wait, i've known you for how long!? + 29 weeks

say hello to our little 29 week acorn squash-sized baby! i seriously wish i had done this week by week with the boys. heck, i'm in the grocery store often enough to make it happen.  they both now know what the heck acorn squash even is plus i love having hands-on fun with learning when food is involved. who doesn't!? so guess what else went down during my 29th week of pregnancy!?  Mr. Egwuatu and i celebrated 9 years of marriage together!  meeting him on campus at UH back in 2000 happened yesterday.  yall hear me? yesterday *sobs uncontrollably* :( anyway,  around this time last year we were in Maui frolicking on the beach, but this year we stayed local for a change.  not only cause of the current zika threat, but cause of other current financial obligations, a new full-time kindergartener, and because Lord willing, we plan to do it BIG next year for #10 (and take that family Disney vaca before Dego turns 3...CAN NOT WAIT).  it's saving season for us.  so, we found some local things to do and enjoyed our special day together, just the two of us.

we <gasp> started with a 530am workout, whoop!  Sonny joined the #5amWorkoutClub for a day and was front and center for my Barbell Strength class.  he is clearly not one of us, haha. 

(he was really just taking a quick breather)

"A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year."

can't argue with that. season after season, we come out stronger, wiser, and closer....only by the grace of God. 

happy number 9,  Milk Dud Sonny.  <3

 we took our time, laughed, joked, and enjoyed our lifting session together.  no rush whatsoever.  usually our boys are in the child center so we have to get it in before the time limit is up and the staff comes to hunt us down!  this was needed.

and so was this!  Sonny found the cutest, yummiest little cafe for our post-workout breakfast.  

then we went home to.....REST! oh and clean up our house before hurricanes Chiso & Dego returned.

matchy, matchy!  we dined at Caracol for our anniversary dinner.  i have been wanting to try this place since my birthday this past April!  i was looking for a nice restaurant back then and one of my Lifetime Fitness class members suggested we go there.  weeell, Sonny had already made plans so this occasion was perfect for checking it out.  our taste buds were in HEAVEN! YUM!  

• i started with an unpictured salad (Lechugita Orejona)
• we split the Taquitos Tronadores de Carnitas (top left)
• Sonny ordered the biggest hunk of protein on the menu per our waiter (Bistec con Moras)
• i finally stepped outside of my box and ordered the scrumptious  Callo de Hacha (bottom left)
• we split the Piña Rostizada (and coulda used 2 more scoops of ice cream!)

then, it was on to sing and rap our faces off with P. Diddy at his Bad Boy Reunion Tour Concert!!! we don't do concerts often..in fact this was our very first one together! pregnancy narceolpsey didn't take me out and we were literally up and on our feet for most of the performances reminiscing and jamming.  great show!

---

remember this lil' lady!? she was born on our anniversary last year and we met her via Skype while in Maui.  we are another year older and she is now one.  happiest of birthdays, baby Natalie!

basically, September 15th ROCKS ;)

thanks for reading!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, PINTEREST, AND SNAP CHAT (FITFOODIELE).

i'm no flower girl {V-Day 2016}

[video width="720" height="406" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/VID_48460504_051318-1.mp4"][/video]

v day fell on a sunday this year so our day started with heart pancakes cause clichés are SO fun, right! and don't you just love the mesmerizing sounds of the dish washer? as i made those cakes i thought to myself "i live in a house full of boys.... nobody cares about this stuff but me!" 

a special guy deserves a special plate. tried to get fancy with my 25 cent squeeze bottle.

sooooo Sonny's plans included church, gym, sending me off to get a much needed pedi, and then dinner, but we didn't do ANY of that.  after breakfast we all (us and both boys) somehow ended up back in bed.

now there's something we haven't done in...IDK how long.  it was great to just do absolutely nothing for once. together. k, we did make it on time our dinner appointment though. lol

yet another place i've passed two billion times and never entered!  La Colombe d' Or was a nice, intimate look. 

he knows how to pick'em.  oh, the restaurant was great too. hahaha

i plan my outfit based on how much food i plan on eating.  it was a flowy dress kinda night.

my H & M dress is currently ON SALE by the way! i paid full price for it, but you definitely won't. get it here.

on holidays and special occasions, we definitely relax, enjoy ourselves, and ease up on our maintenance meal plans.  appetizers!  lobster bisque, jumbo lump crab tower, and a house salad with mixed greens, fresh vinaigrette, roasted goat cheese & sliced tomatoes.

Sonny ordered the chicken fried filet mignon, 

and i went waaaaay outta my comfort zone and skipped over salmon this time. #WUT!  i went with their homemade linguine and lobster dish.  i have not ordered pasta while dining out in years.  the portion sizes are almost always crazy big and usually covered in a fatty, buttery, creamy or heavy sauce.  truth be told, i ate the lobster off the top, the asparagus of course, and maybe 2 forkfuls of pasta. bravo, hubs. 

we had our final course at The Chocolate Bar about a mile away.

so, i'll post an Instagram pic of something utterly & sinfully indulgent on my IG eeeeevery blue moon... but even then it still comes with a price.  a price in the form of one of our 6 Pack USA clients asking/requesting for that particular food item to be added to their meal plan. lol.  anyway, there are SO many delicious, lighter, dairy-free ice cream options these days that it will blow your mind!!! this lactose intolerant girl is unbelievably grateful for them.  however, we lived life on the edge that night and i ordered 3 scoops of dairy & full fat (rocky road, toffee chip, tiramisu ) ice cream. yes, it's my time of the month. LOL.  PMS hormones make me do some cray-cray stuff.  long story short, i only got through half of it and left looking 8 months preggo. worst tummy ache and bloating on the ride home, ever. you win again, dairy. *raises white flag* 

we enjoyed some kid-free time together above all else!

we haven't exchanged actual gifts on V day in a couple of years, but we did flip through this book i picked up at Urban Outfitters a while back by Lisa Currie.

food, yes, flowers, no! i've never been a girly girl but i do love fun couples stuff like this!  15 years and i'm still learning new stuff about Sonny along this marriage journey of ours.  no matter how busy life gets, don't let your connection with your spouse slip away.  plan & prioritize some distraction-free (NO PHONES ALLOWED) time and no matter what, don't flake.  how much time you have, whether you can get the kids watched, etc., etc., depends on your specific situation, but make it happen.

---

seriously, as a home-cooking blogger, there is nothing more gratifying than someone making your recipe. the cherry on top is when they send a pic!

your social media tags and emails mean EVERYTHANG.  thank you to my fellow fitness instructor and friend, Maria, for making my Burger King Hershey Sundae Pie recently!!

hope ya didn't miss this dairy-free gem!

Q: do you acknowledge / celebrate Valentines Day?

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S ! subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Periscope (fitfoodiele).

#TransparencyThursday

i know #TransparencyTuesday sounds cooler but roll with me.

transparency inspires me...perfection does not. 

i just took down an IG photo that my husband did not agree with today.  he saw it when i posted it 2 days ago but didn't mention it until this morning.  had i known how he felt then, i would have removed it as quickly as i did earlier. 

you might have even seen it before i took it down if you follow me on IG; i was pretty proud of the fact that i had gotten a ton of stuff on my to-do list done and it was only 8am. as a girl who tries hard daily to kick my terrible procrastination habit, productivity makes me uber happy.  i had just jumped out of a 10 min steam room session but stopped in the mirror before heading to my locker. i had a towel wrapped around my body and one around my head/hair, and i took a selfie.  i planned to express and share my love for early morning workouts, productivity, and the steam room with my followers! i often make early motivational posts when i'm up at the crack of dawn and this was no different.  before i posted it, i did feel a little weird about it being too personal as a Christian, wife, mom, etc... and then i started comparing my pic to some of the crazy stuff i've seen not just across IG, but the WWW. i thought surely it was like comparing a kids cartoon to an X rated movie.  then i thought, "i could have a bathing suit on under this! people don't know." why make them wonder though...?  i then thought about girlfriends or couples at the spa, posting pics and sharing how much fun they're having in their robes and towel turbans, etc, etc, etc... WHOA.  does it really take all that? too much, too much! red flags were being thrown at me left and right but i chose to ignore them.  personal conviction was fighting its way through, but was i battling for or against it? are you completely ignoring that little voice and doing everything in your power to justify whatever it is you are on the fence about?  if you have to jump through a bajillion hoops just to convince yourself that whatever you're promoting or doing is not that bad... it prolly is (in my case).  it's just like wondering whether a dress is too short... you know the saying, "if you have to wonder...".  heck, God is still working on me in that area too!  i've had my issues with IG before; e.g., seeing half-naked amateur and professional "fitness" pics in my feed getting tons of love and Likes... and for a while it seemed like women were competing to see who could wear the least clothing without getting completely naked, my goodness.  i don't want to see that, and i don't and won't get down like that. for Likes?  would God himself Like it??  is a compromising picture ever worth ruining your witness? or, making your spouse or family uncomfortable or even upset? Sonny's words were, "well, it's a lil' much..." and they cut me like a knife; i immediately felt terrible.  terrible enough to write this post because 'little' things like that pic can cause more trouble than i ever intended it to both inside and outside of my home.  he concluded with, “...I get that it is harmless from your intended connotation and perspective though…if I thought it was bad I would have said something immediately...instead I see how it can be misconstrued as someone you've told me and your supporters you're not intending to be.” 

 i have to walk the walk if i'm talking the talk. after being on IG for a few years now,  Likes don't drive my posts anymore.  interacting, serving my audience, and making sure they are receptive to my topics is definitely important as a blogger/vlogger, but i've been asking God for quite some time to make my posts Spirit-led instead of being led by my flesh. literally. i don't want drama (i can actually count on one hand the number of weird/rude IG comments i've gotten over the years which is a blessing), i don't want the wrong kind of attention or comments to have to respond to (happily married, here), and i want to represent Him at all times.  this also means unfollowing people who  clearly don't share that same ultimate goal.  this (Christian) walk is not easy, but this walk is necessary.  He will shine through in every area of my life because my life belongs entirely to Him. 

 i have already apologized to Sonny, and now, i apologize to you.  

VLOG inside! hump day motivation + WWAW (what we ate wednesday)

it's hump daaaay! and heavy leg day. and we hit the gym (wut) together .

PhotoGrid_1427323825718

sure we can be normal. for what?

why is wednesday referred to as hump day? i heard the reasoning years ago but Googled it anyway to reconfirm as i typed this post:

'Starting around 1965, Wednesday began being referred to as “hump day.” Smack dab in the middle of the traditional work week, arriving at Wednesday symbolizes that we've made it over the hump and the weekend is in sight.'

sounds about right!  not working a traditional job since the beginning of 2013 when my IT contract ended has diminished the 'monday blues' and those feelings of always wanting to speed through the week to get to friday and the weekend.  i am a WSAHM (working stay at home mom) and being here with my boys has taught me to slow the heck down and live in the now.  i look forward to every single day!  yeah, entrepreneur life is a scary, huge sacrifice (especially with young kids in the mix) but i would have never, ever gotten the chance to GROW as quickly and as much as i have these past 2 years in every. single. aspect. of the word.  each day is a new adventure over here and i am head over heels in love with this temporary journey with my boys (Dego is 9 months already yall, DANG.) now that Sonny is no longer working a traditional job either (this is now week 4) and his schedule allows him to be with me and the boys more often, we have been taking full advantage of this blessing.

Screenshot_2015-03-25-09-16-15_1

the endorphins were flowing after our workout this morning so we made quick vlog! i also included 2 clips of some of exercises we did. we focused on unilateral training (one leg at a time) for most of the exercises instead of both.  why?  sometimes when you train both arms or legs together, you can cheat by letting your dominant side do the brunt of the work.  so, working them one at a time helps you:

• create balanced growth and development in both limbs equally
• correct size asymmetries
• improve general balance
• engage smaller muscles like the abductors, gluteus medius, and quadratus lumborum in ways we can't duplicate training two legs at a time.

[wpvideo uAAre0Ps]

here are a few things we dined on today:

20150325_152739_2

i found the Ranch Tuna Creations, woo, hoo! someone mentioned this flavor on Instagram and i had never seen it until the last time i was at Walmart. i like. i didn't add a thing and ate it straight from the packet while out and about today.

IMG_20150325_144106-2

20150325_114920_1

i whipped up a snack using my Ninja Blender single serve thingy and Dego loooooves this combo! it's 1 heaping cup of all natural, unsweetened applesauce + 1/2 cup roasted beets (you can do frozen or fresh and even canned if you must) + 4 or 5 strawberries.

i could not stop eating it myself! tasted way better than those prepackaged flavored applesauces in stores. but you knew that already, right!

20150325_163738_1-1

for my meals 4 and 5 i had quesadillas using La Tortilla Factory light flour tortillas.  they were stuffed with spinach, onions, mushrooms, Weber Beer Can Chicken seasoned chicken breast chunks, and Lisanatti almond cheddar cheese.

PhotoGrid_1427344432062

i folded them in half and cooked them on my griddle for 2-3 min on each side until the cheese started to melt and the tortilla was crispy. no avocados in the house :( but this citrus pineapple Pace Picante sauce sufficed!

now i'm going to lay down, blink, and it will be time for me to get up and go teach my Barbell Strength class. GOODNIGHT!

Q: what have you ever ended up doing (or being) that you said you never would do (or be?)

le

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