happy BUMP day + be grateful

this girl right heeeere!  my client, Sarita, is knocking on that 3rd trimester door HARD, and still putting it down in the gym both with me and on her own.

aaaaaand, she has fully committed to a vegan diet for her last trimester as well.  it can be done and she's doing it!

for fit pregnancy / postpartum training inquires, please email me here:

le@fitfoodiele.com

i opened two gifts this morning. my eyes! by starting each day with a grateful heart you are able to find COUNTLESS blessings from God in this seemingly mundane everyday life.  i look for and find them daily.

headphones: Pink Beats

top: Active Faith

crops: Lululemon

sneaks: Nike Roshe Run High in tarp green (2013) 

i got these sneaks while i was preggo with Dego (20 months) and they are still fierce! a lot of you think the same! they are great for lifting cause they are nice and flat on the bottom and provide great ankle support. 

reason number 444882390029289982 as to why i love group fitness right here.  when my class is in the midst of an exercise and the music is blasting and the endorphins are flowing, i sometimes just stop and look across the room and take it all in. it's one of the best feelings ever. 

they just want to move! i am so inspired by this group of educators! we get down in the library every single week. they show up to every session not by force, but because they desire to live and be healthier.  effort is everything.

bwahahahaha! this tickled me to tears and still does.  when mama forgets to bring her snacks while she's out, mama get's a lil' cranky.

happy hump day, ffs!

WF Pancake Syrup....packets!? + Lulu STEALS!

ok. DID YOU KNOW......

that these even existed!? are these packets not FAN-FLIPPIN-TASTIC for traveling instead of having to shove the entire bottle of WF Pancake Syrup into your purse?  i may be alone on that one...but it's all good!  never heard of Walden Farms?  check out one of my most popular posts about it.

i needed a super special fit last weekend so i headed to a place i knew i'd have great luck- LULULEMON!  Dego and i visited the 1st Colony location for the first time and they took extraordinary care of us.  every single employee went the extra mile in their own special way.  i found this Wild Tank on sale for 39 bucks, what, what! it is actually sold out online... but that's why it's so much better to go in to the store and dig around for the deals.  as much as i don't like clothes shopping, i will put in the foot werk for some lulu!  the built in bra supports a B/C cup and don't you LOVE the strappy back action?!

 honestly guys, since i'm still breastfeeding and have become a pro at manipulating my body fat, my boobs fluctuate like crazy. some days built in bras work and some days they are a joke.  these days i'm hovering around 16% body fat and i'm parking it right here for a while.  #maintenancebeastmode

 even when they get all up IN the way....i wouldn't change a thing. is this what growing up feels like? my perspective on life continues to change... and it should the longer you live and experience life for sure.  things that used to frustrate, discourage, upset, or put me in a funk simply.....don't.  i hear having kids'll do that to ya though.

along with that top, i snagged another pair of wunder unders.  basically these are my FAVE bottoms to work out in and live in. they are suuuuper comfy and super flattering! if you don't have much of a booty, well these do a great job of creating one.  seriously. try on a pair and tell me you don't love the way they shape your body!

lastly, i found another tank on sale for 29 bucks in this beautiful turquoise color i could not leave without.  we hit the road just in time to pick up big brother from preschool.

about that perspective, take a look at this list!  i found this photo via Facebook but it originated on another mommy blog, momentsaday.com.  i HAD to share this immediately!  there is always a bright side!  people pray for the things you take for granted every.single.day,  so give God thanks for those things every.single.day. your children, that noise, those crumbs, that gigantic pile of laundry... my kids are my little labors of love!  make a conscious effort to thank God for answering your prayers in His time, big and small.

Q: what are you grateful for that you sometimes take for granted?

no beastmode + avocado crema dip

concerning the game....

WHAT?!

i'll just keep it classy and congratulate the Pats.  moving on......

being at home to raise my boys has been one of the biggest blessings in my entire life. i am so thankful.  the only time i really hear crying from Dego is when he's uncomfortable (needs to be changed, hungry, the usual). other than that, he's showing that gummy smile off and cackling at Chiso! i thought Chiso smiled a lot but Dego takes the cake in that department.  Chiso is now a threenager. even on our most difficult, trying, exhausting days, the Lord reminds me how hard i prayed and cried for these boys.  that thought alone makes whatever i'm upset or irritated about (toddler temper tantrum, spilled food, disobedience, etc.) just not that big a deal anymore.  i actually dropped a big bowl of pancake batter and it splattered EVERYWHERE recently. everywhere. the ceiling, walls waaaaay across the room, under tables... just a gigantic mess. albeit my fault, instead of getting angry i stared at the chaos on my floor and laughed (not a crazed, hysterical, witch-like laugh or anything lol) then Chiso chimed right in with me.  i cleaned it all up with a smile.

these guys constantly remind me to stop sweating and stressing the small stuff. we just don't have time. or the energy, most days.

 so before the big game started i went outside to get a 1 hour walk/jog/run thing on!  that's all i had planned to do, but i saw new fit mom Ashley Horner on IG outside doing 300 walking lunges with her 12 day old new-born strapped to her chest and that motivated THE heck outta me.  so i did 300 walking lunges too before heading back home to...

mr. P.J.!

i'm finding it harder and harder to post these kinds of pics to IG because i don't want to discourage our 6 Pack USA clients as they work towards their own fitness goals.  i do maintain my current body fat % using my own personalized plan, but i also indulge in moderation as i am able to easily compensate via my diet and/or exercise for those indulgences to keep me where i want to be. so there! yes, i had a few slices of pizza on game day and i was back on track with no guilt or worries the next day.

my brother and sister-in-law came over to watch the game with us so i made a few snacks including this one i'd love to share with ya:

Avocado Crema Dip 

the stuff: (source)

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 - 6 oz container 0% greek yogurt
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• cracked black pepper & sea salt to taste

do this:

1. add all ingredients to your blender or food processor
2. blend until super-duper creamy (keep scraping down the sides if using a blender)
3. get scoop happy! you can dip anything you want, but i chose plantain chips and the bell peppers.

switching to the 8oz baby bottles for parties / get-togethers was a great move.  one of my pet peeves is walking around picking up half-finished water bottles at the end of a party!!!! never again. that dip in the center of the veggie plate is just Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix + 0% greek yogurt. my mom gave me that idea but used to use sour cream. so yummy!!! it really brings veggies to life.

love this stuff!! my Sprouts Farmers Market usually has a great variety of flavors too; there are so many to choose from.  we recently tried the Cheddar Caramel Mix and gave it two thumbs way up.  if you're gonna sneak snacks into the movie theater, bring this stuff!

did you watch the big game? where?

le

baby mama

happy hump day! i'd love to shine the spotlight on someone vital to my motherhood journeys as well as my Christian walk. remember my confession post, In Love With Lean, from about 6 months ago? weeeeeell,

this pretty young thang is one of the good friends i was referring to... my BM, Marguerite!

(i.e., Baby Mama, as we affectionately call each other.)

 through my infertility struggles with both pregnancies, Marguerite helped me cope with having to 'sit down somewhere' from all the excessive exercising i was doing in the most loving way possible. lol. she has a masters in counseling because it's clearly what she was born to do!  we met at UH, were even roommies for a semester, and continued to keep in touch after graduation.  she prayed and fasted with and for me during those times, and i received her advice and words wholeheartedly because i knew they were from the Lord. fasting solo (and usually for your own personal issues) is physically and mentally difficult enough.   but to care for another friend so much (i'm not talking about your spouse, mom, dad, siblings, etc.) that you sacrifice yourself and go to the Lord on their behalf... i am utterly thankful God put her in my life.  i'm also grateful she was willing to let Him use her in the first place!  being obedient to God's commands and tasks can be uncomfortable and downright hard.  it can often make relationships difficult, very awkward...or even eventually non-existent. but you must do what He tells you to do... His way.  it's about His glory, never us.

we were preggo together for both of our children, however, she is chunking me the deuce for babies #3 and 4, hahaha! i'm on my own now, but i know she'll be with me in spirit.

i was almost 9 months along and she was about 6 when we met up for our BM prenatal massages and lunch back in 2011. we worked out (walked on the treadmills), hung out and talked about baby stuff, and ate good of course. boobs and bellies everywhere!

we were gettin' our Red Lobster on for lunch in this throwback pic,

and a few months ago we met up for brunch at Le Peep before heading to get our massages. i was 8 months along and she was right behind me again at almost 6!  because my birthday had recently passed, she told me my massage was on her.  what a sweet, sweet surprise and a testament to her character.

aaand of course we attended each other's baby showers!

i've had so much fun sharing blessings and making memories with this girl.

she came to spend some quality time with Odego and i at the hospital back in June, and i was recently blessed to return the favor because her sweet baby girl, Callie Marie, is already HERE! today is actually Callie's due date and i am elated she is safely in her mama's arms and in the comfort of their own home.

she's perfect. and PINK:) i'm looking forward to all the girlie advice Marguerite will pass my way because i'll need it :) .

i just want to give a sincere congrats to the blessed Hairstons who are now a family of four!  thank you, BM, for simply being the sister you were called to be. i appreciate you. <3

le

4 weeks pp + Dego's 1 month mark

last night i said i was going to get up at the crack of dawn this morning and not just get my treadmill interval workout in, but to pop up on my 5:30am class to say hi while i was at it! i made me some hot coffee and headed out, Beats and ipod in tow.

i kinda forgot to factor in feeding my newborn before leaving though so i arrived way after class started.  it was SO good to see old and new faces all across the studio when i peeked my head in the door!  i caught up with some of my regulars after class finished and they only made me more anxious to put that mic on again.

cardio killaaaaa. i was hoping to be cleared to lift this week, but my OB's schedule is jam packed!!! huge bummer. still crossing my fingers to be worked in somehow. else i'll just wait 'til next week.

Chiso woke up and requested pancakes, so he got'em.  i made him a stack of my WW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Birthday Cakes complete with dolphin sprinkles and he almost finished the stack by himself!  i gladly killed the rest. remember, you can also sub blueberries for the chocolate chips.

who's 1 month today? that guy! i asked Sonny does 4 weeks make it one month, or will July 17th make it one month... idk and too lazy to Google. close enough.  also up until today, smiles from Dego were only reserved for Chiso. i finally got mine :)

our God is an awesome God.  i make an effort to praise Him for all things, both great and especially small.  after receiving and reviewing Dego's newborn screening results in the mail a few days ago i began to thank Him repeatedly.  i was instantly reminded of the time in my life when my thoughts consumed me and convinced me that i was unable to bear any children, ever.  God has blessed us with healthy baby boy #2, and for that we give Him all the glory.

this is so funny because i actually remember doing this to my mom.  putting my face on the floor to see her feet while calling her name over and over again and everything.  well it's payback time!  who am i kidding... once Chiso doesn't give a flying hoot about my whereabouts i'm gonna have a mommy moment...

grilled sirloin steak and taters for dinner tonight.  we've been outta sweet taters and they are exactly what i need to keep me feeling fuller longer between meals.  the steak was marinated in some Annie's balsamic vinaigrette, pinch of sea salt and black pepper before i tossed it in my grill pan.  that delicious sauce is just Grey Poupon mild and creamy mustard (which is calorie free, sugar free, and fat free) sauteed with white mushrooms. it's bananas!

Q: how do you like your steak cooked?  

blood = no bueno. can't do it. well done, please.

le