March 22, 2015

Cross Fit Fulshear

March 22, 2015/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

i have been wanting to try Cross Fit foreeeeever and i finally got the chance!

one of my biggest fitness inspirations, Alli Vasquez, is co-owner of CrossFit Fulshear! I'm incredibly excited for her and was honored to have been invited to their Get Real event yesterday morning. she is so passionate about sharing her purpose with others and such a humble, sweet woman.

there was Zumba indoors, and a boot camp happening outside. i planned to do both before i realized they were happening at the same time! so after a few songs i stepped outside for some team circuit training. i've always seen the row machine at the gym and never used it...until yesterday.

the trainers coached us through a combo of kettle bell swings, high knees, walking weighted lunges, rowing, mountain climbers, and then we flipped a few tires. fun, fun.

flexin' cause we had all just killed it out there!

i grabbed a quick snack outta my bag as i had a full morning of training ahead of me in addition to this event. i had a crunchy nectarine right after boot camp, and some chicken breast chunks, carrots, and grape tomatoes for later. then, Alli hopped on the bullhorn cause it was time....

for our WOD! my very first one!

i see that acronym aaaaaall over instagram on some of the fitness pages i follow. it stands for Workout Of the Day. ours was 1 min of the following exercises 3 times straight, no breaks:

wall ball squats
kettle bell swings
toe touch sit ups
ball slams
row machine

after each coach explained the exercises i was all like, 'but where are the muscle ups? handstand push ups? cleans?' bwhahahaha! yeah, i am definitely not ready for all that stuff, but those are the moves i think of whenever i hear the words Cross Fit. one of the trainers graciously recorded some footage of me in action:

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YEAH. loved it. i'd also love to stick with it so that i can look back at this a few months down the line and see my progress. we'll see what happens!

big thanks to Alli and the Cross Fit Fulshear team for hosting such a FUN event. if you're located and never tried CF or looking for a CF box, give them a shout!

i had to head back to Houston to train one of our 6 Pack USA clients and spotted this baby on the way to my car. taking pics of cars is so not my thing but when it comes to Vettes...i couldn't help it! isn't she everything!? looked like it was about to transform into an autobot or something #chills

fueling up and eating with my hands cause i forgot my fork! i used two kinds of Weber Seasoning (from Walmart) on the chicken breasts: Beer Can Chicken and Garlic Sriracha. i hope you spent your weekend doing something you enjoyed too!

Q: why do you cross fit?? why haven't you tried it? what do you like (or dislike) about it?

February 09, 2015

epic Grammy meal prep

February 09, 2015/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

some days it's not about muscles, burning fat, or shredded physiques and washboard abs. some days gym time is just plain ol' therapy. that's it. endorphins are my drug of choice and were just what i needed yesterday. then my big boy and i went on a grocery run and headed home to meal prep it up.

February 02, 2015

take care + toffee chip roasted banana ice cream

February 02, 2015/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

<<rewind<<

to last wednesday.

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missed my super early cycle class but i still made it to the gym with enough time to get it in on my own that day. i have been putting my best foot forward about hitting the gym super early every single day as opposed to only when i teach my classes. my body just operates better in the early morning. as the day goes on, my desire to workout decreases dramatically. i was able to record a HIIT & abs video i will be uploading to my YouTube channel for ya asap!

i came back home and had one of those breakfasts i could eat every day: whole wheat toast, eggs, avocado, and fruit. i wonder how many pics i have of this plate on my blog already, jeez. i fueled up so i could head right back out though; i had a hot date planned!

ok, the boys came with me. ok, it was actually a playdate, haha. we loaded up the truck and went to spend some time with my BM (baby mama), Marguerite.

she had this beauty, Callie, back in August '14 so Dego was in great company!

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i even brought my meals with me so i could stay on track for the day: seasoned chicken breast chunks, sautéed kale, and roasted sweet potato. nothin' fancy!

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transforming is fun...and needed. since leaving the IT industry 2 years ago, i normally only 'dress up' and do something with myself for church and special occasions/events. other than that, i'm in gym clothes and sneakers. running errands with the boys... ha. i get home from the gym, get them ready, and head right back out most days. so, i have become accustom to looking a hot mess often. and i'm ok with it. until i see somebody i know!!! anyway, it's fun to get girly and put more effort into my appearance. just a little goal of mine that was set at the start of this year along with taking better care of my hair. moms often take care of everybody else and end up with a lack of time for themselves! make no mistake though; taking time for yourself doesn't mean you must spend hours in the mirror. it means taking and making (15, 20, 30 min or so) every single day to do something for YOU, mentally, emotionally, and physically with NO GUILT. pick a few from this list:

reading your bible, praying, and meditating. every day.
working out...especially the sauna or steam room to clear your mind
learn how to say no, then do it
get a pedicure
read a little bit of a GOOD book every day
take a class (cooking, pottery, painting, YOGA!!!!, etc)
a long bubble bath soak
watch the sunrise, solo
a quiet, daily walk
dance without music
sleep in
go get some fro-yo
lay down in the middle of the grass and look up at the sky
a kid-less trip to the store
schedule a monthly massage
catch up with friends via a real phone conversation or meet for lunch
pause, breathe, inhale, exhale, repeat.

i sure do feel better when i'm put together (hair combed, dressed, face made) and looking my best. my top and bottoms are from H & M! i exchanged the heels for flats before i left though. comfort over style ova heeeere! things have changed.

my Ninja blender is the BOMB! what a useful, blessing this Christmas gift is. the next flavor i whipped up was Toffee Chip Roasted Banana Ice Cream but the roasting part is actually optional. tastes fantabulous either way.

above was the soft-serve stage and i wanted to devour the entire bowl right then!!! readyyyyy?

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Toffee Chip Roasted Banana Ice Cream

the stuff:

3 frozen bananas
1 cup coconut cream (i get mine canned from Sprouts Farmers Market)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1/4 cup toffee pieces

do this:

if roasting, do this step the day before or 2-3 hours prior: place bananas in baking dish, drizzle with vanilla, bake for 40-45 min on 375 degrees. toss them halfway through baking. transfer bananas to a freezer safe container and freeze 2 hours minimum or overnight for best results. jump down to #3, add your coconut cream, and continue.
if not roasting, add frozen bananas to your Ninja along with the coconut cream and vanilla.
blend until smooth. it will eventually get super-duper creamy, don't worry! just keep scraping the sides down and blending.
dump creamy soft-serve into your bowl and add mix-ins (chocolate chips, toffee, optional nuts, etc.)
eat a few spoonfuls!!!!
stir it just a few times to incorporate the mix-ins then put it back in the freezer.
after 2 hours or so, it's all yours.

the sauce is melted down diary-free chocolate chips. some walnuts would actually set this off but i didn't have any. if you do, throw'em in!

what does your 'me' time consist of?

pedicures and bubble baths keep me sane.

June 05, 2014

38 weeks - i should pack

June 05, 2014/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

1 cm dilated celebration pose!

my OB checked me at my most recent visit yesterday aaaaaand, well, i'll take it.

one is better than zero, right? right! she then reminded me of some natural ways labor can be brought on, but my mom is not out for the Summer until this friday (she's a teacher) so we will hold off on those for the moment. lol. we are in no rush anyway, seriously.

i have, however, finally start packing my hospital bag.