Our Day Off In Pictures

Brekkie Burritos

Latin Food = Amazing

Why is it amazing?

Carbs + Fat

Carbs + Fat = weight gain

Weight gain = smaller vertical

Smaller vertical + Volleyball Player = FAIL!

You do the math (even though I already did it for you)

Eating right is going to be the roughest part of living down here so I am posting sticky notes all over my room with goals and tasty low calorie, low fat  recipes.

Today is a game day so I am allowed to eat a little more since I need the energy to go BeastMode on Cataño tonight.

In preparation, I made myself a protein loaded breakfast burrito.

Ingredients

1/4 of an onion diced

3 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup fresh spinach

3 eggs (whites only)

1/4 of an avocado cut into chunks

1 ounce shredded turkey

1 tortilla

This makes a pretty hefty burrito so I usually cut it in half and eat a half for breakfast and wrap the other half in tinfoil for a snack later in the day.

Puerto Rico.....Again?

Once again, life continues to twist and turn instead of carrying on down this straight and narrow path I had all planned out.  I have slowly learned that planning (in my life) tends to lead to constant change of plans.  And these are not minor changes, these are life altering changes.

But I embrace it.

For example:

I was determined to never go overseas again and stay in America and play beach volleyball and be with my family.  I was so ecstatic about my life plans and managed to build a routine and a little home that I was so smitten with only to uproot my life and head down to Puerto Rico to play overseas again.  At first I was really hesitant to leave and the entire plane ride down I was biting my nails in anticipation of how I would feel about my decision once I arrived to the island.  But I have to admit, I love these changes and these journeys.  It adds so much excitement.  

The girls I live with are amazing and so fun to be around.  My teammates are all smiles all the time.  And let's be honest, I'm on an island surrounded by beaches in a place that is so familiar.  The best part is that I don't have to give up beach volleyball.

So here's to change and making the best of it.

Stay Fit Tricks

It's all about convenience.  It's exactly the same as working out.  You are much more likely to go to the gym if it's one block away vs a 5 minute drive.  So, using that same mentality with food (because a girl has gotta eat)  I am going to eat whatever is the most convenient whether it be the McDonald's I pass on the way home or a little snack I have already prepared for myself in anticipation of my relentless hunger.  

Lately I have been packing a small container with carrots, celery and a to go pack of the Justin's organic almond butter in my bag so whenever I feel the need to eat I can reach for something healthy AND convenient.  I try to stay away from nuts because I have a tendency to go more for quantity when I start snacking so celery sticks keep me busy chomping away with limited caloric intake.  I also find that sharing my snack causes me to actually indulge in those mouth watering celery sticks instead of heading to the store for something a little more say.....satisfying?

Snack on something before heading out to dinner.  Restaurants tend to cook their food with butter and other heavy ingredients making their dishes taste more flavorful.  I like to make a bowl of steamed veggies to fill myself up before heading out to dinner.  It not only limits the amount of food I eat at dinner but it also results in a lower bill at the end of the night.  Kill two birds with one stone.  Not to mention it allows me to temporarily deceive my date (if this is a date) of the monstrous appetite of an athlete.

Water....it's like an inexpensive form of gastric bypass surgery.  I mean obviously it doesn't shrink your stomach but it certainly limits the space left for food.  It fills up your stomach causing you to feel fuller before eating.  Try to avoid drinking liquids 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after your meal.  It will allow your body to digest your food better.

Music is the key to full body intense workouts.  It helps me get focused and creates an instant surge of energy to power through whatever i'm doing.  Pick out a play list of songs that get you excited and make you happy or engages your mind into what I like to call #BeastMode.  Hell, ladies, pick out a song that makes you feel sexy so when you're on that elliptical it makes you want to shake your ass.  There is nothing more motivating while working out than feeling sexy.  

Have fun with it.

Breakfast of Champions

Protein Pancakes

I love eggs!

They are yummy and fluffy and healthy and can be put into so many different things to provide protein. I never feel guilty after eating anything with eggs. That's clearly mental but still, eggs rock! I never start my day without some sort of egg something but clearly that can begin to get old.  So this morning, in an attempt to mix up my ways of egg consumption, I made my protein pancakes (oatmeal, protein powder, egg whites). And instead of syrup, I blended up some fresh blueberries with a little bit of agave nectar.

So simple, so delicious, and still healthy.

Skin Favs

1. Murad Acne Cleanser- With how much I workout, it's so so so important for me to use some sort of medicated face wash to prevent breakouts.  I live and breathe Murad products.  Make sure you try the acne face mask as well.  It's great for spot treatments too.

2. Neutrogena Sunscreen SPF 70- Say no to sun damage and wrinkles!  I wear this daily.

3. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel (Extra Strength)- These little pads are AMAZING!  I love using these after nights that require me to wear a ton of makeup.  It always prevents me from breaking out the next day.

4. Smart Water- The most important item on this list.  Along with multiple other health benefits, this water keeps my skin hydrated and provides me with a creamy, even complexion and a healthy glow.

5. Murad Vitamin C Cleanser- I use this after every practice to prevent further sun damage.  It's not great with preventing breakouts but it does wonders removing environmental impurities while rehydrating my skin resulting in a very even skin tone and glow.

Morgan Beck Squared

I absolutely love connecting with fans and reading fan mail.  However, lately I have been receiving letters that have images attached asking for autographs.

Awesome!  Reasonable enough request. 

I normally expect the usual athletic shot of me crushing a ball or screaming mid victory with the opponent crying into their hands on the other side of the net (I don't have an image like that but I can vividly picture it in my head so it exists) so when people look back at that autographed image, they just may remember what it is I do.

But I guess that just seems to make too much sense.  Instead I have been receiving bikini clad, provocatively posed, cleavage popping out of all seams types of images.

Now I know what you are thinking...."It's your fault! If you don't want people sending you those images then DON'T TAKE THEM (insert thought bubble here calling me some whorish name).  

Here's the catch....The images that I am being asked to sign are NOT EVEN OF ME!

Does it look like I would be able to jump out of the sand with those tig ol' bitties?

NO!

Does it look like this girl is even an athlete?

NO!

It looks like she has never lifted and weight in her life.

Okay, she's pretty so that is flattering and her name just so happens to be Morgan Beck as well, but don't be sending me letters claiming you're my #1 fan AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I LOOK LIKE!

So for those fans (who just so happen to be middle aged men) who are waiting to receive these images back in the mail with a pretty little signature and a kissy mark next to my John Hancock, you now know why you will never see those pictures again.

But thanks for being fans

I Promise To TRY (key word: try)

So 2012 eh?

Here goes nothin'

Enjoy Food

As an athlete, my body is considered a machine, thus I must fuel it as such.  My body will run on sugar about as efficiently as a car would.   Food is good.  It is not evil.  As badly as I want to think it is constantly taunting me and making me despise it due to constant cravings, I need to accept I can't survive or succeed without it. 

Blog More

This one sucks.  I have such little inspiration but I am just going to start rambling and see where it takes me.  Russia kind of killed blogging for me.  So here goes nothing.  If you stop following my blog, I don't blame you and I'm not upset about it.

Girl Time

This one sucks even more.  Gals, I love ya but most of you cause me to have that sharp pain between my eyebrows.  Clothes, shoes, boys....all great topics, but I can only handle it once a week.  (See my mentality?  This is a problem)  So in a much needed attempt to open myself up to more quality "girl time," I am shooting for a girls' night once a week.  

Lose Weight

I know this is so standard and most of you are rolling your eyes and aggressively exhaling in annoyance.  Get over it!  Even though my goal is to lose weight, the main part of my goal is how I am going to approach it.  I love the quick fix and the extreme "no food" diet but I realize that this approach is STUPID and will only result in short term success.  Sooooo I am not allowed to lose more than 20 pounds this year.  That's less than 2 pounds a month.  That means I can live up to my first resolution of enjoying food.  See where I'm going with this?

Focus On ME

I like this one and I think i'm going to be really good at it.

Totally Selfish.

2012

My New Year night in pictures with the one and only Killa Cam!