crunchy ginger rotisseri chicken wrap + stay fuller longer

having the same thing i had for breakfast yesterday while there are a few La Tortilla Factory Tortillas left in this house. they go so fast cause we all like them! Chiso eats them as pb & j rollups, Sonny makes tacos, and quesadillas are my fave. the exact kind i get are only at the Sprouts Farmers Market closest to where i live.

 since i always make them for lunch or dinner,  i tried a breakfast quesadilla this time with egg whites, red bell pepper, green onion, low fat turkey sausage, and 2% pepper jack cheese.  i cooked it on the griddle for 4-5 min on each side and threw in some tomatoes, bluebs, and homemade guacamole. excellent!

 my day gets going after some good fuel, and this thing makes it so much easier to get stuff done around the house when baby boy is fussy or i just don't want to put him down.  i received this Baby Bjorn as a gift while preggo with Chiso and i love it for home use and outings.  Dego is a thumb sucker and puts his whole hand over his face while he does it! so funny.

so with breastfeeding and getting back to my random, sweaty workouts as of this week, i am double HOONGRY. this is ridiculous.  i just want to eat the entire fridge and pantry when i get home.  coincidently i got an email from Spark People titled 'Tips to Stay Full Longer' and i could not click the link fast enough.  these are some awesome tips to follow and i've already been doing some of them such as:

• eat protein and fiber rich foods every 3-4 hours with healthy snacks in between (like fresh fruit and mixed nuts)
• fill up on the non-starchy veggies and fibrous foods (leafy greens, cucumbers, red bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, sugar snap peas) with every meal
• reach for natural fruit first to lessen/knock out those sugar cravings. remember, white sugar only makes you crave it MORE! it's a dangerous cycle.
• drink a full glass or bottle of water before every meal
• take your time and eat!!! when i'm super hungry i rush and stuff myself (which is why eating every couple of hours is still the best option for me). it takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to tell your brain you are even full, but by that time it's too late and you're on your way to a food coma. take your time to chew and swallow every bite.

today was my first day back on the stair master since i was like 6 or 7 months preggo!  my heart rate always shot up and being up so high with my belly made Sonny uncomfy so i just stopped using it. i didn't miss it. lol. hurts so good though!  i did some intervals for about 30 minutes for my cardio and headed to a core class.  how about i modified everythang. my postpartum core is way stronger now than in my first pregnancy, but i still have a crap ton of work to do. but first..... :D

afterwards, i picked up some of nature's candy from Sprouts.  i love their 3 for 5 bucks sale! i got 2 strawberries and one pint of bluebs. and those sweet, crunchy nectaries of course.

i also picked up another one of Annie's all natural dressings-- Gingerly.  winner!

i wanted to use it right away, so for dinner, i threw some shredded rotisserie chicken, raw red bell pepper, bagged cabbage mix, cilantro, green onion, and crushed almonds into a bowl, poured in the dressing, and coated the chicken mixture in it.

i grabbed a La Tortilla Factory tortilla, rolled the chicken mixture up really tight and made a Crunchy Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Wrap that had so much flavor!  please try this, guys!

 for dessert i skipped the fruit and had some Arctic Zero with mini chocolate chips, fat-free Redi Whip, and sprinkles lol. have a fun friday night and a great weekend!

le

Q: what are your thoughts on Artic Zero? yay? nay? 

 i add a tbsp of Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup to mine, stir until creamy, and add a few toppings first. hits the sweet spot.

compound movements + let's RUN!!!

how it went down eeeeearly this morning...

i double (tea) bagged it (+ water, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and stevia). i had to.  didn't get much sleep cause i've been grinding on these cook books and they WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!!!! :twisted:  i'm not yelling at you. i'm yelling at the cook books.  a little sleep deprived but the sacrifice will be worth it. it better beeeeee :lol:

let's talk about something i incorporate into pretty much all my classes at the gym:

can't get enough of compound movements and there are TONS of them. what are they?

'multi-joint movements that rely on the coordinated actions of several muscle groups to move two or more joints through a range of motion'

the featured move of this post (up ^ there) combines squats (which is honestly a compound movement by itself since it works multiple parts of the body) and over-head presses.

Squats + overhead press

• start with feet shoulder width apart, weights on either side of your body.
• perform a low squat, pushing your glutes back, weight in your heels, knees behind your toes, back flat, head up, chest up.  have a seat in that imaginary chair!
• bear all your weight on your left heel and while driving it into the floor, lift your right knee straight up towards your chest and perform your over head press simultaneously. keep your core tight, and squeeze the glute of the heel that's on the floor. hard.
• repeat on the right and make it a continuous, fluid movement by alternating your knees from left to right.

the heavier your dumbbells, the harder you work, and the more you burn!

 *tip: working upper and lower body together is one of the best ways to burn fat.*

class went well this morning, can't you tell from those disgusting sweat stains!?!?  i didn't even notice them until after i posted the pic to IG. but that's just how it goes down in my class :lol:.  if i could bottle the feeling exercise gives me....i'd sell it and retire at 30. good music gives me so much energy- i got a new cd and i know my members can tell i love it cause i keep playing it! good, loud music gives me energy through the roof!  i need all the energy i can get at 5:30am.

then i came home to these babies. NOM. i threw the recipe together, but the base of it stemmed from the banana blueberry pancakes, if you're wondering.

i subbed the banana for 1 packet of stevia, then topped them with sliced almonds, raw, unsweetened, shredded coconut, and that big vat of walden farms pancake syrup back there.

WELL, i am so excited about the response concerning the Houston Color Run THIS Sunday, March 24th!  Thank you for your emails!  if you'd still like to run, you haven't missed a thing- email me @ le@fitfoodiele.com and i'll send ya the link to join team Fit Foodies.  however...my sincere apologies for not giving enough notice.  there were several people who wanted to run with Fit Foodies but the timing was just not right.  even for a 5k, training is very important, and some of the 1st timers need more of it.  i understand completely.  also, the race rates are cheapest when you register super early, and 6 days pre-race day is pushing it, i know!  so i'm super grateful, and thankful to all who have committed to running with Fit Foodies.

WITH THAT SAID,

let's do it right this time!  remember my Conn's Green 10k post from last year??  if you'd like to get your run on with Fit Foodies for this event that is near and dear to my heart, come on then!  it's special because it starts and ends in City Centre, one of my fave Houston hangouts, and also home to the best Lifetime Fitness in the entire universe!  #ithoughtyouknew.  if you're interested, hit me up at the same email addy, and check out their site for details!

 race date is Saturday, April 27th, 2013, and as always, same rules apply: walk, run, skip- however you gotta cross that line, just FINISH!

le

get on the floor

and do the exercises below at home, in front of the tv while you stuff your face with... pancakes.

ok do them after the pancakes.  they are guilt-free, so do it in whatever order you like, just promise me you'll do both!!!!!

my favorite smoothie fruit combo to order in the Lifetime Cafe, or any smoothie place really, is blueberry banana. which means blueberry banana pancakes were calling meeeeee this morning.

so i answered.

blueberry banana cakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 0z banana
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (ya might need more!)
• 5 drops vanilla creme stevia
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 2 egg whites

do this:

miiiiiix!  everything! i threw the banana into my mix and mashed it up with a fork until it was chunky smooth.  so you can either throw your fruit in your batter, or leave it for the topping. or do half and half. it's your call!  i'm pretty sure i used like 1/2 cup or more of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but it's cause i don't like my batter sooooo thick. 1/4th a cup just might work for ya though.  again, i've been experimenting with oat bran, but you can totally use 1/2 cup of ground or rolled oats as a sub.  stats are for the entire recipe. look at all that fiber and protein! *high-five*

2 fantastic floor exercises that build your booty and strengthen your core:

#1. glute bridges

a.)on your back, plant your heels firmly into the floor and bring them as close to your glutes as you can get'em.

b.)with your palms pressed into the floor on either side of you, drive your heels into the floor, pull your belly button into your spine, keep your hips and shoulders square (level), thrust them up towards the ceiling and squeeeeeeeeze your glutes!!! 4 x 25

for an extra challenge, try these options:

• extend one leg out straight, keeping it level with your opposite knee.  hold until it burnzzzz! switch.
• put a weighted barbel or a heavy plate across your hips.
• place and hold a dumbbell in between your knees while thrusting. don't drop that weight!

#2. planks

we all know how to do these, right?  super simple but so effective!

a.) keep your body as flat as a board- no glutes in the air, and no sinking hips.  resting on your elbows and toes, pull your belly button into your spine as tight as possible, and tilt your pelvis slightly towards the floor, and of course, squeeeeeeeze your glutes.

b.) hold this position for as long as possible.  if you'd like a challenge, try these options:

• transition to a high plank (palms directly below your shoulders); repeat low to high to low, etc.
• take your right leg  up and hold, repeat on the left
• take your right arm up and hold, repeat on the left
• drop your hips and glutes to one side at a time in a twisting motion while keeping your toes and elbows planted. greeeeat oblique exercise right there!

what has Chiso been up to? well, we are currently in potty training mode. aaaaaand we're gonna get it right one of these days.   my OBGYN and his Pedi gave me great tips and one of them was to invest in a singing potty, which makes perfect sense!  every time he does his thing, it plays a little song. i'll have to bootleg it and use my cell for now.  whatever works.  when he finally completes his mission that fateful day in the NEAR future, trust me, you will know. i will blow up this blog, twitter, IG, sound the alarm, run tel dat, EVERYTHANG :lol:

it's #throwbackthursday on IG!

how bad do you want to change?  make the decision, commit, and DO IT then!

le

core work - part I

because breaking the post up into parts means NO, i am totally not done!!

i had no idea how popular TRX  was/is.  your gym may or may not have it, no biggie. there are two main pieces of equipment:

the suspension belt:

and it's connected to this contraption:

i'm just now catching up with it, and you guessed it, i hate it :lol:  i had my first taste of TRX about 3 weeks ago while working out with a competitor friend of mine at 24 hour fitness.  it's hardcore suspension training using your own body weight.  just after 3 sets of  10 'pushups/peaks/tucks' (that's what i'll call it for now), i felt soreness in my entire torso for the rest of the week.  every laugh, cough, twist and turn was a swift reminder of my 1st TRX date.

try them:

facing downward, put your feet in the straps and get into a pushup position.

complete the pushup, (both arms come to a 90 deg angle) and go immediately into a 'peak' by lifting your glutes into the air and keeping your legs straight and your back as flat as possible.

then, go right back to starting/plank position by lowering your glutes and complete the 'tuck' by pulling your knees super close to your chest. keep your knees and feet close together.

that's one! do 10 in a row for starters, and add on the stronger you become.  you will get stronger... just keep doing them, i promise.

don't have one of these fancy contraptions at home?  me neither!

use a yoga ball.

here are a couple exercises i have added to my routine recently to get this 6 pack going!

 peaks and tucks w/ the ball:

(start in a high plank)

you don't have to do the pushup if ya don't want to, IMO. i'm such a slacker.

peak (remember, keep your back flat, not rounded- clearly i need to work on that)

aaaand tuck. 3 sets of 10

twist ups:

( yoga ball or a medicine ball will do.) start out with your body flat, legs out into a V, and the ball overhead btw your hands.

engage your core and sit up nice and tall keep the ball directly in front of you.

keep sucking it in!! now, twist the ball to the left or right,

then back to the center, and back to starting position. repeat, and hit up the other side.

make sure you get a nice, deep, significant twist.

v sit ups w/ yoga ball:

start on your back and stretch your arms over head while clutching the yoga ball in btw your feet/ankles.

form the 'v' by bringing your limbs up toward the ceiling, and passing the ball to your hands from your feet.  pull your bellybutton into your spine and keep your limbs straight the entire time.

take the ball in your hands and extend your body back to the starting position.  on the next one, pass the ball back to your feet and repeat.

elbow rolls:

up on your toes, elbows on ball, plank position.

extend your elbows out as far as possible- this IS a tough one, it's not just you!! then, using your core, pull the ball back to you and keep that nice solid plank. i fell multiple times- you gotta fight to keep your balance.

i promise i moved!!! doesn't take much to feel those AT ALL.  3 sets of 10

 incorporate some of these moves for a stronger core and chiseled mid-section.

heading to bed- super early AM workout tomorrow, as usual!

le

burn FAT effectively

earlier this week, i got some help in the weight room from my professional basketball playing bro-in-law,

Brian!

 he is also a trainer in his off-season.  can you tell?  he provided me with a fantastic upper body workout cause i need all the help i can get when i'm on my own.

we did a bunch of stuff! variety is so important in order to tone and grow the entire muscle group- i appreciated (but hated) them all.  s/n,  i'm looking forward to a nice, even tan.

hammer curls. i've ALWAYS wanted bulging biceps, especially when my arm is relaxed!!

lat pull downs with straight arms- great tricep/back/shoulder exercise.

afterwards, i did my cardio with a concentration on burning...

******FAT******

HR monitors have completely changed the way i workout.  up until i became a Lifetime Fitness instructor, i figured a super-duper sweaty workout = the BEST workout ever.  if i didn't achieve sweaty-mess status every single time i hit the gym, i didn't feel like i burned enough or did enough, and i'd leave feeling inadequate.  i soon learned that different zones burn different things.

i found Sonny's Polar FT7 on amazon.com as well as my own.  how it works:

1. put the wrist watch on (serves as a plain ol' watch as well)

2. strap on the chest transmitter, and make sure it's secure and close to your heart, literally.

3.  start the watch, do your workout, then stop it.  afterwards, you can look forward to seeing:

your average and max heart rates,

your total workout time plus the total amount of calories burned,

AND,

just how long you stayed in your fat burning zone! isn't that awesome?! love this thing. this is super important to me because my training focuses on staying in my fat burning zone, not so much my total amount of cals burned.  also, that was a very brief synopsis- you still need to read the directions :)

more convincing:

•  not all gym equipment is up to date- some machines don't have those neat sensors on them you can hold to find your heart rate.  one of the machines i like to use in particular is the stairmaster, and the ones in my gym don't have sensors.  plus, i don't like to have to hold those side rails anyway!  having a HR monitor handy solves that issue.

• even if you are on a machine with the HR sensors present, your chest transmitter syncs with the machine's signal and displays your HR without you having to grip them! i appreciate that.  sometimes those sensors just don't work correctly at all, or it will give me a crazy triple digit number that is clearly false.  and again, having to hold those sensors slows down my groove.

• most watch models have a feature that beeps when you are out of your fat burning range to let you know whether you need to speed up or slow down. neat!

now, HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR FAT BURNING ZONE????

 this info is no secret and is available all over the net! follow these steps and you can't go wrong.

220 - age - resting heart rate x .60 + resting heart rate = bottom range

220 - age - resting heart rate x .70 + resting heart rate = top range

what's your resting HR?

 when you first wake up, check your pulse for 15 seconds, then multiply that # by 4.

sure, other zones burn other things, but i focused on fat for this post.  so ultimately, your fat burning zone is where your heart rate needs to STAY for the duration of your workout to burn MAXIMUM fat.

le