pump up your oatmeal volume (vid inside!) + Pink and Treat Halloween 5k

top of the morning!  i have thoroughly enjoyed letting moderation back into my diet since we returned from Maui last month but i'm still holding tight to 16-17% body fat.   i absolutely do not weigh myself daily and i don't plan on ever doing that again.  they say 'never say never' but that is definitely one thing i can say 'never' about.

i love it here and that's what matters.  let it GO, ladies.

once home, i made my usual 'expanding oatbran' and i took my periscope viewers along for the ride this time! check out the vid i was able to shoot interruption-free since my boys were still snoring away once i arrived.  adding volume to your food keeps you full longer between meals and ya get to eat MORE for relatively the same nutritional stats, hello! love sharing little tips like these and i hope my oatmeal loving peeps appreciate this one too.

Chiso still may hate veggies...but that boy LOVES oatmeal. he specifically requested oatmeal with raisins this morning for breakfast before school. made me smile seriously big as i made it for him. sometimes we eat out of real bowls... sometimes most of the time  we do tupperware.  bikini prep life changed me apparently, haha.

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/finna-get-loose1.mp4"][/video]

then we got silly! this week is Red Ribbon Week  at preschool so every day the students get to wear something fun and non-traditional.  Chiso couldn't wait to wear his workout gear today and he is ecstatic about wearing jammies (pajamas) on thursday!  we got a quick workout in after breakfast since he was already dressed for the part.  somebody tell me WHY Dego has more muscles than Chiso and i combined though!?

we are doing all this work but all he does is sleep, eat, & poop. hmph.

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k, last thang!

i'm runnin' in the Susan G. Koman Pink and Treat 5k this coming saturday, yall!!

 i am also raising funds for breast cancer research and awareness and i'm on a mission to reach my goal.   i would love your support in helping me get there; any and everything is APPRECIATED!!! i want to give a special shout out to my friends and family who have already donated and definitely those who still plan to do so!  we have just 4 days left til' race day. again, i am forever grateful for your support and thank you in advance.

to donate or even register yourself for the race (please run so we can meet up!) is riiiight here. the price is still currently 25 bucks but it shoots up to 40 on race day so get up on that!

peaaaaace!

Q: do you 'celebrate' Halloween? why or why not?

zucchini pizza cruise ships + single leg deadlifts

that caption is PERFECT!!!  i freakin' love this picture.

i don't know about you, but i need my daily dose of endorphins!  i got some this morning in the form of Total Conditioning. can you tell by those sweat stains?  afterwards, i took a moment to focus on my exercise pick of the week: single leg deadlifts.

1. start in a standing position; knees soft, back flat, feet shoulder width apart, weights in front of your thighs, shoulders down and relaxed.  lift right leg slightly so foot is off the floor.

2. lower your torso forward/downward.  at the same time, raise your lifted leg, keeping it straight.

3. once stretch is felt mainly in your hamstrings and lower glutes, return to original position by raising torso and lowering the lifted leg.

4. straighten the knee of the supporting leg as torso becomes upright. try it again on the opposite leg! 4 sets of 12 on each leg with heavy ;) bells.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

• the heavier the weight, the more challenging the exercise
• keep your back flat all the way down and all the way up
• hips remain square; try not to tilt or twist them. torso should face the front at all times.
• go as far down as YOU feel comfy, not as far as your neighbor is going!
• you can modify this exercise and keep your back toe on the ground for balance
• keep your dumbbells super close to your body all the way down and all the way up.
• which ever leg you are standing on should keep a soft knee ensure the weight is in your heel and not your toes

what they work: those glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core, trunk.

awesome. on to tha fooooooood!

Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships

the stuff:

• 2 raw zucchini
• 1 cup extra lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella almond cheese
• 1/4 cup low sodium pizza sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash tomato basil no salt seasoning
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried basil

do this:

preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

halve raw zucchini (long ways) and scoop out the seeds and insides.  they should look like empty canoes once done. (don't discard the insides! you can actually cook them back in with the meat if you'd like or eat them separately at a later date. either way, don't waste!)

in a large skillet, set your burner to medium-high heat.  add chopped garlic and onions and sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.  add in your extra lean turkey meat, liquid aminos, pepper, dried basil, and Mrs. Dash seasoning.  stir/saute until cooked through completely and there is no more pink.

in a separate bowl, combine the pizza sauce and turkey meat crumbles.  then, divide and spoon this mixture evenly amongst your zucchini shells.

top the ships with your sliced tomato, shredded almond cheese, and finally, the chopped basil.

bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until your desired zucchini consistency.

serving size: 4 ships

approximate stats for the entire recipe! (*remember, ingredients vary by the brands you use*)

Q: how much does 'heavy' weigh?  

A: i am so sure i have answered this before, but here it is again!  you gotta implement a little trial and error.  i usually do 12-15 reps per set.  so, heavy for me equals pretty much struggling to finish on rep 8-10. it varies per exercise though! there is no set number across the board so to speak... you must see for yourself.  write your beginning numbers down to track your progress, and add weight gradually over time to get better , bigger, and stronger.  you'll start seeing muscles you didn't even know you had, watch!

weight lifting has transformed not only my body, but my mind. confidence booster? heck yeah!  i no longer dread the dressing room mirror and i find myself trying on items i would normally shy away from.  better fitting clothes is definitely an advantage worth working for! i get emails here and there concerning that darn scale and how insecure it makes people feel. you are worth so much more than a silly NUMBER.  i don't watch my weight anymore; i watch my body!

le