know them or doing the same for other people who have lost weight. (Follow me at blkenigma)

Others I use:

• Nike Training Club - This is great for at home workouts. I mostly use this in the winters and I don't  ant to go to the gym. It definitely gets your heart working and leaves you sore the next day. There's also a lot of variety so you won't get bored. 
• Calories Burned Calculator - This app has a lot of workouts listed under it to choose from. Like A LOT. you put in your current weight and height how long you did the activity and calculate. It's a great way to be as accurate as you possibly can.
• LifeKraze - I love this app just as motivation. I post what I've done in the day and people comment or they give me high fives or points. Its like instagram, but with pictures and words but without the negativity. 
• Sworkit - this app I've only used a few times. It gives you a lot of moves to try out. I mostly use it for stretching if I'm trying to stretch a specific area and I don't know what to do. 

Goals and Rewards

It is important to keep motivated as you lose weight and to not fall off the wagon. One way that I do this is by having goals and rewards.

This is my current and not updated goal/rewards. I've already hit 170lbs, so I got myself some new kicks.

These are my new and awesome running shoes. I use them solely for forward direction activities (walks, running) and not for zumba, turbo kick, etc. (btw, I used to not have ankles and that line going up my calf. How awesome is that??)
So, now that some time has passed, I want to update my goal/rewards.

170 lbs New Running Shoes

165 lbs Newer Magic Bullet (mine is crapping out!)

160 lbs Heart Rate Monitor

155 lbs Haven't decided yet

150 lbs Mini Vacation

145 lbs Haven't decided yet

140 lbs Clothes Shopping!!! (Hubby totally agreed to it! No shoes though :( But I can get those now!)

This bad boy (maybe girl, since it's pink.) is my next toy. The Polar Women's FT4 Heart Rate Monitor. 

A couple of notes if you're going to do this. 

• NEVER EVER reward yourself with food. You're not a dog! Especially fattening foods. I used to lose like 5 pounds and say "Let's go to Chili's now!" and get fattening foods and gain it all back in no time. You're training your body and cutting out that bad stuff. Every once in a while it's ok. I usually have my cheat day once a week, but lately, I honestly don't really want to. And when I do cheat, I feel gross afterwards.
  So, don't train your body that after you do good to do bad, ok? One step forward and two steps back, is what that does. 
• Don't reward yourself with clothes until the end. Mine is set to 140 right now, but if I decide that I want to get to 130, I'm going to wait.
  If you're jonesing for some shopping time, either buy some workout clothes, buy a pair or pants or a bikini as a goal for yourself, or visit this woman's site: Merrick's Art
  She takes her old clothes and redesigns them! I actually have a few clothes ready to resew sometime!
• Always re-evaluate your goals/rewards. Like I said before, I may want to go down to 130, so I'm going to see how I look at 140 and reevaluate!
• This system is tricky. I don't really depend on the scale that much. Because I do weights and cardio every day, it's hard to judge how much a weigh through a scale. I usually hit a certain number and then gain a few then after a few days I lose it all again. You gotta remember that muscle weighs more than fat. I am getting thinner, but sometimes weigh more because of it. Right now I'm fluctuating around 170, so I just crossed it off the list now. 
• Patience. Of all people, I should not be the one who says to be patient. I'm the worst person when it comes to patience. THE WORST. But with this, I've learned to be patient. I used to be like "oh I'm close to my goal, I'll just have my reward now." It was like celebrating my birthday before my actual birth date. When it came to my day, it seemed so sad. I wait to get my reward until I hit my goal. It only makes it so much better. It's worth the wait. 

Also, I have my goals and rewards posted here:

Idea from pinterist. I do not want to take any credit for this.

Up on the top left I have pounds to lose and pounds lost. 

Bottom left I have all my classes lined up and color coordinated for which gym the class is at.

Top right is motivational words, my goal/rewards and how long I can hold plank for

Bottom right Are some notes and my monthly plan. 

I highly recommend doing something like this. It keeps me on top of my game and lets me write down my schedule and ideas for workouts. My husband also puts notes up there and leaves me some motivating words. 

Day 9: Operation Eat Clean

It is Transformation Tuesday!!

Crazy, right???

Anyway, today I'm taking it easy. After the fall in the shower, the shin splints and me over doing it with weights last night, I definitely think its time to take it easy. 

I want to go to the light zumba today, do some ab/oblique/back work, yoga and/or a walk later tonight.

Sounds like a lot, I'm sure I won't do at least one of those, but it's my goal for today.

Breakfast:

Special K's Protein Meal Replacement Shake

They're not bad tasting, but I think Slim fast tastes better. 

Lunch:

Is this not the most random lunch ever??
3 chicken pot stickers, hard boiled egg whites, 1/2 a kiwi, grapes, homemade hummus and bagel chips.
I got hungry all of a sudden, so I just grabbed a bunch of stuff!

Day 8: Operation Eat Clean

So, last night I fell in the tub. I was taking a bath, grabbed hold of the sides of the tub, and my right hand slipped, scrapping my right arm against the very hard side of the tub. I have a huge bruise on my right arm and it hurts...a lot. 

Anyway, wanted to share my senior moment. 

Yesterday, a girlfriend asked me if I moved out of the 170's. I said no not yet, why? She said I looked like I dropped a good chunk of weight. Which made me feel amazing. She even kept interrupting herself to tell me, "Seriously, you look so good!" The scale has definitely not been my friend; it's good to know that I actually am losing weight.

Today's Breakfast:

What? Not coffee?? yea... remarkable!

Chai Tea and Pumpkin Oatmeal with Pure Maple syrup on top and my vitamins.

I actually didn't like the oatmeal after I ate a spoonful, so I had a muffin instead.

Still super sore today. My bones feel brittle, I have shin splints (I think from my new running shoes) and my muscles are sore too. I don't think I'm going to go to Zumba today, but I'm going to do yoga, a run, and my arm day.

Pre-workout juice:


I'm running with all my might and this is my dog, Triskit.

Moooommmm! Are ya coming??
He actually kept running forward and running back to me the whole time.
Way to make me feel like nothin', Triskit.


It didn't really matter anyways. My shins skilled me right off the bat.
I tried to make it as far as I could, but I went back home.

And I wrapped my shins in ice packs.

Dinner though was pretty good!

Fish Taco's with a fruit salad!
And this time I made them with one 100 calorie tortilla.
Last time, I made them with 2 small white flour Mission tortillas. This time I used Flat Out's wheat and flax seed wraps and cut them in half.
Fish tacos included a beer battered cod (surprisingly healthy), cabbage mix for cole slaw, shredded carrots and a chipotle cream (Greek yogurt and sour cream)

Then after a few hours of recovery, I went to the gym and did my arm day:
(In each hand, so double the weight)
Inside Curls: 12 lbs, 3/12 (3 reps of 12)
V ups: 10 lbs 3/12
Tricep Dips: 3/12
Hammer Curls: 12 lbs 3/12
Fly's: 10 lbs 2/12, 12 lbs 1/12
Reverse Fly's: 10 lbs 1/12
In and Out curls: 10 lbs 3/12
Kick Backs: 10 lbs 1/12
Shoulder Shrugs: 17.5 lbs 3/12
Overhead Press: 10 lbs 3/12
Chest Press: 12 lbs 3/12

Tricep extension: (only 1 weight) 17.5 lbs 3/12

I over did it. I was so maxed out that I could barely push the door open to leave the gym and to drive home.
I'm gonna feel it tomorrow, for sure!


Recovery smoothie
Orange juice, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/2 kiwi, 1/4 cup strawberry, 1 scoop Body Fortress Vanilla Whey Protein powder.

And now, I'm off to take a hot, hot, hot shower and go to bed!
Good night all!

Jillian Michaels Whey Protein Powder - Vanilla Cream Shake

Price: $25 for about 14 scoops
Taste: I wasn't a fan of the Vanilla Cream Shake. It popped out way too much in my smoothies. I usually only put a half of a banana in my smoothies and I had to put a whole one in just to mask the taste of this, and even then, it didn't work well.
Only 100 calories per scoop.
Protein: 15 g of protein for 1 scoop.

I read a lot of reviews on Myfitnesspal and basically, what I got out of it all is that this protein is made by a brand called Pure Protein. From what I gather, they made new containers, slapped her name on it and hiked up the price.

My final review:
$25 for less scoops of protein and even then you only get 15 g of protein? Plus the bad taste. Jillian Michaels is amazing, but ladies, just because she is on it, doesn't mean it's the way to go. Not worth it. 

Body Fortress Whey Protein Powder - Vanilla

Body Fortress is my favorite Protein Powder by far, so far. 

Price: $15 for about 25 scoops

Taste: I feel like it enhances what ever type of smoothie you want it in. I haven't tried it in just milk or in water, and I don't think I ever will. But it is good in juice. It breaks down very easily in liquids, I've never had any clumping problems. And it's great for a food replacement. I feel full for 3-4 hours.

I will have to try the Chocolate and Strawberry one day.

Protein: In one scoop you get 30 g of protein, in 2 scoops, 60 g of protein.

1 scoop is 170 calories, which is kinda up there, but so protein is too, and therefore worth it to me. 

It has (for one scoop):

Calcium 87 mg

Phosphorous 63 mg

Magnesium 15 mg

Potassium 120 mg

All of which are good for you in different ways. They're aren't much  for each, but it's a good amount considering it's all in one place, plus you will be eating more of each in your diet. It's a good amount so you don't go overboard. It also has super recovery blend in the ingredients.

I highly recommend trying this one out. I put 1 scoop in every smoothie I make after I workout for a recovery drink.

Day 7: Operation Eat Clean

I'm almost done with my 10 day 'trial', if you will. 

I think I'm going to keep this up. I am getting a little burnt out from counting my calories. If I just eat clean 80% of the time, which I think I do, I think I'll be okay.

I'm slowly getting better with sweets. Every night after dinner I crave something so sweet. Lately, I've been craving this Tiramisu cake from Dillon's. OMG in a cake. It's soooo fattening but soooo good! I have to resist it.

So whenever I crave sweets, I've been making smoothies or I have a fruit bowl. I'm trying to teach my body to crave fruit instead of desserts.

Since it's Sunday, I usually take it easy. I'm going to be doing my leg day, yoga and maybe a jog. 

I say maybe because today my hip joints are killing me. I don't even want to do my leg day, but I must! This week is going to be hardcore! I leave for Spokane on the 27th and I will be seeing my mother for the first time since February. Basically, since I started losing weight. I want to lose a few more inches in the next 9 days and I have to go on 5 more runs before then. PLUS I have to deep clean the whole house before she gets here. (Why do mothers make us so frantic?)

So the schedule for this week:

Sun: Leg day, Yoga, Run 3.5 miles

Mon: Arm Day, high intensity Zumba

Tues: Abs/Oblique/back day, low intensity Zumba, Run 3.75 miles

Wed: Leg day, high intensity Zumba

Thurs: Arm day, low intensity Zumba, 

Fri: Abs/oblique/back day, Run 4 miles

Sat: Rest

Breakfast today was big:

Eggs (1 whole egg, 2 egg whites) with ketchup, 2 strips turkey bacon, 3 strawberries, 1 banana, coffee, and OJ. Woo! It was hard to eat it all! Plus (not in the pic) I had my vitamins. 

I think I'll be full for a while.

I was full, until I was all of a sudden FAMISHED!
You ever have one of those days that just drags on and on and it's only been an hour?
That was today.
After I ate breakfast, I did a post on muscle soreness and toning because for a few days now, my muscles and bones have been sore. I've had body pains everywhere. I'm still feeling sore from that run I did on Saturday!
Afterwards, I decided to take a bath. But, in order to bathe, I HAD to clean my tub.
You ever start cleaning one thing and next thing you know your whole entire house is clean?
That was me.
Then I was hungry... not hungry ravenous.
I did not want to cook. I just cleaned the kitchen, I don't even know what to make, and I just went out, I didn't want to go again. So, that left pizza.
I did it, guys. I had the stupid pizza. Not only that, but I ordered a chicken, pineapple, banana pepper, red pepper and onion pizza, waited forever to get it, then when we got it, I didn't even check it. I gobbled a slice in no time. That was when my husband told me there was pork on it.
Now, I don't know if I've mentioned this before: I'm Seventh Day Adventist.
A religion that is similar to the Jewish religion/culture. One big 'rule' we share is to not eat unclean (non Kosher) foods: pork, lobster, shrimp, catfish, etc
I called Papa Johns in a heart beat and b*tched them out. How could they be so careless? What if I was allergic?? They sent me another pizza, but I swear it took FOREVER.
 
I didn't get to take my bath until later. I poured tons of salts and baking powder in there to help with the soreness and to detox my body.

I didn't even workout. Not even yoga. That's how crazy sore my body was.
I didn't go to sleep until about 5, 5:30 am so I had a snack around 4am

Sliced Gala Apple with White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter by Peanut Butter & Co

Both of these flavors are AMAZING!

The only problem: it has Evaporated Cane Juice in it. Which to me just sounds like Sugar. I looked it up and there are some controversy over it. But I went to the Peanut Butter and Co website and they state that its basically unrefined sugar. Which basically means it's been less processed.
Other than that, the first ingredient is, in fact, peanut butter (You'd be surprised how many peanut butter's don't), evaporated cane juice, vanilla, honey, and a few other natural ingredients, depending on which peanut butter you have.

Toning Muscles and Help Soreness

Do you know how muscles are made? "uhh, yea. Do some bicep curls!" Wrong.... When you're weight training, it's causing microtears in the fibers. When you're resting your body after, that's when you're 'building muscle'. That's why it's best to not workout the same muscle again within a 24 hour time period. That muscles needs to rest and rebuild, while also making it stronger.

You should talk to a nutritionist or a doctor about your personal diet and vitamins you should take. Know that I am neither, I am just a person who is interesting in knowing these things and thought I would share my research and findings.

You can help muscles out though, by taking the right vitamins:

Vitamin E: Try eating some nuts or seeds after a workout. Not only do almonds provide protein, highly fats and fiber, but it's a good source of vitamin E.""This antioxidant helps cell membrane recovery from oxidative stress, such as exercise," Cuomo says. And the faster your muscles recover, the faster they'll grow." - Shape
Vitamin E helps fight cell-damaging free radicals in the body. It also helps promote immune function and help support cardiovascular health.
I, personally, take Vitamin E supplements because I don't eat nearly enough of it throughout the day. But Vitamin E is one of the nutrients where less is more. Taking too much Vitamin E in a day can cause nausea, stomach pain, weakness or even death. Consult your physician about how much you should take with your diet.  

Vitamin C: not just in your oranges, boys and girls. You can find Vitamin C in all fruits and veggies. ""is responsible for the health of the blood vessels, which support the muscles’ needs for oxygen and nutrients," says John Cuomo, Ph.D., of USANA Health Sciences" "Orthopedic surgeon Leon Popovitz, M.D., of NY Bone and Joint Specialists, adds that vitamin C is a building block of collagen, a material that your body then uses to build bones and muscles.'' - Shape
Of course you can have your 1 medium orange for your recommended daily does of Vitamin C but you can also have a half a Red Bell Pepper or a cup of Strawberries

Fish Oil:  Omega-3 fatty acids are "good fats", which help to balance the "bad fats" in your diet. Omega-3's play an important role in supporting the immune system, as well as helping to maintain circulatory and metabolic health. "With the ability to enhance the effects of weight training by increasing blood flow to the muscles, reducing muscle protein breakdown, and decreasing inflammation for faster recovery, Cuomo says we should think of omega 3s—the fatty acids found in fish oil—as a secret weapon for toning up. It doesn't hurt that omega-3 fatty acids also improve insulin sensitivity, which helps prevent diabetes." - Shape
Incorporate more salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, or albacore tuna in your diet each week. Or if fish aren't your bang try using more flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and algae-based supplements.
I take 2 capsules of fish oil every day because I'm not a fan of fish and don't eat any of those seeds or nuts.
(Plus, ladies, have you heard of the 'Orgasm diet'? A little bit of chocolate, fish oil and no coffee. I don't want to get off topic, but I still drink coffee and O. M. G. Read more about it HERE)

Calcium: Got Milk? We've all heard about it and no one is lying! We all need calcium. But for those who aren't a fan of milk, like me you can still receive your daily dose of calcium by eating dairy products - good, I love cheese- and green veggies.

Magnesium: According to my supplement bottle, Magnesium supports essential nerve, muscle and heart function. It's also essential in the formation of bones, teeth and in converting sugar into energy. And according to Shape, most women don't get enough of this mineral! Plus, Magnesium helps relief soreness, whether from PMS or from lifting weights
You can receive magnesium by eating nuts, spinach, whole grains, legumes orrrr you can soak it in with an Epsom salt bath. Hell yea. Doing that TONIGHT!

B Vitamins: This includes a wide variety: B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), and B12 (cobalamin). "Bs play a role in everything from protein metabolism and energy production to maintaining healthy nerves and breaking down fat and carbs." - Shape
These vitamins can be found in foods such as whole grains, eggs, lean meats, legumes, nuts, leafy greens, and fortified cereals. B12 is only found in animal sources.

Vitamin D:  Boosts mood, immunity, and muscle. ""Vitamin D is required for muscular contraction, function, and growth," Cuomo says. It's also essential for bone growth and strength, and since skeletal muscles need a strong base to build off of, you can't neglect your D." -Shape
You can receive enough Vitamin D through sun exposure. But don't go crazy!

Soreness:

-Rest. Rest. Rest. Don't over work the same muscles twice in a 24 hour period. 

-Massages do wonders. Get your loved one do do it for you (plus, quality time!) or go to a massage therapist

-Stretch. I warm up my body before a work out and stretch after every workout. Once a week I do yoga to stretch it all out and relax

-Icing the muscle indirectly. I have a soft small towel I use to wrap an ice pack and place on my sore muscles. 

-Heat. Invest in a hot pack. (If you're a woman, you should have already invested in one, if not go get one for that time of month! I swear, it helps!) By placing heat, it helps the blood flow to the muscle. I also take scorching hot showers (I work up to it) and I directly place my sore muscles under the shower head. It helps massage it and it heats it up. 2 birds. 1 stone.

-Take NSAIDs. Ibuprofen, Noproxin or Asprin. I try not to use this as my go to, though.

-  

Sources:

Shape

Mueller Center

Sundown Naturals

Wikihow

Day 6: Operation Eat Clean

Oh... today.

Today was so good.

I don't know if it's the lighting, different pants or if I truly have lost a little weight!

This shirt feels a little looser AND it just came out of the dryer. 

I'm going to measure myself tomorrow morning to see if I did.

Breakfast:

One Simple Morning's Blueberry muffin (OMG so delicious) my usual pills and coffee.

I then went to Sam's Club and got frozen mangoes, frozen mango and pineapple mix, a massive pineapple, kiwi's, strawberries, blackberries, oranges and creamer for $60. Not bad considering it's fruit and it's in bulk. I usually don't like fruits/veggies/meat from Sam's Club/Wal-Mart but they were a really good deal and they are all really tasty!

They also sent me, a while back, a free 32 oz soft drink and pizza. I gave it to my husband to have but then I saw on the menu Nathan's hot dogs. I've never had one, and heard good things, so I, or course, had to get one. Plus they were only $1.30 

I had about half of it and gave the rest to Joe, but it was DELICIOUS! 

So that was my cheat meal of the day.

I then got some Pre-workout powder. A girlfriend of mine told me about getting some and how it helps her.

So I had a $22 off coupon at Complete Nutrition and went and checked it out. I got Prime Drive. A fat burning energy booster. IT WAS $64.99!!!!

HOLY COWS IN WISCONSIN!

I paid about $46 on this thing. It better be worth it.

The sales associate gave me a freebie drink after I tried both flavors. I personally like the Cherry Pomegranate flavor, it's WAY less sweet and diet-y tasting than the strawberry melon.

I went home and waited for it to kick in. And waited....

My husband decided to take a nap so I went on a run. I aimed for about a mile.

I don't know if it was a placebo effect or it actually worked or even if I'm just stronger since my last run, but when I first started running, I felt amazing! I felt like I could keep on going past the point in which I stop to take a breather. And I did. I kept on going. 

Usually I try to run as much as I can for about a mile and then I cool down.

I ran about .50 of my first mile then had a better time in my second mile. Then in my third mile as well!

I was able to keep running in bits here and there but at a pretty good pace!

I feel like a rock star!

Anyway, after workout smoothie:

Antioxidant-paloosa! 

8 oz. Orange Juice

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and Body Fortress Vanilla Whey Protein powder. 

Yum.

Dinner:

I was feeling Mediterranean-y.

(Currently cooking, will post photo soon)

Med Chicken with zucchini and yellow squash and feta

Orzo

Garbanzo Beans

and lots and lots of water!