Weekend Treat = True Food Kitchen

i'll be shifting things around concerning my prenatal one-on-one sessions & class times as i have accepted a 10:15am saturday TCX class at my Lifetime location!!!! i am crazy excited about it because i have been holding down the butt-crack-of-dawn shift for a while now....but it is certainly nice to see more new faces, daylight, and teach in a prime time slot. i am so ready to GROW this class and rock out with the members on saturday mornings! yall know i loooove my saturday morning workouts.  so, *a-hem* for all those peeps that never quite made it to my 5:30am classes, now's your chance to give me a try ;)

20151212_114253-01

the child center was hosting a Reindeer Games event for the kiddies, so after class i walked my tykes right over to the party.  look who we ran into! i felt so bad for Mrs. Claus, ha. but i'm sure she has seen and experienced some crazy stuff dealing with young kiddos and all. Dego has not having it,

20151212_114302-01

so this is the only thing i could come up with to make him sit still. #whatevs

20151212_121606-01

i usually don't eat/drink much of anything besides coffee before teaching HIIT, so we had lunch at the Lifetime Cafe before heading out cause ya girl was hoongry.  i refueled with a mediterranean egg white wrap and roasted carrots. so filling!  kids get hunger attitudes just like we do (if not worse) so we all chowed down.  this is why i take breakfast so important now that Chiso is in school! he can't leave the house without it.

20151212_223929-01

later that evening i met up with my hubby, sis-in-love, and a few more friends and family to support my bro-in-love, Brian!  he cleaned UP and won 1st place NPC Physique Open AND NPC Physique Novice.  biiiig congrats to him; what a huge win for the 6 Pack USA team!

after church sunday, we finally headed to see the big tree at the Houston Galleria. Sonny doesn't fancy the word 'tradition' but this is one i'd like to keep going...forever!  we actually had family pictures scheduled but the rain killed our plans....again. this is our last week and chance to take them...ugh.  i have our outfits laid out and everything :( . wish us luck, ha!

"Chiso, do something cool!"

20151213_134227-01

"ok, watch me whip." #boom

20151213_134215-01

i can't even deal. 4? no way.

20151213_140408-01

the best out of 87.  enough of this. let's go eat.

for dinner, we went to a place recommended by a friend and client, Frances! True Food Kitchen did not disappoint.

Screen Shot 2015-12-15 at 5.59.48 PM

their menu is comprised of the anti-inflammatory food pyramid. my body definitely appreciated that! love this concept and cannot wait to try out...the rest of the menu.

20151213_151149-01

i started with their kale-aid.

20151213_152137-01

(how deliciously cute is that?)

20151213_152748-01

then, Sonny and i split their edamame dumplings per Frances' suggestion. they made us anticipate our entreès that much more.

20151213_154602_001-01

do you see those perfectly cooked shrimp?  *kisses finger tips* BELLISSIMO!!! the Panang Curry was THE STUFF. i usually don't do dairy-based/creamy sauces and/or soups but uuuuuh, the description sounded too good to resist.  i was impressed and elated to report that i did not even bloat afterwards! awesome. Sonny requested half chicken & half shrimp with his, so i told our waiter i wanted the exact same thang.

20151213_153949-01

pizza for the boys!  well, just one boy. Dego was knocked out the entire time, so i fed him at home.

after we went to Pink Berry, lol.  both of our phones were dead by that point, so no fro-yo pics, womp.

20150918_192608-01

my bowl looked a lil' somethin' like this though!  stole this pic from our maui 8th wedding anni trip.

Q:  fit friends! what else is good at True Food Kitchen!? i ran into a friend of mine (owner and CEO of Inner Me Studios, Nicole Phillips) while there and she ordered quinoa pancakes which were NOT on the lunch menu... so of course i looked at her plate like 'what are thoooooose????' bwhahahaha.  have you tried this place?

ok byeeeeee

http___signatures.mylivesignature.com_54493_267_38EEDA794ECC9B61FC9DE0E61757D91B

sattaday

in addition to solids 2 or 3 times a day, Dego is still requesting the breast 3 times (or more) a day as well.  so yep, breastfeeding is still in full swing over here.  my trainer reminded me that nursing is just like mini workout sessions, which is such an awesome analogy.  breastfeeding has become so routine i have to stop and wonder WHY i'm so hungry in between meals sometimes!  eating more food to keep up with his demands and to keep my supply strong has never been a problem though; i certainly don't mind, haha!  s/n: i should make Chiso park his bike in the garage from now on, wow. sometimes you don't see things in the background until after you take (and post) a pic. whoops. anyway,  i trained a 6 Pack USA client of ours after heading out that day, then hit my gym for some HIIT.

[wpvideo LC9IpcKW]

i've done these two moves separately before, but never together. i'm definitely incorporating this one into my TCX (Total Conditioning Extreme) class!

---

sooooo, my brother was supposed to hop back on a plane headed to Afghanistan this past saturday (to finish up the last of his contract) but he chose not to. WOO friggin' HOO. it is finished!

we had a small family lunch the day before he was supposed to leave with Sonny's younger brother and wife (who is having her first mini me! it's a girl!)!  i admire his decision to stay and i'm elated he will be around to watch his 2nd nephew take his first steps.

---

we had a birthday party to attend saturday evening!  no surprise there!  they have become our new normal.  i sat in the back seat a lot with my first-born for obvious reasons, but i admit, i have bouts of second child syndrome with Dego every now and then.  hadn't been back there in a while, so it was fun hanging out with him on the way to see The Rat.

even did a mini vlog:

[wpvideo JcW1AYGy]

we made eeeeet!

pizza, cake, games, tokens, tickets, kids running around screaming, playing, crying... you know the drill!  Happy 3rd Birthday, Bria!  Sonny went to high school with Bria's father, Mike, and coincidentally, i went to elementary and middle school with his wife, Tashone,  on the opposite side of town. small world. 

City Centre Gap was having a fantabulous 40% off sale this weekend, so i found this cute grey dress on the final sale rack! i know it's too big but i couldn't pass up the 20 buck price.  my IG friend Alisa suggested i belt it. i agree. i suck at accessorizing.  i have been asked about my sandles a lot too- they are like 3 or 4 years old and from Urban Outfitters.  one of my fave pairs!  can't wear them without a fresh pedi though. Dego's fit is from Baby Gap; there's a camera icon on the front that says 'smile' underneath it. 4 bucks! #HammyMcHamster

Chiso doesn't eat the crusts of his pizza slices (did this child really come from me?!) so i took care of them for him lol.  other than that, no pizza and cake for this girl.  i was speaking to a 6 Pack USA client of ours recently about celebrating the small, daily victories during our ongoing fitness journeys.  she said she went to a get together recently that had WINGS (her fave), cake, and all kinds of good ol' party food, but she stuck to her guns and did not deviate from her meal plan.  she said she didn't even drink the water there lol!!!! BRAVO, Reshema! i get it though. i've been there. i usually eat way more than i plan to in social settings cause usually there is such an abundance of food.  but whenever i pass (cause we always have a choice, right?) or at least exercise some moderation instead of going crazy, i walk outta there feeling like a BOSS. a disciplined boss. and my tummy always appreciates it later. no bloating, no sugar cravings.  we stopped by Whole Foods on the way home and i hit up the hot bar for my dinner. lean grilled herbed chicken, roasted bell peppers, artichokes, and lima beans agreed waaaaay more with my tummy than that pizza and cake would have. take it one day at a time, y'all, and those small victories DO count! may they propel you to keep going and making healthier choices.

le

ABB 5k 2015 + consistency is your BFF

 go time!  i do believe this is the longest start line i've ever been in.

it took about 9 minutes just to get to the very front and start running! all that body heat kept us warm though.

 i left my house late (unsurprisingly) and with the street closures and all ended up parking pretty far.  i pretty much ran a dang 5k through downtown before the race started!  i don't ever pay for parking downtown if i can avoid it; i'd rather walk and just save a few bucks.  i was tempted this time though cause i didn't want to be late, but i made it, whew.

#atomicphotobomb & #selfiewhilerunning. the reason for that face is because i was contemplating that 24 min PR i set the night before!!!!

so i didn't find the white rabbit to follow but i DID find a black gorrilla. or whatever that was. i had to speed up to get this pic cause he was BOOKIN' IT.

stats were posted tonight and my official time was 26:41!  i did set a PR of 24, but i'm thinking if i actually take the time to train correctly then maybe i'd actually hit it or come close smh! i love the challenge and i'm up for it.

done!  grateful to cross yet another finish line. i just can't get enough of that feeling.

so Sonny has been in Nigeria all week long for work and was supposed to touch down in Houston at 5am this morning. however, his flight was canceled and he had to hop on the next available one.  i sure would have loved to see him at the finish line, but i did find two of my gorgeous Sorors there, Ayesha and Crystal.  they are both doing the full marathon tomorrow; run hard ladies and good luck!!.

last shot before heading to catch the tail end of the boot camp class i teach with Brian every saturday.

adding to my medal and t-shirt collection!

after boot camp? a leg workout with my trainer, @showtimefitness of course!

 'what seems impossible today will one day become your warmup.' yes. i remember running my very first 5k a few years ago and not moving or lifting a finger afterwards for like 3 days straight! i was crazy tired & super sore and could have easily said 'screw running'and never did another race again. one of the hardest decisions we face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder. well, i chose the latter! how do you get better at something? DO IT MORE! no earthly idea how many 5 and 10ks (1 half mar) i've done since then but because i refused to quit, consistency had me up in the gym post-5k yesterday beasting through an intense full body workout with my trainer @showtimefitness. and you better believe there's a full marathon on my to-do list! just keep going. don't quit. consistency is key.

i actually love being trained as much as i love to instruct the trainings with my own clients!  Brian is awesome at what he does and i always learn more than a handful of things from him.

then... i headed to Luby's for dinner to celebrate. i can ALWAYS count on a great, tasty, healthy meal from there.  i don't care that the population is 80% senior-citizen per my husband!  i have so many childhood memories from Luby's. it was a sunday, after church staple for my family growing up.  anyway i got the salmon, steamed cabbage, seasoned carrots, pickled beets & cucumbers, and...... yes. THE BEST EVER. if you don't like mac n cheese we cannot be friends!!!!!!!! i earned it and i enjoyed every single bite.

WHAT big fitness goal have you set for yourself this year?

le

sb sunday

i started my super bowl sunday out with a beast of a workout!  why was it such a beast?  well, my bro-in-law, Brian, strolled into the gym and took the last 30 minutes of my total conditioning class with me, and he made me do 30 minutes of his workout afterwards in return, whew.  s/n- it's always a great thing to see familiar faces in my class!!! when i first started teaching, i used to get ridiculously nervous if someone i knew told me they were coming.  even having my own husband there used to frighten me!  i just didn't want to get so nervous and mess up.... unconfident much?

 but you know what i learned? nobody even know's i've 'messed up' unless i SAY something.  i actually used to apologize on the mic to everyone in the middle of the routine!  i have grown tremendously over the years through practice and experience and did NOT give up.  even now, i have brain farts often  but it's usually because i get so pumped and start to run around the room motivating members that i forget what i was about to do next in my routine!!

quitting is NOT an option though- do. not. give. up.  if you're committed to something you truly LOVE,  your passion for it won't let you.  it's worth all the time, energy, and effort you put into it.

we did a kettle bell and box circuit.

when i saw him go get those stupid boxes i knew it was about to be ON. #crotchsweat

that's my grimace face...not a smile.

i post pics of my Polar watch after my workout on Instagram sometimes and i get questions like, 'wow, what'd you do to burn all that??' or 'how much of those cals were from ____?'

truth be told, it's different every work out, of course.  i try to get in and out in under 90- minutes, but it also depends on what i'm workin that day.  here's the approximate breakdown for this particular day though:

200 cals - 15 min fat burning warmup on the elliptical while waiting to begin my class

750+ cals - 1 full hour of Total Body Conditioning (cardio + weights, HIIT)

350 cals - 20 minutes of kb's and boxes with my bro

i go over 1k maybe twice a week at the most.

working out with Brian = soreness in places i forgot about. never a dull moment with him, EVER.

hope you guys enjoyed watching the big game on Sunday, whatever you did! we had a little last-minute viewing party at our home and i told myself i wouldn't stress this year and to make it a SB potluck party!  i only made four things:

1. chunky grilled shrimp dip

grilled chunky shrimp dip

the stuff:

• 1 lb EZ peel shrimp, any size
• 1 avocado, chopped
• half of 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• half of 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

do this:

cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the thawed shrimp and add 1 tbsp of liquid aminos.  season with your choice of no-low sodium seasoning, and let it sit for 30 minutes minimum.  whip out your grill pan and grill them up on high heat. remember they cook extremely fast...no more than 3 min on each side.  plate them, cover with foil, and let them sit tight for about 5 minutes.  chop up everything else if you haven't yet and throw it in a bowl: cilantro, bell peppers, red onion, avocado, and finally your shrimp.  bite size pieces perfect for scooping with chips is best.  add the last tbsp of aminos, squeeze the other half of the lemon over your mixture, and sprinkle with the cracked pepper.  let this chill in the fridge for at least an hour. then, scoop away.  fresh, easy, quick, mmm hmm, all that!

2. tidy turkey janes

waaaaait a minute....i said i was saving this recipe for my Fit Foodie Le  fit e-cookbook, remember!?!? uh oh, i think i only disclosed that info on IG and hadn't mention it on my blog yet. well, SURPRISE!!!! :shock:

the meat sauce is aaaaaalll clean, but you can always switch out the rolls and use whole wheat/grain for sure.  e-book is still in the works! will hop right back working on it after i finish this post. it'll be worth the wait;)

3. homemade, clean guacamole

i did everything 'to taste' with this guac recipe! forgive me! here is everything i used though:

ffl's homemade guac:

the stuff:

• 8 ripe avocados
• 2-3 roma tomatoes
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• coconut aminos
• half of 1 medium yellow onion
• fresh cracked black pepper
• sweet, smokey chipotle paprika
• juice of half of 1 lemon
• fresh chopped cilantro

do this:

you can throw ALL this into your food processor/blender and whip it into a smooth, creamy avocado mousse like texture, or chop everything finely by hand and keep it chunky.  here's a tip though- make sure the tomatoes are somewhat dry, cause they can make the dip runny.  taste and season accordingly from there!

4. savory & sweet rotisseri chicken bites

ok....i did not get to go to Sam's and get some rotisserie chicken, but i DID have some leg quarters in my freezer already. so i totally switched this recipe up this year.  i roasted them on 350 for about an hour or so, then shredded them after they were cool.  dark meat just doesn't shred as easily as white meat, but i did my best to make it work.  and i didn't use flour this time.  the clean version is right beside each ingredient in parenthesis for ya, as promised!

savory sweet rotisserie chicken bites w/ pb toast crunch coating

the stuff:

• 4 cups shredded chicken (white, breast meat)
• 1 bunch chopped green onion
• 4 oz garlic and herb goat cheese (4 oz fat free cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (1 cup low fat or 2% cheddar)
• 1/2 cup sriracha hot sauce
• 2-3 tsp black pepper
• coating - 3 cups crushed peanut butter toast crunch cereal (3 cups peanut butter puffins or fiber one cereal)
• 4 scrambled raw eggs (5 egg whites)
• 2 tbsp tony chacheres cajun seasoning (salt-free tony chacheres)
• 2 cups flour (whole wheat flour) OPTIONAL!

do this:

turn oven on 350.  after  the chicken has been shredded finely, add the cream cheese, hot sauce, shredded cheese, green onion, seasonings, and  form individual balls (1-2 in in diameter) with your hands.  get two separate bowls and put the eggs in one, crushed cereal in one, and the flour in another.  use one hand to roll the chicken ball into the flour first (optional), then the egg wash,  and finally the dry cereal mix until it is covered completely.  place the balls on your baking pan, and cook them for about  15-20 min or until brown and crispy.  makes about 30+ balls, depending on the size you rolled'em!

yes, more goat cheeeeese! i found this one right next to the honey goat cheese @ HEB. it worked GREAT in the chicken bites recipe! so much flavor.

alright, here's some of the spread!

these snacks made the Beyonce concert, i mean, the game much more enjoyable. a family member of ours brought wangs, YUM! you can't watch football without'em.  hot, galic and parmesan, and my fave, honey bbq.

friends also brought several bags of chips, like these multigrain Tostitos i adore,  among other things! we were so grateful for every contribution thank you MUCHO, friends and fam! and lastly, there is NOTHING thing clean about these babies! i just used an ordinary vanilla boxed cake and made mini and reg size cup cakes topped with vanilla icing and sliced strawberries.  they went FAST.

alright, those were our game day treats!

now, what did you make? was it 'clean' or 'dirty'?

le

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

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 :lol:

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!

le