only the best, ever.

ooooh if only i could only post every day!! life would be grand.  but no, my little one is not having that.  aaaand as luck would have it, my HP laptop quit on me. makes it that much more difficult to keep up with this thing.  however, i'm committed and i'm gonna keep on trucking. this concludes my pity party. breakfast was my usual bowl of oats and egg white omelette with cheese.  i had an oval apple for my mid morning snack- yeah it didn't look like an apple to me either. Central Market was sampling them this past weekend and they tasted like a mixture of apple and pear to me! so, i got a pair.

i also got some fresh whole wheat tortillas while there.  I threw some skinless chicken breasts and ranch dressing mix into my crock pot last night, so this morning we woke up to our lunch all ready to go.  gotta love that thing. today's lunch- a whole wheat, ranch chicken wrap!

i added about a tablespoon of mashed avocado, some cilantro, half a tomato, and half of a laughing cow cheese wheel. nope, no lettuce:(

we'll be eating the rest of that chicken for dinner tonight for sure. i'll have to come up with a creative way to serve it and get back to ya.

 one more thing about CM,  i MUST tell you about this popcorn Sonny and i were introduced to on V-day last month during the chocolate festival.  it's only the best i've ever had, no big deal.  i was already hooked on Popcorn, Indiana's kettle corn, but  now....oh but now.  i went to CM that very same weekend just to get some more bags... only there was not a bag in sight. the shelf was completely cleared out. i was so bummed, but i completely understood.  sooooo when i stopped by CM this past weekend for lunch with my mom, you know i checked for it again. and hello, it was on sale- 2 bags for 4 bucks!!!!! i got two and so did my mom.

ignore the ash on my hand and focus on the chocolate chips on that kernel!! seriously good.

this drizzled chocolate popcorn is definitely an indulgent snack.  i mean it even says it on the bag:)

hope you have a fab monday and an even better week!!

 what's one of your favorite indulgent snacks?

le

get like me- i'm clump free!!

am i late??? i specifically didn't google this before posting so i wouldn't burst my own bubble.  i made some angel hair pasta night before last.  after draining the noodles and putting them back on the stove (still in the colander and inside the pot) i wondered what the heck else i could put on them so they wouldn't eventually clump together into one big mass by the end of our meal.

• sure i could run water on them, but that'll wear off and they'll stick again...eventually.
• sure olive oil enhances the flavor and lubes them up, but noodles are already calorie and carb loaded enough.  why add fat into the mix? remember that olive oil is 120 cals and 14 grams of fat (3 saturated) per ONE table-spoon.

solution?

spray some no-stick cooking spray on them.  the butter flavor doesn't hurt, either.  it felt like i was in a hair salon for a sec, but it worked SO well. 2-3 short sprays was all it took, and i only had to apply it once.

they had a pretty, shiny gloss to them.  now don't spray so much that your sauce doesn't stick to your noodles! if that even matters to you.

thought i would just throw that out there. you didn't know this already, stop it!

le

i might slow down, but i will not stop

i decided to take a slow walk around the neighborhood with my little guy yesterday instead of heading to the gym.  rest is equally important..i have to keep reminding myself of this.  i always want to go hard, every single day.  moderation is key- yes, even with exercise.  how can you tell you should just chill out for a day or two?

• persistent muscle soreness.  i used to think this was a good thing.  unfortunately if your muscles don't have time to repair themselves, they can't get stronger.  don't confuse that initial soreness you get from not working out after a long time with this kind of soreness. it's more like a dull ache.  means your muscles need a BREAK. sit down somewhere.  this also proves how important it is to switch up your workouts (i do so on a weekly basis) because doing the same thing day after day can lead to overtraining, injury, and just pure boredom!!

• decreased performance.  when i know i can lift a certain weight easily but all of a sudden it feels like it has tripled in size, that's a major sign of exercise overload.  don't take backwards steps.  rest, then come back to that bar ready to add weight, not subtract.  if i'm taking a cardio class and i get winded extremely fast and we are barely getting started, that's another red flag right there.

• simply burned out.  i love me some fitness. but there have been times where i've hopped on the elliptical machine and hopped right back off after like 30 seconds cause i just didn't want to be there.  i just wasn't feeling it. at ALL.  when it gets like that for me, i know i don't need to be anywhere near the gym. at that point it's about recovery and letting that 'missing the gym' feeling come back on its own.

• always tired. more like exhausted.  working out is supposed to have the opposite effect and give you energy, making you feel better.  even if you are getting enough sleep at night but find yourself mentally and physically drained all day long, too much exercise could be the cause.

• fat gain.  working out too much can actually reverse the weight loss process.  overtraining signals the body to start burning muscle for fuel and store more fat, resulting in some weight gain. boooooo.

i taught my weights class this morning and was so pumped i hit the stairmaster for some cardio afterwards.  it's amazing what a break and a good night's rest can do for your body.  when you think it will slow your progress down or mess up your routine, it does the exact opposite!  i had a big bowl of oats for b-fast with some blackberries (currently in season and on sale) and some toasted pecans.  yeah i burned them all up!!

for my mid-morning snack, i threw the rest of those burnt pecans in about 3/4th a cup of 2% greek yogurt (21 grams of protein, remember!!).

the 0% has a tendency to taste like sour cream, it's true. i like the 2% because the added fat makes it creamier.  i also added some fresh strawberries, flax-seed, and a drizzle of honey for less than 200 cals.

lunch.

hummus & carrots and some of the tuna salad i made yesterday.  i have NO bread in the house right now whatsoever:( not even a whole wheat tortilla or crackers, nothin.  so i just ate the tuna as is.  for my starch, i roasted a sweet potato in the oven for about 30 min on 400 deg.

i cut it like an avocado, then sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon on it. ok and a little butter. delicious.

sweet potatoes also make AWESOME baby food.  toss a roasted one in the blender and add a little chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. the little one loves it.

it's been two weeks since my perm and i am determined to take better care of my hair once and for all.  washing it TODAY. i'm so bad about going too long without washing it- i mean i'm always sweating it back up anyway! sigh... i wrote it, you read it, so i'm gonna stick by it.  now to decide on dinner...

what do you top your plain yogurt with?

le

healthy snack: hummus

a healthy, cheap snack i love to pack.  carrots and hummus dip.

i buy both in bulk to save money and to stretch our snacks.  Sonny eats carrots as much as i do and we were running out of the smaller 1lb 1.50 packs way too fast.  this big 3lb. bag is just around 3 dollars and some change at Sams.  the Sabra brand is awesome- creamy and flavorful.  they have a huge variety of hummus flavors too like roasted red pepper and  spinach & artichoke.

why buy this size for 3 bucks, when i can get the big tub for just 5?  head to your nearest warehouse club  and get two.

1 serving (2 tbl spoons) of Sabra hummus:

cals: 80

fat: 7g

carbs: 3g

protein:  2g

don't you despise reading nutrition labels and seeing a serving size in ounces?  how much is 3 ounces of carrots!? i don't own a food scale, but after some googling, 3 oz. is about 8-10 baby carrots @ 35 cals per serving.  raw veggies are super low in calories and super good for you- so grab a big handful to dip in your hummus for around 150 calories.

what else can you dip in hummus? after ordering some hummus from Niko Nikos  (they were featured on Triple D!!) for the first time a while back, they introduced me to a variety of veggies.  theirs comes with crispy green bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and warm, fluffy pita bread.  celery and carrots sticks are affordable and easy to pack.

le

GREATday

i ate out the ENTIRE weekend.  i rarely do that, but i still made some pretty good choices and didn't go overboard.  after resting for a while saturday afternoon after the 10k (my little guy wouldn't let me sleep but we still did  some lounging and took it easy), we headed over to olive garden with my cousin and bro.  Sonny had some work to finish up.  alas, the life of a business man.

OG peach tea!  the frozen peach slices are a nice touch.

countless rounds of their caesar salad.

had to get my chicken and gnocchi fix...can't get enough of this soup. unlimited refills. only had 2 bowls there, but i ordered another round and took it to go.  this soup actually has the most cals out of them all, and the stats are still reasonable and low @ 250 per bowl.   i googled the copy cat recipe and i def. plan to make this at home!

 i'm SO feeling the mini desserts- fun to eat and look at.  and hello, portion controll!!! a lot of restaurants are doing them these days and i appreciate it as does my waistline.  we got a trio- two chocolate mousse and one lemon.

i really wanted a slice of lemon cream cake!! but this did the trick. 230 cals vs. 610 cals and 35 grams of fat.

limoncello mousse with a vanilla cookie crust.

such a perfect, satisfying size.

started sunday morning off with and early church service as usual.  i had my bowl of oatmeal before we left this time because i had to teach a weights class immediately afterwards.  i always eat a little something before hitting the gym and rarely go on an empty stomach...especially to lift weights.  i just can't get enough of taking or teaching classes- if your gym offers them, TRY THEM. the class environment provides camaraderie, support, accountability, and hopefully some music you like!  i tend to push myself more when taking a class which makes for a tougher workout.

after class i went to join Sonny in the cafe.  what was he doing? what else?!

he needed a few more minutes to finish, so i grabbed a snack and fed the little one before his hunger attitude kicked in.  yeah i know who he got that from.  there were 3 boiled eggs in there... i emptied out the yolks and added ketchup. it tasted better than it looked.  added a stick of string cheese for a small protein filled snack. i also had a hot tea. they had several natural sweeteners to choose from. that totally motivated me to do a future post on the best sweetener to use..there are just SO many these days.  i went with this one though:

 ok enough of that, on to explore city centre. again.

that lululemon is just too close for comfort.

 did some shopping, walking, and playing before lunch.

so serene.

INDEED!!

hey hubs!!!! *waving*

on to lunch- almost did Ruggles Green, but decided on Lubys, SMH.

mmmm...meat.  i normally go with their grilled tilapia, but im trying to break my habit of getting the same thing.

'what can i get for you? ' *blank stare*

i ended up with a green salad, grilled basil chicken breast, cabbage, yams, and only the best mac n cheese ever.  they were a little skimpy with my mac n cheese portion size this time! hmph. but it's all good...they definitely did me a favor.

good-bye february, helloooooooo march.  new month, new race! the Bayou City Classic 10K is in 12 days.  SIGN UP AND COME RUN!!!! (and then eat cause HEB sponsors this race too, hahaha)

 http://www.bayoucityclassic.org/

le