gymc — Blog — Fit Foodie Le

my last post was deleted completely and i almost cracked. it's not the first time that has happened, but when it does, my 'make up' post usually turns out better the second time. and i remember to add a whole bunch of stuff i left out the first time. so, it's all good.

so, HI :)

this post was supposed to go out on Labor Day, whoops. speaking of LD, was there a party at your gym late-morning/early afternoon too!? i think everybody slept in, then got up and went to the gym at the same time. there were people EVERYWHERE on every machine. that's a good thing though as there are no holidays for your health.

oh and also, i have managed to go from an iPhone, to a brand spanking new Samsung galaxy s3, to NO phone in a matter of days. gaaaaaaaaaaaah, having no phone is THE absolute worst thing ever these days. especially when it's your fault :roll: replacement phone is en route. i miss Instagram so much, lol! IG on the PC is wack!

*update*

10 days, not weeks, left until the show. i have always been a cardio horse, so these last few days of it will be a piece of cake.

i actually gained some weight this past week (due to the carb loading, water, and gaining more muscle), but i still managed to drop a tad more body fat, whoop whoop. last progress pic(s) until the show- no spoilers!

currently at:

144lbs

10% body fat

few more progress shots before this morning's workout (stole Sonny's phone)

my meal plan is different all the way up until show day, so my trainer says to expect more changes and i will.

my abs seem to have disappeared for the moment, but it's temporary bloating. you know i asked!!

#backaction

even more reason to love my racerback tops now!

got my show suit, got my theme wear and now all i need to do is PRACTICE. some more. oh and get that other stuff done too of course: waxing, makeup, hair, and tanning. my posing coach, Christine, sent out an email that included a checklist of everything i need to have done or do. all i can say is WHEW! i felt this same feeling before my wedding, before Sonny's 30th birthday party, before Chiso's 1st birthday party... yeah, pretty much before any big event. a feeling of suffocation, anxiety, and my mind racing a mile a minute... just ready to just get this the heck over with. my life will then settle down a bit...until the next thing i get myself into.

now for some food porn!!!!

this was Chiso's breakfast today- his current favorite. banana oat pancakes, banana chunks, and eggs.

i packed a quick snack for him before i headed out too: roasted sweet potatoes, some ripe avocado, and strawberries.

while i was making breakfast, i got going on my lunches- i munched on steak and potatoes for my low carb menu today. i roasted my sweet potatoes last night (450 deg oven for about 45 min), so they were already soft and just needed to be reheated later.

i put my grill pan over super high heat and grilled my steaks which had been marinating in liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, and montreal steak seasoning.

i packed up meals 2 and 3 before heading out earlier.

however when i got home this evening, i got fancy! this totally feels like a cheat meal, forreal. i made garlic sweet potato fries instead of my usual roasted. i told you sweet potatoes are SO versatile!

i cut them up, then i got crazy and used all this on them lol. no added calories but plenty of flavor. (the smokehouse maple seasoning does have sodium and sugar in it but i went super-duper light) i read about the butter flavoring and it's pretty awesome and smells WONDERFUL.

end result:

POW!!!

grilled sirloin steak topped with avocado, garlic sweet potato fries, and fresh sautéed spinach. i'll be Instagramming this as soon as i get my phone back lol.

it tasted as amazing as it looked!

*season the fries and pop them in a 400 deg oven for about 20 min. spread them out so they cook evenly*

and i get to have it one more time for meal 6!! happy rest of your hump evening!!

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.