Here is Nic who is going to talk about her journey from Endurance competition to Bodybuilding:

Hi everyone! This is Nic from TheFitWriter – I’m a UK blogger but a keen reader of plenty of non-UK blogs, including Spoonful of Sugarfree! So I was delighted when Alex asked me to provide a guest post. – It took me a little while to decide what to blog about. Here’s the thing: I’ve tried my hand at a few niche sports in my time. I’ve swum the English Channel (twice!), competed in triathlon and – most recently – trained, dieted and prepped for a bodybuilding competition. Yep, I now call myself a female bodybuilder, much to the surprise (and confusion, I sometimes sense) of those who know me better as a carb-chomping, distance-running, bike-riding endurance athlete. – So I thought it might be interesting to talk a little about my transformation from endurance athlete to bodybuilder. After all, I went from this: to this: in less than a year. The first photo is me having just finished a race called The Little Woody (a half-Ironman triathlon – 1900m swim, 98km bike, 20km off-road run) – I came 16th female (of 44) and 10th (of 28) in my category. The second photo was taken a little more than 10 months later and shows me winning my class – and qualifying for the British Finals – as a “Physique” (bodybuilding) competitor. – Little Woody was 28th August 2010 and my bodybuilding show was 3rd July 2011. And that triathlon didn’t even mark the end of my endurance season – I ran a half-marathon in September 2010. It’s a bit crazy. Even I think so. I’m not quite sure how I got from one to the other (apart from… er… training hard and dieting hard!) I guess I have good genetics, and a solid background in sport and training which has to count for a lot when it comes to muscle mass and training habits. And I know I have an all-or-nothing approach to things. I’m hugely focused, compliant and will basically “do what I’m told” when I’m under the tutelage of a coach or mentor I respect, trust and believe in. (My coach – Kat Millar – can be found here. Check out some of her recipes!) – I know that both Channel swimming and female bodybuilding are niche sports about which people often have plenty of questions. I did a Channel swimming Q&A post here, but I’d urge you to ask me any questions about female bodybuilding – training, dieting, prepping and competing – here in the UK. I’m not an expert – the show I won was my first – but I’ll tell you what I can. – So, right now, I am just over 4 weeks out from the British Finals of the BNBF (British Natural Bodybuilding Federation), one of two drug-tested federations in the UK. I had my bodyfat tested by biosignature the other day and it came out at 6.7%. Even allowing for error, the tester said he thought I was under 9%. I’d like to come in a little leaner and lighter than I am now, although I am pleased with where I’m at. The final two weeks of prep for my qualifier saw huge changes in my body on a daily basis, so I know there’s more to come! – In the next 4 weeks, my diet will get tighter (for instance I’ll drop protein powders and anything with artificial sweeteners in, and bring my carbs down a little). I’ll be focusing on posing practice and my new routine. I train most days, with one day a week either off or very low-level cardio (think: dog walk!) – My weights are currently split legs (quad focus), legs (hamstring focus), back, chest and shoulders (not in that order) and I do intervals/plyometrics as a second training session on a few days of the week. – My diet focuses on protein (from meat – including wild red meat – fish, egg whites, protein powders (including pea and hemp) and eggs), lots and lots of veggies, occasional fruits, potatoes and sweet potatoes, occasional oats, fats from nuts, coconut oil and fish oil. I don’t schedule in cheat days or meals like some bodybuilders but have refeeds of higher-carb days as my coach suggests. – I love competing and can’t wait to step on stage again! I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the experience and how at home I felt on stage. The next 4 weeks are going to be tough, no doubt, but I am really focused on the Final (did I mention there’s a Pro Card on offer to the winner of my class?) and am determined to do everything I can to bring my very best package to the stage: muscularity, condition, presentation, posing, routine, and attitude! – Thanks for reading and do let me know if you have any questions! – Nic

Thanks so much, Nic! It was fascinating to learn about her journey!

I have a great guest post for you today from Matt. He is going to show you how to make some beer-soaked fries! 

How to Make Beer-Soaked Oven Fries

Hello everyone, this is Matt from FaveDiets, here to spread my love of healthy recipes! There’s a lot going on about this recipe that naturally appeals to me, mostly that it combines beer and potatoes.

As a kid, I was always a huge fries eater, and would gobble down French fries at any opportunity. Naturally, my consumption patterns have changed over the years, but fries still have a special place in my heart.

When I saw this recipe for beer soaked fries a while back, it immediately jumped out to me as a must-try. I mean, how do I say no to a childhood favorites with beer added? However, I wanted to update it based on what I had on hand and for my own personal tastes. I was overjoyed by the results, and I hope you will be too.

Beer-Soaked Baked Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles of your favorite beer
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 4 large potatoes
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• Paprika, to taste
• Dried basil, to taste
• Cumin, to taste
• Black pepper, freshly cracked
• Olive oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the beer, vinegar and mustard. Set aside.
2. Slice your potatoes into long strips mostly uniform in size. Dunk the sliced potatoes into the beer mixture and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
3. After at least 30 minutes, remove the potatoes from the soaking mixture and place on a lined baking sheet. Season the fries to taste with garlic, paprika, basil, cumin and black pepper. Drizzle olive oil over top and toss to evenly coat the potato fries.
4. Bake in a 385 degree F oven for at least 30 minutes, or until the outsides begin to brown.

Note #1: I know not everyone is a big beer fan, but the fries did not reek of beer. If anything, it adds a subtle richness to these baked fries. I think, though, that adding the vinegar and the mustard help to round out the flavors of the soaking liquid. If you would prefer, absolutely feel free to use gluten free beer or non-alcoholic beer here. Just steer clear of more aromatic hoppy beers as less flavor than anticipated will be transferred to the potatoes.

Note #2: For these homemade French fries, I just had to be a purist and use regular baking potatoes. At least I made sure to keep the skins on. Next time though, I would love to try this fries recipe using sweet potatoes.

Note #3: My grandmother would be proud in knowing that I seasoned these oven fries without measuring out anything. I am a firm believer in flavoring dishes to taste. Adjust and sub out the spices based on your personal tastes. However, I think this would have been a much lesser dish without cumin and garlic.

Luckily, these turned out to be just as good as they sounded. The soak really adds an extra layer of flavor to these oven fries, and the spices bring everything together. Assuming that you can stand to have your oven on right now, try this fries recipe as soon as possible. Otherwise, wait until autumn if you can.

Enjoy!

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Matthew Kaplan is the Editor for FaveDiets.com, a free online resource featuring hundreds of free healthy recipes, healthy cooking tips and loads more. Be sure to check out FaveDiets on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FaveDiets) and on Twitter (@FaveDiets).

Thanks, Matt! Beer has a great flavor in recipes. Can’t wait to try it out! 

Here’s Kerri from Hot Fun Fitness! She is going to share with you her favorite sugar-free parfait:

Apparently I’m a Sugar Addict …but with Alex’s help, I soon won’t be! First, thanks to Alex for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger! I have to be honest: I tried the Sugar-Free Challenge, and I failed. I didn’t fail miserably, but I did find myself consciously thinking about sugar when I normally don’t think about it at all! I’m sure it’s because I was working so hard to avoid it. And I can be admittedly lazy when it comes to cooking or creating my own meals, which can present a problem when you’re trying to avoid processed foods but you still intend on eating, haha. I was only half-surprised about some of the foods I found hidden sugars in–Alex’s blog and some other things I’ve been reading have taught me a lot on the subject. For example, my favorite Greek yogurt is Fage. It’s so fluffy and creamy! They specialize in plain yogurt. But they also sell versions with honey or fruit on the side, and one of the ingredients blatantly listed at the top is sugar! (I found myself sneaking these during the Sugar-Free Challenge!) I’m sure it’s because it’s a fruit puree that needs to “keep” well on the shelf–if they put plain, real fruit it in, it would spoil before it was sold. So I thought this would be a perfect time to offer some encouragement to people like me who do pretty well at eating clean and mostly sugar-free, but can’t seem to kick the hidden stuff completely! Like our mighty leader Alex professes, the sugar-free lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult or boring. Here is one of my favorite quick, easy, FRESH, sugar-free recipes that works nicely as a breakfast or lunch and is very satisfying and filling! (And I can’t claim full credit for inventing it: Tosca Reno offers this idea in her book The Eat-Clean Diet!) Homemade Sugar-Free Parfait 1 container of plain Greek yogurt 1/4 cup Ezekiel granola* (my favorite is cinammon raisin) Sliced strawberries (or fruit of your choice!) *Ezekiel granola is made with sprouted grains, which equals a complete protein, no flour, and no sugar. I was able to find it at a local, family-owned grocery store, so it might take a small search to find. That’s it! How easy is that? And you’re getting some NATURAL sugary sweetness from the fruit, so you won’t be craving any of the fake stuff later! Try it and let me know how you like it! What’s your favorite sugar-free recipe? Share in the comments below or on my Facebook wall!   Kerri Randall is an AFAA-Certified Group Exercise Instructor and an Emerald-level Beachbody Coach. She teaches Turbo Kick, Hip Hop Hustle, and PiYo, and is dedicated to motivating others to reach their health, fitness, and personal life goals. Her passion is making fitness fun and easy to love–no secrets and no crazy gimmicks! Need some help getting started on your journey? See if you’re guilty of any of these 7 Common Mistakes (that I myself have made too). Get your free report here and avoid these mistakes for good!

Thanks so much, Kerri!

***I am so sorry about yesterday’s post! For some reason, Kat’s didn’t publish when it was supposed to! To compensate, I will give you two posts today! Make sure to check out Kat’s Chia Protein Pancakes if you haven’t already.

Here is a guest post from Katie, who gives us a great idea for bread-less sandwiches! 

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I’m honored to be writing my very first guest post on one of my favorite blogs! I have been following along with Alex’s sugar free journey for a long time now, and truly love her creative recipes and tips, so thanks Alex for having me write for the day!

I’m Katie and I blog over at KatieDid, which documents a “simple tale of life behind the lens”. More specifically I love taking pictures everyday, writing about what I see, do, eat, and create. Half the time I’m babbling on about bacon, and the other half  about something equally as thrilling…

Oh and did I mention I love food? Gluten free food to be exact. It’s shown me how to be creative in the kitchen, and has forced me to learn tons about food in general…

On that note, I’m always looking for different options for sandwiches since I can’t eat bread, so when I saw Angela’s post about kid friendly meals and snacks, I was immediately attracted to the ‘apple sandwiches’. Inspired by her post, I created the cutest mini apple sliders. Mini anything is always 10 times more fun and cute anyways!

Apple Sliders

One large apple sliced horizontally into 4 slices

2 slices of any kind of cheese (I used dill havarti)

Meat if desired (I used turkey)

Basil

Other topping ideas: peanut butter and jelly, veggies and hummus, nutella and peanut butter…

Assemble the apple slices as you would bread and munch away on a delicious, portable, naturally gluten free sandwich option!

Other sans-which options that I love…

• Lettuce wraps using butter lettuce or collard greens
• Portabella buns
• Wraps using the skin of sweet potatoes
• S’mores using just chocolate for the crackers!

Have you ever tried any of these options? What other creative ways have you substituted for bread before?

Thanks for the great idea, Katie! Make sure you all check out her site. Especially her posts on How to go “Poo-Less,” Spicy Peanut Sweet Potato Fries, and her Do’s and Don’ts for bacon Grease!