Desserts are big in my family. Especially with my dad. He loves pastries, pies, cakes, crisps. Basically anything baked. After dinner, there is always dessert. And inevitably it’s sitting there and I’m going to want some. And that’s fine, but I want to make sure if I’m going to eat dessert, I’m maximizing my macros and getting as much as I can out of it. That’s pretty much my whole approach to food in general. How can I eat the most and still stay within my calorie and macronutrient goals for the day 🙂 My mom makes a fruit cobbler that is considered a more “healthy” dessert that uses whole wheat flour instead of white and has fairly minimal ingredients, but does include added sugar. Continue reading
orange is the new fit
Fierce Training. Flexible Eats. Fun Style. Fit Life.
Monthly Archives: May 2015
What I’m Wearing Wednesday
I’ve never really liked to wear obnoxious tops with a ton of busy writing on them or funky patterns. I like pieces that I can mix and match and wear in a variety of ways. But, once in a while, it’s fun to go outside the box and wear something a little different but still keep it “me”. While shopping the Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale, I found this racer back tank that actually made me kind of laugh. I thought to myself that I would totally rock that. It was only like $20 so I bought it and love it. It’s funky and fits good. Paired it with my ripped jeans and my favorite belt and cowboy boots. Rock and Roll meets Country. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
So here’s what I’m wearing this Wednesday…
Superfreak Racer Back Tank Top – Urban Riot – Nordstroms
Charlie Legend Skinny Jeans – Lucky Brand
Belt – Lucky Brand – Similar Belt Here
Boots – Heritage Western – Ariat
Me: Then and Now…
Going into my third Norcal Crossfit Regionals team competition in 2013, I knew that after it was over I was planning on trying to get pregnant. At the time, I considered myself to be in the best shape of my life, and I truly was after four plus years of Crossfit and eating a strict Paleo diet. I’m very short, compact and muscular and at the time weighed 134 pounds which sounds heavy but I was the leanest I’d ever been and had six-pack abs that I had worked very hard to get.
After Regionals was over, the reality sunk in very quickly that if I were to get pregnant, things were going to change very quickly. I had worked so hard to achieve my athletic-looking physique that I became pretty terrified at the idea of giving that body up. Everybody said that I would bounce right back after having a baby and I would say “yeah, I know” but deep down inside I didn’t believe them. I knew that I would Crossfit through my pregnancy but hated the idea of scaling wods. I was mentally ready to raise a baby, but not mentally ready to carry a baby.
About a week and half after regionals was over I was pregnant. My six pack turned into a four pack, then a two pack and then a no pack. As the weeks went on I would complain to my husband about how fat I was and he always came back to me with the same response…”you’re not fat, you’re pregnant.” He was right. I wasn’t fat at all. I naturally had a very small belly but I couldn’t see that. Despite my complaining, I set myself up for a healthy pregnancy. I trained 5-6 days a week and still maintained a 90% paleo diet (added cottage cheese and rice cakes) while pregnant to keep myself in the best shape possible so that I wouldn’t put on extra weight that eventually would be difficult to take off. Looking back, I realized I didn’t enjoy my pregnancy as much as I should have because I was constantly worried about the aftermath of pregnancy and the possibility of never getting my body back.
When I think about it now, I’m torn. A huge part of me thinks that my unwillingness to give in to the stereotypical pregnancy behavior of food cravings and little exercise put me in a great position to come back easily. However, there is a small part of me that wonders if I had just relaxed a little bit and enjoyed my pregnancy more that things still would have worked out the same. But who knows. I don’t regret anything, because when Reese came two months early, and I had extreme complications in the final week of being pregnant, I truly believe my fitness and healthy lifestyle saved me…and gave me the mental and physical strength to spend the next two months being with Reese in the hospital while she grew strong enough to come home.
So back to my abs. Two weeks after having a baby I went back into the gym and started working my ass off to earn back my strength and get my body back. Ironically, the day I started back Crossfitting I weighed 129 pounds, 5 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight. The complications of my pregnancy really took a toll on my body and I lost about 25 pounds in two weeks. Over a 12 month period I saw progress with my body. I was stronger than ever, my motor felt good and still maintaining my paleo diet. But my body just felt and looked different. And I understood that pregnancy changes things and having a beautiful thriving little girl is worth all of the physical sacrifices. But I still wanted to feel like my old self. I just felt like I had this layer of puff covering my whole body that I could not get rid of. I changed things over and over within my paleo diet but my body just wasn’t responding the same way to food.
Enter flexible eating. I posted previously about my research on flexible eating and what intrigued me. The idea of a more flexible diet where I can still eat clean but stick to a ratio of carbs, fats and protein that work specifically for my body was just what I needed. I went from “puffy paleo” as flexible eating guru Lil’ Riki calls it to a lean more muscular frame. I’m weighing 128 pounds and way more comfortable in my skin. I not only have my six pack back but I’m leaner all over, especially in the upper arms and shoulders which has always been a self-conscious area for me. I’ve gained overall strength and my once “good” motor is out of control good. Even my running feels pretty amazing. The bonus is I have found a way of eating that doesn’t leave me feeling deprived of any certain food or overeating on “paleo” options because they are so limited. For me it was about finding the right balance of those carbs, fats and protein for my exact body and goals. Once again, do not get me wrong. I love the Paleo diet and believe in it whole-heartedly. However, at this point in my life, oats, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are doing my body good. I stick to the cleanest options with the lowest amounts of sugar and that is fine by me.
Above is a side by side comparison of me, the week I got pregnant in June of 2013 (left) and me today (right) with my former teammate and current Crossfit Games badass Molly Vollmer. I thought I was fit pre-pregnancy. I’m fitter now, post pregnancy. Contact me via email at orangeisthenewfit@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @kmorlock21 if you have questions about flexible eating and would like to know how to get started!
Reese’s Paleo Banana Pancakes
When you become a mom, obviously all of a sudden you have these new responsibilities and decisions to make for this person who is dependent on you. When it comes to your child’s nutrition, there’s no doubt you want them to be as healthy as possible. When it came time for Reese to start eating solids, I wanted to find the right balance of nutrition for her. In the last 6 years I have been pretty strict with my diet and believe that eating AND avoiding the right foods can be a great prevention of disease. There are so many things out of our control but this is one thing we do have control over. We choose what goes into our body. Continue reading
Must B Nutty Enchiladas
When you love Mexican food but are sticking to a Paleo diet, tortillas are not an option. If you are on a flexible eating program you can easily fit in a few small corn tortillas, but keeping your meal low carb starts to get difficult. I had been eyeing the Must B Nutty almond flour tortillas for a really long time, but they do not carry them locally as the company is home-based operation in Texas. They supply their local stores with their tortillas but for us out here in California, we have to order online and pay for quick shipping since they are freshly made. They’re a little on the expensive side but they are the best alternative to tortillas that actually taste good and hold up when you make a taco! Best thing is that you can freeze the extra packs until you are ready to use them. I made my standard steak tacos last week with them and was super happy. Now it’s enchilada time! Continue reading
What I’m Wearing Wednesday
Last week I posted about my awesomely cheap tank tops and alluded to my obsession with jeans. I don’t want to sound superficial but an amazing pair of jeans completes a fantastic outfit and totally boosts your confidence. I’ve tried to save money on jeans, but I find that cheaper pairs just don’t work for my body. I have quads but a small waist and that can be a tricky combo. I’m speaking generally here, but the more pricey brands tend to have better designers behind their label. Maybe a more inexpensive brand of jeans works for you and if that’s the case, more power to you. I just have had zero luck. Continue reading
Easy Overnight Oats
My friend and training buddy, Jordan, suggested I try overnight oats, so I thought I’d give it a go. I experimented with a few flavors and came up with two recipes for pretty universally liked flavors, banana bread and peanut butter chocolate! What an easy, flavorful and satisfying breakfast that is ready and waiting for you in the fridge. I’m always looking for convenient foods that I can take on the go with me in the morning. My favorite go-to breakfasts when on the run are oatmeal and Greek yogurt and these recipes combine those two, so what’s not to love?
For those on a flexible eating plan,see the macros for each below!
Protein Bars on Groupon and the Monday Monster Mash!
Since it’s Monday, I’m going to be hitting up Crossfit Linchpin’s Monster Mash WOD this afternoon. Hopefully I can convince a few people to do it with me. Now that I’m feeling more confident in my muscle up capabilities, I don’t shy away from the challenge of incorporating them into my workouts. I actually get excited to tackle that challenge. It feels so good to take a weakness and make it your bitch. Well, it’s not quite my bitch yet, but it’s getting there. Last muscle up WOD I was able to string multiples together, even with shoulder fatigue. Big step for me. So, when I work in the morning, take care of Reese during the day and coach in the afternoon, my workout time is much later in the day. It’s not my preference but sometimes it’s my only option. Continue reading
Late Night Macro Snack
Since my husband always sits down at night and eats about a half pint of ice cream every night, obviously I want to join in on the fun. Granted he mostly eats coconut or almond milk based ice creams with dairy free chocolate chips, but I don’t always have the macros left in my daily intake to fit something like that in. Although they are dairy-free alternatives and have much less sugar than regular ice cream, they still have a higher fat and carb count than some other options out there. Continue reading
Low Carb Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Pizza is one of my most favorite foods, but the high carb crust and loads of cheese from restaurant style pizza doesn’t always fit into my macros that well. Of course, I could make a few slices fit, but then I would not be eating much the rest of the day. And I like to eat. Flexible eating is all about choices. So, I have chosen to find amazing alternatives that satisfy my pizza cravings.
I have always done a Paleo pizza crust with an almond flour and arrowroot powder base but have been looking for an even lower carb option. Cauliflower is so versatile when it comes to cooking and really takes on the flavor and consistency of really whatever you need it to be. Cauliflower rice is a staple in my diet. So I decided to try making a cauliflower pizza crust and was blown away at how flavorful the “crust” was and how much you actually get to eat of it and still not burn up a ton of macros.
orange is the new fit 