Join Team Fit Foodies! The Color Run 5K – Houston

March 18, 2013 by fitfoodiele

heeeeey! do you see the upcoming race over there in the side bar??? ——> it’s the The Color Run 5K Houston!

how would YOU like to be apart of Team Fit Foodies and get your run on with me!? i’ll provide more notice on the next run, but if you’re primed and ready, let’s hit the streets of Houston together this weekend, March 24th, 2013!

i’m looking to fill 8 spots on the Fit Foodies team and the only requirement for this race is to FINISH. and of course to have major fun doing it if you are interested and local, email me ASAP: le@fitfoodiele.com and i’ll send you the invite/link to join our team. you’ve got 6 days!

from the novice or 1st time 5k runner to the olympian, let’s make this happen and achieve our goals, together! come for the camaraderie, motivation, inspiration, some exercise, and to support our veterans with PTSD.

come rep for the Fit Foodies with me!!

run ON! Bayou City Classic 10k ’13

March 11, 2013 by fitfoodiele

pre-race breakfast was 2 egg whites and a big bowl of expanding oats (1/2 cup rolled oats cooked in 1 cup water and 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk) topped with frozen blueberries, banana chunks and cinnamon! i normally don’t eat THAT much before a long run, but i woke up so hungry that i had to put something in my system that would stick.

walking to the start line with no rain this time! last year it rained the entire race AND during the post-race party, boooo.

traditional feet pic

52-53 min and some change later,

DONEZO! the route was a tad bit different this year and there were hills, hill, and mo hills, whew. that Allen Parkway is a beast.

oh how i wish i could have taken pics of all the inspirational and funny things i saw:

1. i had just made it to the halfway point when a woman on a bike heading the opposite way yelled out ‘it’s fit foodie!!!’ are you kidding me!? if you could have SEEN my face light the heck UP as i cheesed, waved, and yelled hello back! i could not see you very well at ALL but THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY YEAR, LADY!! XOXO!

2. spectator sign: ‘don’t stop! ain’t nobody got time fo dat!’

3. people often run in teams or ‘centipedes’ and are linked together by a rope of some sort so that they can finish together. teamwork at its finest! i passed a team with a gentleman running alongside his IV. i did a double take for sure! yes, the stand with the wheels, the fluid bag, the WHOLE NINE. he was out there doing his thing. if he can….

4. one thing i did NOT witness was someone biting the dust, hard. happens every year. people, you gotta watch where you are going, especially running in the streets of downtown Houston. *knocks on wood*

ran into a college buddy of mine just before hitting up the post-race party. amazing run, Warren!

first things first, had to get my t-shirt before the line got too crazy. this was nothin.

i tucked it away in my bag cause i needed two free hands for all the samples i was about to acquire!! here we go:

could it be? yep, Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches and fruit pops.

stopped by the Clif Bar sample station,

peanut butter chocolate something!

the My Fit Foods associate called this mixture ‘Morning Glory’. it’s brown rice, eggs, lean ground turkey, and cheese all mixed together. it was good and something i’d throw together at home for sure.

fresh fruit (bananas and oranges), cereal bars, and scones were provided by Whole Foods,

and Fuel Kitchen supplied the breakfast tacos this year, not HEB. they were delicious though- i had eggs and chorizo in mine. a friend has been raving about the Philadelphia location to me and i can finally go experience the food for myself, sweet!
great turn out again this year! always a pleasure and honor to participate in helping preserve Houston’s bayous, trees, and the environment

goodie bag, food, coupons, t-shirt. it’s a wrap. time for a nap.

there were tons more sponsors there, check out the ones i didn’t mention.

4 years running and counting!

Q: have you eaten at Fuel Kitchen & Health Bar? is there one in your city?

disaster recovery

November 23, 2012 by fitfoodiele

we got back from Vegas monday morning at 6am and went straight to work from the plane. didn’t sleep a wink on the flight or the night before. however, Chiso did get some good sleep and snoozed the entire way home, WHEW. you bet it was a long day that day.

while i attempted to catch up on rest, i neglected our empty fridge for two days! i hadn’t grocery shopped on Thanksgiving eve in a really, really long time. HEB’s parking lot was filled to capacity as expected, but as you see, they had every single lane open to accommodate the crowd. take note, Walmart!!!!!!!! AND, *big cheese* i happened to meet one of my readers in the store that night! i didn’t want to scare her off, so i screamed on the inside shout out to Nneka from Austin! *waving*

i had just hauled my cart up to the belt when she quietly stepped behind me with her hand basket. of course i told her to go ahead of me since she only had a few things (don’t you appreciate when someone does that!?) which is when she introduced herself. just goes to show how you never know who knows you or who’s watching- treat others how you want to be treated at ALL times.

soooo, how was your TG 2K12?!

mine started bright and early at the crack of dark. i left Chiso and Sonny slobbering and snoring to run the annual Houston Turkey Trot 10K. i love that the free t-shirt this year is long sleeve; that’s rare. i have not run long distance in forever, smh, but my cardio @ the gym definitely helps keep my endurance up.

before i hit the road, i made and devoured these babies:

coconut caramel pistachio pancakes.

i used the base recipe for my banana pancakes and added the toppings- raw unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped bananas, Walden Farms caramel sauce, and crushed pistachios.

racing fuel!

might as well call these dessert pancakes- they were off the chain.

over 12k people laced up their running shoes and showed out on Thanksgiving morning.

i was standing around and counting down to start time and noticed the people around me had on such cool colorful running shoes!

i don’t like the front or the very back, but the middle serves me just fine! i was about two minutes or so from the starting line. and yes, i ran with my phone in my hand the whole time. i need a fanny pack.

finished around 50 minutes or so.

just wanted to support the cause and get some exercise… didn’t care about breaking or making any PR’s.

forgot to stop my watch immediately afterwards as usual, but i burned somewhere in the high 600′s. which was only like half of one of my Thanksgiving plates

my heart rate really got up there! normally when i do HIIT, i top out around 176 before my HR starts to decline. when i heard a lady shout ’last mile!!!’ i turned my burners on and sustained my HR above 180 until i crossed the finish line. my legs and chest were on FIRE.

post race, you can find me by the food.

they gave out some flavored vitamin water, bananas,

and chewy granola bars. chocolate chip, peanut butter, and a smores flavor.

i met up with my friend Nichola post race- she competed in Vegas for Fitness America Weekend as well! always posing;) and sorry Nichola, no donuts at the post race party LOL

by now i am almost sick to my stomach of seeing plates of Thanksgiving food on Instagram so i’m gonna chill on sharing mine. i will, however, share my 5 ingredient dump cake recipe! indulgent, um yes. so you should prolly stick to making this on holidays only.

1. canned cherries. i was über happy to see this ‘no sugar added’ variety of cherry pie filling, but was bummed that it was still sweetened with Splenda. womp, womp. however i got it anyway cause the original stats were just way too high. i couldn’t do it. i’m a changed woman.

2. pineapple chunks. the ‘skinny fruits’ caught my eye like the manufacturers intended, but that big Splenda stamp ruined it again.

so, i grabbed what i always use- dole. a little higher in the calories and sugar vs. the Libby’s, but it’s still all natural and no sugar added.

dump the can of cherries into a pan

followed by the pineapple chunks, juice and all.

3. box of yellow cake mix. it’s not pictured, and any brand will do. pour it on top of the cherries and pineapple.

4. stick of butter yeah, those are pads of butter. they melt into the yellow cake mix when baking and form something so incredibly delectable and Paula Deen approved. i mean you don’t have to use the entire stick though, and you could very well substitute it with a lighter whipped butter, Earth Balance, or Smart Balance spread instead.

5. pecans. sprinkle them on top before popping the whole thing in the oven for 1 hr on 375-400 deg. no stirring required! hence the name, dump cake.

so…………how many times have you admired your Thanksgiving food baby in the mirror today?

do NOT let that or food guilt completely ruin the happy, positive memories of Thanksgiving 2k12. you ate those delicious foods cause you wanted to and you’ve been waiting all year for them. you may have woken up with a tummy ache and the need to make a mad dash to the rr like i did this morning lol, but that’s OK. like most people, i ate a lot of carbs and white sugar: pie, cake, dressing, rolls, etc, so i did cut some of my carbs today to balance my intake, but i did not cut them out. do this:

get back on track with your clean diet – do NOT starve yourself.
physical activity…asap. hit the gym for your routine as normal, or go outside for a walk, jog, or run. you’ll feel a lot better, instantly.
drink plenty of water and green tea with each meal as it speeds up digestion.
let the food guilt GO.
chunk the leftovers or give them away. if the temptation is too much, stop torturing yourself and get rid of them. liquid soap to the rescuuuuuuuue

i slept in this morning but i made my way to the gym eventually for some cardio and light leg work.

20 minutes of HIIT on the stairmaster (60 rest rate / 90 work rate), legs, then 40 minutes of steady state cardio . yep, put in a little extra work to combat yesterday’s feasts.

i bought some chicken drumsticks a few weeks ago cause i could not pass up the sale price, so i went ahead and made them for dinner for the weekend. we have been eating only chicken breast for……..a really long dang time!!!

it’s nice to eat a different part of the bird for a change. smokey chipotle paprika drumsticks.

i do hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family time, memories, lots of good food, and fellowship.

if i had ten thousand tongues, i could not thank the Lord enough!!!!!!!

grocery q&a

June 6, 2012 by fitfoodiele

i set out to run a 10k today and did what i could.

it was hot though. this hot:

i hope you got in some good gym or running time today too!!

if you haven’t taken a stab at naming this smoothie yet, get on it, come ooooooon. i’ll be picking a winner this Friday, June 8th. sooooo many creative names to choose from so far though, goodness! can you guess what the prize is?

don’t you hate when people do that? k i’ll stop.

did you see what i had for lunch today? i tweet what i eat often, even if i don’t make an actual blog post. so look under Twitter Updates (on the right side bar of the page over there) when you come see me! i’ll help you out just this once:

http://instagr.am/p/Liws4zRuKw/

i’ve received a few questions concerning grocery shopping – i’ll answer them right right now.

Q: how much do you spend and how often do you go!?

A: i usually visit HEB, Walmart, Sams, and Whole Foods. every now and then i’ll visit Central Market for specialty items and prepared foods only, not real grocery shopping. i’ll hit HEB and Walmart 2 or 3 times (beginning, mid month, and a quick stop) and Sams and WF once a month for bulk items (nuts, cheeses, meats, etc). i get all my fresh produce at HEB, and a majority of my frozen veggies come from Walmart cause they are the cheapest there. since Chiso doesn’t eat a lot yet, he doesn’t really count as a 3rd person nor does he affect our grocery budget much at all. fresh fruits and veggies go quick and last just about two weeks, if that. so ok, YES i’m in HEB more like 3-4 times cause i just love it there, but Sonny and i sat down and agreed on 250 for the month. and yep, i easily stay under that.

Q: do you seriously eat healthy all the time? do you ever buy junk food?

A: heavens no. Sonny loves oreos, juice, and soda, and im a sweets fanatic. however, i don’t buy it all at once though. why? cause we’ll eat it all at once. i buy one or two snacks per shopping trip, never a basket-full. it’s either oreos or juice, but not both. (i have a ‘how to deal with sugar cravings’ post in the works riiiight now.)

super quick tips before i let you go:

stick to your list, use coupons, and don’t go when you’re hungry. love, mom. she’s right.

the good stuff (whole, natural, fresh) foods should always outweigh the not so good stuff (processed foods, sweets). take a long hard look at your grocery items as you put them on the belt to be rang up.

stop buying unhealthy stuff just cause they (kids, hubby, family members) love it. Chiso would eat gerber graduate snacks for meals all day long if i let him. that reasoning should never suffice when it comes to the health of your family. i do the grocery shopping and cooking in my household, so i’m in charge of feeding my family healthy, nutritious foods for their optimal health. you have the power- fill them up with GOOD stuff.

put something new in your basket. i’m convinced people turn their nose up at something different cause they’ve never had it before! just cause it looks weird doesn’t mean it tastes weird. everything won’t be a home run, but if you don’t try it you’ll never know. stop speeding by that egg-plant (or whatever it may be)- put it in your basket and take it home with you this time. you just might like it.

lastly, i entered the lottery for the 2013 Aramco Half Marathon today!!! been waiting 6 months on this thing to open up.

i’ll keep my fingers crossed. my best 10k time was around 53 minutes, but i needed to finish under 51 and some change to automatically qualify for this race, shucks. *kicks rocks*

nite!

dinner and a

May 30, 2012 by fitfoodiele

you thought i was gonna say movie, didn’t you. nope, dinner and a WORKOUT! that’s my kinda date.

i usually run out in the hot sun on wednesdays cause i’m crazy. i prefer running in the heat over the cold, any day. for today’s workout, i selected 5k on my ipod. be realistic with your workouts. especially if you’re just starting out or getting back into a workout groove. set the bar low, and exceed your goals gradually. i had every intention to go past 5k, and i did just that. just a mind trick i like to play on myself sometimes. set small goals for yourself and knock them out one at a time.

don’t let the 14:12 pace fool ya, i did intervals the entire way. i sprinted hard for 15 seconds, then walked for 30. repeat. give or take a couple seconds;) the time always flies by because 1, well, my ipod is on, 2 switching up my speed keeps things ‘exciting’ ( no boring single-paced run ), and 3, i run outside through my neighborhood and enjoy the scenery. i stay off the treadmill as much as possible. you should too. anyway, the bulk of the 5k was intervals. i then ran/walked home at a moderate pace for another 2k or so for a total of 7k for the evening. dinner was cooking while i was away:

baked tilapia, roasted sweet potatoes, and lightly creamed spinach.

we’re keepin it light tonight- STILL working off memorial day wkend, hahaha. *blank stare* i melted about 3 tbsp of good ol coconut oil and drizzled it over the tilapia fillets as well as my sliced raw sweet potatoes. i seasoned them both with tony c’s and some black pepper and threw them into the oven. 350 deg, 30 minutes, both done. i microwaved and drained the spinach, then added just two light swiss laughing cow cheese wedges, and a little salt and pepper.

quick and to the point today! score! off to bed i go- 5:30 am weight workout tomorrow.

happy long weekend!

May 29, 2012 by fitfoodiele

i hope your memorial day weekend was one to remember! things have finally settled down over here and i’m getting a SUPER quick moment to post. my little one’s first birthday party was saturday and it was both a blast and a blur! i’m so grateful for the friends and family that were able to come help us celebrate- working on that post right now:) we headed to Austin the next day for my husband’s frat brother’s wedding. before we left, i checked the mail and found this:

it’s official!

it’s gonna be a TKB-filled summer;)

Austin is such a perfect road trip- not too far and just right. i had some great company though! It was our little one’s first road trip and his actual b-day; we just couldn’t leave him behind. he did great and slept most of the way, whew. i’m so thankful for family in Austin- my aunt Cj is such a phenomenal host. plus she ALWAYS, ALWAYS has great food ready for her guests lol!! this trip was no different- we were greeted for lunch with some cold crab ceviche.

it was filled with avocado chunks, fresh herbs, and plenty of crab! we ~~shovled~~ scooped it up with some artesian black bean tortillas chips.

she was just getting started! the main dish was this spicy creole gumbo served over brown rice with a side of corn. shrimp, deer sausage, okra, tomatoes….hearty but light and so darn GOOD.

i know, you love her already.fresh fruit salad…it goes with any meal. she added cherries to hers.

Sonny chowing down.

me too!

while we ate lunch, she was already making dinner. im the same way- i do as much prep work as possible so im not stuck in the kitchen all day and can actually enjoy my guests! she made marinated, baked chicken thighs,

with cheesy, savory squash casserole. we couldn’t wait to get back to devour it, SMH!

we got dressed and headed to Jackie & Melanie’s gorgeous outdoor wedding. i’m all for untraditional wedding venues- this one was absolutely beautiful and held at the perfect time- before the REAL Houston Summer heat shows up! ever in Austin? take a stroll through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

a gigantic CONGRATULATIONS to Jackie & Melanie!!!

we had a fab time reconnecting and catching up with our old college buddies. that makes us sound super old, omg. here we are during cocktail hour just before the reception. this here reception food…. it might very well be the best wedding plate i’ve ever eaten. homemade mac n cheese was on the menu and as we sat in anticipation for our table to be called to the buffet, i kept reading it over and over again LOL. it had a crunchy, seasoned, breadcrumb-like topping that was simply divine when eaten with the creamy pasta.

spinach salad with strawberries and candied pecans, seasonal roasted veggies, and herbed breast of chicken with a savory citrus shallot pan gravy. YES. i wish i could have gotten seconds and a to-go box. it was that good. everything was!

it’s all about detail- simply gorgeous. the colors were so vibrant, even at night.

spectacular wedding for a spectacular couple- we wish you two MANY years of wedded bliss together! May God continue to bless your new union!

after 3 days of no working out whatsoever and eating everything in sight (just wait til these 1st birthday pics) i was in dire need of some physical activity, ASAP. even on vaca, we get it in. i’m so sick of that phrase.taking silly pics didn’t make me feel better about tackling those 3 miles.

Sonny ran earlier, so he was a sweetheart and followed me by bike while i suffered on foot.

‘sweat. destroying perms one workout at a time.’

we finished up and walked back in the house to the smell of breakfast.

scrambled egg & turkey bacon breakfast tacos w/ salsa, grits, and fresh fruit.

after some lounging, we eventually got ready to head home and said our goodbyes Sonny knows my visits to Austin are not complete unless we stop by *drumroll* Whole Foods!! Austin is home to the landmark store. i’d move here just for that reason!! but then i’d go broke and have to leave.

if you’ve never been and experienced the massive overwhelmingness (i make up words a lot) of this store, well, enjoy these pics! if you have been, then you completely understand my urge to buy one of everything.

produce department. Sonny purposely asked me a question so my mouth would be open during the shot. why? after almost 5 years of marriage, it doesn’t even matter anymore *crickets*

doing what he does best…wait on me, haha

these little ’stations’ filled with people sitting, chatting, and eating were all over the store. prolly one in almost every department now that i think about it.

so cool to LOOK at!! random shapes and multiple kinds of chocolate.

cheeeese….

just one of a handful of salad bars.

Sonny @ one of the many hot bars… every which way you turn is something different!! i saw several poor souls walking in circles.checking out- we just grabbed something quick for lunch and hopped back on the road.

next time, we’ll have a seat and hang out.shot of the entrance from the underground parking garage.

eating while driving: Sonny’s pulled pork, baked chicken, rice, and ground turkey concoction.

sushi for me- brown rice, shrimp, avocado, cucumber with plenty of lemon juice and soy sauce.

until next time, Austin! so, that’s what we did for Memorial Day wkend- how did you celebrate?

conn’s green 10k {city centre}

May 1, 2012 by fitfoodiele

i went to pick up my race packet friday during lunch at Sun and Ski Sports.

awesome bib number, huh! sure wish i coulda grabbed the entire stack of My Fit Food coupons. MFF also had a little booth there and were scooping out bowls of brown rice, ground turkey, and asparagus.

i have a hard time passing up free food. so what if i had just eaten. i’d definitely make this at home though- healthy, easy-peasy.

so, i know i told ya my buddy Kara would be running with me, but she told me she’d rather study for some silly law finals instead. the nerve of her. bless her heart- she’s almost done, for good! good luck, Kara;) i just replaced her with her boyfriend, my bro-in-law, Brian. he took my first ever finisher video:

thanks a TON, brother!

the weather was a bit humid, but the sun was still out most of the time. great crowd.

afterwards, people were clamoring under one of the tents to see their race results. i have always been cool with waiting to get the results email lol. no big deal.

i think i finished around 54 minutes though. i actually coordinated my run with my ipod this time using that Nike+ thing. just wanted to see how accurate it was, and it was spot on.

anyway, look who i ran into- remember her?? hey Krystal!

she blazed that 10k in record time and looked so cute doing it! check out her running group, here. our boys are a few weeks apart and they will both be turning one shortly!

before we headed out, we checked out the vendors and got some samples.

lots of fluids and fruit this time.

that was cute but i needed FOOD! we headed to brunch at the Egg & I. it was my first time there.

i won’t bore you with the veggie egg white omelet w/ cheese & breakfast potatoes i had. enjoy this instead:

waffles and french toast. hey- i couldn’t think of a better time to devour all this yumminess.

update: as of sunday, turbo kick training is COMPLETE. thank God.

i’ll get my results shortly and you know i’ll keep ya posted on how i did. looooooooong day, but time well spent.

nothing irks me more than suddenly having to ‘go’ smack in the middle of running my race!!!! gaaaaaaaaah, it’s like the worst feeling ever and you really can’t do a THING about it at the time (well, you could, but then you’d kill that personal best record you were about to set).

what are your race/running pet peeves!? (before, during or after)