Trader Joe's H-O-U-S-T-O-N!!!

the cardio horse is back in her saddle! after a week off from teaching my Lifetime classes, it's great to be BACK.  burnout is a lose-lose for the instructor and the members... breaks always re-energize and re-fuel me to teach the best class i possibly can. especially at 530am.

after 1 hr of Total Conditioning, i jumped on my fav elliptical machine and did 45 minutes of fat-burning cardio and called it a day. no more gym for me until tomorrow...maybe even thursday!! no more two a days. for now!  until i decide to compete again (i'm sure i will) i'm focusing on maintaining my current weight, give or take a few pounds.

all i could think about was breakfast on my way home as usual.

so i'm back on the clean eating train. as of yesterday.  for the most part.  i've been adding extra things (for example, the tomatoes and asparagus ) to my meals that i normally couldn't when i was preparing for my show.  usually what i add doesn't really affect the total calorie count of the meal anyway.  extra veggies is nothing compared to an extra egg or some meat or something, you know?!

second shot of meal 1,

and here's meal 2 so far.  i'm sticking with 5-6 small meals a day.  my body responds so well to this routine so i'm keeping it going.  try it out and see how your body responds!

so, Houston has just become that much cooler.

Sonny and i made it back in time from Jamaica to attend the grand opening extravaganza of Trader Joe's this past Friday, Sept. 21st.

If you are familiar with H-town, then you know that this historic building was once a theater, then a book store for 25 years, and finally the home of our very 1st TJ's! we didn't even go home first- it was that important.  to me.

taking pics to pass the time while Sonny finished his phone call.

8 days later and my 'show' hair is already in a pony tail.

walking up- i love that they kept and used the old school marquee.

getting started. the store is not as big as i anticipated, but it was still jam-packed with a ton of cool items. it was lunch time AND the grand opening so space got a little tight.  i didn't mind.

Joe's O's for Chiso.

saying a prayer and thanking God for these low sodium rice cakes!!! i used to get the popular Lundberg brown rice cakes, but why have one of those when i can have TWO of Joe's for a 10 cal difference?!

sampling some kinda fresh squeezed juice. and  yep, that's my tummy.  i left my abs in Jamaica.

i definitely grabbed something off of every isle.

ok people are going absolutely nuts over this stuff and i completely understand.  i passed a tower of it on the way to checkout and thought to myself  'man i wonder what that tastes like!!'. i literally looked up and walked right into a store associate shoving a sampling spoon of it right in my face!!  of course i'll take some! our cashier told us it's their top-selling item right now and that they will be coming out with a crunchy version for the Christmas holidays.  Lord have mercy.

turkey jerky!!!!!!! haven't had this stuff since my Cali trip back in 2010.  great high protein, low-fat snack.

what i ended up with- roasted seaweed snacks, popping corn, unsalted pb filled pretzels, unsalted rice cakes, turkey jerky, lite coconut milk, unsweetened apple sauce, Joe's O's (whole grain cereal), lobster rolls, black mission figs, organic pizza sauce, lactose-free milk, fresh sugar snap peas, coconut oil, goat cheese, fat-free feta, egg-plant humus, egg whites, spicy mustard, fig butter,  and some fresh fruit.  no cookie butter yet!!!

i was expecting to go well over 100, maybe even 150. but i did NOT break the bank.  gotta love those reasonable prices for organic, natural, fresh foods.  i'm THRILLED that TJ's is finally here and will gladly make the drive to visit.

after buying all that delicious food, what does Sonny want for lunch? Mission Tortilla.  because he was a great sport and even came grocery shopping with me i shut my trap right up :shock:

i waited til we got home to fix my lunch.  here are some of the items up close for you to look for on your TJ's trip.

the fig butter is AWESOME- and no, there isn't a drop of butter in it.  it even says that on the package. "To be a butter, a spread must contain more fruit than sugar.."

whole wheat pita pockets and eggplant humus - only 35 cals per 2 tbsp. serving!

there was no cooked meat (ok fresh cooked meat) in our house since we had been gone for a week, so i made some fig and feta tuna and grilled a whole wheat pita to go with it.

my seasonings for the tuna. i almost ALWAYS add boiled eggs to my tuna, but i was too hungry to wait!

i also spread some of the fig butter and eggplant humus on the pita bread-

DELICIOUS.

what else can you put fig butter on? it's great in wraps too- i made a grilled chicken, kale, tomato, avocado wrap on a whole wheat tortilla for my next meal.  the spicy salty mustard and the sweet fig go great together. try it.

what are your favorite must have Trader Joe's items?? and have you tried the cookie butter :lol:

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

add FLAVOR, hold the rest

healthy food has PLENTY of flavor!! i know mine does!  i like to switch up my seasonings often to keep the flavors new and different without altering the nutritional stats of my meal.  after all, i'll be eating the same things for a few more weeks.

 just a small section of my flavor arsenal.  i do love fresh herbs best, but dried is the next best thing and lasts waaaaaaay longer.  AND these are all one dollar at HEB.

that smokehouse maple is outta this world!! i seasoned our tilapia with it just last night for dinner and it was amazing.  i also used some of the roasted garlic and herb on the sautéed zucchini i served with it.  scrumptious. see?

i instagrammed my  clean, balanced, flavor-filled lunch today:

it was roasted chicken breast, oven-roasted sweet potatoes, and fresh spinach all topped with toasted pistachio nuts.

i used the montreal chicken seasoning on the breasts (and some dried parsley),

 and roasted them on 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or so.

same thing with the sweet potatoes- i roast them until they are soft to the touch.  i sometimes add cinnamon, vanilla, and some 'i can't believe it's not butter' spray and make a fancy puree for no added calories!

or, i just leave them as is.

 mustard is such a versatile condiment.  i use it to dip my chicken in, as a marinade, and as a sauce.  and you guessed it- it doesn't add all the extra calories, sugars, and carbs that typical sauces like ketchup, bbq (LOVE IT) , and ranch do!!  i found this little gem at HEB just a few days ago:

it is CRAZY good and ZERO calories!!! (works VERY well as a fish marinade too)

 i also drizzle the spicy brown mustard  (5 calories per teaspoon)  as well as the honey mustard (10 calories per teaspoon) all over my food before devouring it.

speaking of flavor, let's talk about water.

i've said this multiple times- i am NOT a fan of drinking water when i'm just not thirsty.  blech! so i use the sugar-free, flavored packets.

 these Wylers packs are just 1 dollar at Walmart and HEB and 10 calories per serving.    i actually split up one packet between two 16 oz water bottles cause it's a little strong for me.  drinking one of these things curbs my sugar craving completely.  BIG help.  speaking of sugar cravings, they are GONZO!!!  but i'll get back to that in my next bodybuilding progress post ;)

 make a few ahead of time and put them in the fridge.  s/n- i thought the cherry limeade flavor would some how resemble the sonic drink but boooooy was i wrong!  try'em and see what you think though.

what's your favorite dipping sauce?  i used to put the buttermilk ranch dipping sauce from Jack In The Box on EVERYTHING :shock:

le

a-z...get to know le

don't you just hate icebreakers!? here we goooooooooooo:

a is for age: 30th b-day is in t - 5 days!

b is for breakfast today: the usual- i start craving my oatmeal and egg whites as soon as i wake up, seriously.

c is for currently craving: all things SUGAR!!!! which proves that sugar addiction is real.  i'm conducting a little experiment. i have dropped (not quite 100% but a GREAT deal) of all processed foods from my diet and i'm only getting sugar from natural sources (100% real fruit). 1 week down and i have tightened up all over my body; lost inches all over and especially in my waist, and i'm definitely more defined. my muscles are popping out and waving hello!

d is for dinner tonight: stuffed turkey bell peppers w/ brown rice.

e is for fav type of exercise: cardio and weights COMBINED. i teach a class called Total Conditioning- it's a Lifetime Fitness signature format.  can you say calorie burning fest?!?! the first time i ever took the class i was extremely intimidated; didn't think i'd ever get the hang of teaching it.  now i can't get enough of it.

f is for irrational fear: big boats and open spaces. e.g. cruise ships and places like the grand canyon. yeah i don't get it either.

g is for gross food: most of the time i find that it's a texture thing with people.  in this case it's texture and smell for me- chitterlings. no thanks. ever.

h is for height: 5'10. my driver's license proves it.

i is for ice cream: marble slab sweet cream mixed in with chocolate chips.  any other time, it's self-serve fro-yo w/ random toppings.

j is for favorite jam: booooy when this particular song comes on in my gym class i get my second & third wind outta nowhere.  i could be a tired, sweaty mess and almost to the end of class but this song gives me a surge of energy to finish strong.  it's 'Nah Mean' by Mannie Fresh- the edited version played at 140 bmp (super fast) though! pretty sure my members are sick of it by now:)

k is for kids: my unbelievably, awesome, blessing and precious gift from God. my 10 month old. for now.

l is for current location: @ work. blogging. shhhhhhhhhhhh

m is for the most recent way you spent money: i'm TRYING to spend money and find my bday dress!! been to look for it twice now with no luck.  still need shoes too. and a bag.  i'll find something though. i always do!

n is for something you need: God and His word.  every single day. my husband.  i need some form of contact with this man on a daily basis (after we go our separate ways in the morning of course). whether it be by text, skype, facebook, email, it doesn't matter.  with all this technology, a plain ol phone call was the last thing i thought of, smh.

o is for occupation: IT manager, group fitness instructor, fitness model, entrepreneur.

p is for pet peeve: at the moment, drivers who don't turn right on red. ESPECIALLY downtown. who doesn't know this!?

q is for quote: quoting from songs is cheesy but this one is so powerful to me.  helps me push during my workouts:

'i'm a beast, i'm an animal, i'm that  monster in the mirror, the  headliner, finisher, i'm the closer, winner. best  when under pressure with seconds left i show up.

- usher  (give me more)

r is for random fact: i eat cool whip like it's ice cream. i add sugar-free chocolate syrup and make a 'mousse'.  i've thrown some chocolate PB2 up in there before as well.  i can't be the only one doing this...

s is for fav healthy snack(s): 2% greek yogurt & toasted pistachios drizzled with honey.  fresh veggies & hummus. peanut butter & celery/apple. freeze dried fruit (especially bananas), banana protein smoothie, cottage cheese w/ fruit...

t is for favorite indulgent treat: key lime pie & grain-sweetened chocolate covered raisins from whole foods. chocolate chip paradise from chilis.  my brother is the only person i know that can eat one of these a day and not gain a pound.

u is for something that makes you unique: i prefer grocery shopping over the shopping mall, any day.  but you knew that already, right!

v is for fav vegetable: sweet potatoes. they are SO versatile. sweet, savory, fried, baked...

w is for today's workout: 1 hour of total conditioning

x is for the # x rays you've had: besides being born and giving birth, i pretty much stay outta the hospital.

y is for yesterdays highlight: spending aaaaaaaall day with my little man. we attended a 1st birthday party at Gymboree Play&Music (twice in one weekend) and because my LO can't walk yet, i had to help him 'play' for the most part. got my workout for sure.

z is for time zone: CST

welp, that's a snippet of le. take 3 letters (or more, it's all good) and tell me something about you!

le