La Tortilla Factory Giveaway!!!

April 13, 2013 by fitfoodiele

did she say giveaway? YES SHE DID. i am straight blown away, still!

you know those tortillas i am always raving about and using in my recipes like the ones up there^ (quesadillas, wraps, homemade chips, burritos, tacos, etc) well, ahem, because i’ve been showing La Tortilla Factory so much love, they decided to show me some right on back! talk about ‘give it to get it‘, hello!! they go like hot cakes at my Sprouts Farmer’s Market and i have not been able to snag a pack since the grand opening last month. however… they handled up on that and helped a Fit Foodie out, BIG TIME! they sent me a variety pack that included their Smart & Delicious Light flour tortillas,

and some Fiber & Flax White and Yellow corn tortillas.

also, because of them……. i am honored to be hosting my first edible giveaway for all of YOU! not with the ones they sent me though, those are mine. La Tortilla Factory would like to shower one of you lucky ducks with 1,2,3,4 *FIVE* packages of Smart & Delicious light flour tortillas for YO-SELF!!!!! sweet deal, right?

so how the heck do you enter? remember what i said about the jumping through multiple hoops thing… yeah that’s annoying and not gonna happen here. i appreciate simplicity. comment on this post and just tell me why you want the wraps and what you plan to make with them! i wanna know!

now, to INCREASE your chances of winning lol, you can certainly either Like the Fit Foodie Le fan page if you haven’t already,

or, just follow my blog by clicking that follow button up at the top right corner of this page.

be creative with your comments and ideas like i know you can!

rest assured there is a wrap to fit your nutritional needs, whatever they may be. they are tasty AND healthy, and there are plenty to choose from! definitely FFL approved

this was my meal 5 from last night- i perfected the whipped sweet potato recipe for the e-book and enjoyed some with a pan seared tilapia fillet cooked in Bragg liquid aminos and Mrs. Dash onion & herb seasoning! that was all over some fresh, steamed asparagus.

i had some grilled pineapple left over, so i made a super quick ‘salsa’ to go on top of the fish.

grilled pineapple salsa

the stuff:

1 cup grilled pineapple, chopped
2 tbsp red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

do this:

chop it all up and mix it together! super quick and easy topping for any protein.

last night we attended a home going celebration for a close family member.

if you’re Nigerian, then you can name every single thing on my plate, especially those wonderful, delicious PLANTAINS!!!! my favorite. if you’re not lol, it’s jollof rice, stewed stock fish and vegetables, spinach, plantains, and there is some super tender goat meat in there somewhere. i’ll be adding more Nigerian dishes to my repertoire, don’t worry.

this boy was so serious with that chicken wing and those greasy lips!!! this was too funny not to post.

you still with me? today, we met up with a former 6 Pack USA client and Instagram #fitfam member @waltlewjr and chowed down on some Ruggles Green eats! good times, good food & good peeps! I had a mixed greens salad topped with jicama, dried blueberries, and tomatoes and tore up that roasted chicken pizza with Chiso. Sonny had the kobe beef burger with sweet potato fries. no fish tacos, this time. s/n: why couldn’t Chiso have smiled like that for our family pictures

the last time i ate RG’s roasted chicken pizza was in 2010 when i was preggo and i ate the entire thing, solo!!! i mean, we.

La Tortilla Factory is also hosting another fun contest on their Facebook Fan Page page for the upcoming Cinco De Mayo holiday! another one of you guys could win more free tortillas, a margarita making machine and fun party decorations just by entering their “Cinco de Mustache” photo contest. the deets are on their FB page- check’em out!

THANK YOU again, La Tortilla Factory!

this contest will run for 1 full week, fyi. so on saturday, April 20th, it’s a wrap.

p. s. we are officially TWO weeks out from the Green 6.2 10k!!! have you registered yet? are you running with Team Fit Foodies?! we’d love to have you! email me if you’re interested: le@fitfoodiele.com.

night!!

family + fitness + food = birthday trifection

April 8, 2013 by fitfoodiele

what a difference a year makes. i feel like i have finally LIVED these past 12 months and it only took me 30 years! i have been spending more time focusing on my passion (fitness, creating and cooking healthier recipes, blogging, etc.) and it has opened up so many doors and avenues beyond my small, limited imagination. i’ve crossed a few things off my bucket list and i have so many more to tackle. however like all things in life, i’m simply striving for progress, not perfection. i am content, appreciative, and so hopeful for what the future holds! i thank God for another year that wasn’t promised, and i’ll walk right behind Him into 31 and all it has to offer! Sonny put a little something together for lil ol’ me for my bday this year and it was … everything. what was it? those 3 simple f’s up there.

*****

i started my saturday morning off how i normally do-

with a GREAT early morning workout! i had way too many cartons of 98 cent strawberries (from HEB) on my island and i planned on incorporating them into our breakfast somehow.

so i diiiiiid. strawberry shortcakes came to mind! i don’t normally eat whipped cream for breakfast lol but hey, the occasion called for it. recipe is coming right up- had to do a little tweaking first. i was given specific instructions to be ready to go by 5pm later that day and to ‘do something with myself’.

i did my best to make my bun as neat as possible. so i’ve said in the past i don’t like shopping for clothes… i should clarify that i don’t like shopping ALL DAY LONG for clothes. i love Urban Outfitters cause 9 times outta 10 i find the cutest thing on the sale rack within minutes. UO keeps my shopping bug alive and kicking cause i almost stepped on it and killed it. it’s become my go to store for a quick, cute outfit or top! i found this black lacy number for 10 whole dollars. what? i thought it was clearly a mistake. i was too through after that awesome find! i even did my nails for the first time in a really, really long time. aaaaand i went to get some eyelash extensions done!!! watch out nah! it was fun to get a little glam.

back pose!

we dropped off our Stank Tank with our ‘rents and headed to a private dinner at Tango & Malbec South American Cuisine.

Mr. Impeccable Taste himself;)

straight to the meal!

aaaaah, the lovely bread bowl. it was filled with real, fried potato chips, bread sticks, and sourdough bread. so hard to resist this thing at any restaurant. if it wasn’t for Sonny, i’d tell them to not even bring it to our table.

our appetizers were Lamb Lolichops and El Calamar (grilled calamari steak) and they were both and cooked and seasoned perfectly.

before we tore it up, we snapped a pic!

my lil appetizer plate. to be honest, the lamb was too rare for me..i don’t do the bloody meat thing, so i gave it to Sonny.

i decided on the Trout topped with mushrooms and carmelized onions for my entrée. i told myself no salmon and no chicken breast!!! i knew Sonny would order some type of steak so i planned to just get a piece of his.

i also had some old, faithful asparagus on the side.

there it is- Como En El’s the name! Sonny’s dish was a combo of beef tenderloin, pork ribs, lamb chops, flank steak sausage and black sausage. the ‘protein platter’!

as we dined, a couple waltzed to music – very nice touch! i enjoyed our dinner and it didn’t end there- complimentary dessert was on the way.

hey i know her! i devoured that tres leches cake and received a little something i wasn’t expecting at all…

a quality camera to take my blogging pics with! i’ve been using my cell for ALL of them as our previous Casio bit the dust a couple months ago. it was right on time.

we ended the evening with more dessert- self serve fro-yo! apparently dancing was on the agenda but after that meal our night was a WRAP.

thanks, Polar! April 7th was the big day.

first thing i did was thank God, then went to make me some birthday pancakes! chocolate peanut butter banana pancakes with chocolate sprinkles.

chocolate peanut butter banana pancakes

the stuff:

half a banana
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp chocolate PB2
2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 packet stevia (optional)
1/2 tsp butter extract
more PB2 for topping

do this:

whip this all up in your blender or food processor, then cook them up like cakes in your skillet. 3-4 minutes on medium heat for each side. top with more PB2 and sprinkles! they are optional too:)

for the entire stack:

i topped mine with more strawberries, and it tasted like a big peanut butter and jelly sammich. omg, YUMMINESS!!!

i didn’t get a sub for my class…no need. i had some gifts to give out too- the gift of sweat.

and i did so with new workout gear, whoop, whoop! that is ALWAYS appreciated, no matter what the occasion! i’ve been #upgraded!

afterwards, we got ready to go take some professional family pictures, and eat some lunch.

lunch where? where else!?!?!? yep, RG.

the weather was perrrrrfect, so we found a great table outside. if you have a little one of age then you know an ipad or any electronic device works wonders to keep their little minds occupied until the food arrives.

we tried the hi-protein hemp empanadas for the first time and WOW. i will definitely be remaking this at home! i LOVED the sweet and savory flavor combo. seasoned ground beef, raisins, cilantro, mozzeralla and cheddar cheeses all stuffed inside a hemp and wheat flour pocket. and yeah, they are fried… you’ve been warned!

before pizza,

after pizza.

i know exactly where he gets his hunger attitude from.

this kids loves some cheese pizza, so of course we ordered him one along with…

grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas! Sonny’s was super spicy,

mine was not.

oh and i got some butternut squash too. it’s the LITTLE THINGS that made my birthday so special and memorable!

clearly the pizza had Chiso’s undivided attention until it was gone.

there was a lambo car show going on at the same time in City Centre so it was definitely alive:

from newer models,

to classics.

#justlooking

very last thing….. more, YES, more fro-yo!

from Red Mango.

and that’s a wrap! thank you so much for reading!

i’m back on track with more EXCITING product reviews, and more GIVEAWAYS!!!!

i’m THRILLED about some of the products i’ll be featuring shortly that YOU will be able to enjoy yourself as well!!! stay tuned

6 Pack USA @ HBU’s Be Fit for Life Health Expo!

January 27, 2013 by fitfoodiele

what a DAY! we spent over half of our saturday at our very first event, the Be Fit For Life Health Expo hosted by Student Apprentice on the campus of Houston Baptist University.

it was an outstanding turnout- kids from ages 12-17 showed up and soaked in a ton of health and fitness info at each booth.

we taught the kids about effective fitness and nutrition, and about 6 Pack USA’s role in helping people achieve their fitness goals.

this man was in his element and doin’ what he looooooves to do- TALK

Sonny and Brian gave demos on how to calculate lean body mass and body fat using a caliper.

and i proved that clean eating DOES taste good with my PB2 oatmeal carob chip cookies for the babies!

Congressman Al Green even stopped by to say a few encouraging words to the kiddos.

it was a pleasure meeting him!

we also had some help from some great friends of ours- a huge thank you to Miko (r) the Zumba QUEEN for teaching a rockin’ class! that girl can seriously MOVE.

these ladies are the BOMB! Miko, Kara and Annette (r) volunteered their precious saturday to help 6 Pack USA make the biggest impact possible.

one last pic before wrappin’ up the first part of the expo here.

Whole Foods was in the building teaching the kids about fresh, wholesome, all natural snacks and meal ideas,

while Annette was giving them a great workout, TKB style! she is the best of the best!

Miko was workin’ it out on the floor with her Zumba skills,

while Brian, Kara, and I ran drills in the gym and stressed the importance of daily physical activity.

done deal!

we are looking forward to growing, networking, and participating in more health and fitness events in our community, city, and beyond. a final and gigantic THANK YOU to Denesha James and the entire Student Apprentice staff for allowing us to be apart of this amazing event.

after several weeks of planning, meetings, phone calls, and late nights prepping for this event, Sonny was ready to let loose! Tornado burger style.

someone brought one to his office just last week and he says it smelled so good he wouldn’t even LOOK in its direction. so, he wanted it to be his epic post-expo meal. notice i said HE!!! i wanted no parts of this lol.

ok maybe a few fries.

are you kidding me…

i didn’t IG this cause i didn’t want to discourage my followers LOL. but i said i would certainly blog it! i did have a bite- i could NOT resist all that cheese, come on! i saved my appetite for a little later though.

we take our date nights SERIOUSLY. this is not a game. the expo was behind us, and since we were toddler-less for a few more hours, we sped home and got cleaned up for dinner. the weather was absolutely outstanding, and a patio was calling our name.

i promise we planned to go somewhere different…

i had the Ruggles Green atlantic salmon salad with the dressing on the side,

and grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas for Sonny. we could have at least ordered something different, right?

6 fingers up for 6 Pack USA!

plateaus + 30 min shoulder workout

November 27, 2012 by fitfoodiele

the holidays take forever to get here and then they are gone just like that. *tear*

are you back on track from Thanksgiving yet? well how much more time do you need!!?!?! i’m good (now), but if your body seems to have come to a stubborn halt, or if your results seem to be going in reverse:

*lift heavier

*do a completely different set of exercises for a particular muscle group

*add a HIIT workout into your regimen to shock your metabolism (track sprints, bleachers, stair master, hill sprints)

*take a class at your gym! (spin, weights, kickboxing, boot-camp, yoga, etc.)

*do your normal routine in reverse order

i chose a different cardio toy last night! i know it’s super similar to my fave machine (the machine with the feet) but the stride is wider, and there is an incline function. pick machines that use upper and lower body simultaneously cause that gets your heart rate up right away and provides a full body workout/warmup. remember, the more body parts moving, the more calories and fat you burn! you can do HIIT on that thing or steady state cardio, you choose.

i taught my Total Conditioning class this morning and burned about 700 cals, then hit the weights for a quick 30 min shoulder work out. i must share this burn!!

tripleset (using moderate to heavy weight)

seated rear deltoid press 3 x 12

seated lateral raise 3 x 12

seated front deltoid press 3 x 12

***

standing alternating forward dumbbell raises 3 x 24

standing dumbbell T raises 3 x 12

barbel upright row 3 x 12

***

25 heavy barbel shoulder shrugs 4 sets

early morning workout complete and i am done for the day at 7:30am!

we went to Ruggles Green again over the long holiday weekend and i finally ordered something different – organic turkey lettuce wraps.

not bad! i can totally make them at home though. lean ground turkey, black beans, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and corn all nestled inside a thick leaf of crisp iceberg lettuce.

i ordered a 3 cheese kids pizza for Chiso as my former little garbage disposal has become extremely picky. wonder how long that’ll last…

it was a winner.

if he didn’t kill it, we would have.

money well spent. i ordered some of their famous butternut squash too as usual, and whaddaya know- he doesn’t like it anymore

so i handled up on that.

Sonny ordered what i usually get- the grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas.

‘pumpkin? clearly it’s a basketball. ‘

he tried to bounce it and everything!!!

then….fro-yo time. i mean it was right next door.

aaaaalllll those toppings and i never really step outside my comfort zone.

no sugar added vanilla frozen yogurt, mini dark chocolate chips, sprinkles, and whipped cream. 20 cals per ounce – my kinda cheat treat!

creating a fro-yo monster

remember that shrimp i bought that was on sale at the same time fresh salmon was?

i finally defrosted it and threw them in my grill pan along with some raw zucchini for dinner that night. i sprinkled some more of that sweet smokey chipotle paprika and some dried parsley on them first,

and overcooked the heck outta them. shrimp cook so fast it’s not even funny. you’re supposed to do this for all proteins, but take them off the heat just before they are done, cover them with foil, and let them ‘rest’. they will continue cooking from the residual heat. so if you take them off when they are done, they will get chewy on you after they cool a little and they won’t be nearly as juicy.

Ogechi brought me those seasonings at the perfect time cause my HEB has been outta Mc Cormick’s smokehouse maple seasoning for weeks.

we don’t have our Christmas tree up yet. i usually wait until the price drops a little before we go get one. a real one! i love how they make the house smell. we were able to put up a few Christmassy items though.

Chiso did his own thing and wasn’t interested.

matter fact, all those boxes back there were on the floor by the end of the night.

thanks to my little elf!

turkey day 10k + november goals

November 2, 2012 by fitfoodiele

happy NOVEMBER & friday

let’s celebrate. have some pancakes.

i made a big one for Chiso’s breakfast yesterday. since he hadn’t had them in a while (we switched to Ezekiel’s cinnamon raisin bread for a little bit) he killed the whole thing in a few minutes.

it was topped with some cinnamon and a drizzle of walden farms pancake syrup.

SO, what are your fitness and nutrition goals for this month? how often do you make goals anyway? do you even make them? daily? weekly? monthly? making goals has become an incredibly useful tool for me now that i’m in off-season with my competition training. whenever i write ANYTHING down (grocery list, an event, reminder, whatever) Sonny feels the need to remind me what year it is and to document things electronically. well sometimes i don’t want to! i mean seriously. i enjoy writing out my grocery list by hand and crossing off items one by one while i’m at the store. i just do. i’m pretty sure it’s cause my mom did/does that. i also like to group all my items together (frozen, produce, etc.) as i take them out of my basket and put them on the belt at checkout. Sonny finally understands this and lets me do my thing anyway, it will take me longer to type my entire list into my phone… and then what if it dies!?

i did a reverse selfie (which is way freakin harder to do than i thought) of my october progress which was to eat as clean as possible and to add more definition all over, especially my abs. i stuck with my clean eating for the most part even though these weekend parties filled with pizza and cake got me a few times! but i stayed inside my 80/20 rule, so it’s all good. i also upped my weight training and decreased my cardio. i’d love to stay where i am right right now so that when i compete again, i’ll be at an acceptable ‘starting’ place.

le’s NOVEMBER 2012 fitness and nutrition goals

continue to stay on track with my meal plan and clean eating
ENJOY Thanksgiving to the fullest – no meal plan, scale, nothin’ on that day
Run this 10K on turkey day —-> http://turkeytrot.shelteringarms.org/ and beat my current PR!
Add HIIT back into my current workout routine (sprints 2x’s a week)
Take my ab workouts more serious

ok those are mine! whether you write them or type your goals, just make some. i’m not just running a 10k so i can eat like a crazy woman on TG, but i already planned to workout anyway. i know my gym class will be canceled like it is every year, but i’d totally be there at 5:30am sharp for anyone who wanted to get in a great weight workout that morning.

have you ever worked out on Thanksgiving Day???

my little Ruggles Green lunch date from the weekend inspired me to throw a butternut squash in our grocery basket.

i threw the whole thing in the oven for about 20-25 minutes on 400 degrees. after it cooled, i cut it in half, long ways.

i think i got pretty darn close to their Famous Butternut Squash. in terms of taste, not looks, apparently.

at least Chiso thinks so- he liked it *wipes forehead*. i used:

squash:

walden farms pancake syrup (instead of the maple syrup)
i can’t believe it’s not butter spray butter
few dashes of cinnamon
dash of salt

topping:

crunchy lite granola (bulk bins at HEB/Whole Foods)
coconut crystals (found at Whole Foods)

that’s all that’s in there and it was too simple to be that good. i didn’t measure a thing though and just threw it together, fyi. i was gonna cut it into chunks and throw it in the blender, but it was soft enough to just whip/mash up in a bowl by hand. also, i didn’t have graham crackers like the original recipe, but Sonny’s lite crunchy granola worked out fine.

does he look warm? bless his heart. i hadn’t been outside since my eeeeearly morning workout, so i assumed it was still pretty cool out. not quite.

i took him out of the jacket and he took the hat off himself lol. Moms, if you don’t have a jogging stroller, INVEST in one. no gym membership required. your post baby body journey starts with some good ol’ walking. you’ll be jogging/running again eventually though, and you’ll be able to knock out two birds with one stone! family time and exercise. never let your little one be your excuse…only your reason. we were blessed with this stroller as a baby shower gift and i am SOOOOO grateful for it.

i used the last of that fresh atlantic salmon we bought to make breakfast tacos for meal #4 that night. i put this concoction together in my head while on our evening walk- fresh salmon, avocado, egg whites, shredded almond cheese all on a Ezekiel sprouted grain corn tortilla. yum! the tortillas pretty much broke apart once i picked it up , but hey it all went to the same place.

we topped them with cilantro and salsa first.

after that, i went to my freezer for the next best thing since we’re outta salmon right now- tilapia! i baked a few pans of garlic and herb tilapia in the oven so i could prep some more meals to get us through the week.

i also made so fresh steamed asparagus for our green vegetable. lots of lemon pepper and Pam.

meal #5 for that evening consisted of spaghetti squash i baked earlier in the week, tilapia, and asparagus. i just rolled up two fork fulls of the squash and made it look like little pasta nests. then i sprinkled them with garlic and herb seasoning and some dried parsley.

Chiso and i are gearing up to support Sonny in his 2nd bodybuilding show this weekend!

we are so ready to cheer him on

a trophy would be awesome, but i get to bring the man home with me! whoop whoop!

weekend eats

October 30, 2012 by fitfoodiele

so i used to REALLY let loose and eat whatever and however much i wanted on the weekends. but i always despised how i felt on mondays… especially during my workout. i felt greasy.. heavy.. and kinda sick to my stomach. i don’t like that feeling. and it’s not like i didn’t work out on the weekends either! clearly it was what and how much junk i was putting into my body that made me feel that way.

saturday morning started off like it normally does- at the gym. shoulders, cardio, abs and stretching. i’ve been making it a point to stretch after my workouts and now i feel incomplete if i don’t do it! that’s how it should be. i’m the same way with water. when i force myself to down a bottle with every meal, i start craving it over time. that’s also when i start collecting empty bottles from EVERYWHERE!!! every cup holder in the cars, piled up on my end table, and all over the house.

i got in and out super early cause i had a baby shower to attend for a friend of mine.

Lululemon is a beast with the slimming effect, seriously!!!! she’ll also slim the heck outta your wallet though, my goodness.

first things first, lol! kidding. really though, this cake gave my cake lady a SPRINT for her money. it was from Ooh La La Sweets. do you see how ginormous that cake is? that’s only half a sheet

we were all watching Emily open her gifts (Chiso tried to help) and even after all that cuteness, the thought of having a girl still scares me!! i know she’ll come at the most perfect time….. but i could totally do a few more boys.

nevertheless, we cannot wait to meet baby Audrey:) a HUGE congrats to Mike and Emily on their precious blessing and addition to their family. our little boys are close in age and i remember us both taking fitness classes and bouncing around the workout room, big bellies and all!

the lovely hostess on the left is my girl, Anna. she’s an instructor too, can’t you tell!? she’s also a huge part of my inspiration for becoming an instructor in the first place. i’m so grateful for her friendship.

’we don’t even have to try, it’s always a good time!!’

ok back to this cake though!! the icing was subtly sweet. i LOVE that. it’s like they got the recipe just right. it’s not the heavy, super-sugary icing, and not the fluffy non-dairy whipped topping either. it’s… perfect. the right consistency, texture, everything.

white french vanilla cake iced with vanilla buttercreme and filled with chocolate mousse w/ chocolate chips. YES. what a combo. definitely something i’d put together myself. and pink sprinkles!

next, we went to meet my bro for lunch and also to attend a kiddie Halloween event in the same area.

Matt chose Ruggles Green and we scored some awesome seats facing the courtyard where all the action was.

kids in costumes everywhere!

the view + the awesome fall weather + family = my heart overflowing with joy.

#thelittlethings

Matt ordered his usual- bison (or turkey) burger with sweet potato fries.

is this rude?

i ordered a side of their famous organic butternut squash and split it with Chiso. i was still full from the shower.

i get this whether Chiso is present or not though! i Googled the recipe immediately while we were sitting there.

duplication recipe WILL be happening.

i’m glad he enjoyed it so much- he’s been turning away vegetables left and right. i’m sure that graham cracker crust had something to do with it.

oh and we had more cake. Anna cut us a huuuuuuge chunk lol! my mind screamed ‘nooooooo’, but my taste buds said ‘heck yes’, ‘why not?’, and ‘burn it off tomorrow’.

the event was over and they were cleaning up by the time we finished. we let Chiso run around and expend some energy for a little bit though.

when we got home, it was time for me to eat again, so i cut up a sweet potato and made some chips in the oven.

i also put a chunk of baked salmon, fresh steamed spinach, a fried egg, some reduced sugar ketchup, and spicy mustard on an Ezekiel sprouted grain wrap.

early service on sunday was fantastic. it never fails- i always want to go OUT to breakfast after church! apparently Sonny felt the same way cause he starting driving the opposite direction of home without saying a word.

we ended up at The Egg & I. that was Chiso’s cheat meal!

at first i ordered their ‘Granny Smith Chicken Salad’ and silly me neglected to ask how it was prepared. it was chicken salad on top of actual salad. you know, that mayo-laden, creamy stuff that is usually full of fat. i despise having to return my food or ask my waiter/waitress for anything extra (i’ve always been that way) but this time…i couldn’t do it. i had it replaced with their citrus chicken salad and double checked that the meat was grilled. it was topped with raw red pepper, red onions, candied walnuts, and cilantro.

i also ordered some pecan coffee, but these were my only sweetener options, booooooo. artificial everything…not good.

so i reached in my purse and pulled out one of my ‘stevia in the raw’ packets. always be prepared. ladies, stash a few in each of your bags so if you happen to switch it up real quick before heading out, you’ll be covered.

‘the best paaaart of wakin’ up, is stevia in your cup.’

Sonny had a 6 ounce steak and a few cups of steamed spinach. he’s competing soon, so he’s staying on track with his clean diet.

however, he did help me ensure Chiso’s waffles were OK for consumption

afterwards? grocery shopping!!! i KNOW! i can’t believe Sonny went WITH ME again either! twice in one month! or maybe it’s cause i told him fresh salmon was on sale and that’s all he’s eating for his last week of competition prep. hmmmmm

we took advantage and got a couple lbs. i seasoned these puppies as soon as we got home. mc cormick bbq and dried parsley on one slab,

12 min. in a 450 degree oven.

and then i did a lemon pepper/dried parsley slab as well.

and then i hit the gym and put in some work on these legs.

i did the same leg circuit from last week.

we ended our evening and weekend with a walk down the block.

the big day is tomorrow- remember, MODERATION!!! have fun and be super safe.

i’m gonna give out candy + a piece of fruit. i’m so serious.

get lifted

April 26, 2012 by fitfoodiele

so you’re getting your cardio in. you’re slimming down overall. awesome. now, you want more definition, a little muscle, and a firmer, flatter tummy. cardio won’t sculpt and reshape your body like pumping iron will. time to incorporate some weight lifting. you can totally get your own dumbbells from walmart, academy, sports authority etc., but you can also take a class at your gym:) i’m a little biased being an instructor and all, but i have to say again how classes are so EXCELLENT for motivation, challenging yourself, accountability, and camaraderie. try one. please.

why you should hit the weights:

skyrockets your metabolism. higher metabolism = more calories burned = happy camper. it’s also important to remember that the heavier you lift, the more muscle you gain which equals, yes, more calories burned! common sense, but if you never add any weight to your bar (especially if you’ve been taking the same class or doing the same moves for a while) well, what are you doing? what are you really working towards? you’ll risk plateauing and not seeing any changes at all.

revamp your body into a calorie burning machine!

reduces your risk of injury, back pain, and arthritis. muscle is not the only thing weights help build- they help strengthen the ligaments and tendons that support your muscles too. this means you won’t be injured/thrown around as easily when you’re playing contact sports, doing every day activities, or fighting. kidding. stronger bones reduces, slows, and manages those aches, pains, and diseases.

muscle burns more cals than fat. the more muscle you have, the more cals you burn all day long even while sitting around doing nothing important. weights produce 40% more fat loss than cardio alone! you read that right! this explains why i feel so much leaner, longer (a couple days) vs. after a cardio session. you’ll start to see some ab action peeking out soon, watch.

produces stronger, longer, leaner muscles while defining, toning, and tightening overall. that nice line running down your thigh is all yours if you want it! if you want to see change, change your weight. lifting 2 lb dumbbells is for the birds. go for the 5′s, work your way up to 8′s, 10′s, 12′s, etc. when you start to work harder, THAT’S when you walk by the mirror and give yourself that well deserved double-take!

increases muscular strength and endurance. you’ll be physically stronger and better equipped to handle everyday stuff like walking up some stairs without getting winded or your legs feeling like hot jello. not getting debo’ed by a heavy door. lifting a 24 pack of water without throwing your back out. finishing your 5k strong and without stopping this time. progress feels GREAT.

your clothes will fit better. when you no longer need to flex or ‘suck it in’ in order for a certain body part to be altered or lifted lol, that builds tons of confidence! not only will your current clothes look better on you, a boost of confidence and self-esteem will make you boldly branch out and try on something you normally wouldn’t;)

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**ladies- embrace the weights. NO, you won’t bulk up. is that excuse still being used anymore anyway? in order to look like a bodybuilder, you’ve got to train and eat like one. i’ve been teaching my weights class for over 3 years now and hello, i’m no China or Xena. my class focuses on building lean muscular strength AND endurance, which means we do a high number of reps with med-heavy, challenging weight. my barbel/dumbbells aren’t so heavy that i can only do 8, but i can’t do 88 either. the end result? definition city.

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being a Lifetime Fitness instructor has its perks! i had the pleasure of subbing a barbel strength class for another instructor sunday, and that was cool cause because lululemon was hosting their r&d (research & development) party that afternoon for the lifetime city-centre instructors!!

i went there immediately after class, family in tow.

as i signed up, the lovely lady in the front excitedly explained that we would be getting a free gift. the first thought that came to mind was ‘it’s a headband.’ so you know i was THRILLED to hear her say ’free yoga pants!’ what!? SHUT CHO MOUTH!!!

’why can’t you just get the free pants and that be it?’ because, Sonny… *blank stare + side eye combo*

they had snacks- fruits, mixed nuts, and coconut water.

i appreciate a supportive top. i have yet to meet a built-in-bra that didn’t totally wimp out on me after a few machine washes. i sometimes double up on sports bras so i can wear the cuter tops and not risk exposing myself mid-jumping jack. Casi, the lulu rep above in the pink yoga pants, (check out her fit blog too- the recipes look healthy and tasty!) assured me that this one would do the trick. stylish and supportive. i believed her!

i tried it out in my class this week and it worked fabulously. the thick straps really do the trick and most important, it’s not UGLY!!

but back to sunday. enough shopping, time to eat.

so we kept hearing all this commotion and engines revving- apparently there was a car show going on just outside. i’m not really into that sorta thing, but they were cool to look at.

fun, fun. anyway, let’s eat. forreal this time. soooooooo nice to see you again, Ruggles Green!

all natural buffalo burger and house-cut fries for hubs,

and spicy grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas with a side salad and honey mustard dressing for moi.

they put dried blueberries and jicama in their side salads. it’s different and it works.

i ordered the ‘famous butternut squash’ for my little man. ooooooh, whatever is in that sweet, crunchy topping i MUST find out. i shamelessly ate more of it than he did.because a meal isn’t complete without dessert. gotta end on a sweet note.