Staycaytion Workout + Coping With Your Changing Pregnancy Body

if only we all felt this way about cardio, hahaha! Chiso had WAY too much fun and was in his own little world on that thing.  it's all good cause i was actually able to focus get a fantastic, #staycaytion workout in while the other 2 bears (Sonny & Dego) snoozed, so win-win. about that workout, here it is, Preggos:

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/sorella-workout.mp4"][/video]

i did 12-15 reps for each exercise, 3 times through. my clients know i looooove me some circuit style training! 

• weighted plié squats (used: 50 lb kettle bell) 

• bicep curls w/ twist @ top

• deadlifts (narrow & wide stance)

• lunges with high row (ea. leg)

• walking lunges 

• walking side squats

• stationary lunges (hate these!!!! i did them cause i never do them #TheBurnIsReal but then i wonder why this baby is eating up what little booty i even had, lol)

• narrow to wide jump squats (intense plyometric move; modify if needed)

Chiso has been playing Just Dance 2015, 2016, & 2017 all summer long and i am now a lover of Teacher by Nick Jonas (background music). 

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along with your pregnancy body, your mind must change and grow too. pre-pregnancy, we track changes weekly and applaud our progress toward a specific goal weight or body fat percentage. however, while preggo, even after the greatest of workouts, we check the mirror and are still going/growing in "reverse"! that can be difficult to watch and experience, especially the 1st go round. ultimately we are only pregnant for a split second... it's only temporary.  i have those, "omg. i will NE-VER get back to where i used to be." moments and days...of course! but DO NOT believe those ran(dumb), hormonal, negative thoughts cause they just aren't true. YOU are entirely up to change YOU-- when the time is right. Lord willing you have plenty of time to get 'in shape' and even compete in shows etc., if that's your thing. sure, i think about competing again all the time...the competitor friends on my timeline keep my desire alive and burning, daily. buuut, that's just not where my focus is right now. if you don't bring your mind along with you on this journey it will be a 10 month uphill battle. believe that, mamas. accept, honor, and be amazed by just what the heck your body is doing right now!!!  ENJOY these moments and put your very best foot forward at being as healthy as you can for you and baby. dont shy away from taking pictures either like i did for my 1st pregnancy  (in 2011, no IG yet anyway) but embrace this process wholeheartedly and trust that there is always something positive to be taken away from and learned from it. my fertility issues keep me focused and grounded; complaining and worrying about every little temporary, physical change is a waste of energy and time (and a slap in God's face IMO.) crossing that finish line (no matter how you get there) to meet and hold a beautiful baby in your arms is worth every second of this temporary journey.  just a needed reminder!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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#OneBigHappy Play Day + 50.00 Gymboree GC GIVEAWAY!

this is a sponsored post on behalf of Gymboree's #OneBigHappy campaign.  we received complimentary clothing in exchange for an honest review.  all opinions are my very own, always. 

 3 words. christmas in july! they were crazy excited when i told them this bright orange box was filled with goodies just for them.  receiving mail with my name on it as a child always made me feel so special.  even if it was junk mail, haha. is summer vacation not the perfect time for a play day?!  my boys know how important getting out from in front of the TV and going outside is to me, and well, they show me daily that they’re listening.  they are constantly asking to go 'somewhere fun' and the park is usually their number one choice.  it's definitely one of their favorite past times.  i hope staying active continues to be something they enjoy doing throughout their lives. Gymboree's activewear collection, Gymgo, is made to keep up with active kids, so they basically need to live in these clothes!  by their request, i took them to one of their favorite parks to play and sport their gear.Chiso is such an accessories type of guy. the hat, the shades; he's gotta wear it all at once to complete his look. as hot as the texas summer heat is, i don't blame him!the eye-catching, bold, bright colors stood out to me the most. matches their little rambunctious personalities perfectly!  the breathable, cool fabric is a plus as these guys sweat a ton when they play.  heck, we work up a sweat just getting in and out of the car down in texas.

Dego's,  "who's about to go run out there in this heat? not me." look. smart man.

they kicked the soccer ball around for a while but then we took a much-needed water and snack break. ice cream cookie sandwiches on deck!  err, ice cream cookie soupwiches.

that didn't stop them from sopping that ice cream up like biscuits and gravy though, LOL.don't worry Dego, you won't be the youngest for too much longer, bud :) . alright, sugar rush kicking in! time to play some more.

i could learn a thing or two from this kid when it comes to posing! i asked Chiso what he loved most about his Gymgo gear:  

"i love how soft the fabric is and how cool the colors and patterns are.  i love blue so much!!"  he also loved the "Jump, Dunk, Score" tee (pictured at the very top) as basketball is one of his favorite sports to play with his Papa right now. 

meanwhile, Dego clearly came to play, not pose.

   ok, ok, just two pics, mama, that's it! 

quality playwear that stands the test of playtime.

it's a pass from us.  with flying colors, of course ;)

-----> GIVEAWAY TIME!!! <-----

do your kiddos LOVE to play!? awesome, because you could win a 50.00 gift card to get them some of their own Gymgo Active clothing! back to school is waaay too close for comfort but this will help you prepare no doubt. one lucky reader will win, so make sure you're fully qualified to enter!  how? see the no-fuss criteria below:

 you must give Gymboree a follow & Like via Instagram, and Facebook!  comment below and let me know you're done, then consider yourself qualified.  what are your favorite looks??  let me know below and good luck!

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when you're pooped and can't poop #PreggoProbs

i sat here and laughed at my post title for waaaay too long. but uhhh, fit friends, there is absolutely nothing funny about constipation, preggo or not.  it can be incredibly painful, draining, and helloooo hemorrhoids :( .  if you're pregnant and experiencing sickness on top of that, double whammy, right!?  what's going on? your pregnancy hormones (progesterone) weaken your bowel muscles making them sluggish and slow to do their job, and your expanding uterus is taking up the room your bowel would normally use to do its thing. it's a lot going on in there! what makes this process easier on you?  start with adding more fiber-rich foods to your diet, something you can totally control.  you don't want to go from 0 - 100 though as that could bring on bloating and gas;  you've got to pace yourself with fiber.  you can do it!  you need 25-35 grams of fiber daily, so quick, read these examples and tips of what you can eat to get you there.

• 1 cup of raspberries = 8 g fiber

• 1 cup split peas = 16g fiber

• 1/2 cup lentils = 8g fiber

• 1/2 cup black beans = 8g fiber 

• 1 cup cooked sweet potato = 6g fiber

• 1/2 cup rolled oats = 5g fiber

• 1 medium artichoke = 10g fiber

• 10oz of spinach = 8g fiber

• 1 medium pear = 6g fiber

• 1 cup sweet corn = 4g fiber

• 1/2 cup shredded wheat cereal = 6 grams fiber

• 3/4 cup bran flakes = 5g fiber

• 1/2 cup of edamame = 9g fiber & 11g protein!

• half an avocado = 5g fiber

• 1 cup cooked broccoli = 5g fiber

• 5 prunes = 3g fiber 

• 1 medium apple = 4g fiber

 here's a fiber rich snack i've been enjoying lately!  i don't even want to chance belly bloat by eating dairy, so unsweetened cultured coconut milk has been my go-to instead of plain, greek yogurt. i top it with fresh, sweet summer berries and *bran flakes.  it's a plus that the berries are on sale around this time of year, and the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants present are wonderful for baby and i.there is always a hungry visitor lurking around my food shoots...always!no kisses, no fruit!! :)

4 more ways to keep things moving along:hydration. keep chugging water and don't let up.  it's no secret that i've never been great in this area but this pregnancy has given me no choice but to keep water bottles everywhere!  i wake up in the middle of the night sometimes craaaaazy thirsty. i fill up my tumbler above before heading to workout and i've started adding fruit to my sparkling water again; it helps.  upping my water keeps me running to the bathroom twice as much, but it's worth the sacrifice.  whatever i can do to escape constipation, i will.  down 8 full glasses per day, and more if needed if you're active and moving.  also, a little 100% prune juice in your sparkling water works as a great, mild laxative, as well as real prunes. keep moving.  regular exercise encourages regular bowel movements.  even a 10 minute walk counts; just do something, mamas.  prenatal yoga, step aerobics, water aerobics, zumba, spinning...just go!  if you're not moving around, chances are your system ain't either!  i'm currently 15 weeks and counting and feeling GREAT again, thank God.keep it clean.  your diet of course!  now, my 1st tri definitely wasn't the cleanest. most days started with a breakfast of eggs and toast, but everything after that? crackers, sparkling water, and a 5pm bed time.  i was just trying to get through the day without making my evening sickness worse or come faster and literally nothing sounded or looked appealing.  except Mexican food, haha.  do your best and realize the cleaner (low-no process foods) you eat though, the smoother your system will run. it's that simple. your 'plumbing' is already being reworked to house your baby; don't make it have to work so much harder.pace yourself.  not only should you eat slower, you should also eat more frequently.  at one point in my first trimester if i ate too little, i made myself sicker.  if i ate too much, i was completely miserable. you gotta get it just right but one thing you do not want to do is overeat.  as i stated above, the pregnancy hormones slow our digestive systems way down so it takes even longer for our food to travel on through.  i repeat, do not overeat!  overloading your system is not cool at a time like this! plus, if you're ingesting a ton of highly processed food at that? trust me on this one.  don't do it.  5 to 6 meals a day with plenty of water in between is your best bet, not 2 or 3 large ones.  remember, this too shall pass. :)  

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 thank you for weighing in on some of your favorite Trader Joe's finds via Instagram recently! i find a new, cool, must have item every single time i go.  this mini haul we got:Tandoori Naan - i pay upwards of 3 dollars for 2 pieces of naan elsewhere but found 4 in a pack for 1.99 at TJ's! super STOKED about that!  my boys love them with cheese and turkey pepperoni on top. cooks right up in 8 minutes under the broiler (these come frozen so thaw them first).

Cookie Butter Ice Cream - this was aaaaaall Chiso (5) yall, lol!  instead of stopping by Chick-Fil-a like i planned for a single serving, a pint seemed like a better idea.  i told him to pick out a flavor and this is what he chose. that's my boy, hahahaha

Sunflower Seed Butter - ever tried it?  if your kids have nut allergies, then this, my friends, is their 'peanut' butter right here!  it's simply roasted sunflower seeds blended up until super smooth and creamy.  we are allergy free over here; we just love this stuff though. 

*Bran Flakes - i go to TJ's JUST for this cereal!  inside is exactly what you expect-- bran flakes. nothing more, nothing less. no bells or whistles needed. it has a pinch of sweetness and the crunchiness of the flakes paired with some cold, unsweetened vanilla almond milk? a 1st trimester woman's dream breakfast, lol. i used to eat it dry after first waking up to keep sickness at bay for a while and it helped a ton. 5g of fiber per 3/4 cup serving, remember!

Mac and Cheese - guys, i picked up the wrong box of mac and cheese!!! i meant to get their Reduced Guilt Mac and Cheese instead, whoops. next time, next time. anyway, Dego and i still killed this entire box in one sitting.  

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk - a dairy-free staple in our home.  i enjoy this variety and Silk the most. 

Roasted Plantain Chips - what can i say... Grazers R US :P 

Q: keep it going! what other TJ's items are so awesome you have to tell somebody else about them?? i overheard a woman basically command and shout at her friend to, 'get the orange chicken!!!' while in the frozen foods aisle, ha.  it must be that good; have you tried it?

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1st Trimester Blues

surprise :)

(if you hadn't seen my IG post yet!)

now that the 3rd cat is out of the bag, i am really looking forward to being a loooooot more transparent about just what has gone on since march with y'all.  simply put, i’ve been living a lie via social media.  people see only what you choose to show them (filtered shots with perfect angles, perfect lighting, perfect smiles, perfect poses, perfect captions, etc., etc., etc.)...and usually the posts are filled with anything but the hard, difficult seasons you're going through.

that said, this 1st trimester is a lot like my last two pregnancies in many ways.  the major differences?  i didn't have much time to prepare this round, and i have two kids now! these symptoms started waaaay earlier this time... like week 3 early.  weeks 9-13 were all i endured in the past, and from then to delivery my preggo journey was really fun and very enjoyable.  those are the parts of pregnancy i miss and reflect back on often.  however, it's going on 11+ weeks since the fit and the foodie was sucked straight outta le.  i have been knocked completely on my butt. again. i know i'm not getting any younger (although this is still the best shape i've ever been in) and pregnancy is obviously a time to just slow down as my body adapts and prepares to grow a human for crying out loud... i get it.  but the way my lifestyle is set up.... whew.  with teaching classes and training (which is what i do), it's very difficult to deal with and accept not being physically able to perform at my best.

so, since march, my life motivation has tanked - my mood, my thoughts, my passion to do what i love...i have absolutely no desire to workout, eat healthy, cook homemade meals, create recipes, post on social media, talk on the phone, or be social in real life, absolutely nothing. most of the things i have been making i don't even eat!  k, except those shrimp enchiladas from earlier this week (cause they were filled with a dairy cheese sauce ;) ). #killedthat anyway, i just want to sleep and be left alone until week 13. well, assuming prayerfully this all starts to taper off by then.......... but i can't do that.  

life doesn't work like that, nor will the earth stop spinning just cause i need it to.  on top of classes and clients i have a family to take excellent care of, a household to hold down, new cook books and recipes to create, workout programs to develop and implement, and a blog to run.  finding the drive to do all of my normal, daily activities has taken everything in me. i teach my fitness classes on His strength alone. i put that mic on, say yet another prayer, and before i know it i’m ending class and taking it off.  it’s all a blur; like an outer body experience or something.  I wake up every single morning exhausted no matter how much sleep i got the night before, then i lay there and immediately wonder, "what kind of day will today be?", cause i still can't ever call it.  will i get anything on my to-do list done today? what time will my daily headache/nausea symptoms kick in? what food will turn on me today? heck, what will my husband eat today!? i have not been able to keep up with Sonny's meal prep (tilapia....#UmmNo) because not only do i have zero energy to be in the kitchen for an extended period of time, but the smell of vegetables or homemade food cooking makes my nausea flare up. in short, i feel like the biggest bum EVER IN LIFE right now.  #SubwayOnSpeedDial #BumLife #AllergicToProductivity #FitFoodieWho 

this is supposed to be a joyous time! oh how i wish i felt the same on the inside more often than not though. this is my current reality, and it's important that i’m truthful about my symptoms and how i'm really feeling. it is what it is. pregnancy affects women differently (how many times do we hear and read that) and this is just how my 1st trimesters have proven to go but, this is only a season.  seasons change and my good friends remind me often that, "this too shall pass," and they are exactly right.  there will be brighter days, and i'll look back at this post and have a good laugh (and/or cry) eventually.  

i have 1st tri updates coming out of my ears that i am finally able share!

thanks for stickin' with me and for all the baby Egwuatu #3 love!!!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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Oven Roasted Plantains + Church Fit

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the weather has been phenomenal aaaaaall weekend long in h-town!  today was no different. our breakfast before church: high-protein, buttermilk pancakes, dairy-free coco whip, zero-calorie pancake syrup, and fresh berries.  my almost 5-year-old still asks for pancakes almost every single morning.

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{top : H&M} | {jeans : H&M} | {wedges : Forever 21} | {bag : LV}

look ma, no gym clothes! i've been trying to get jazzy on the weekends after being in workout clothes, well, any other day of the week.  when i spruce things up on the outside, it does wonders for me on the inside too.  however, my toes aren't done and haven't been in months. thanks, blur tool.  yes, i did. the wedges were too cute to crop out. lol   

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 "

me: make me laugh

Sonny: sorry, i only know how to make you mad

" 

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hey, whatever it takes to get the job done, Instagram Husband ;) anyway, this top is the epitome of comfort. i have one in several colors cause  it always makes me feel so modelesque when i throw it on!

 {top : H&M} | {jeans : H&M} | {wedges : Forever 21} | {bag : LV}

is it spring yet?! LOVE coral anything, especially workout tops. H&M has plenty of affordable, cute fitness fashions that i'll be sharing soon too!

i've been pan-frying our plantain in coconut oil for the past few years, but i wanted to try baking or broiling them instead. so i did! Sonny says i tried this a while back but it really must have been that long ago cause i do not remember attempting this.  here goes nothin'!

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perfect! when i bring them home from the store and they aren't ready yet, i put them inside a brown paper bag and in solitary confinement under my kitchen sink so they can ripen quicker.   browns spots are a very good thing. i sliced them diagonally and threw them into a mixing bowl along with:

• few dash of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted coconut 
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (can use coconut sugar) 
• dash of sea salt

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and mixed them all around.  then, i coated my pan with foil and coconut cooking oil spray, then placed them evenly across the pan.400 degrees.  12 minutes on one side.  12 minutes on the other. done.  Sonny agrees that they still have the same texture as they do when they are deep-fried. i likes that.my food though!!! OMG, y'all, this was crazy good!  i threw it in a bowl with some already baked chicken breast chunks, avocado chunks, refried organic black beans, and some sautéed turnip greens.  a little bit of everything on your fork at once... heaven.  sweet, salty, spicy. (that's sriracha on the chicken but you already knew that)just know i took my sweet, sweet time with this bowl of goodness. these are kind of a big deal! snack smart this week; i tried my best not to go overboard on these bad boys today. yum.

  "Make it Last by Making it First" was Pastor Mike's message this morning.  i always appreciate this reminder!  cause marriage is hard. making it last is even harder....  but completely, 100% worth the fight and the effort.  with kids in the mix, you've really gotta be serious and focused about getting in some alone time together often, and try your absolutely hardest not flake on each other.  spend not just kid-free time together, but TECHNOLOGY-FREE time at that.  it's true, you really can have a crazy awesome time with your spouse and the WWW not know about it. as a new-found snap chat addict (add me, fitfoodiele) i stand by that statement 100% ;) 

new week, fit friends, let's goooooo!

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