#laterpost #flashbackfriday

i'm going through a period in my life where i'm letting go of something good to make room for something a billion times better. why is that so dang hard though? always easier said than done in my world. accepting change doesn't have to feel like pulling teeth, but i tend to take it to that level ~~a lot~~ every now and then.

i stick to my 6 Pack USA workout plan for the majority of my workouts but sometimes i just go in and wing it.

today's sweaty randomness: back, light triceps, cardio

machine shoulder press 4 x 10
lat pull downs 4 x 10
machine tricep pushdowns 4 x 10
hammer strength pull downs 4 x 10
seated rows 4 x 10
deadlift / overhead press combo w/ 45 lb bar 3 x 10
steady-state, fat burning cardio on the elliptical 30 min

before that though, i met with the ladies of Style to Envy for breakfast at La Madeleine and did my best to resist all their crazy delicious savory and sweet pastries. i met Val and Nikki at the Blog Elevated Conference this past Sept. and we discussed a few collaboration ideas for 2014! looking forward to that.

Chiso worked up an appetite playing hard and requested pizza for lunch. soooo, since were in the vicinity, we chowed down on some Ruggles Green gluten-free cuisine.

i had the Atlantic salmon salad with all the trimmings. i actually forgot to ask for the dressing on the side this time and was too hungry to wait for a re-do.

what a Hammy Mc Hamster! Chiso got his pizza fix and i finished what he left which was only one dang slice! and i have no idea where he got 'eat everything but the crust' from. he certainly didn't learn that from Sonny or i cause we eat the whole thing. so yeah, i finished all his leftover crusts too. that dough is AMAZING.

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here is a lighter, low sugar pumpkin cake recipe i made a few days ago i'd like to share before Turkey Day:

yummy pumpkin cake

the stuff:

1 cup Stevia for Baking
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 can pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk

do this:

mix wet with wet, dry with dry, then incorporate together. do not over mix!
divide batter evenly between two 8 in round pans
bake for 28-30 min on 350 or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
let the cakes cool then pop them out of the pans
top however you'd like! i used vanilla butter cream and the very last few pecans in the bag (i hope that explains the debris on the plate) this time, but next time i'll keep it super light and use sugar-free/fat-free cool whip. there are actually a few vegan coconut cream frosting recipes i've been seeing around. that's a great option too!

makes 12 slices (for 1, no topping): 137 cals, 6g fat, 18g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 3 g protein

hope you had a fantastic weekend. it's COLD in Houston these days, brrrrrr.

t-4 days yall!!