blogging from de plane

that post title is false advertisement.  i was so excited to blog from our plane headed to Jamaica to celebrate our 5th anni that i started the post early, from home!  however........ after all the hustle and bustle of the previous night (we had a FANTASTIC time and did well at our first bodybuilding show!!!!! details in my next post) that we naturally *sigh* overslept and missed our WI-FI enabled first flight. UGH. the second flight, which only left 1 hr later, was not wi-fi enabled because well, that's just how things go.  SO, Sonny and i actually spoke to one another (cause people still do that :shock: ) about the weekend's events, the highs and lows of training under one roof, our bodies then and now, how we felt on stage, how each other looked on stage, future shows, etc... yeah we had lots of time to catch up as life has finally slowed down a little.

i can't shake this 'i need to be prepared for anything' feeling, which is a good thing though. i knew i wouldn't go completely HAM on sweets so soon after the show, so i packed some healthy stuff for our trip a few days beforehand to make this a gradual thing:

 strawberry flavored magic pop, some shelled pistachios, light tuna packed in water, apples, chocolate PB2, canned salmon, and a stack of Food Network magazines i never found time to sit down and crack open.

not gonna lie- even though we woke up super late and rushed out to miss our flight, i still had my oats and bananas lol!   i really WANTED them though and didn't have time to get creative and make something else anyway.  we had a quick layover in Charlotte, NC, and it was there where i was reunited with the dairy food group again after over 3 months. i had an unused Starbucks gift card from Christmas, so i whipped it out and ordered a fruit cup and one of my fav drinks- a skinny vanilla latte.   

so, even on vaca, and i said i was gonna try and stick to 5-6 balanced meals a day, but also indulge and live a little! with everything being all-inclusive (unlimited food and drinks EVERYWHERE) this is hard.  not doing TOO bad so far though- there are different menus everyday, so i'm grateful for the variety.  for breakfast, there's a live omelette bar- was so excited to see that!! can you guess what i've been ordering? haha

 they only have *GASP* instant oatmeal which is disgusting and tastes and looks like wall paper paste. maybe even worse. i see why some people might be turned off by oatmeal if they ever have this stuff when eating oatmeal for the first time, my goodness. i mean it was BAD.  there aren't enough toppings in the world to mask a bowl of that stuff :shock:

my lunches and dinners have been looking a little like this: salad,

fruit / veggie plate - raw celery, tomatoes, artichokes, watermelon, cantaloupe.

and yes that's a slice of cheese pizza lol- i said on IG that i've had a slice with every meal so far except breakfast and that is still in effect!

random lunch plate - curried tilapia, roasted yellow potatoes, sautéed green beans/onions, jerk chicken.

random dinner - grilled jerk chicken, beet salad, raw tomatoes, zucchini, and chicken/tomato pizza;)

have we been indulging? DARN RIGHT. they don't just put out one dessert as you can see.  i made us a sample plate and well, we got our sample on.

rum cake, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry cheesecake, vanilla mousse cake, and chocolate cake.

there is a poolside grille that is open til 1 am (they shouldn't have told us that) and we took advantage right away.  fried fish and french fries - we split this though!

the buffet people see us coming a mile away LOL. we are always right on time for every meal!

 having a really good time so far and i can't wait to post about our show.

 for now, back to Jamaica!

le

snacks and certifications

saturday i did an all day (and i do mean aaaaalll day- 9am-6pm) re-certification class for Lifetime, you know, so i can keep my job.  only the best job EVER!!! the day went by super fast though.  the trainer was pretty amazing and super easy to listen to.  plus, she was funny. that always helps.  i went through the training with my fav gym buddies Anna & Julie- we all used to teach/workout together at 24 HF a few years ago and have stayed in contact with each other ever since.  this was my first time meeting Kris (far right), but i love him just the same! we all teach Total Conditioning (among other things) part-time for Lifetime and absolutely  LOVE IT.

refueling on our lunch break in the Lifetime Cafe.

 quick pic with our trainer for the day, Abrea.

i brought my gigantic, obnoxious lunch kit with me filled with snacks and food for the day.  (cell phone pics, blech!!!!)

i dined (lol) on humus with sugar snap peas, carrots, cherry tomatoes, pistachios, strawberries, and chicken breasts cutlets w/ roasted vegetables ( entrée courtesy of My Fit Foods).

i'm also super excited to announce that i'll be getting certified in Turbo Kickboxing by the end of this month, whoop, WHOOP!  i have always been a hug fan of TKB and i'm elated to add it to my instructor repertoire.  two thumbs up for cardioooooooo.

alright, now. you asked for snack ideas between meals, so here are a few to get you started. preparation is KEY, so go get you some baggies, buy your snacks in bulk, and ration them out for the week.  i don't mind several trips to the grocery store, but some people do!

go to your nearest warehouse club and stock up.  Sam's is closest to me.

 cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas.  i'm so hooked on these peas- looks like edamame but you eat the whole thing.  they're sweet and crispy.  great eaten raw or dipped in you know what- hummus! i do carrots too.

fresh fruits- buy whatever's on sale at the time. natural sugars trump processed foods/sugars EVERY TIME!

unsweetened apple sauce. 50 calorie, naturally sweetened snack. great for baking- i'll get to that though;)

1 serving (1/2 cup) of 2% cottage cheese (90 cals) with fresh blackberries.

or strawberries!

pistachio nuts!  sam's. 8 bucks for this big ol 24 oz bag.

grab some sandwich baggies and ration out your mixed nuts. they are high in good fat and great for you- but don't go overboard. 1/4 cup of either a day fine.

0% or 2% greek yogurt

keep it plain and add your own toppings. the flavored varieties usually have way too much sugar. try it with pistachios, flax-seed, and honey,

or pecans and blueberries.

cheese! babybel and string. perfectly portioned protein. 50-60 cals each.

there are also the laughing cow cheese wedges- perfect for spreading on crackers or fruit. '35 cals a wedge!'

deli meat. you can roll some string cheese up with the turkey/chicken/ham/roast beef, etc. for a lean, protein snack.

these two ingredients are great separate...but together?  unfortunately, i don't care if they aren't considered healthy at this point LOL. this is one snack i'm keeping.

air popped popcorn! 4 cups for 100 cals. i bought this air popper on amazon a few days ago and i am still waiting for it to arrive *taps foot impatiently*

sliced apples with PB2.

La Tortilla Factory tortillas- tons of flavors and varieties of low calorie, low carb tortillas! make a wrap using your deli meat and babybel/string cheese. (also great for breakfast tacos, enchiladas, and homemade tortilla chips).impressive, huh! but they taste good too.

you remember ants on a log- celery, pb2, and raisins!  also take one of those wraps, add some pb2, then microwave for a warm,  healthy 'pb sandwich'.

whole, hard-boiled egg. 70 cals, 7 grams protein.  exclude the yolk for a fat-free, 20 calorie egg.

freeze-dried fruit, all kinds! i order mine from Brothers All Natural for around 20 bucks for a 24 pack.  they have sales frequently, so use those coupon codes when you see them!  i really like the bananas though and so does my little one.  1 bag = 1.5 bananas.  the sugar is lower in the freeze-dried bananas vs. fresh!

a few readers expressed to me how much they hate the taste of green tea lol, and if i had any flavor recommendations i sure do! try making a quick and easy green chai tea using:

a shot of torani sugar-free vanilla syrup and 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

steep the tea as normal, and add those two ingredients, and stir!  if you like it as much as i do, LET ME KNOW! and sorry, i don't have a cool cinnamon stick or garnish, yet.

i do hope you found a few snacks you'd like to try or are already eating!

le

Bayou City Classic 10K 2012

light energy snack on the way to the race in the car- pistachiooooos.

*flashback* this is my awesome friend Krystal and i with our baby bumps exactly one year ago at the Bayou City Classic 10K 2011!  we were both expecting boys and finally met them about two months later.

 i couldn't tell ya what our time was cause we talked about baby stuff the whole way and didn't even pay attention. great times.

this year,

it rained the entire time!!!

i threw my shoes into the washing machine along with my soaked clothes afterwards- the rain did not let up. steady drizzle from start to finish.

making my way through the rainy downtown streets to the start line.

first time for everything!  put a towel over my head, secured it with my visor, turned on my ipod, and just ran.  i finished around 54 minutes.  this race had THE best post race food yet- breakfast tacos, chicken breast / fresh fruit bowls, and protein bars galore.

i even saw made-to-order toastadas!! i didn't get one though cause i already had waaaay too much crap in my hands.

they upgraded from regular cotton t-shirts to the jersey/mesh-like material this year.

i cleaned up, huh!

i saw spindletop (one of our anniversary dinner spots) in the distance and took one last shot before heading home.

my first and only niece is having her 1st birthday party today!  i sped home and got ready for the festivities.  i kept my hair wrapped and pinned underneath that towel during my run.  even though it was completely soaked through, my hair didn't look half bad after i let it air dry.  which is great cause i sure didn't feel like flat ironing it.

my sis-in-law and i at her daughter's party:)

i will be well prepared for a day full of screaming kiddos as my son's 1st b-day approaches, whew.  i sure could use that extra hour of sleep we are losing tonight!!

le