saturdate + 6 week pp fitness goals

Sonny and i attended a wedding late last night/morning, so the boys hung out with their grandparents overnight.  which also means i was confined to my breast pump every 4 hours or so.  i remember being away from Chiso overnight for the 1st time and fearing he would reject my breast cause of nipple confusion once we were reunited again. it drove me crazy, but i was also a first time mom. a lot of things drove me crazy then.  fortunately, both boys latched right back on like nothing ever happened. *although it is recommended to give newborns at least 3 solid weeks of breast only before introducing the bottle if you can help it*. after sleeping straight through the night i woke up full of liquid gold and leaking through my clothes and bed sheets. there's always a trade-off! was it worth a night of uninterrupted sleep?

heck yes.

 i headed to 'weigh-ins' with Sonny, as he calls them.  the 6 Pack USA  plan works for people inside and outside of Houston. 'weigh-ins'  is where we check our 6 Pack USA Houston clients' progress in person if they choose (body fat, weight, motivation levels) to ensure they are on track with their customized meal and workout plans. video links are provided for  those that prefer to have a family or friend measure them weekly.  i'm 5 weeks postpartum and currently pondering about my own fitness goals these days. here are a few i'd like to share with ya:

• naturally detox my body from processed foods (i'll still be eating whole wheat bread and tortillas, etc., but i'm referring to unnecessary things like cool whip)
• drink way more water (WHEN will i get it together in this department...i mean really.)  it will help keep my milk supply up, skin hydrated, and things moving along in my digestive system
• lift these glutes! i eat pancakes...i don't wear them. ready to squat heavy again and build my booty back up.
• strengthen my entire back - the weight of these boobs have my posture slipping big time. not cute. and i'm feeling quite unbalanced and shaped like a number 9 at that. gravity is just not my friend.  this is another job for heavy weight lifting.
• widdle down my waist - which will largely come from better nutrition, time, and patience.
• shooting for 13-14% body fat  (long as that comes with a normally functioning menstrual cycle. since i'm breastfeeding i don't have to worry about Aunt Flo for a while anyway, woo hoo)
• upper-body definition - i can only do a few push ups on my toes before modifying to my knees because my core is still pretty weak, but like anything else, the more i do them the stronger i'll get.
• start my own 6 Pack USA plan soon!

that's it for now;  just want to tighten a few things up. not ready to hit any stage anytime soon or anything though.

 the last piece of evidence to this pregnancy.... my linea negra and tummy discoloration. it stuck around for like 4-5 months after my first pregnancy, so it's not going anywhere anytime soon. no crop tops for me this summer though!

two dates in one weekend? don't mind if we do.  hubby and i don't work out together too often (we actually train at different gyms), but when we do it's always fun and special cause it's so rare. maybe once or twice a month at best.  it's one of those 'too much of a good thing' kinda idioms for us i guess.  

afterwards we had lunch at one of our fave Greek spots, Niko Nikos. they were on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives a few years ago but they were already well-known in Houston long before then!  i would love to visit every place Guy has gone one day.  i already told Sonny if we ever visit a city with a restaurant that was featured on his show, we are going. it's mandatory.

what...?  #unphased #stillsnappingaway

i started out with one of their fresh greek salads with that signature block of salty feta cheese on top,

then our shared, 'appetizer', The Hercules Plate, came next. lol.

we hadn't been here in a while so we were surprised to see breakfast items on the menu! Sonny got a steak and egg gyro for himself that was really good.  the pita bread is always so soft, warm, and magical.

instead of ordering my usual grilled chicken and spinach pita, i got The Broiled Flounder Plate w/ half rice half lemon baked potatoes with tzatziki sauce and pita bread.

hey. just hiding my food baby.

  i REALLY wanted some greek donuts, but i went for some Arctic Zero, fat-free Redi Whip and sprinkles when we got home to kill my sweet craving.

  not sure who is harder to raise....  husbands or kids? i've been saying i have 3 babies lately, lol. ironically, i showed this to Sonny and he didn't even get it!!!

Q: have you ever eaten at a restaurant featured on Food Network?

le

runnin the streets

i went out this past weekend!!! ok not out out, but it was to a private dinner celebrating my dear friend turning 30.  it was held at Perry's Steakhouse - one of my faaaaaaave places for a magnificent dining experience!  always great service, and the food...well, look:

i kept it clean and enjoyed the grilled salmon (sauce on the side) and kept the sautéed spinach that accompanied it.  i reeeeeally wanted to sub it for the butternut squash puree, but our waitress quoted me some ungodly price for that small change and i declined.  anyway, i made sure i altered my macros to fit this meal in- it was delectable.  i'm glad i got my sauce on the side cause i put a little on my fork and it tasted like straight flavored butter!!

my friends were so sweet- they snapped pics of their plates for me :lol:   that was steak topped with crab with steamed asparagus spears on the side.

here we have pecan crusted red snapper and broccollini florets.

this is totally what i would normally order!!  surf and turf, YUM.  lobster tail, fillet mignon, and asparagus spears.

quick pic before we got busy!  the birthday girl is in the upper right corner:) i'm honored to have been apart of her celebration.

so this is from yesterday's workout which means this post was supposed to go out yesterday too. 

i'd love to have my competition abs/core back!  i took this pic immediately after my class- 1 hour of  HIIT and some core work at the end.

Q: what's the best type of cardio? HIIT or steady state?

A: BOTH.  incorporate both types into your weekly routine.  i do HIIT once or twice a week, and steady state either early in the morning, or after my weights session.  switching up the days you do either one will keep your body from plateauing and constantly  burning fat.

i sped home to my breakfast- scrambled eggs this time with fat-free feta, dried parsely, and reduced sugar ketchup,

aaaand a bowl of cinnamon oats made with unsweetened almond milk and topped with bananas, more cinnamon, walden farms syrup, and raw, unsweetened coconut flakes.

i bought a crap load of kale at HEB so i've been incorporating it into my dishes these past few days! we have here:

ground turkey and egg white kale wraps lol

for another lunch or dinner i had a bowl of torn, raw, kale, roasted sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and lean ground turkey.

but this recipe right here is my fave so far.  grilled smokehouse maple shrimp and kale tacos!

with fat-free feta cheese and homemade guacamole.

(1 avocado + half a roma tomato + liquid aminos)

the shrimp was marinated in liquid aminos and smokehouse maple seasoning.

i'm head over heels in love with sautéed kale. oh and those are La Tortilla Factory white-wheat soft wraps.

i posted this on IG the other day- Trader Joe's cranberry apple butter.  i went in looking to replace my fig butter but happily left with this instead after i didn't see any.

it tastes just like the traditional canned, jellied, cranberry sauce, but fresher and more tart. i'm cool with it! 20 cals, 4g sugar, 5 carbs for 1 tbsp. i do believe it has the lowest calorie and sugar count of all the butters.  i missed it on Thanksgiving, but i will definitely be eating some with my Christmas dressing this year!

which means after 30 years of this stuff, i have no more use for it.  those stats are outta line for only 1/4 cup serving...i can eat the whole can by myself with my plate.  too high in sugar and has high fructose corn syrup at that. no thank you.

got great news and events coming up for 2013 that  i'll be sharing very soon!

which apple butter is your favorite?

le

is there a whole foods on the strip?

why yes, yes there is :lol:

alright, i'm giving the blog-as-i-go thing a try for a few days- i have a ton of pics, but some of them are in my phone, and some in my camera. and guess who left their camera usb adapter at home?  i always forget one thing when i travel, and well, this time it's that darn cord. SO, instead of waiting until i get home and doing one big post like i normally do, i'm bloggin' what i got so far minus a few camera pics.  Chiso's taking a nap and i'm bored.

we are in the fabulous Las Vegas, NV for Musclemania Fitness AmericaWeekend - Sonny is competing in his last show of the year!

Chiso was NOT feeling his first plane ride.  i'm hoping and praying the return flight is a million times better.  our plane touched down around midnight, and after getting our luggage, renting a car, etc., we finally made it to our hotel, tired & hoongry.

Matt & Sonny had an after-the-club breakfast in the hotel cafe,

and they brought mine up to the room since Chiso needed to be put down for bed immediately.  i had whole wheat toast, egg whites, hash browns, and the saltiest piece of ham on earth :shock:

energized after some much needed rest, we were ready to get into something the next day.  while Sonny attended meetings, waited in super long lines (he's somewhere under that water slide)

does media interviews, take pics and all that jazz,

Chiso, uncle Thew,

and i,

hit the strip!

i justified our Whole Foods trip by scoping out the room service menu for kicks like i always do and ummmmm..... half a grapefruit for 3.75? only in vegas.

1st up, we fueled up for all the walking we were about to do!

of course i had a sandwich.

whole wheat, grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, cucumbers, mushrooms, provolone cheese, and stone ground mustard, pressed. classic!

let the walking begin!

we saw the famous welcome to las Vegas sign, the m&m store, the underground forum shoppes in Caesars Palace, fashion show mall... the usual, lol!  we also stopped at The Bellagio to catch the water show and have dessert.

Chi watched and sat still like a big boy for the entire performance.  he deserved a standing ovation from Mommy!

or some sugar-free strawberry gelato, that works too.

Matt got a 3 layer mini cheesecake that was so creamy.

and fancy.

oh just eat it already.

after more walking, we headed back to the hotel for dinner @ The Grotto.

no idea what kinda bread this was but it was so moist and chewy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside.

Matt ordered a shrimp pasta with asparagus and tomatoes in a cream sauce dish covered with cheeeeese,

and i got the seared ahi tuna with grilled red potatoes, asparagus, french green beans, red & yellow tomatoes, and a boiled egg.  the host hotel restaurants have special menus just for fitness america weekend, and i ordered from that since i knew it would be super clean and healthy.  even still, most restaurants will accommodate your requests (omit oil, butter, dressing on the side, etc.) if you just ASK!

aaand i ended the day with a bed time snack that Sonny can't have yet-

sweet, all natural, Indiana kettle corn!  i grabbed a bag from WF earlier cause i knew we'd get the munchies later and ordering room service is out of the question.

ok that went fairly well- i'll try again during the next nap.

le

weekend eats

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 :shock:

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.

i 

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 :lol:

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.

le