IFBB Bikini Pro, Ali Rosen updates us on her Bikini International prep. In this installment she discusses the joys of her cheat meal, which she has renamed her “Happy Meal”. Check out the recipes Ali followed to create a little happiness in her prep.
There seems to be one night of the week that tends to be filled with angst, enthusiasm, joy and possibly guilt…I’m referring to what I call my “cheat meal.†When I first started competing, ALL I would think about was food! I couldn’t wait for my one and only night to go off my diet and enjoy what I had sacrificed: Tasty, yummy food. As I have grown within the sport I have had to change my outlook on numerous sacrifices. With this change of outlook, I came to realize that my cheat meal should not be something I can’t stop planning and talking about, rather it should be enjoyable and carefree. It seemed like as the days got closer to this night, I would think of it as my “last supper.†I would obsess over ALL the goodies I wanted and knew I shouldn’t have, leaving me to feel even more deprived. I have come to a healthy point where I found a great solution to this persistent problem: Cooking my own cheat meals. Since I love to cook and it has been something I had to put aside during competing, I decided to try cooking my own cheat meal. It turned out to be enjoyable, guilt free and brought some peace into my hectic schedule. It was something I could virtually do with any one of my friends and even host a dinner at my place.
I have always said I wanted to cook my own cheat meal, but in the past was too tired or thought of it making me more hungry and agitated. During my Arnold prep, my cheat meal was one thing I set out to change. For the majority of the past 7 weeks of dieting I have cooked my own cheat meals, which I have pleasantly renamed my Happy Meal. Since I moved closer to my family, it is something I do with my mom. My passion for nutrition stemmed from loving to cook healthy and it was my mom that inspired my love for cooking.
Ali and her momma cook’n up some happiness together.My typical Saturday consists of cardio, a nice massage with my mom, grilling my food for the following week and prepping my Happy Meal. I try to make my Saturdays as enjoyable as can be. I will try and do things different than my routine of the week: Renting or seeing a movie, taking a relaxing walk on the beach, playing with my new puppies, reading outside near the pool etc. I do things that will constantly instill feelings of relaxation and joy. I honestly can say that it pulls me through my week because I am looking forward to the one day where I can be relaxed and do something off my routine from the week. Psychologically, I have found that cooking my cheat meals prohibits excessive snacking and eating. I am conscious of what is in my food and I prefer this to eating out where I second guess every plate set down before me. My Happy Meal consists of a complex carbohydrate, protein, fat and a veggie. I will cook and use ingredients that aren’t commonly found in my diet, to ensure my cheat has its ultimate affect: To shock my body!
Last week I tried three recipes that were new to me: A Frittata with sweet potato hash browns and homemade yogurt! It was a fun, enjoyable day of cooking and, quite frankly didn’t consist of hours in the kitchen prepping and cooking, another key tip. I will make recipes that don’t expend too much energy as it is my one-day to chill. Last weekend, my grandmother popped in and it turned out to be a great girl’s night! I will share with you these recipes and I hope they will help anyone trying to eat clean or dieting competitors. Other great resources for clean, quick recipes I find in a great magazine called Clean Eating and Muscle & Fitness HERS online or magazine. Both magazines can be found at Barnes and Noble.
Until next week, Eat Clean, Train Hard & Stay Positive!
Frittata Recipe
Serves about 6
– 3 whole eggs
– about 1.5 cups egg whites (I eyed it out to cover pan)
– about 6 oz of Filet (pre cooked)
– handfuls of spinach
– half a large tomato
– _ of chopped onion
– 4 slices Canadian Bacon
– Non-fat or Low fat cheese (optional)How to Cook:
Pre heat oven to 350, in an oven safe skillet sate onions with Coconut Oil (or any oil with a medium to high burn rate). Add Spinach, sauté together, add cheese Bacon and Filet. Add mixture of beaten eggs and egg whites and place in the oven for 10-15 min. Once it looks just about done set oven to broil for 2 mins max to brown the top. Cut and Serve.Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Serves 4
– 3 cloves garlic chopped
– 4 sweet potatoes shredded in food processor
– Coconut oil or Non-stick SprayHow to Cook:
In a pan sauté chopped garlic in oil, add shredded sweet potatoes and cook until crispy or desired texture.
Homemade Yogurt:
Ingredients:
– Organic Milk- I used Whole Foods Brand 365 2% Vitamin D enriched Milk
– A pot
– A yogurt maker (it incubates the yogurt for the night), You can get one at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
– Thermometer
– 1- 2 tbl spoons Plain yogurtHow to Cook
– Bring _ a gallon of milk to boil exactly 185 degrees. Stirring frequently as to make sure to milk doesn’t burn and heats evenly.
– Take it off the stove and let it cool to exactly 110 degrees.
– Once cooled add in the 2 tbl spoons of plain yogurt
– Place inside yogurt maker and let incubate for at least 7 hours.
– After seven hours put in Tupperware or empty yogurt container and stir to break up the curds and whey. Place in the back of the refrigerator (coldest part) for another 8 hours
– If you want more detailed instructions and another way to accomplish this without a yogurt maker go to www.makeyourownyogurt.com.
– Once finished stir and add in fresh fruit, granola, honey or whatever you desire.
Learn more about Ali on her Facebook Fan page and follow her on Twitter @ALISONPROSEN.
