20 songs that get me through cardio + Transformation Tues #quickie

and another one! would you LOOK at this girl!?  PhotoGrid_1444765197835

4 weeks postpartum and new mommy Kara is looking fantabulous! i am so proud of my sister!  she remained active for the bulk of her pregnancy and is now reaping those fit pregnancy benefits.  i got to watch my niece, baby Natalie, for the first time last week while Kara tended to some court business with her clients.  Baby Natalie is THE sweetest lil' thing!  look at that face! what a pleasure and an honor to be able to return the favor and watch baby Natalie for my sis & bro-in-law.  if you are a preggo or postpartum mom that needs help getting back on track, email me: le@fitfoodiele.com.

my fave music apps are Spotify and recently the Pandora app.  i get my cardio in a couple of times a week and yall know i don't mind it at all!  ONLY if i have my Beats headphones. silent cardio is the worst, right?!  anyway, here are 20 songs i'm feeling that help speed up my fat burning sesh. no judgement! oh and radio version preferably.

  1. Yoga - Janelle Monae, Jidenna
  2. Love Me Harder - Ariana Grande
  3. Bring It Back - Travis Porter
  4. You Know You Like It - DJ Snake
  5. Hit The Quan - iLoveMemphis
  6. Finna Get Loose - Diddy, Pharrell Williams
  7. Badd - Ying Yang Twins
  8. Wipe Me Down - Boosie Badazz, Webbie
  9. Chandelier - Sia
  10. She Knows - Ne-Yo
  11. Pop That - French Montana
  12. Swimming Pools - Kendrick Lamar
  13. Flashing Lights - Kanye West
  14. Take It Off - UGK
  15. Where Ya At - Future, Drake
  16. Did A Whole Lot - Sosamann, Sauce Walka
  17. Who Do You Love - YG, Drake
  18. She Knows - Ne-Yo, Juicy J
  19. We Dem Boys - Wiz Khalifa
  20. Animals - Maroon 5

check out this morning's motivational Periscope and have a blessed tuesday, friends!

Q: add to my list!  what song(s) gets you through your workouts?

le

light, fluffy, healthy Sweet Potato Oat Bran Pancakes + Headband Giveaway!

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       halfway to friday, guys!!!  Chiso (the 4 yr old) requested pancakes for dinner last night, so i added some roasted sweet potato into my usual recipe and BAM. these were so tasty we devoured another stack his morning for breakfast!  you do need a high powered blender for this recipe for optimal cake fluffiness, fyi. 11403083_10102555765702216_6265772524055854844_n

Sweet Potato Oat Bran Pancakes

the stuff:

  • 3/4 cup dry oat bran
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla cashew milk
  • 2 egg whites (from real eggs, not the carton)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup roasted, soft sweet potato
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 packets granulated stevia (optional)
  • dash sea salt

do this: 

  1. set griddle to high and coat with no stick cooking spray
  2. add egg whites into high powered blender and 'whip' them for about 30-45 seconds until super fluffy (we received a Ninja Blender from our dear friend Diamond this past Christmas and i have been using it every single week since then!)
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  4. add in everything else!
  5. blend oh high speed for at least 1 minute until super smooth
  6. let batter sit for approx. 5 minutes. oat bran is suuuuper absorbent and will need a few moments to do its thing
  7. spoon batter onto griddle (make as many cakes as you'd like; the size is your call)
  8. when you see bubbles start to form on the top of the cake (approx. 3 min), flip!  (ensure the color is golden brown and not pale)
  9. cook an additional 2-3 min on this side
  10. top with pecans and powdered sugar and your fave sugar-free syrup! we use Walden Farms.
nutritional facts for the entire stack: 363 cals, 11g fat, 71g carbs, 21g protein, 10g sugar

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neeeext, i get asked about my wide headband often and i finally answered with deets on IG recently. it's a @firstlinebrands Dri Sweat Edge and boy do i wear it often. it absorbs all my awesomeness (sweat) and keeps everything beneath it nice and dry (dem edges).

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they now have more color options on their website if you're cool enough to color coordinate your gym gear like that.

20150204_223116_1-1so, who NEEDS one!? i'm giving away a free Dri Sweat Flex (see pic above) to someone that needs help preserving their hairdo  while they get their sweat on!

how do you get in on this?

*ahem*

SHARE this post and comment below with your answer to the following question:

WHAT is your fave type of cardio and why?

no cardio hater over here!  some of my fave forms include spinning & kickboxing.

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don't forget make these cakes and tag me on Insta or Tweet me a pic!

have you tried out Periscope yet!? i'm having a ton of fun with it and posting vids daily. check us out, follow (fitfoodiele), and say haaaay!

le

vlog: 3 things i like about natural hair!

happy sunday to yaaaaaaa!

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this is what Sonny and Dego did all afternoon,

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but Chi and i had way too much energy for a nap!  so we took a long walk and hit the park.

i also had a little time to get my vlogging game UP!  hope you guys had a great weekend too.  check out my vlog and subscribe to my YouTube channel here. i got recipes and workouts ON THA WAY.

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Q: if you're natural, what do you LOVE about it?

le

what itch? 7 year anni wkend

 aaaahhh!! so many pictures! well thank God for pic collage apps or this blog post would be 2 miles worth of scrolling.  we had a low-key, relaxing time in Lakeway (right outside of Austin) at the Lakeway Resort & Spa this past weekend for our 7th wedding anni. time for a new mattress.

this sweaty selfie was taken after my last workout before our anni weekend began.  i had only managed to unbraid half of the what seemed like 1 million braids in my head at that point, so i threw on a head scarf and got some upper body and cardio done regardless.

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 not gonna lie, i worked out with the anticipation of some good food in my near future! intensity is everything and i turned it UP. here's my stair slaver workout: (video coming soon)

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after i posted this pic of my go-to traveling snacks on Instagram i remembered it would tip Sonny off about our trip, whoops.  it's my year to plan and i hadn't told him a thing about leaving to go anywhere. oh wells.

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i hardly ever leave for trips without:

  • fresh fruit (nectarines this time)
  • bottled water
  • turkey jerky (high protein snack)
  • Quest Bars ( i like Double Chocolate Chunk and Sonny likes Cookies & Cream the best)
  • gum to combat mindless munching! that gets me in so much trouble
  • roasted, unsalted nuts
  • granulated stevia (for my coffee, tea, and oatmeal when eating at restaurants still operating in the stone age)
  • Beats headphones + Spotify
  • fitness or foodie mags

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off we went!  breakfast, snacks, and breast pump in tow.  i actually sat in the passenger seat first but soon as my butt hit that seat Sonny reminded me that it was my year to host.  yeah, yeah.  i actually had another stop planned along the way, but the weather ruined it! i did NOT even check nor consider the weather when i was planning everything, seriously. i just knew it would be clear, hot, and sunny as usual. no. so i'll save that stop for a later date.

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we're here!  however, our room wasn't ready since we arrived earlier than expected.  we were hungry again though so we hit up the resort's breakfast buffet per the front desk attendant's suggestion.  boy was he right!  everything, and i mean everything was as delicious as it looked. so.many.options.  we love a good omelette bar and both got egg white omelets loaded with veggies.  no surprise there.  Sonny is prepping for a few upcoming shows and did his best to stick to his meal plan.

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bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, migas, fruit... sensory OVERLOAD.

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next, a couples massage i have been anticipating since i booked the appointment. we were already full and lethargic from breakfast and the massage was the icing on the cake for Sonny. at one point he was over there drooling.

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the view overlooking the pool from the spa. the gym was right across from the spa and you knoooow we checked that out next.

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impressive! you can get an excellent full body workout done in there, oh yeah. hotel gyms are high on our amenity list and this one gets 5 stars from us. they had my beloved arc trainer, treadmills, a full rack of dumbbells, and a bunch of machines including a Smith machine. lovely.

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our room was ready by this time so we headed to check it out and take the most incredible, uninterrupted nap, EVER.  boooo to the weather though.

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it didn't start clearing up until the day we left, but we will certainly be back with the kiddos so they can have the time of their lives out there on that slide!

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 next up, an early dinner before the big Mayweather fight.  so this was my first time seeing my hair straightened (my beautician wrapped it at my appointment friday and i kept it that way) and i was blown away.

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 may not seem like much to anybody else but man my hair has come a long way as far as length and texture! i decided not to get another perm but i knew that as soon as the tiniest drop of moisture hit my head, it would never be the same!  after wearing my braids for a year (shout out to my gorgeous, mobile (yes, she will come to you), braid lady, Ogechi) with 3 short breaks in between, they really are the best fit for my sweaty, on the move lifestyle. they'll be back very soon, but i enjoyed being girly and flipping my hair around town all weekend, lol.

one of my regular Lifetime class members, Sally,  lives in Austin and really hooked me up with the scoop on where to go in ATX.  she suggested we stay downtown close to 6th street with the youngins' but after i told her how Sonny just wants to actually relax on his vacations she said to stick with the hill country, (i.e., Lakeway).  we hit up Oasis and saw a little bit of the sunset.  through the fog.

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after perusing the menu for forever i finally decided on salmon with sweet potato cakes, grilled veggies w/ a side salad, and Sonny went with a grilled shrimp salad. i ate most of those chips. 20140913_192822_1

then, we stopped by the landmark Whole Foods Market in downtown Austin for snacks and gelato! so many nostalgic memories here for me. you can read about one of them in the IG post i made that day <3

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gosh i love this store.

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especially this aisle.

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unpictured are the plantain chips and chocolate covered raisins i killed before the fight even started.

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was it just me or was the Mayweather fight...boring?? anyway, the next morning we were both up super early as usual and headed to the gym before breakfast. who forgot their workout shoes? :'(  so unlike me!  i went anyway but i don't advise working out in flip-flops around weights, guys. in addition to the shoe fiasco, i had one of THE dumbest workouts ever.  complete waste of time. i was so worried about my hair puffing up i didn't want to move. and i love to move. i think i did the arc trainer for like 8 minutes super slow, then some dumbbell curls, lunges, and squats holding the dumbbells. didn't sweat a drop. ridiculous. i love my hair like this so much but unless i flat-iron it every single morning (and i definitely won't) then i just can't rock the straight look with my lifestyle. THE struggle.

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we got cleaned up, explored the resort a little more, then headed to hit up the omelette bar again.

20140914_103932_1_3 7 years in the marriage game! hard to believe i've known this dude for almost 14 years. we had plans to go out on the lake that fell through, so we hit the Lakeway Galleria Outlet Mall to look around and get some lunch and fro-yo.

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found a new fave flavor i've never had before-- taro. yum! i discovered it at Red Mango back in houston too.

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pistachio & taro fro-yo randomness.  worth every bit of dairy bloat.

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while walking through the galleria, i did a double-take after seeing the word Chiso!  close enough. what a rare sighting.  from there we went back to the room to pack up because #Texans. yeah, they were apart of last years Miami trip too.  so was the Mayweather fight now that i think about it!

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i requested a fridge to our room to freeze and store the milk i was pumping.  gotta get it out, and gotta get it done.  we headed to watch the Texans game at Sally's beautiful home in the hill country before heading home to our boys.

our actual anni this year is on monday, september 15th, and instead of going out to dinner, we went to the gym and sipped on anniversary protein shakes.

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wouldn't have had it any other way.

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happy 7th anni, Mr. Egwuatu!

thanks for reading:)

le

boy: a noise with dirt on it

a mommy-friend of mine invited the boys and i to toddler story time at a local library recently.  actually, she invited us weeks ago but i finally got it together enough on my end so that we could attend. it was a morning event so i got up super-duper early just to ensure we'd make it. a lil late, but we made it.  i feel like i have to start getting everybody ready like 3 hours before we have to be somewhere, seriously.  and when we are rarely making good time, Chiso suddenly has to go go to the restroom as i am loading up the car or Dego throws up on us.  never fails!  but hey, we made it AND we even got a nice breakfast in!

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i had egg whites with black pepper, mozzarella almond cheese, a little homemade guacamole, low-fat turkey sausage, and french toast with strawberries!  big breakfast to support my activity levels these days which includes hitting the weights again, nursing around the clock, and keeping up with my 3 yr old. among other things.

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Chiso has requested pancakes for like 2 weeks straight now. maybe even longer than that.  so made him some sprinkled with mini chocolate chips, sugar-free syrup, and a little fat-free Redi Whip.

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our boys warmed right on up to each other and enjoyed the crafting, songs, and puppet show.

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 Maranda is a mom of 3 boys herself so i know she feels my pain can relate to life with these little knuckleheads!

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 our first official outing together.  we did it!! we're pros now. i actually avoided leaving the house with both boys for the longest...but the saying is true. 'ain't nothin' to it but to do it.' after that? piece of cake! for the most part. thinking, i.e. worrying, about every single thing that could go wrong is no way to live. i've learned to be prepared, prayerful, and cautious, not crazy.  Chiso's independence could not have come at a better time though. for him to be able to get in and out of the car himself, clean up his toys and messes, retrieve and/or throw away Dego's diapers, and turn on the bathroom light so i don't have to get up lol helps out big time. sigh...no more baby Chiso!

just another one of those bittersweet mommy moments.

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well all that fun didn't result in a nap at our house, but Chiso enjoyed himself and has asked to go back countless times now. Maranda is a pro at finding free & fun stuff to do around our city, and i recently came across Houston on the Cheap with even more ideas galore.  check it! CYMERA_20140729_221917

i got to bed way too late so my early gym date was definitely out this morning. i hit the streets for some sprints once Sonny got home instead. i haven't run full speed in almost a year and i'm sure i'll pay for it tomorrow and the next day!  i did ladders:

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i started slow and only went 'down' the ladder from 5 to 1.  that was all i had, woof.  also, here are two foodie items being adding back into my diet that i've posted about before: almond cheese (gotta cut down on the dairy cause of bloating) and calorie-free Grey Poupon mild & creamy mustard. i got great feedback via Instagram about Daiya vegan cheese so i'm gonna step out and try that brand next.

Q: what have you tripped over that wasn't even worth tripping over once you did it?

le