what itch? 7 year anni wkend

 aaaahhh!! so many pictures! well thank God for pic collage apps or this blog post would be 2 miles worth of scrolling.  we had a low-key, relaxing time in Lakeway (right outside of Austin) at the Lakeway Resort & Spa this past weekend for our 7th wedding anni. time for a new mattress.

this sweaty selfie was taken after my last workout before our anni weekend began.  i had only managed to unbraid half of the what seemed like 1 million braids in my head at that point, so i threw on a head scarf and got some upper body and cardio done regardless.

 not gonna lie, i worked out with the anticipation of some good food in my near future! intensity is everything and i turned it UP. here's my stair slaver workout: (video coming soon)

after i posted this pic of my go-to traveling snacks on Instagram i remembered it would tip Sonny off about our trip, whoops.  it's my year to plan and i hadn't told him a thing about leaving to go anywhere. oh wells.

i hardly ever leave for trips without:

• fresh fruit (nectarines this time)
• bottled water
• turkey jerky (high protein snack)
• Quest Bars ( i like Double Chocolate Chunk and Sonny likes Cookies & Cream the best)
• gum to combat mindless munching! that gets me in so much trouble
• roasted, unsalted nuts
• granulated stevia (for my coffee, tea, and oatmeal when eating at restaurants still operating in the stone age)
• Beats headphones + Spotify
• fitness or foodie mags

off we went!  breakfast, snacks, and breast pump in tow.  i actually sat in the passenger seat first but soon as my butt hit that seat Sonny reminded me that it was my year to host.  yeah, yeah.  i actually had another stop planned along the way, but the weather ruined it! i did NOT even check nor consider the weather when i was planning everything, seriously. i just knew it would be clear, hot, and sunny as usual. no. so i'll save that stop for a later date.

we're here!  however, our room wasn't ready since we arrived earlier than expected.  we were hungry again though so we hit up the resort's breakfast buffet per the front desk attendant's suggestion.  boy was he right!  everything, and i mean everything was as delicious as it looked. so.many.options.  we love a good omelette bar and both got egg white omelets loaded with veggies.  no surprise there.  Sonny is prepping for a few upcoming shows and did his best to stick to his meal plan.

bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, migas, fruit... sensory OVERLOAD.

next, a couples massage i have been anticipating since i booked the appointment. we were already full and lethargic from breakfast and the massage was the icing on the cake for Sonny. at one point he was over there drooling.

the view overlooking the pool from the spa. the gym was right across from the spa and you knoooow we checked that out next.

impressive! you can get an excellent full body workout done in there, oh yeah. hotel gyms are high on our amenity list and this one gets 5 stars from us. they had my beloved arc trainer, treadmills, a full rack of dumbbells, and a bunch of machines including a Smith machine. lovely.

our room was ready by this time so we headed to check it out and take the most incredible, uninterrupted nap, EVER.  boooo to the weather though.

it didn't start clearing up until the day we left, but we will certainly be back with the kiddos so they can have the time of their lives out there on that slide!

 next up, an early dinner before the big Mayweather fight.  so this was my first time seeing my hair straightened (my beautician wrapped it at my appointment friday and i kept it that way) and i was blown away.

 may not seem like much to anybody else but man my hair has come a long way as far as length and texture! i decided not to get another perm but i knew that as soon as the tiniest drop of moisture hit my head, it would never be the same!  after wearing my braids for a year (shout out to my gorgeous, mobile (yes, she will come to you), braid lady, Ogechi) with 3 short breaks in between, they really are the best fit for my sweaty, on the move lifestyle. they'll be back very soon, but i enjoyed being girly and flipping my hair around town all weekend, lol.

one of my regular Lifetime class members, Sally,  lives in Austin and really hooked me up with the scoop on where to go in ATX.  she suggested we stay downtown close to 6th street with the youngins' but after i told her how Sonny just wants to actually relax on his vacations she said to stick with the hill country, (i.e., Lakeway).  we hit up Oasis and saw a little bit of the sunset.  through the fog.

after perusing the menu for forever i finally decided on salmon with sweet potato cakes, grilled veggies w/ a side salad, and Sonny went with a grilled shrimp salad. i ate most of those chips.

then, we stopped by the landmark Whole Foods Market in downtown Austin for snacks and gelato! so many nostalgic memories here for me. you can read about one of them in the IG post i made that day <3

gosh i love this store.

especially this aisle.

unpictured are the plantain chips and chocolate covered raisins i killed before the fight even started.

was it just me or was the Mayweather fight...boring?? anyway, the next morning we were both up super early as usual and headed to the gym before breakfast. who forgot their workout shoes? :'(  so unlike me!  i went anyway but i don't advise working out in flip-flops around weights, guys. in addition to the shoe fiasco, i had one of THE dumbest workouts ever.  complete waste of time. i was so worried about my hair puffing up i didn't want to move. and i love to move. i think i did the arc trainer for like 8 minutes super slow, then some dumbbell curls, lunges, and squats holding the dumbbells. didn't sweat a drop. ridiculous. i love my hair like this so much but unless i flat-iron it every single morning (and i definitely won't) then i just can't rock the straight look with my lifestyle. THE struggle.

we got cleaned up, explored the resort a little more, then headed to hit up the omelette bar again.

7 years in the marriage game! hard to believe i've known this dude for almost 14 years. we had plans to go out on the lake that fell through, so we hit the Lakeway Galleria Outlet Mall to look around and get some lunch and fro-yo.

found a new fave flavor i've never had before-- taro. yum! i discovered it at Red Mango back in houston too.

pistachio & taro fro-yo randomness.  worth every bit of dairy bloat.

while walking through the galleria, i did a double-take after seeing the word Chiso!  close enough. what a rare sighting.  from there we went back to the room to pack up because #Texans. yeah, they were apart of last years Miami trip too.  so was the Mayweather fight now that i think about it!

i requested a fridge to our room to freeze and store the milk i was pumping.  gotta get it out, and gotta get it done.  we headed to watch the Texans game at Sally's beautiful home in the hill country before heading home to our boys.

our actual anni this year is on monday, september 15th, and instead of going out to dinner, we went to the gym and sipped on anniversary protein shakes.

wouldn't have had it any other way.

happy 7th anni, Mr. Egwuatu!

thanks for reading:)

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

plateaus + 30 min shoulder workout

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!

le