HEB meal deals + banana french toast

it's cooooooold.  Houston finally got with it and the temps have dropped.  enjoy it while it lasts.  this morning though... i did NOT wanna get up.  you hear me?   4:15am came way too quick and my bed was way too comfy.  i admire my members for just showing up to class like they always do.  THAT is true commitment and dedication if i ever saw it. cause ummmm, if i didn't have to be there today.... yeah :shock:  watching them file into the studio one by one, collect their equipment, and wait in anticipation as the clock winded down to begin class gave me the energy and inspiration i needed to give them nothing short of my absolute best!!  and that cup of coffee /green tea combo didn't hurt either.   let nothing stop you from remaining consistent and making progress. nothing. especially something as petty as the weather!

after class i did some upper body (shoulders + chest),

took a pic of my polar HR monitor :lol:

zipped up my Lululemon, 

and headed home to take more pics and make breakfast!  saturday i saw all this french toast on IG and it inspired me to make some of my own.  i had some again this morning with my egg white omelette and they hit the spot.  carbolicious.

i used sesame ezekiel sprouted grain bread and made a sliced banana sandwich first,

then, i dipped the entire thing in a mixture of:

stuffed banana french toast

the stuff:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• 3-5 drops of vanilla creme stevia
• 1 tbsp coconut crystals
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites

do this:

1. combine all ingredients into a bowl big enough for your sandwich to fit in.
2. mix them well, then dip your sandwich in on one side for 2 seconds, then flip it to the other side for 2 seconds.
3. immediately transfer it to a medium heated no stick pan and 'fry' it until brown on one side.
4. flip it and brown the other side!  plate it up however you'd like and top it with more cinnamon, walden farms pancake syrup, and fresh banana slices.  i even shot it with some 'i can't believe it's not butter' spray a few times.
5. NOM.

i like mine crispy!

@  HEB this past weekend, i took advantage of one of their popular meal deal specials.  i got the two-step gumbo and the BBQ shrimp mix for free.  yep, i had some help.

 it's not considered clean, but it's all natural, decent nutritional stats, and quite good!

stats (per 1/2 cup): 60 cals, 1.5g fat, 470 mg sodium, 9g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g sugar, 2g protein

to the gumbo mix, i added 1 cup of water, another cup of low sodium chicken broth, a bag of frozen okra, cut up two roma tomatoes, some fresh cilantro,

and even though it didn't really need it, extra seasonings!  just a few dashes of my sweet smokey chipotle paprika, black pepper, sriracha, and 2 squirts of liquid aminos.  it all came to a rolling boil, then i let it simmer for about 20 min on low so it could thicken up.

i THOUGHT i had some shrimp leftover from last week's kale tacos, but nope...all gone.   wish i had realized that before i went to the store!!  i ended up using some of the bbq tilapia that you're gonna read about in a sec.   so if you have some, you can totally add shellfish, crab, sausage, etc. because gumbo just ain't gumbo without it ;)

i added a scoop of brown rice on top and Sonny mixed it all together before he gobbled it up.

when you buy the gumbo mix, you get this free.  i got to sample this stuff on some steel head trout while in the store which is what sold me on it!  i believe the cooking demo lady used olive oil to thin it out though:(  but it was soooo good. when i got home, i took 2 tablespoons of the shrimp mix and added 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk to make a creamy marinade for my tilapia.

stats: (per tbsp) 25 cals, 1g fat, 1g sat fat, 340 mg sodium, 3 carbs, 2 sugars

loved it!!! yes, almond milk!!

oh yeah, while i was @ the store, i came across these guys.  can you read that sign?  it says purple sweet potatoes are higher in nutritional value than the traditional sweet potato.  who knew? i didn't.  a friend of mine advised that i check out an Asian market  for these babies though cause that 2.98 a lb is a little too steep for me.  can't wait to try them!

now for my last unexpected purchase!  i've been drinking almond milk for like the past 3 years now and i have no plans to go back to dairy milk anytime soon, or ever.  but when i tell you i almost slurped down this whole box, you better believe it.

it was worth the gas and bloating :lol:

 Chiso hasn't been a fan of drinking milk solo, so i've just been using it to make his oatmeal instead of water so he can still get his vitamin D and calcium.  after i let him sample a little of this Horizon Organic Vanilla milk @ the store, to my surprise, he asked for more immediately!  actually i'm not surprised cause it's a little high in sugar (22g) and it's vanilla flavored. lol.  however, it's all natural, and still loaded with nutrients, so it went in the basket.

he tried to tear that box open after it was empty.  score!  if only he loved his veggies the same way...

le

10 days to destiny

my last post was deleted completely and i almost cracked.  it's not the first time that has happened, but when it does, my 'make up' post usually turns out better the second time.  and i remember to add a whole bunch of stuff i left out the first time. so, it's all good.

so, HI :)

this post was supposed to go out on Labor Day, whoops.  speaking of LD, was there a party at your gym late-morning/early afternoon too!?  i think everybody slept in, then got up and went to the gym at the same time.  there were people EVERYWHERE on every machine.  that's a good thing though as there are no holidays for your health.

oh and also, i have managed to go from an iPhone, to a brand spanking new Samsung galaxy s3, to NO phone in a matter of days.  gaaaaaaaaaaaah, having no phone is THE absolute worst thing ever these days.  especially when it's your fault :roll: replacement phone is en route. i miss Instagram so much, lol!  IG on the PC is wack!

*update*

10 days, not weeks, left until the show.  i have always been a cardio horse, so these last few days of it will be a piece of cake.

 i actually gained some weight this past week (due to the carb loading, water, and gaining more muscle), but i still managed to drop a tad more body fat, whoop whoop.  last progress pic(s) until the show- no spoilers!

 currently at:

144lbs

10% body fat

few more progress shots before this morning's workout (stole Sonny's phone)

my meal plan is different all the way up until show day, so my trainer says to expect more changes and i will.

my abs seem to have disappeared for the moment, but it's temporary bloating.  you know i asked!!

#backaction

even more reason to love my racerback tops now!

got my show suit, got my theme wear and now all i need to do is PRACTICE.  some more.  oh and get that other stuff done too of course: waxing, makeup, hair, and tanning.  my posing coach, Christine, sent out an email that included a checklist of everything i need to have done or do. all i can say is WHEW!  i felt this same feeling before my wedding, before Sonny's 30th birthday party,  before Chiso's 1st birthday party...  yeah, pretty much before any big event.  a feeling of suffocation, anxiety, and my mind racing a mile a minute... just ready to just get this the heck over with.  my life will then settle down a bit...until the next thing i get myself into.

now for some food porn!!!!

this was Chiso's breakfast today- his current favorite.  banana oat pancakes, banana chunks, and eggs.

i packed a quick snack for him before i headed out too: roasted sweet potatoes, some ripe avocado, and strawberries.

while i was making breakfast, i got going on my lunches-  i munched on steak and potatoes for my low carb menu today.  i roasted my sweet potatoes last night (450 deg oven for about 45 min), so they were already soft and just needed to be reheated later.

i put my grill pan over super high heat and grilled my steaks which had been marinating in liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, and montreal steak seasoning.

i packed up meals 2 and 3 before heading out earlier.

however when i got home this evening, i got fancy!  this totally feels like a cheat meal, forreal.  i made garlic sweet potato fries instead of my usual roasted.  i told you sweet potatoes are SO versatile!

i cut them up, then i got crazy and used all this on them lol.  no added calories but plenty of flavor.  (the smokehouse maple seasoning does have sodium and sugar in it but i went super-duper light) i read about the butter flavoring and it's pretty awesome and smells WONDERFUL.

end result:

POW!!!

grilled sirloin steak topped with avocado, garlic sweet potato fries, and fresh sautéed spinach.  i'll be Instagramming this as soon as i get my phone back lol.

 it tasted as amazing as it looked!

*season the fries and pop them in a 400 deg oven for about 20 min.  spread them out so they cook evenly*

and i get to have it one more time for meal 6!! happy rest of your hump evening!!

le

wackday

wednesday was one of those days.  when i don't get enough rest my world comes crashing down.  i wanted to say screw this whole competition, quit, and eat an entire papa johns pizza. :evil:  i want to eat an entire pizza every day, but that day i threatened myself out loud.  it just got worse and worse as the day went on.  i worked out with my trainer that morning, and i somehow hit the gym in the evening for round two.

i took a pic just so i could remember this very day and my mood at the time.  i can laugh at it now, but i'm pretty positive i'll feel like this again or worse in the next few weeks as my journey to the stage draws near.  and come on, a journey wouldn't be a journey if it didn't have a mixture of good, bad, high, and low days.

keep. pressing. forward.

that was prolly my worst workout of this entire journey though.  i could barely get my heart rate up to my fat burning zone, and i literally struggled to keep it there, which is always relatively easy.  after my last meal that night, THANKFULLY Chiso calmed down enough to go to sleep early with me even though he took a late nap.

Thursday was a new day. a better day.  a high carb day.  i DID get some good rest the night before and felt tons better, mentally and physically.

Chiso wasn't the only one enjoying fresh fruit that day :)

this is just some of his meal... sweet potatoes, avocado, and his fav, strawberries.

i got in some posing practice that night after my cardio.

POW, stick that hip out there!

i can be silly/goofy/flirty, but being serious/sexy/flirty WITHOUT laughing and feeling like an idiot is the tough part.  how i will ever manage to sell it and make it believable on stage is beyond me, but i have 3 weeks to figure it out.

i feel wack taking these pics of myself but who do you think i am, june ambrose!? i need a picture snapping assistant.  sometimes.

this will be my final pose before exiting the stage. :shock: kidding.

i didn't even think to bring my show suit with me-  my coach said i should be practicing in it or at least less clothing from here on out though. she's absolutely right cause i could not see my body the way i needed to.

some days i feel way too skinny, some days i feel like i could maintain this weight.  either way, Sonny reminded me that if i do fall off the wagon after this competition, i now have the tools and the knowledge to get my body back where i want it to be. well, what could i say after that lol?

i made more banana pancakes this morning cause they make me happy.  and i need all the happiness i can get!!!!

  i think i have made/eaten them for the past week and i can't stop.  until i can add more crazy ingredients to my batter, i'll have them just like this up until the show.  so YES, more pics of pancakes are coming, you've been warned.

have you made these pancakes yet!? what did you put in yours?

*****HAPPY FRIDAY*****

le

1 month out

less than 1 month away.

show suit? done.  themewear?  being worked on and almost done.  there is still so much more to do, ESPECIALLY posing practice.  most of the rest will be knocked out the week of the show though.  hair, nails, waxing, tanning ...girl stuff.

*update*

142 lbs

11% body fat

my cardio hours are gettin on up there... i'm at 9+ a week.  i like to do a little every day- that works for me.  however i know some competitors who can't get to the gym as often as they like and will do double or triple duty at once. omg!  i would hate to do it that way...but i would if i had to.  shows just how much determination they have to reach their goals though.  super admirable.

i'm having VIVID dreams about the things i plan to eat after the show.  i woke up earlier this week dreaming i was stuffing a chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing into my mouth.  it was so real.  however my sugar cravings are actually under control and don't bother me anymore.  i still want the fatty, greasy stuff though, and i will be having papa johns as one of my post comp meals!!! i went to my sis-in-law's graduation dinner last night (CONGRATS MICHELLE, OTC!!!!!!) and the food looked and smelled absolutely wonderful.  see?

there were egg rolls...

there was cheese dip...

can't have dip without chips...

and BREAD.

*faints*

all within arms reach.

my bro ordered somethin i'd prolly get myself- a cheese stuffed portabella mushroom topped chicken breast.  FOODGASM.  however, i wouldn't have gotten double potatoes for sides. who does that!?

 i ate my meal in the car on the way and that helped tremendously.

i will NOT be messing these abs up.  YOU HEAR ME!? i'm screaming at that nightmare cupcake, not you.

that's all i got. i'm tired. night.

le

the saga continues

so dramatic.

my expectations for carb cycling are pretty darn high, and i was honestly expecting a huge change in my body, instantly.  we always want things when we want them!!  i really have noticed a few changes after almost two cycles, but i figure i'll just wait until my next progress update (1 more week) to see the full effect it will have on my body. deal?

oh, and btw- thursday, my 1st high carb day, was pretty darn fab.  i purposely took about 45 minutes per meal to eat. NICE AND SLOW. lol.  i enjoyed my fruit, and i hit it hard in the gym that evening and worked on my shoulders and a little back.

but now it's back to another fruit-less three days.

i came across an old Academy Sports and Outdoors ad i did about 3 years ago.  yes, my expression looks as if someone just cut the cheese.   i don't know what the heck their selection process is with their pictures, but i was just grateful for the opportunity :lol: . anyway, i brought this up because those were my abs before giving birth.

and these are my abs now.

i admit, i thought my body would change for WORSE after giving birth... i didn't think it would ever be the same again.  women were designed and made for childbirth!  treat your body right and it will show you just how AMAZING it can be.   even after Chiso has plenty of siblings, i know that i can get right back to where i am with a little hard work and commitment and so can you.

getting there, week by week. did i mention i have 7 weeks left?!

le