life is

haaaay, it's FRIDAY!  friday night. and i'm on the computer talking to you.  livin' the life.

this caught my attention today while we were waiting for our food at one of Houston's most popular Jamaican spots, Cool Runnings.

i feel guilty when i don't pack Sonny's food for the day for whatever reason and today was one of those days :shock: , so we scooped him up on his break and enjoyed some lunch together.

afterwards, fro-yo @ Swirll.  cause when you make an ice cream promise, you gotta keep it.

our conversations get deeper by the week as his vocabulary expands!

after Sonny got off later, we went with Uncle Bri-Bri to The Hill for an endurance workout before the sun went down.

ok they worked out, not me, boo.  i mean i couldn't really participate cause i had to keep an eye on the boy with those cyclists speeding by and all. however i improvised and put Chi on my back and went up and down the stairs a few times for a super slow lower body burn.  i've got sample cardio workouts coming right up by request!

then the mosquitoes quadrupled and we left.

here's the recipe for those stuffed peppers i made for dinner last night! i used what i had in my fridge:

veggie stuffed lean ground turkey bell peppers

the stuff:

• 6 med-large bell peppers, any color
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 lb. 97% lean ground turkey
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
• 5 portabella mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 tbsp liquid aminos
• tops of the bell peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup fat-free feta (wish i had some at the time!)

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your pan (big enough to fit 6 large bell peppers in) with no-stick cooking spray.
2. cut the tops off the peppers & also cut the bottoms to make them sit flat in your baking pan. arrange and seat them in pan.
3. in large skillet on medium heat, saute the shallot until translucent.
4. add ground turkey & seasonings and cook until browned and chopped into crumbles.
5. add all chopped vegetables, mix, cover, and let steam on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
6. add feta, mix again, and spoon mixture into your bell peppers evenly.
7. bake for 25-30 minutes or until desired bell pepper tenderness.

approximately 130-150 cals for 1 stuffed bell pep.

have a blessed night!

le

lululemon Journey Crops + #sunfamfun

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.

le

muscles & fro-yo

i'd like to introduce you guys to my fit friend, Tasha.

thank you, Tasha, for proving yet again that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to!  she is living proof!  after seeing some of my journey last year, she was further intrigued by the sport of bodybuilding.  so, she went for it!  why? because she CAN!  Tasha overcame the physical and mental challenges of the competitor training journey and ROCKED THAT STAGE.  i'm super proud!  please read her advice and overall first time experience:

What made you compete?

I, like many others, was just going to the gym with no any specific goals but just to be healthy. I’d go and do maybe 30 minutes of cardio then get on a few weight machines that I thought I knew how to use, and then just leave. I liked the idea of having a more muscular physique but had no idea what it took… then someone randomly asked me if I ever thought about doing a fitness competition. I promised them that I would consider it and the first people I contacted was Leah and my cousin, who also competes and is currently my trainer. Both of them gave me lots of insight and encouraged me to compete, so I decided I would give it a try.

What did you gain from the experience?

It’s funny because I went into this thinking all I would gain was a nicer looking body and lower body fat percentage but I gained sooo much more. Competing has given me a sense of accomplishment. Competing is a major commitment and I was able to set this goal that was so far out of my comfort level and accomplish it. Although I am very personal, it’s still a great feeling to show people my competition pictures. It’s the product of months of work and dedication. My friends and family have also been really supportive of my decision to compete, even more than I would have imagined. That feeling of overwhelming love and support has actually been one of the best experiences from competing. This is what kept me motivated.

Do you have any advice for first time competitors?

There are 2 things I would share with first time competitors. The first thing is that competing is both physical and mental. The physical part is expected, but the mental not so much. The mental part was actually as hard as the physical for me. You will doubt yourself and your progress, but keep with it! This is when a good support system will be needed to help keep you focused. The second thing is be careful not to compare yourself with others. It’s okay to use other people as inspiration, but remember that every body is different and we are all at different points in our fitness journey. Your progress is based on how much you improved from where you started, not only if you look like anyone else.

excellent advice, Tasha.  thank you so much for sharing your experience, insight, and HOT pics with my fit foodies!

i love the fro-yo combo below and get it pretty much every time we go. usually no sugar added vanilla, cake batter, or no sugar added chocolate as far as the fro-yo goes. most of the time it's worth the tummy after-bloat and overall fluff dairy tends to give me, but now....ooooh but now, my prayers have been answered.

i recently discovered two new flavors at Red Mango that are both dairy-free and sweetened with all natural, zero calorie, STEVIA!  dark chocolate and raspberry sorbetto. have you had them yet?!  they are both fantastic.

15 and 10 cals per oz.  YAAAAAS. let me know what you think!

fro yo tips:

• look up the nutritional stats online before you visit 
• check for speciality options e.g. dairy-free, sugar-free, no sugar added, low fat, etc.
• fresh fruit and nuts preferably for toppings
• live a little. it's dessert. dessert is fun and to be enjoyed. so do so in moderation!

there are a bajillion self-serve fro-yo places these days, huh!  one on every corner seems like. so....who's the BEST in your opinion?

 you know who's got my vote!

le

sundayeth-fundayeth

 a few people on Instagram thought i was referring to almond milk at first i'm sure, LOL. but nope, good ol' breastfeeding.  i.... miss it.  i went for 19 months with Chiso and i plan to go just as long if not longer with the rest of the Egwuatu clan (when He says it's time).

so it's sunday, which means it was sunday-family-fun-day for us!  you can make ANY day  family fun day, of course.  just as long as you make it a point to spend time together as a family doing whatever makes you guys happy.

my bro-in-law treated us and some more fam to Great Kahn for dinner today- it's been a while!  forgot how awesome this place is.

so it's like a big salad bar. first you pick your carbs ( i chose brown rice and tortillas as you can see),

then you pick your veggies. i went crazy and stuffed that bowl to the max.  spinach, tomatoes, baby corn, zucchini, pineapple, green onion, bok choy, onions, bean sprouts, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots.....

then you pick a seasoning. or two. or all.  i took a spoonful of every. single. one.  so serious.

then the proteins!  which are of course, yes, raw.  when we visited for the very first time, i thought this was super unsanitary;( but i got over it. shrimp, Alaskan cod,  and sliced chicken breast tenderloin.

finally, you choose a sauce!  you should know by now how i ate mine! on tha siiiiiiiide! i trust no sauce.

what a beautiful stir-fried master piece!  they throw it all on the grill and cook it up.  it was so tasty, and the price is right @ 8.99 for the lunch special.

Sonny's bowl was FULL of jalapeños unsurprisingly.

this was the bro-in-laws bowl.

then this happened afterwards as it often does. fro-yoooo!  i went light because dairy's aftermath on my body is not something i look forward to the next day:( so i got a little bit of no sugar added chocolate and vanilla fro yo, some crushed Oreos, slices almonds, sprinkles, and mini chocolate chips.

Sonny got no sugar added vanilla, crushed Oreos, peanut m&m's, and..... gummy bears? oh, ok :shock:"

new flavors up in Swirll - iced mocha and creme brulee!  Chiso loved them both.  he's a sampler, just like his mama.

Q: what are your favorite fro-yo toppings and flavors??!? birthday cake is still #1 in my book.

on a sugar high!!

speaking of sugar, here are those instructions for the homemade dark chocolate PB2 cups:

• melt 8 tbsp dark chocolate (i used malt sweetened dark chocolate from the bulk bins of HEB).

• spoon 1 tbsp of melted chocolate into the bottom of 4 different empty muffin cups (you can use liners if ya want).

• pop into the freezer for 15 minutes.

• fill with whatever your little heart desires!  a tsp of PB2 mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk went on top of my frozen dark chocolate bottom layer.

• top your filling (make sure it's completely covered around those edges) with another tbsp of melted chocolate.

• freeze for 25-30 more minutes

• SWALLOW!

i only left mine in for 15 minutes the second time and it exploded when i tried to make a clean center cut lol! leave it in for the full 25-30 so the filling can harden too.

who needs some monday motivation? *raises hand*. have you been tested lately?  every day, huh!  whether it be something or someone, expect it.  how you handle it is what's most important... and that's what God is waiting and watching for.  before you let your flesh try to battle these minute annoyances on its own, hold that thought, hold those words, and go to God with it first.  He will set everything up for you to overcome it- the place, the time, your surroundings,  your words... He'll not only fix it, but He'll give you complete peace about it afterwards.  our mouths and actions can get us in trouble when we do or say things that are not of Him.  i don't know about you, but i need to be reminded of that CONSTANTLY cause my flesh has a whole heck of a lot to say these days!  can you relate to that quote^ up there?  only to an extent, right?  cause some things NEED to be vocalized.  but before you unload on somebody,  let Him decide the when, where, what, how, why, and who!  put your pride aside and do it His way, first.

nite!

le

pancakes + homemade greek fro-yo + REST

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!!!!

le