Blog Elevated - wrapped

i went to the BE conference with an open mind, open heart, and the desire to get outta my comfort zone and actually talk to somebody and do some networking.  i did my best and met some new blogger friends over those three days!  in addition to learning a good bit of info via the various workshops provided (9 pages worth) i had a fantastic time hanging out with my dear friend and blogger-to-be, Ogechi.

i looked back through my photo gallery and i have way more food pics than people pics.  i wonder what that means :shock:

enjoy!

  i had some business cards printed at the last-minute (naturally) and totally left off the LLC in Fit Foodie Le.  the show must go on.  i went to pick up my girl and we hit i-10 and headed to the Norris Conference Center in City Centre.

we got our goodie bags and badges right away after signing in. seems legit!

Ogechi hit the red carpet first and the tone was set as we headed into the welcome party sponsored by Kroger.

 

vendors, mingling, goodie bags, and goodies galore.

and a white chocolate fondue fountain. way to go Kroger!  they had sweets and treats for days while everyone got their meet and greet on.  full vendor list here.

after exchanging and collecting a few business cards and snacking, we headed back home to get some rest as we had to be up early again the following day awake and ready to learn.  which really meant go home and ensure our hubbies could survive two straight days without us.

brekky in, headed out to pick up O for day 2 !  oatbran and egg whites. every morning. don't get me wrong, i love it and crave it when i wake up. however, i said i would expand my breakfast horizons though just for variety purposes.  i'm missing out, i know.

yes we live in Houston, and yes we stayed overnight at the gorgeous Hotel Sorrella.  why not? staycations are awesome.  even though check in wasn't until 3pm, we were told we could partake in the continental breakfast that morning.

  ok we asked.

we finished just in time to hear the opening keynote speaker, John Saddington, do his thing, coffees in tow.  John's boldness and stories about big risks he took over the years blew us away and inspired us simultaneously!

after open Q & A with a panel of PR reps from various companies moderated by Holly Homer,  a snack break, & study hall, it was finally lunch time.  yes.  i decided to go gluten-free for the weekend just because it was offered.

so O and i dined at the only certified gluten-free place in City Centre and greenest restaurant in Texas!  you know it, RG baby. my phone died, so Ogechi let me use hers to snap a few pics of our Ruggles Green meals.  i had the Atlantic salmon salad & organic butternut squash,  and O got the smoked chicken pizza.

 back for more workshops after lunch.

O and i attended the same break out session that day with Angela England and learned more about how to 'Achieve our Publishing Dreams'.  i definitely wanted to attend this one to see if i could make the process for my next ebook even smoother.

Rae Hoffman later spoke with everyone collectively about SEO (search engine optimization) followed by more study hall, networking, and a nice time gap before the dinner & fashion show later.  so you know what i went to do!

sweat. 1 hour. done.

i created and executed the Fit Foodie Lean Legs workout above 3 or 4 times in Hotel Sorella's gym, then hit the treadmill with an incline of 15 @ 3.0 mph.  that combo gets my heart rate right where i need it for optimal fat burning.

because after handling up on that cheesecake at dinner i needed to burn as much fat as possible. j/k, j/k. it was delish. everything. O and i lived life on the edge and didn't bring any prepped food for our overnight stay, just snacks.  we both eat every 3 hours or so, so we were pretty hungry as lunch was hours earlier.

the fashion show was very entertaining and was hosted by the sweet Val of Style to Envy.  all the models were bloggers and they each did their thing up there!

i took a restroom break from the party and heard a mom in the hallway Skyping with her hubby and kids from her phone.  made me wonder what my knuckleheads were up to.

oh ok. carry on.

day 3.  well rested and ready to rock.

after breakfast of course.

 i snagged a pic with one of the coolest Lemi Shine reps on the way to the first speaker of the day, Katie Laird.

Katie gave some great tips and pointers for bloggers on how to communicate with companies and rock an ambassadorship to where both parties benefit.  loved this session and found it extremely useful as i began to apply Katie's information immediately!

then, Ogechi and i split up *gasp* because she wanted to go hear what Zack Doty had to say about unlocking blogging potential,  and i wanted to learn more about how to grow my bloggy blog with tips from Momables creator,  Laura Fuentez.  i appreciated Laura opening up and sharing some of her secrets with us.

we were reunited just before lunch and got a great Pinterest lesson from the Pinterest Queen herself, Stacy Teet.  impressive boards! makes me realize just how unorganized i am!!!!

lunch was provided via these go picnic ready-to-eat meals, but we were CRAVING our beloved Ruggles Green again.

so we hightailed it downstairs! turkey burg and sweet potato fries for O, and i killed the gluten-free spicy fish tacos and a side salad.

while in line, we met up with another group of bloggers and decided to make it a big lunch party!  it was great meeting, chatting, and eating with these ambitious women.

for the very last workshop of the conference (and my fave) Rachel Matthews put us ON about lighting!!! pun intended!  she also discussed different props we could use to make our pictures come to life.  the smallest details sometimes make the biggest difference.

i needed this one because of all my foodie pics of course.  her energy was awesome and kept my attention for sure!  I have begun to apply some of her pointers and others have noticed the change in my pics. immediately :shock: . makes me want to go back and delete my first few posts! i'm not ashamed (anymore) because it's important to remember where you started and to see your growth.  Rachel kept reminding us that the Imperial Sugar cupcake break was right after her workshop. as if they hadn't been on my mind all day :)

this.... this right here.  was worth the sugar head / tummy ache that followed.  i limit my white sugar intake but dang it i ate that whole cake batter cupcake listening to Karen Walrond wrap up the conference weekend.  I enjoyed and admired this former corporate lawyer's refreshing perspective on a wide variety of things from blogging to life in general.   super sweet and humble.  with a blog name like Chookooloonks, you just have to go click and see what the heck she is up to over there.

ok so Fluff Bake Bar provided 3 flavors (Cake Batter, Red Velvet, and Veruca Salt) for us so it was only right i try them all take one to my boys.   never heard of this place but these cakes and anything else they make is totally worth a trip to the Heights, uh huh.   fan-freakin-tastic.  all three. i did it for you.  

there were tons of free goods in our bags but i was especially excited to finally try some Zevia!  its been floating across my Instagram feed for a while now and i finally got my hands on some.  good stuff!  cream soda for president.

what a talented, inspiring bunch of speakers & bloggers.  what a blessing and WHAT A WEEKEND.  overwhelmed and overflowing with info. love it.  looking forward to the next BE Conference and I'm expecting to apply and reap the benefits from the countless takeaways we received from every speaker.  i thank God for allowing  O & i to share this  amazing weekend of learning and growing together.

made some really great connections i look forward to keeping in contact with!

 TAKEAWAYS:

*apply what you learned. don't leave the conference the way you came.

*be true to YOU.

*never sell out or compromise your faith for money, likes, attention, etc.

*believe in your ability to be creative.  you don't have to do what everybody else is doing.

*PERSPECTIVE! look for the opportunity in everything..don't be so quick to dismiss the 'ordinary' right under your nose.

*you can make good light, but you can't fake natural light (i sure do try).

*if you're a blogger and never been to a conference, GO. invest in yourself. grow. make yourself better.

*JUMP! take risks, fearlessly.

**********************************

i'm pumped and ready to make some significant changes around here.  thanks for reading and sticking with me.

for more BE pics, click here!

le

6 Pack USA @ HBU's Be Fit for Life Health Expo!

what a DAY!  we spent over half of our saturday at our very first event, the Be Fit For Life Health Expo hosted by Student Apprentice on the campus of Houston Baptist University.

it was an outstanding turnout- kids from ages 12-17 showed up and soaked in a ton of health and fitness info at each booth.

we taught the kids about effective fitness and nutrition, and about 6 Pack USA's role in helping people achieve their fitness goals.

this man was in his element and doin' what he looooooves to do- TALK :lol:

Sonny and Brian gave demos on how to calculate lean body mass and body fat using a caliper.

and i proved that clean eating DOES taste good with my PB2 oatmeal carob chip cookies for the babies!

Congressman Al Green even stopped by to say a few encouraging words to the kiddos.

it was a pleasure meeting him!

 we also had some help from some great friends of ours- a huge thank you to Miko (r) the Zumba QUEEN for teaching a rockin' class! that girl can seriously MOVE.

these ladies are the BOMB!  Miko, Kara and Annette (r) volunteered their precious saturday to help 6 Pack USA make the biggest impact possible.

one last pic before wrappin' up the first part of the expo here.

Whole Foods was in the building teaching the kids about fresh, wholesome, all natural snacks and meal ideas,

while Annette was giving them a great workout, TKB style!  she is the best of the best!

Miko was workin' it out on the floor with her Zumba skills,

while Brian, Kara, and I ran drills in the gym and stressed the importance of daily physical activity.

done deal!

we are looking forward to growing, networking, and participating in more health and fitness events in our community, city, and beyond.  a final and gigantic THANK YOU to Denesha James and the entire Student Apprentice staff for allowing us to be apart of this amazing event.

after several weeks of planning, meetings, phone calls, and late nights prepping for this event, Sonny was ready to let loose!  Tornado burger style.

someone brought one to his office just last week and he says it smelled so good he wouldn't even LOOK in its direction. so, he wanted it to be his epic post-expo meal. notice i said HE!!! i wanted no parts of this lol.

ok maybe a few fries.

are you kidding me...

i didn't IG this cause i didn't want to discourage my followers LOL.  but i said i would certainly blog it!  i did have a bite- i could NOT resist all that cheese, come on!  i saved my appetite for a little later though.

we take our date nights SERIOUSLY.  this is not a game.  the expo was behind us, and  since we were toddler-less for a few more hours, we sped home and got cleaned up for dinner.  the weather was absolutely outstanding, and a patio was calling our name.

i promise we planned to go somewhere different...

i had the Ruggles Green atlantic salmon salad with the dressing on the side,

and grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas for Sonny.  we could have at least ordered something different, right?

6 fingers up for 6 Pack USA!

le

plateaus + 30 min shoulder workout

the holidays take forever to get here and then they are gone just like that.  *tear*

are you back on track from Thanksgiving yet? well how much more time do you need!!?!?! :shock:  i'm good (now), but  if  your body seems to have come to a stubborn halt, or if your results seem to be going in reverse:

*lift heavier

*do a completely different set of exercises for a particular muscle group

*add a HIIT workout into your regimen to shock your metabolism  (track sprints, bleachers, stair master, hill sprints)

*take a class at your gym! (spin, weights, kickboxing, boot-camp, yoga, etc.)

*do your normal routine in reverse order

  i chose a different cardio toy last night!  i know it's super similar to my fave machine (the machine with the feet) but the stride is wider, and there is an incline function.  pick machines that use upper and lower body simultaneously cause that gets your heart rate up right away and provides a full body workout/warmup.  remember, the more body parts moving, the more calories and fat you burn!  you can do HIIT on that thing or steady state cardio, you choose.

i taught my Total Conditioning class this morning and burned about 700 cals, then hit the weights for a quick 30 min shoulder work out.  i must share this burn!!

tripleset  (using moderate to heavy weight)

seated rear deltoid press 3 x 12

seated lateral raise 3 x 12

seated front deltoid press 3 x 12

***

standing alternating forward dumbbell raises 3 x 24

standing dumbbell T raises 3 x 12

barbel upright row 3 x 12

***

25 heavy barbel shoulder shrugs 4 sets

early morning workout complete and i am done for the day at 7:30am!

we went to Ruggles Green again over the long holiday weekend and i finally ordered something different -  organic turkey lettuce wraps.

not bad!  i can totally make them at home though.  lean ground turkey,  black beans, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and corn all nestled inside a thick leaf of crisp iceberg lettuce.

i ordered a 3 cheese kids pizza for Chiso as my former little garbage disposal has become extremely picky. wonder how long that'll last...

it was a winner.

if he didn't kill it, we would have.

 money well spent.  i ordered some of their famous butternut squash too as usual, and whaddaya know- he doesn't like it anymore :roll:

so i handled up on that.

Sonny ordered what i usually get- the grilled fish tacos on corn tortillas.

'pumpkin?  clearly it's a basketball. '

he tried to bounce it and everything!!!

then....fro-yo time.  i mean it was right next door.

aaaaalllll those toppings and i never really step outside my comfort zone.

no sugar added vanilla frozen yogurt, mini dark chocolate chips, sprinkles, and whipped cream.  20 cals per ounce - my kinda cheat treat!

creating a fro-yo monster :)

remember that shrimp i bought that was on sale at the same time fresh salmon was?

i finally defrosted it and threw them in my grill pan along with some raw zucchini for dinner that night.  i sprinkled some more of that sweet smokey chipotle paprika and some dried parsley on them first,

and overcooked the heck outta them.  shrimp cook so fast it's not even funny.  you're supposed to do this for all proteins, but take them off the heat just before they are done, cover them with foil, and let them 'rest'.  they will continue cooking from the residual heat.  so if you take them off when they are done, they will get chewy on you after they cool a little and they won't be nearly as juicy.

Ogechi brought me those seasonings at the perfect time cause my HEB has been outta Mc Cormick's smokehouse maple seasoning for weeks.

we don't have our Christmas tree up yet.  i usually wait until the price drops a little before we go get one.  a real one!  i love how they make the house smell.  we were able to put up a few Christmassy items though.

Chiso did his own thing and wasn't interested.

matter fact, all those boxes back there were on the floor by the end of the night.

thanks to my little elf!

le

turkey day 10k + november goals

happy NOVEMBER &  friday :)

let's celebrate.  have some pancakes.

i made a big one for Chiso's breakfast yesterday.  since he hadn't had them in a while (we switched to Ezekiel's cinnamon raisin bread for a little bit) he killed the whole thing in a few minutes.

it was topped with some cinnamon and a drizzle of walden farms pancake syrup.

SO, what are your fitness and nutrition goals for this month?  how often do you make goals anyway?  do you even make them? daily? weekly? monthly? making goals has become an incredibly useful tool for me now that i'm in off-season with my competition training.  whenever i write ANYTHING down (grocery list, an event, reminder, whatever) Sonny feels the need to remind me what year it is and to document things electronically.  well sometimes i don't want to!  i mean seriously.  i enjoy writing out my grocery list by hand and crossing off items one by one while i'm at the store.  i just do.  i'm pretty sure it's cause my mom did/does that.  i also like to group all my items together (frozen, produce, etc.) as i take them out of my basket and put them on the belt at checkout.  Sonny finally understands this and lets me do my thing :lol:  anyway, it will take me longer to type my entire list into my phone... and then what if it dies!?

i did a reverse selfie (which is way freakin harder to do than i thought) of my october progress which was to eat as clean as possible and to add more definition all over, especially my abs.  i stuck with my clean eating for the most part even though these weekend parties filled with pizza and cake got me a few times!   but i stayed inside my 80/20 rule, so it's all good.  i also upped my weight training and decreased my cardio.  i'd love to stay where i am right right now so that when i compete again, i'll be at an acceptable 'starting' place.

 le’s NOVEMBER 2012 fitness and nutrition goals 

• continue to stay on track with my meal plan and clean eating
• ENJOY Thanksgiving to the fullest – no meal plan, scale, nothin’ on that day
• Run this 10K on turkey day ----> http://turkeytrot.shelteringarms.org/  and beat my current PR!
• Add HIIT back into my current workout routine (sprints 2x’s a week)
• Take my ab workouts more serious

ok those are mine!  whether you write them or type your goals, just make some.   i'm not just running a 10k so i can eat like a crazy woman on TG, but  i already planned to workout anyway.  i know my gym class will be canceled like it is every year, but i'd totally be there at 5:30am sharp for anyone who wanted to get in a great weight workout that morning.

have you ever worked out on Thanksgiving Day???  

  my little Ruggles Green lunch date from the weekend inspired me to throw a butternut squash in our grocery basket.

 i threw the whole thing in the oven for about 20-25 minutes on 400 degrees.  after it cooled, i cut it in half, long ways.

i think i got pretty darn close to their Famous Butternut Squash.  in terms of taste, not looks, apparently.

at least Chiso thinks so- he liked it *wipes forehead*.   i used:

squash:

• walden farms pancake syrup (instead of the maple syrup)
• i can't believe it's not butter spray butter
• few dashes of cinnamon
• dash of salt

topping:

• crunchy lite granola (bulk bins at HEB/Whole Foods)
• coconut crystals (found at Whole Foods)

that's all that's in there and it was too simple to be that good.  i didn't measure a thing though and just threw it together, fyi.  i was gonna cut it into chunks and throw it in the blender, but it was soft enough to just whip/mash up in a bowl by hand.  also,  i didn't have graham crackers like the original recipe, but Sonny's lite crunchy granola worked out fine.

does he look warm?  bless his heart.  i hadn't been outside since my eeeeearly morning workout, so i assumed it was still pretty cool out.  not quite.

i took him out of the jacket and he took the hat off himself lol.  Moms, if you don't have a jogging stroller, INVEST in one.  no gym membership required.  your post baby body journey starts with some good ol' walking.  you'll be jogging/running again eventually though, and you'll be able to knock out two birds with one stone!  family time and exercise.  never let your little one be your excuse...only your reason.  we were blessed with this stroller as a baby shower gift and i am SOOOOO grateful for it.

i used the last of that fresh atlantic salmon we bought to make breakfast tacos for meal #4 that night.  i put this concoction together in my head while on our evening walk- fresh salmon, avocado, egg whites, shredded almond cheese all on a Ezekiel sprouted grain corn tortilla. yum!  the tortillas pretty much broke apart once i picked it up :( , but hey it all went to the same place.

we topped them with cilantro and salsa first.

after that, i went to my freezer for the next best thing since we're outta salmon right now- tilapia!  i baked a few pans of garlic and herb tilapia in the oven so i could prep some more meals to get us through the week.

i also made so fresh steamed asparagus for our green vegetable. lots of lemon pepper and Pam.

meal #5  for that evening consisted of spaghetti squash i baked earlier in the week, tilapia, and asparagus. i just rolled up two fork fulls of the squash and made it look like little pasta nests.  then i sprinkled them with garlic and herb seasoning and some dried parsley.

Chiso and i are gearing up to support Sonny in his 2nd bodybuilding show this weekend!

we are so ready to cheer him on :)

a trophy would be awesome, but i get to bring the man home with me! whoop whoop!

le

weekend eats

so i used to REALLY let loose and eat whatever and however much i wanted on the weekends.  but i always despised how i felt on mondays... especially during my workout.  i felt greasy.. heavy.. and kinda sick to my stomach.  i don't like that feeling.  and it's not like i didn't work out on the weekends either!  clearly it was what and how much junk i was putting into my body that made me feel that way.

saturday morning started off like it normally does- at the gym.  shoulders, cardio, abs and stretching.  i've been making it a point to stretch after my workouts and now i feel incomplete if i don't do it!  that's how it should be.  i'm the same way with water.  when i force myself to down a bottle with every meal, i start craving it over time.  that's also when i start collecting empty bottles from EVERYWHERE!!!  every cup holder in the cars, piled up on my end table, and all over the house.

i got in and out super early cause i had a baby shower to attend for a friend of mine.

Lululemon is a beast with the slimming effect, seriously!!!! she'll also slim the heck outta your wallet though, my goodness.

first things first, lol! kidding.  really though, this cake gave my cake lady a SPRINT for her money.  it was from Ooh La La Sweets. do you see how ginormous that cake is?  that's only half a sheet :shock:

we were all watching Emily open her gifts (Chiso tried to help) and even after all that cuteness, the thought of having a girl still scares me!!  i know she'll come at the most perfect time..... but i could totally do a few more boys.

nevertheless, we cannot wait to meet baby Audrey:) a HUGE congrats to Mike and Emily on their precious blessing and addition to their family.  our little boys are close in age and i remember us both taking fitness classes and bouncing around the workout room, big bellies and all!

the lovely hostess on the left is my girl, Anna.  she's an instructor too, can't you tell!? she's also a huge part of my inspiration for becoming an instructor in the first place.  i'm so grateful for her friendship.

 'we don't even have to try, it's always a good time!!' :)

ok back to this cake though!! the icing was subtly sweet. i LOVE that.  it's like they got the recipe just right.  it's not the  heavy, super-sugary icing, and not the fluffy non-dairy whipped topping either.  it's... perfect.  the right consistency, texture, everything.

white french vanilla cake iced  with vanilla buttercreme and filled with chocolate mousse w/ chocolate chips. YES. what a combo. definitely something i'd put together myself.  and pink sprinkles!

next, we went to meet my bro for lunch and also to attend a kiddie Halloween event in the same area.

Matt chose Ruggles Green and we scored some awesome seats facing the courtyard where all the action was.

kids in costumes everywhere!

 the view + the  awesome fall weather +  family = my heart overflowing with joy.

#thelittlethings

Matt ordered his usual-  bison (or turkey) burger with sweet potato fries.

is this rude?

i ordered a side of their famous organic butternut squash and split it with Chiso.  i was still full from the shower.

i get this whether Chiso is present or not though!  i Googled the recipe immediately while we were sitting there.

duplication recipe WILL be happening.

i'm glad he enjoyed it so much- he's been turning away vegetables left and right.  i'm sure that graham cracker crust had something to do with it.

oh and we had more cake. Anna cut us a huuuuuuge chunk lol! my mind screamed 'nooooooo', but my taste buds said 'heck yes', 'why not?', and 'burn it off tomorrow'.

 the event was over and they were cleaning up by the time we finished.  we let Chiso run around and expend some energy for a little bit though.

when we got home, it was time for me to eat again, so i cut up a sweet potato and made some chips in the oven.

i also put a chunk of baked salmon, fresh steamed spinach, a fried egg, some reduced sugar ketchup, and spicy mustard on an Ezekiel sprouted grain wrap.

early service on sunday was fantastic.  it never fails- i always want to go OUT to breakfast after church!  apparently Sonny felt the same way cause he starting driving the opposite direction of home without saying a word.

we ended up at The Egg & I.  that was Chiso's cheat meal!

at first i ordered their 'Granny Smith Chicken Salad' and silly me neglected to ask how it was prepared.  it was chicken salad on top of actual salad.  you know, that mayo-laden, creamy stuff that is usually full of fat.  i despise having to return my food or ask my waiter/waitress for anything extra (i've always been that way) but this time...i couldn't do it.  i had it replaced with their citrus chicken salad and double checked that the meat was grilled.  it was topped with raw red pepper, red onions, candied walnuts, and cilantro.

i also ordered some pecan coffee, but these were my only sweetener options, booooooo.  artificial everything...not good.

i 

so i reached in my purse and pulled out one of my 'stevia in the raw' packets.  always be prepared.  ladies, stash a few in each of your bags so if you happen to switch it up real quick before heading out, you'll be covered.

'the best paaaart of wakin' up, is stevia in your cup.'

Sonny had a 6 ounce steak and a few cups of steamed spinach.  he's competing soon, so he's staying on track with his clean diet.

 however,  he  did help me ensure Chiso's waffles were OK for consumption :lol:

afterwards? grocery shopping!!! i KNOW!  i can't believe Sonny went WITH ME again either! twice in one month!  or maybe it's cause i told him fresh salmon was on sale and that's all he's eating for his last week of competition prep. hmmmmm

we took advantage and got a couple lbs.  i seasoned these puppies as soon as we got home.  mc cormick bbq and dried parsley on one slab,

12 min. in a 450 degree oven.

and then i did a lemon pepper/dried parsley slab as well.

and then i hit the gym and put in some work on these legs.

i did the same leg circuit from last week.

we ended our evening and weekend with a walk down the block.

the big day is tomorrow- remember, MODERATION!!! have fun and be super safe.

i'm gonna give out candy + a  piece of fruit.  i'm so serious.

le