WFM KATY <3

feast your eyes on the awesomeness that is Whole Foods Market............. KATY, TX.

i pulled up like 3 minutes before go time and hopped my butt right on in line.

they had some great grand opening deals, and fresh wild salmon was one of them!  they were selling like hot cakes under that tent up there for 5.99 a lb.

as i neared the door, i heard....music?  there was a live orchestra back there, even though you can't tell at all from this pic.  that's how WFM does it!  it didn't make the weather any warmer, but it was a nice touch.

this is the very first pic of the madness once i stepped foot in the store.  this is NOTHIN!  there were still a ton of peeps behind me.

:shock: the freshest produce ever in life :shock:

beautiful berries!

how can you not want one of everything?

so i was caught on camera using my own camera. (l)  #awkward!   i have no idea what station he was affiliated with but i do hope it was a major network LOL

beans, beans, the musical fruit!

the beloved bulk bins.  i couldn't pass up getting a couple scoops of pumpkin flax granola.

this is THE cleanest this area will ever be in life. lol

ok i have a confession.  my phone straight DIED a few minutes after i took this pic and i was devastated. seriously.  i went to bed with a full battery and did not put it on the charger and because i have soooooo much crap on my phone these days and have yet to order an SD card.  which means my battery is toast in a matter of hours. soooooo, i sped through the store and came back a few hours later with my bro for lunch.  hey i had a dr's appointment and was out anyway ;)

 i'll pick back up where i left off-

fresh

meat!

would i like a sample?  do you know who i am?

'air chilled' is a new term i said i'd google later. the tender was super juicy!

right, Matt?

and wow, that camera man was still there.

 these were so cute. and true.

we rounded a corner of the store and walked past the gourmet grilled cheese and specialty beer station.

it was a little after lunch time here and the store was CRACKIN'.

and then we saw a walking banana and had to get a pic!  and yes...i've officially been #photobombed by the lovely shopper behind us.

twice, smh!!!! who does these types of things!? i thought you only photobombed people you know!

we kept going and passed the delectable desserts...

just looking!

they had pizza samples left and right, mmmmm.

next up was the prepared foods section.

man...food presentation at its finest. *DROOLING*

this was matt's incentive for coming with me. free lunch!  he got a sammich at the sammich station.

gettin' mo samples...sushi samples.

it was a shrimp, avocado,  multigrain rice roll; lovely combo!

we turned around and saw several fresh food bars like the olive one above,

and this multicultural one.  variety is something WF never lacks!

so many overwhelming options to choose from.

 and uuuuuuuuweeeeeeee that 8.49 per lb. hurts my HEART!  especially when i remember when it was 2.99.........

last thing on this side of the store was the cool coffee bar.

more samples on the way to checkout- this tasted like kombaucha soda. not bad!

i meant to get some canned tuna while i was there so i cut through the frozen foods aisle and ran into this thing-  i thought it just rotated commercials and advertisements all day long, but nope, i touched the screen and was wowed immediately!

'touch a produce item for recipes and information.'

um, OK!!!

recipes, ideas, and tips galore! what a fantastic tool!

wait, how did i end up here?  focus!!!

got the tuna and headed to checkout, but not before passing up the to-go bakery case.... YUMMERS

seating area was CRAY-CRAY so we went home to eat.

i'm sure this area will be boomin' once Houston weather warms back up.

more samples outside!? of course! just some grilled fillet mignon, no big deal.

they even have their very own food truck(s).  i'm not surprised!

smelled amazing...

i'll save it for the next trip.

OH, a lady was standing at the door on our way out with a basket FULL of free grocery bags!  i loved this pattern the second i saw it.

juuuust expanding my grocery bag collection.

see, i didn't do too bad at all! this was nothin.

tuna, kettlecorn, bell peppers (5 for 5 dollar deal), pumpkin flax granola, and a loaf of seeduction bread for my mama.

aaaand the very last #foodie shot- half of Matt's reuben flat bread wrap. delish!

i think ALL but like one of my friends can stand grocery shopping lol!

Q: have you ever attended a store's grand opening? any store!

le

curtsy lunges and holiday play

what a blessed day.  but every day is a blessed day, right? right.  i did not wake up this morning expecting to reach 4k followers on Instagram, i'll tell you that much!  super humbling moment.  i love fitness as much as i love eating and gosh darn it i just want to do both all day every day and inspire tons of people along the way.

so THANK YOU again x's infinity to my followers and my readers!  IG is a true health and fitness motivational powerhouse, man!!!! one of the best sources to date in my book.   get some Instagram in ya life!

my goal was to actually sleep in this morning, but i popped right on up at 7am as usual. so i got on up and made half of my breakfast for some energy (2 egg whites, 1/2 cup of  oatmeal), left my boys sleeping, and hit the gym.  just the usual up there- oatmeal pancakes with bananas and cinnamon with some egg whites and low sugar ketchup.  i ate the rest when i got back home- 2 more egg whites and another half a cup of oatmeal. hey, i'm 5'10 :shock:

how did you spend your MLK holiday?  Chiso's uncle Matt finished putting his new car together this weekend, so we took it for a spin today.

great weather for a walk, and physical activity is always a plus.

in addition to 'no!'  Chi's fave word is now 'mine! mine! mine!'

while we were out in the park, i seized the opp to take a few pics of one of my fave leg exercises for an Instagram challenge i'm participating in.  if you have a set of dumbbells at home, try them:

curtsy lunges!

they work the outside of your glutes and hams nicely.

a.  swing your left foot around and down to the outside of your right leg while dropping your left knee straight down at a 90 degree angle.  make sure all your weight is bearing down in your right heel- you can even lift your toes in your shoe to ensure that weight is where it's supposed to be.

**keep your back, neck, and head all in alignment!  which translates into: back flat, chest up, head up. **

b.  push up strong into your right heel and bring your left foot back to the starting position while flexing and pointing your left foot/toe.  you can even add an upright row holding your dumbbells as show in the pic for a full body exercise.

repeat on the other side until it burrrrrrrrrrrrns!

for lunch back home, i made some tri-pepper tuna sliders for us.  i still have a couple bell peppers left from that sale and i've been putting them in everything.

i didn't measure on this one at all yall-  here's what i used though: 3 cans wild tuna packed in water, handful of chopped red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and orange bell pepper, big dollop of 0% greek yogurt, couple tablespoons of brown or dijon mustard, fresh cilantro, parsley, 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos, and some low-sodium lemon pepper seasoning.

i put all that on a toasted, light, multigrain Thomas english muffin, and topped them with some creamy, ripe avocado and some sweet, smoky chipotle seasoning.

Q:  what are coconut aminos?

A: another expensive GREAT super low sodium, healthy, all natural soy sauce alternative! 

Bragg's Liquid Aminos are AWESOME too, and i'll continue to use them to flavor my lean proteins, but i like these cause they have a sweetness to them that is simply wonderful for any type of sauce.  and nope, it doesn't taste like coconut at all.  you can find it at the fabulous HEB in the natural foods section, and definitely Whole Foods.  Kroger's natural foods section has expanded like crazy recently (well the one by my house anyway) so i wouldn't be surprised if they carried it too.  look around!

those stats are FFL approved!  that price tag isn't though :lol:

fantastic soy sauce alternative, and great for making delicious, flavorful dressings, marinades, and sauces! found at Whole Foods for sure.

(1 tsp serving)

• 5 cals
• 0g fat
• 113 mg sodium
• 1g carb
• 0g sugar

it's:

• 100% organic
•  raw
•  gluten-free
•  soy-free
•  contains 17 amino acids
•  vegan!

i only post quotes that speak to me...and this one did just that. we've only got one body! no extra men in this game.  start doing better  and living healthier right now.

do you sleep in on holidays or get up and hit the gym early anyway?

le

happy fit & clean 2013!

 well, it's here. the new year is underway.... i'm just happy and grateful to be here. soon as i opened my eyes today i made a Facebook status that said  'if you woke up this morning, you were SUPPOSED TO!! thank God! now, go and be YOU.' i'm excited and so ready to live His purpose for my life. it's time!

the day after Christmas, i had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed.  thanks to my driver and brother Matt for this hot photo.  what a day!  i was knocked out and didn't feel a thing, but the 3rd day was definitely the worst as the swelling was at its peak.  howeverrrr,  it's all over and done with now FOR GOOD!

6 days later i'm still healing and struggling to chew and it sucks.  i can only do so on one side for now, and i'm not supposed to eat any crackers, chips, popcorn- anything that crumbles and can get stuck in those crevices back there.  this foodie is ready to EAT.  so while my family gets to eat Papa Johns :shock:, i'm on baby food status. how i've been surviving:

oh and let's not forget i couldn't exercise! no food = no energy = no activity = boo. this entire pint of Arctic Zero came in handy.

however for breakfast, i cooked my oats as normal with vanilla creme stevia and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, then i sliced up a banana and threw it in the blender with them. this pic translates to how i felt that morning :lol: BLAH

before bed one night, i whipped out some cottage cheese to get some protein in.  i made some of my healthy chocolate sauce and drizzled some on top along with a dash of cinnamon.

 aaaand for dinner, i got fancy and made some roasted squash and onion soup.  i roasted the veggies in the oven until soft, tender, and charred, then threw them in the blender along with some low sodium vegetable broth, nutritional yeast flakes, black pepper, liquid aminos, sweet smokey paprika, and sprinkled some goat cheese on top.

i was trying to make a balanced meal in a glass and this actually turned out ok!  fruit, greens, healthy fats, and carbs.

 i'm outta protein powder, but a scoop of vanilla would have been perfect!

i ate it with a spoon though, no straws allowed yet.

no gym for 4 straight days and i felt like a weak, wet, limp noodle.  lost a couple of pounds of both fat and muscle for sure.  this is why i LOOOOVE my complex carbs combined with hitting the weights (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, etc) - without them i'm flat and squishy.

sunday was my first day back in the gym and i made some green eggs for real!  liquified frozen spinach + egg whites then scramble!  shredded a little almond cheese on'em that melted on top.

got a nice welcome back 700+ calorie burn in my boxing shoes which happen to be perfect for weight lifting.

 definitely getting a few pairs of these in more crazy colors!

i hope you enjoyed your new years eve WHATEVER you did last night!!  Chiso surprisingly checked out at 9:30... SCORE.  i know! soooo Sonny and i enjoyed a quiet evening at home and popped open a bottle of  the good stuff - sparkling welches red grape juice cocktail. we had a quiet, intimate toast to end a great year and welcome an even better one!

this morning was the Commitment Day 5k-  did you get up and go run in your city?

it rained. it was windy. it was cold.

but that didn't stop these people from coming out in their raincoats, hats, and umbrellas!  it was still a fair turnout and i was honored to participate.

i ran with my sister-friend Shabakka; she showed up and showed out!  we had just finished up.

i saw a few familiar faces along the way though and i was definitely looking for some!  i'd like to give a huge CONGRATS and shout out to one of my readers and fam, Ivy!!!  you did it! way to start 2013 STRONG.

you know i wore my watch. couldn't tell ya what my time was though...let's say around 24 min or so.

that's my holiday wrap up!  i'll leave you with one of the quotes i'm really feelin':

'don't tell people your dreams, show them.'

here's to a fit & clean 2013! (thx Dami;)

le

is there a whole foods on the strip?

why yes, yes there is :lol:

alright, i'm giving the blog-as-i-go thing a try for a few days- i have a ton of pics, but some of them are in my phone, and some in my camera. and guess who left their camera usb adapter at home?  i always forget one thing when i travel, and well, this time it's that darn cord. SO, instead of waiting until i get home and doing one big post like i normally do, i'm bloggin' what i got so far minus a few camera pics.  Chiso's taking a nap and i'm bored.

we are in the fabulous Las Vegas, NV for Musclemania Fitness AmericaWeekend - Sonny is competing in his last show of the year!

Chiso was NOT feeling his first plane ride.  i'm hoping and praying the return flight is a million times better.  our plane touched down around midnight, and after getting our luggage, renting a car, etc., we finally made it to our hotel, tired & hoongry.

Matt & Sonny had an after-the-club breakfast in the hotel cafe,

and they brought mine up to the room since Chiso needed to be put down for bed immediately.  i had whole wheat toast, egg whites, hash browns, and the saltiest piece of ham on earth :shock:

energized after some much needed rest, we were ready to get into something the next day.  while Sonny attended meetings, waited in super long lines (he's somewhere under that water slide)

does media interviews, take pics and all that jazz,

Chiso, uncle Thew,

and i,

hit the strip!

i justified our Whole Foods trip by scoping out the room service menu for kicks like i always do and ummmmm..... half a grapefruit for 3.75? only in vegas.

1st up, we fueled up for all the walking we were about to do!

of course i had a sandwich.

whole wheat, grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, cucumbers, mushrooms, provolone cheese, and stone ground mustard, pressed. classic!

let the walking begin!

we saw the famous welcome to las Vegas sign, the m&m store, the underground forum shoppes in Caesars Palace, fashion show mall... the usual, lol!  we also stopped at The Bellagio to catch the water show and have dessert.

Chi watched and sat still like a big boy for the entire performance.  he deserved a standing ovation from Mommy!

or some sugar-free strawberry gelato, that works too.

Matt got a 3 layer mini cheesecake that was so creamy.

and fancy.

oh just eat it already.

after more walking, we headed back to the hotel for dinner @ The Grotto.

no idea what kinda bread this was but it was so moist and chewy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside.

Matt ordered a shrimp pasta with asparagus and tomatoes in a cream sauce dish covered with cheeeeese,

and i got the seared ahi tuna with grilled red potatoes, asparagus, french green beans, red & yellow tomatoes, and a boiled egg.  the host hotel restaurants have special menus just for fitness america weekend, and i ordered from that since i knew it would be super clean and healthy.  even still, most restaurants will accommodate your requests (omit oil, butter, dressing on the side, etc.) if you just ASK!

aaand i ended the day with a bed time snack that Sonny can't have yet-

sweet, all natural, Indiana kettle corn!  i grabbed a bag from WF earlier cause i knew we'd get the munchies later and ordering room service is out of the question.

ok that went fairly well- i'll try again during the next nap.

le