#FitFoodieLife VLOG: Chipotle Mango Steak Tacos #TacoTuesday

you know what day it is! no, not hump day.  it's !TACO TUESDAY! and i wanted some steak this time. no chicken, no turkey, no shrimp, STEAK. so i got some on the way back from teaching my HIIT class this morning.

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but first, a carbolicious breakfast.  Sprouts Honey Whole Wheat Bread. have you tried this toasted with pb yet? WHAT are you waiting on????

i got the protein for our tacos and restocked my liquid amino stash. thanks, Sprouts Farmer's Market! my hubby reads my blog sooooooo, this was all i bought. 

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below are some random pics i took throughout the dinner making process because i'm super crazy visual and i can't spam my IG but i can spam here :) enjoy the VLOG!

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Avocado Crema

• 2 whole avocados

• 1 - 7 oz container of 0% plain greek yogurt

• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

• 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 cup cilantro

stuff all ingredients into your high-powered blender and let it go until a super smooth consistency is achieved! approx. 1 - 2 min.

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here's a low carb option i devoured: romain lettuce in place of taco shells/tortillas, 

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or stick with tha real deal, good ol' fashioned tortillas!  these are the Organic Whole Corn Tortillas by La Tortilla Factory.  

apparently my dinner theater skills need work. 

Q: do you make up fun themes for your weekly menu? do tell!

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4 weeks pp + Dego's 1 month mark

last night i said i was going to get up at the crack of dawn this morning and not just get my treadmill interval workout in, but to pop up on my 5:30am class to say hi while i was at it! i made me some hot coffee and headed out, Beats and ipod in tow.

i kinda forgot to factor in feeding my newborn before leaving though so i arrived way after class started.  it was SO good to see old and new faces all across the studio when i peeked my head in the door!  i caught up with some of my regulars after class finished and they only made me more anxious to put that mic on again.

cardio killaaaaa. i was hoping to be cleared to lift this week, but my OB's schedule is jam packed!!! huge bummer. still crossing my fingers to be worked in somehow. else i'll just wait 'til next week.

Chiso woke up and requested pancakes, so he got'em.  i made him a stack of my WW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Birthday Cakes complete with dolphin sprinkles and he almost finished the stack by himself!  i gladly killed the rest. remember, you can also sub blueberries for the chocolate chips.

who's 1 month today? that guy! i asked Sonny does 4 weeks make it one month, or will July 17th make it one month... idk and too lazy to Google. close enough.  also up until today, smiles from Dego were only reserved for Chiso. i finally got mine :)

our God is an awesome God.  i make an effort to praise Him for all things, both great and especially small.  after receiving and reviewing Dego's newborn screening results in the mail a few days ago i began to thank Him repeatedly.  i was instantly reminded of the time in my life when my thoughts consumed me and convinced me that i was unable to bear any children, ever.  God has blessed us with healthy baby boy #2, and for that we give Him all the glory.

this is so funny because i actually remember doing this to my mom.  putting my face on the floor to see her feet while calling her name over and over again and everything.  well it's payback time!  who am i kidding... once Chiso doesn't give a flying hoot about my whereabouts i'm gonna have a mommy moment...

grilled sirloin steak and taters for dinner tonight.  we've been outta sweet taters and they are exactly what i need to keep me feeling fuller longer between meals.  the steak was marinated in some Annie's balsamic vinaigrette, pinch of sea salt and black pepper before i tossed it in my grill pan.  that delicious sauce is just Grey Poupon mild and creamy mustard (which is calorie free, sugar free, and fat free) sauteed with white mushrooms. it's bananas!

Q: how do you like your steak cooked?  

blood = no bueno. can't do it. well done, please.

le

6 weeks out - update

no morning run today.  i slept in and do NOT feel bad about it!  i was up late last night prepping meals for the week and needed the extra sleep.

  i worked out with my trainer saturday,

shoulders, legs, and stairmaster = sweaty mess.

i actually don't mind the cardio at all- even when i don't have my ipod.  i'm up to 7 hours of it a week, which is just an hour a day. (weight training and ab work is not included in that though).  after i get nice and warm (at least 10 min into it) i don't feel a thing.  i do try to keep it exciting and use several machines.  20 min here, 20 there, 20 somewhere else, and i only start counting again when my heart rate reaches my fat burning zone.  no cheating on my diet OR workouts!!

*update*

after 3 successful rounds of carb cycling and two more weeks out the window:

146lbs  (lost 4.7)

2.7 % body fat lost, which brings me down to 13%.

i always kept a light sweater with me at all times cause i get cold easily.  however, 68 degrees for our home temp is now unbearable.  Sonny is convinced that the house must be this cold in order for him to sleep. *side-eye*  i've been going to bed in thermals recently- long sleeve tops AND bottoms in the middle of a Houston Summer!!! however it makes sense- less body fat and weight, less insulation.

i missed Chiso's stank butt so much this weekend! i surprised Sonny with a short and sweet getaway for his birthday (post coming), and Chi spent some good times with his grandparents :)

what can i say.. this has been the toughest week yet and it's only gonna get tougher.  after 3 rounds of carb cycling, i'm in the middle of my fourth.  per my trainer, no changes to my meal plan this week since my body is responding so great to the carb cycling.  i just keep thinking over and over again how little time i have left. i'm 100% dedicated to reaching my goal, i can do this, and it will all be over soon.  in that order. lol.  at this point i'm craving things i don't even normally eat- frito pie, doritos... churros...   and my obsession with food network is about to ruin my life.  if i'm not watching it on TV, i'm on food blogs all day long.  food is SUCH a huge part of my life. i'm a FOODIE.  makes me wonder if i'll do another show after this one to be completely honest. the urge to binge only comes around full force when i'm watching Paula Deen put 42 sticks of butter into her upside down apple cake.  outta sight outta mind really works best for me at this point.

anyway, i have these guys (thick cut sirloin steaks) marinating in some Braggs liquid aminos, green onion, cilantro, and montreal steak seasoning, and will throw them on the grill tonight when i get home.

on a lighter note, i must express how much i LOOOOOVE the Instagram community, WOW!!! if you aren't following some of these crazy inspirational, motivational,  health and fitness role models, then just looking through their pics is still worth every second of your time.  they are REAL, hard-working moms and dads doing the healthy thing, sharing recipes, fitness tips,  and reaching their goals one day at a time.  after this show i cannot wait to get crackin' on some of these recipes!! look'em up:

fitfoodiele :lol:

fitfoods

livefiteatclean

powercakes

onefitfoodie

c_fitnessjourney

eatclean_behappy

fit4aprincess

MyFitnessLife24

kristfitj1210

fitandsexy_fe

healthygirll

instagramfitness

mattyb2126

myhealthydish_

there are waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many more, but take a peek at these guys and girls.

enjoy the rest of this blessed day!

le

give me CARBS. now.

i put my grill pan to work today.  this morning's breakfast was slow cooked oats over grilled bananas and dusted with cinnamon.  putting heat to a banana always helps it release more of its natural sugars.  i might not ever use brown sugar again! it was so good!  course i had my eggs too with fresh cilantro and some dijon mustard.

 i woke up feeling very loose in my mid-section...definitely not as tight all over as last week.

not being funny or insensitive at all.   as you know, i started carb cycling monday and i'm going to bed tonight like a kid at Christmas cause tomorrow is my HIGH CARB DAAAAAY!!!!! this explains my bloated/loose feeling and why when i used to skip meals in order to fit in a dress (long, long time ago when i didn't know any better), it never really worked for me.  ever.     when your body doesn't know the next time it'll get some food after an extended period of time, it begins to store whatever is left in there as fat.  thus, reversing the very thing you are trying to do!  restricting meals creates slowed metabolism, cravings, and ultimately, weight gain.  just a bad, bad domino effect.  so, when i did finally eat, i was SO HUNGRY and always ended up eating way too much. well, by then my metabolism had crashed and it couldn't work fast enough to burn all the food i just straight stuffed my face with which just makes everything worse. again, sad situation.  don't do that!  OK?

i hit it hard with my trainer this morning with chest and back supersets, then i headed to the gym this evening for some cardio on the elliptical.  this is another reason i love my Polar FT7 so much:

off by more than 100 cals!  my hr watch never tells me such lies, hmph!

per my trainer, by tomorrow, (after adding a higher amount of carbs back into my diet and after my weight workout of course)  my muscles should be popping out and waving HELLO, and i'll appear 'bigger' and more defined.  well we'll just have to see then, won't we.  will post my after pic then to see if we can spot the differences.

i hit up Sams on the way home for some sirloin and they only had the really thick cuts,  so i went with that.  got my grill pan out again for dinner tonight and put the burner on as high as it would go.  meanwhile,

my steaks were marinating in more liquid aminos, green onion, fresh cilantro, and black pepper. i trimmed the fat beforehand.

sprayed my grill pan (found at Walmart for 17 bucks) with Pam first, and cooked it for 7 min on one side,

and 6 mins after flipping.  far from dry!!! are you kidding me?? so much flavor and tenderness just after a few minutes.  key things- HIGH heat, and marinate it for at least 30 min first and you won't go wrong.

Instagram sirloin collage:)

i did some mid-week prepping after dinner tonight and cooked up a vat of brown rice and mixed it with some fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice.

i also baked some chicken breasts with those McCormick seasonings (smokehouse maple, lemon pepper, garlic and herb, and montreal chicken), and some dried parsley.

in conclusion, i should really stop complaining cause my low-carb days could be NO-carb days :lol:  about those- no-carb diets are often associated with lack of focus, low metabolism, uncontrollable cravings, and low energy levels.  carbs are so NOT the enemy when it comes to weight-loss, so bump what you heard!!!  ever wonder WHY you don't have the energy to workout and feel terrible when you try to cut carbs completely?  cause you NEED them. so don't do that either!

heading to bed to dream about CARBS.

le

zig zagging

 i started carb cycling (aka 'zig-zagging') Monday and let's just say Thursday will be a BRIGHTER DAY.  was trying not to complain so soon but i am missing my fruit the most... i treated it as my desert after every meal and well, it sucks not being able to eat it for 3 days straight.  however, it's gotta be this way for carb cycling to do its thing.   i know it's just my body adjusting to my new meal plan, and it's always hard in the beginning. but that doesn't make me feel any better or make this any easier.  :roll:  the crabbiness i felt at the very beginning of this journey after i cut sweets cold turkey is making its way back, sorry Sonny.

on the flip side, i'm enjoying the switch to beef, a lot.  those thin sirloin steaks i made Sunday DID turn out great.  liquid aminos is some awesome stuff!  great flavor, versatile, low sodium, and plenty of healthy benefits. read up on that!

this was last night's dinner (meal 5),  my '1 hitta-quitta' per Sonny.  i like 'controlled chaos' better though;) everything (green beans, brown rice, seasoned sirloin steak) all in one cool whip bowl and covered in  spicy mustard.  when i put everything separate on a plate, it just makes the meal go by so fast.  i don't know how else to explain it.  i guess i just did!  having it all in one bowl gives the appearance of more food.  hey it works for me!  it's a mind thing for sure.  before dinner, i went outside with Chiso for a quick run. i already had my weights rendezvous at the gym earlier that morning.

30 minutes in my fat burning zone and 300 cals later, i called it quits.  as Chiso gets heavier it's getting harder to push his big butt!  but i love that i can bring him with me and change up his scenery for a little bit though.

i then sat and let him explore a little bit and do his thing.

i just adore his little smirk smile!! so, back to carb cycling. i'm still eating small meals throughout the day which keeps my metabolism revving high and my energy levels up.  but booooy if something holds me up from my scheduled meal time, it's back to crab city, quick.

after doing a little research on my own, i found that there are tons of different variations, schedules, and meal plans for carb cycling. my trainer has me on:

THREE consecutive days of low-carb intake followed by ONE high-carb day, then repeat.  like i said, come ON, Thursday!!!!

anyway,  you're basically tricking your body into burning fat rapidly without losing any muscle.

my thoughts?  this BETTER work. LOL

any competitors or non-competitors our there ever heard of or tried carb cycling for weight loss or maintenance?

le