Roses are red, violets are blue, chocolates are awesome, but so is getting totally shredded. If you have hardcore fitness goals this Valentine's Day, take a cue from Team Bodybuilding.com! Our athletes honor St. Valentine with sweets and sweat. They like to have fun but love to stay fit. They combine romance with staying ripped, so we asked them how.
What do you do on Valentine's Day to enjoy some romance and remain true to your fitness goals?
Karina Baymiller Team Bodybuilding.com
Oh, Valentine's Day, how I dread your arrival. You bring so many expectations accompanied by so many letdowns, so many people bragging about their perfect relationships, and so many reminders of how single I am. But you know what? I plan on enjoying this Valentine's Day more than any other, because it's going to be all about me. It doesn't get much better than that!
I often have to rush through my workouts and cram everything in a short amount of time, so V-Day is perfect for a little extra gym time. I plan to experiment with some new exercises, or take on an extra set of lunges?my favorite exercise. This additional quality time in the gym will also give me a chance to take a look around and see who else is working out alone. Hey, a girl can try, can't she?
After a nice long workout, I'll treat myself to an amazing dinner and dessert. When I say amazing, I don't mean fall-off-the-wagon-and-stuff-my-face amazing. I'll indulge in a small cheat, but keep it reasonably clean.
I don't usually get to eat steak, especially during contest prep, so I plan on making Asian-marinated flank steak with roasted veggies. Flank is a great lean cut of red meat, and served next to roasted veggies, you simply can't go wrong.
For dessert, more commonly known as sixth meal, I normally have some kind of crazy protein, egg white, and cottage cheese concoction. To mix it up, I plan on making my special Salted Cocoa Roasted Almonds. Holy almonds of goodness are these awesome! They're perfect to snack on while I sit down, relax, and watch all of my favorite shows.
Karina's Salted Cocoa Roasted Almonds
- 1 1/2 cups Raw Almonds
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder or Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 3 packets Stevia (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 tsp of Salt
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place almonds in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine cocoa powder, Stevia, and salt.
- In another bowl, melt coconut oil. The microwave works well.
- Pour the melted oil over your almonds, making sure they are coated evenly.
- Pour cocoa mixture over almonds and stir until the chocolate covers everything.
- Spread almonds in a glass baking dish in one even layer.
- Bake for 20 min, stirring roughly every 5 min.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
Salted Cocoa Roasted Almonds PDF (166 KB)
Rachelle Dejean IFBB Bikini Pro
I look forward to sharing Valentine's Day with people I love, but I definitely want to stay on track for my pro debut in March! I believe that holidays don't have to break the bank, or your diet.
If you need a fit date idea, go hiking during the day and snuggle up to a good movie at night. I am planning to prepare a healthy dinner, with protein ice cream for a pre-bed snack!
Here are two recipes I really enjoy:
Green Bell Peppers and Egg Whites
- Cut off the top of a green bell pepper, and remove the seeds and middle part of pepper. Turn the pepper on its side, and slice to make rings.
- Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place pepper rings flat into pan.
- Place an egg white in each ring, add seasonings of your choice.
- Top with salsa and add a side salad for a complete meal.
Protein Ice Cream
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 MET-Rx Cookies and Cream Ultramyosyn Whey
- Optional: Natural sweetener or fresh fruit
Dinner and Dessert PDF (55.2 KB)
Christian Talactac Team Bodybuilding.com
I'll stay true to my fitness goals on Valentine's Day by staying consistent with my diet and training. This will be my wife's first health-conscious Valentine's Day. She is planning for her first competition in May, so she will be just as consistent with her training and diet.
We already work out together frequently, so expect Valentine's Day to be no different. There is nothing sexier to me than an intense couple's workout session.
I'm from Los Angeles and recently got into hiking. If V-Day falls on a rest day, enjoy some active rest outdoors before you indulge in sweet treats. It's an opportunity to spend quality time together in a romantic setting.
I enjoy home-cooked meals, and this article "Eight Ways to Prepare Ground Beef" is a good option for cooking a healthy dish for you and your date. I like beef and pasta, so I'm a fan of the beef stroganoff recipe!
Samantha Ann Leete 2013 BodySpace Spokesmodel
When Valentine's Day rolls around and the stores swell with chocolates and sweets, it can be difficult to find a way to celebrate the holiday while remaining true to your fitness goals. Here is a date night suggestion for Valentine's Day that brings the sweat, the romance, and won't ruin your waistline!
First, go enjoy a fun, active workout. Do something you both enjoy! Go for a hike or go dancing. After you've broken a sweat, go home where you can give each other massages.
Chocolate fondue is a Valentine's classic. Here is a sugar-free recipe for a chocolate topping that you can use as fondue. Be creative! You can use an assortment of fruit, rice cakes, protein bars, etc. to dip into the topping.
Samantha's Sugar-Free Chocolate Fondue
- 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup Sweetener
- 1 scoop Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder
- 1 tbsp melted Coconut Oil
- Mix ingredients together and add water to desired consistency.
- Add sweetener to your preferred taste. Use artificial sweeteners like Splenda or Truvia.
Sugar-free Chocolate Fondue PDF (59.1 KB)
Jessie Hilgenberg Team Bodybuilding.com
I love staying home on Valentine's Day! It's the best way to remain true to your fitness goals. My husband and I will cook a fabulous clean meal and have a lovely dinner at home. We do this a lot, but for Valentine's Day, we'll make it extra special.
Instead of cooking the regular chicken or steak and veggies or rice, we will spend a little extra time shopping for some ahi tuna steaks, flowers, and a great bottle of dry champagne, which has less sugar than other alcohol. We'll listen to music and have fun cooking together. I'll even spend time decorating and setting the table. It's a great "at home" date night!
Abel Albonetti Team Bodybuilding.com
Breakfast is my favorite meal, and my Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pancake is a great Valentine's Day recipe. It makes you feel like you're indulging for the holiday without wrecking your diet. Try is for a guilt-free cheat!
Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pancakes
- 6 oz of Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp of Honey
- 1 tsp of Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Oat Flour
- 1/2 cup fresh Strawberries
- Mix together yogurt, honey and egg, then slowly mix in flour and baking soda.
- Preheat a large skillet to medium heat.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan.
- Next, place fresh fruit on pancake and cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until that side is also golden brown.
- 3 oz Fat-free Cream Cheese
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 packet Stevia or other sweetener
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1/2 cup fresh Strawberries (pureed)
- Mix all ingredients together and serve atop pancakes!
Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pancakes PDF (55.8 KB)
Nicole Moneer IFBB Bikini Pro
When you cook for someone, it's like putting your heart on a plate! My Cacao Banana Nut Butter Balls are a delicious, sugar-free, additive-free, raw, healthy treat that both your Valentine and kids will enjoy! I can't wait to give these raw cacao banana balls to my Valentine. These are so good that I might just start a nut butter ball business!
Cacao Banana Nut Butter Balls
Brian's Protein Pancakes
- 1/2 cup Oats
- 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1/3 cup Gluten-free Flour
- 1 Egg
- 2 Egg Whites
- Vanilla Almond Milk, to desired consistency
- Mix oats, protein powder, flour, egg, and egg whites in a bowl.
- Mix in vanilla almond milk until the batter reaches desired consistency.
- Spoon batter onto a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook, top pancakes with fruit, and enjoy!
Brian Casad's Protein Pancakes PDF (59.3 KB)
Preston Noble Team Bodybuilding.com
If fitness has become a part of your lifestyle, then you'll have an easy time finding fun and fit activities. If you're new to living the fit life, here are a few ways you can have fun and hit your goals.
I am going to sign up and help promote an obstacle course race called Cahoots! It is fitness-related and Valentine-friendly. It's a coed partner race where you work together to start and finish. It's even a great date idea!
If a race isn't your speed, you can always go hiking, dancing, or ice-skating. I plan to play in a coed Ultimate Frisbee game.
A lighthearted game is tons of fun, burns heaps of calories, and will keep your date happy.
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