September 21, 2013

lululemon Journey Crops + #sunfamfun

September 21, 2013/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

soooo, what did you and your fam get into today?

we got fro-yo this evening to conclude my first 'relaxed' sunday in a really long time. i was honestly emotional today thinking about the sunday class i no longer teach (we were in Miami this time last week so it was the furthest thing from my mind lol). but now i'm back in town and i found myself letting those guilty feelings and thoughts creep back in concerning my decision to drop the class. just taking it one sunday at a time.

first off, let me just say how BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE i am from this past weekend's Blog Elevated Conference. just wow. my brain is literally overflowing with info and i am JUST now sitting down to review it all. or at least try to. pages and pages of notes. a gigantic stack of business cards from the other awesome bloggers i met. i'll get to it all. after this post!

i had the pleasure of testing out these fan-freakin-tastic Journey Cropped pants from Lululemon recently.

can you say 'second skin'?

they kept right up with all my shenanigans. stretching, running, HIIT, treadmill, yoga, weight training, lounging, grocery shopping- all of it.

why i love and recommend the Journey Crops - 78.00:

compressive but comfortable
they fit like a glove / accentuates my shape and holds everything in place
high waist band to prevent muffin top
secret pocket
long & lean length
breathable, cool, sheer, lightweight mesh fabric on the back of the leg (hamstring and calve) area
mesh area is stylish not see-through
crazy comfortable

my 5:30am members got a kick outta my one-woman fashion show while up on the stage before class.

they are made with Luon, Interlock Power Luxtreme, and mesh materials. click to see how to take care of these fabrics and increase their lifespan.

the Journey Crops are certainly Fit Foodie Le APPROVED! in every color ;)

monday motivation:

everyone who lost a fairy large amount of weight did so by adding in some form of physical activity.

even if it was a little bit, the fact that they were more active definitely contributed to their weight loss efforts.

what helps you stay consistent is finding something you enjoy!

trial and error. run. do yoga. dance. twerk. walk. bike. skip. jump. sprint. swim. ski. kickbox. jog. try it all.

just get up.

get active.

get moving.

February 23, 2013

pizza pizza

February 23, 2013/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

a doorstep package is so awesome to wake up to!!!! especially when you've been anticipating it's arrival. what is it? oooh just my next product review. and it's food this time *pistol fingers*

we had a crazy weekend and hit up three 30th birthday parties for our friends. 30 is a huge milestone and we were honored to have been invited to help celebrate with each of them!

Friday night party #1 was for Nichola *whistles*

2nd Friday night party was for Evelyn- that dress was as hot as the woman in it!!

and finally, we ended our saturday evening with Melanie- just flawless!

all three of them brought 30 in RIGHT and in their own way- THAT is how you do it!

hanging on this guy's arm always makes for a fun night. i follow @chalenejohnson on IG and she has motivated me tremendously concerning the importance of keeping family in the forefront in the midst of taking care of myself, and i encourage you to do the same! i don't take our date nights for granted and really cherish and enjoy my toddler-less time with Sonny. felt like we were back in college with all this partying for a sec, oh boy!

but back to saturday morning- it began with maple almond butter banana burgers for Chiso and i. fun to make, fun to eat.

he goes crazy for these things! all flavors of Justin's nut butters work, especially the chocolate hazelnut and chocolate almond butter. yummers.

we followed up breakfast with a visit to the gym. i got sweaty on the elliptical with some fat burning cardio, shot some hoops with Chiso, and we got up outta there.

you should know by now what we did next!! it's a saturday ritual, come on now. just a short trip this time though:

sara lee 45 calories and delightful whole wheat bread
unsweetened apple sauce
fresh blackberries (on sale)
fresh strawberries (on sale)
sweet potatoes
grapefruit
bananas
frozen tilapia
wheat bran
oat bran
red bell peppers (on sale)
Walden Farms pancake syrup

Q: how do i get started with cleaner eating?

A: very popular question as of late, but the answer is simple. in the grocery store!! buy and keep the right stuff (wholesome, fresh, natural, no-low processed foods) in your fridge so you'll always be prepared to make nutritious, healthy meals. check out my 'the right stuff' section for some of the brands and items i purchase and use daily.

we usually do the family thing on Sundays; Sonny went to a house party recently and would not stop raving about the incredible slice of pizza he had eaten! i needed to see what all the hype was about, so we made it a date.

if you're a Houstonian, i'm sure you've either passed this place or been here yourself several times. and hey, they are on Instagram too- they commented on the pic i IG'ed earlier, how cool! check'em out: @starpizza

we ordered 1 slice of whole wheat cheese pizza for Chi and he went to TOWN on it.

i was impressed by the super wide range of toppings, and was relieved to see that you could order single slices instead of being forced into buying a whole pizza. it's the little things.

i got a slice of whole wheat, thin crust, zucchini, grilled chicken, and pineapple with plenty of hot, melty, gooey, mozzarella cheese. no words besides insanely delicious.

and then that monstrosity hit the table. that is a WORK OF ART.

half salsa verde, half supreme deep. dish. pizza. :shock: if you haven't been yet, i bet you're going now. night!

February 15, 2013

pancakes + homemade greek fro-yo + REST

February 15, 2013/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

oooh the time really got the best of me today. i said i would rest the entire Saturday after teaching 6 classes this week, all of which included weights. when i first started teaching, i wanted to teach the ALL OF HOUSTON, and i did. i think i was up to like 9 or 10 classes a week plus my full time job. oh and doing boot camps on the side for high school girls twice a week. i actually kept up with it for longer than you might have expected, but then the health issues started kicking in (duh) as well as complete burn out from working out altogether! you know the saying..too much of something isn't good, i know, i know. that was obviously all pre-Chiso... speaking of Chiso, i really did keep my word to rest today so we walked over to the park for some play time.

from the swings,

to the slide,

back to the swings,

to the couch. snacking on goldfish. watching cartoons.

i promised my pumpkin pancake recipe from this morning and here it is, you fit foodies, you! i have so much more to catch you up on (v-day, etc) and i WILL! tomorrow. i'll definitely be having these again before i head out to teach my class in tha morning and you should too.

pumpkin pie pancakes

the stuff:

1/4 cup oat bran
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (ya might need more)
1 tsp vanilla
1 heaping tbsp 0% plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
5-7 drops of vanilla creme stevia
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 packet granulated stevia
2 egg whites

do this:

mix! in a medium heated pan sprayed with no-stick cooking spray, pan fry them up like cakes. once one side starts to bubble, flip it. couldn't be any easier, right? OH, the topping is 1 tbsp greek yogurt, 1 tbsp pure pumpkin, and 1 tbsp walden farms pancake syrup. whip it up and make a pretty dollop on top of your stack.

for the whole shabang:

now, i MUST post this before i let ya go- a reader of mine and her husband are NOT fond of chocolate, so i vow to post more clean, healthy desserts of all varieties more often! there will be plen-tay in my e-book as well. this dessert was an Instagram inspiration gone RIGHT.

blueberry greek fro-yo

the stuff:

1 packet granulated stevia

1 single size tub 0%-2% plain greek yogurt

couple drops of vanilla creme stevia (3-5-7)

1/4 cup blueberries (any kind!)

do this:

mix; you can throw this all in a blender for a smooth texture, or you can do it by hand. since i like the fruit chunks i did it by hand as you can see. put it in the freezer for about 30 min...you gotta watch it though cause i left mine in there too long and i had to wait until it defrosted some before i could inhale it. the longest 17 minutes, ever. oh and i added pistachios, but it's your call on the nuts.

what day of the week is your rest day on and why?

have a beautiful evening!!!!

November 27, 2012

plateaus + 30 min shoulder workout

November 27, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

the holidays take forever to get here and then they are gone just like that. *tear*

are you back on track from Thanksgiving yet? well how much more time do you need!!?!?! :shock: i'm good (now), but if your body seems to have come to a stubborn halt, or if your results seem to be going in reverse:

*lift heavier

*do a completely different set of exercises for a particular muscle group

*add a HIIT workout into your regimen to shock your metabolism (track sprints, bleachers, stair master, hill sprints)

*take a class at your gym! (spin, weights, kickboxing, boot-camp, yoga, etc.)

*do your normal routine in reverse order

i chose a different cardio toy last night! i know it's super similar to my fave machine (the machine with the feet) but the stride is wider, and there is an incline function. pick machines that use upper and lower body simultaneously cause that gets your heart rate up right away and provides a full body workout/warmup. remember, the more body parts moving, the more calories and fat you burn! you can do HIIT on that thing or steady state cardio, you choose.

i taught my Total Conditioning class this morning and burned about 700 cals, then hit the weights for a quick 30 min shoulder work out. i must share this burn!!

tripleset (using moderate to heavy weight)

seated rear deltoid press 3 x 12

seated lateral raise 3 x 12

seated front deltoid press 3 x 12

***

standing alternating forward dumbbell raises 3 x 24

standing dumbbell T raises 3 x 12

barbel upright row 3 x 12

***

25 heavy barbel shoulder shrugs 4 sets

early morning workout complete and i am done for the day at 7:30am!

we went to Ruggles Green again over the long holiday weekend and i finally ordered something different - organic turkey lettuce wraps.

not bad! i can totally make them at home though. lean ground turkey, black beans, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and corn all nestled inside a thick leaf of crisp iceberg lettuce.

i ordered a 3 cheese kids pizza for Chiso as my former little garbage disposal has become extremely picky. wonder how long that'll last...

it was a winner.

if he didn't kill it, we would have.

money well spent. i ordered some of their famous butternut squash too as usual, and whaddaya know- he doesn't like it anymore :roll:

so i handled up on that.

Sonny ordered what i usually get- the grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas.

'pumpkin? clearly it's a basketball. '

he tried to bounce it and everything!!!

then....fro-yo time. i mean it was right next door.

aaaaalllll those toppings and i never really step outside my comfort zone.

no sugar added vanilla frozen yogurt, mini dark chocolate chips, sprinkles, and whipped cream. 20 cals per ounce - my kinda cheat treat!

creating a fro-yo monster :)

remember that shrimp i bought that was on sale at the same time fresh salmon was?

i finally defrosted it and threw them in my grill pan along with some raw zucchini for dinner that night. i sprinkled some more of that sweet smokey chipotle paprika and some dried parsley on them first,

and overcooked the heck outta them. shrimp cook so fast it's not even funny. you're supposed to do this for all proteins, but take them off the heat just before they are done, cover them with foil, and let them 'rest'. they will continue cooking from the residual heat. so if you take them off when they are done, they will get chewy on you after they cool a little and they won't be nearly as juicy.

Ogechi brought me those seasonings at the perfect time cause my HEB has been outta Mc Cormick's smokehouse maple seasoning for weeks.

we don't have our Christmas tree up yet. i usually wait until the price drops a little before we go get one. a real one! i love how they make the house smell. we were able to put up a few Christmassy items though.

Chiso did his own thing and wasn't interested.

matter fact, all those boxes back there were on the floor by the end of the night.

thanks to my little elf!

August 19, 2012

____-free

August 19, 2012/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

posing practice, weight training, cardio, grocery shopping, church, and family time.

that was my weekend. how was yours?

this particular trip to HEB was one to remember! i have been hearing about Walden Farms this and Walden farms that in cyberspace recently. Walden Farms products claim to be:

calorie-free

sugar-free

fat-free

carbohydrate-free

gluten-free

cholesterol-free

not ALL products are free of ALL of the things i listed, but just read the label to be sure!

my ears perk up when i hear '____ - free' regardless, but not once have i heard so many in the same sentence and referring to one product!!!!! my curiosity got the best of me and i ordered the infamous Walden Farms pancake syrup online. however, man, sometimes all you have to do is ASK. 'do you carry Walden Farms products?' i asked the store associate. i just knew she would look at me crazy and reply with 'who!?', but nope, HEB always come through for meeeeeee.

could that be?...no... calorie-free ketchup!? yeah it scares me too...i'll go back for it later though lol

i read A LOT of product reviews (i do hope for the best that they aren't fake or anything) and the Walden Farms dips (chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, etc.) aren't sounding too good. so, i left them alone for now.

there they are...in all their glory! bbq sauce too! WF is on a roll.

and dressings! so for those of you who like to eat salad with your dressing lol, you should give these a try.

this is what i got outta there with in addition to my fresh fruits, veggies, and proteins. syrup (pancake and chocolate) sesame ginger dressing (which is nothing short of awesome) and more PB2- there was a 50 cents off coupon running and i couldn't pass it up.

saturday morning, i made Chiso a bowl of oatmeal and topped it with fresh blueberries, chia seeds, peanut butter, and almond milk.

then i made some more of those oatmeal pancakes i had last week (i am HOOKED!!). i made up the batter the night before this time and let it sit in the fridge.

we had them again this morning. ready to try them?! here's that recipe:

super moist banana oat pancakes

the stuff:

1/3 cup rolled oats (***you can use pre-ground oat flower, or ground them yourself in your blender or food processor***)
2 egg whites
couple dashes of cinnamon (be generous)
splash of real vanilla extract (OR you can use a couple drops of vanilla creme stevia if you want them sweeter!)
1/2 a mashed ripe banana
1/8th tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 heaping tbsp greek yogurt or unsweetened applesauce

do this:

mix all the ingredients well in your blender or food processor! *s/n: if the batter is too thick for you, add some unsweetened vanilla almond milk to stretch it. i've been adding water to keep my nutritional stats the same for my competition diet though.*
pour into a non-stick/sprayed skillet or griddle. you can make 1 big cake like they do at restaurants, or a stack. i like to do 4 mini cakes.
3-4 min on each side.
you can add SO many things to your batter- the options are simply endless. top or incorporate your fav fruit or nuts and don't forget that sugar-free syrup. i also sprayed mine with some 'i can't believe it's not butter'. this is too easy!!! i don't even need a pancake cheat meal anymore! tastes so darn good. i'll be adding some PB2 into my batter when i can have it again. enjoy and get creative.

(for the ENTIRE recipe)

Chiso is a fan.

heck, oatmeal hating Sonny likes them AND the syrup too. jackpot.

About Time sent me some free samples of their whey protein this past week- chocolate and birthday cake flavor. no carbs, no fat, no aftertaste, and all natural. hmmmmmmmmmm! as usual, i will be trying, next month.