Esprit De She 5k + glute bridges

breakfaaaast this morning!  just an egg white omelette chock-full of kale, roma tomatoes, baby bella mushrooms, mrs. Dash onion & herb seasoning. cheddar almond cheese, sriracha and avo on top. super filling!

let's get physical.

basic glute bridge: with your head on the floor and heels on  the bench or floor, raise your hips off the ground while squeezing your glutes and pressing your heels into the step or floor.  when your glutes are level with your hips, stop. lower and repeat.  mix it up with different counts- singles and pulses set those buns on :shock: FIRE :shock:

leg variations: 

• left foot on your right knee (pictured) 12 x 2
• right foot on your left knee (pictured) 12 x 2
• right leg extended at hip level (pictured) 12 x 2
• right leg straight up in the air 12 x 2
• left leg extended at hip level 12 x 2
• left leg extended up in the air 12 x 2
• heels down, toes up 12 x 2

tips:

• this can be done on the floor without the bench; alway make sure your surface is stable. an elevated surface provides a wider range of motion to perform the exercise.
• keep a neutral chin; slighty tucked in towards your chest
• avoid pushing your hips too high as this can hyperextend your back
• you should feel this primarily in your glutes. if you feel lower back discomfort, try doing them without elevation.

have fun!

i added a new recipe to the ebook today- roasted, curried cauli (as in cauliflower) mash.  i used to eat broccoli and cheese like nobody's business but neither one of them are kind to my tummy. soooo, this was a great, flavorful replacement.  i also had some roasted butternut squash sprinkled with cinnamon, and pan seared lemon pepper tilapia.

are you on IG? of course you are. i'm doing @fitnessfoodandstyle's May Photo A Day challenge this month cause i love me some Dani and it looks fun! you should join me.

'don't copy, compete with or compare yourself to others. their path is not your path, nor should it be. everyone has a unique gift to offer. what is yours?'

-mary frances winters

with that said, this next event is for my fit ladies only. let's finish this race and compete together as a team. the Athleta Esprit de She Houston 5k/10k will be making its debut on May 9th, 2013!  yes, 8 days away!

 

let's make their very first year one to remember.  if you would like to run with the Fit Foodie Finishers, send me an email (le@fitfoodiele.com) so i can send you the link to sign up!   we will be running the 5k, so whether you're a veteran or first timer, come oooooon.

le

get on the floor

and do the exercises below at home, in front of the tv while you stuff your face with... pancakes.

ok do them after the pancakes.  they are guilt-free, so do it in whatever order you like, just promise me you'll do both!!!!!

my favorite smoothie fruit combo to order in the Lifetime Cafe, or any smoothie place really, is blueberry banana. which means blueberry banana pancakes were calling meeeeee this morning.

so i answered.

blueberry banana cakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 0z banana
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (ya might need more!)
• 5 drops vanilla creme stevia
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 2 egg whites

do this:

miiiiiix!  everything! i threw the banana into my mix and mashed it up with a fork until it was chunky smooth.  so you can either throw your fruit in your batter, or leave it for the topping. or do half and half. it's your call!  i'm pretty sure i used like 1/2 cup or more of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but it's cause i don't like my batter sooooo thick. 1/4th a cup just might work for ya though.  again, i've been experimenting with oat bran, but you can totally use 1/2 cup of ground or rolled oats as a sub.  stats are for the entire recipe. look at all that fiber and protein! *high-five*

2 fantastic floor exercises that build your booty and strengthen your core:

#1. glute bridges

a.)on your back, plant your heels firmly into the floor and bring them as close to your glutes as you can get'em.

b.)with your palms pressed into the floor on either side of you, drive your heels into the floor, pull your belly button into your spine, keep your hips and shoulders square (level), thrust them up towards the ceiling and squeeeeeeeeze your glutes!!! 4 x 25

for an extra challenge, try these options:

• extend one leg out straight, keeping it level with your opposite knee.  hold until it burnzzzz! switch.
• put a weighted barbel or a heavy plate across your hips.
• place and hold a dumbbell in between your knees while thrusting. don't drop that weight!

#2. planks

we all know how to do these, right?  super simple but so effective!

a.) keep your body as flat as a board- no glutes in the air, and no sinking hips.  resting on your elbows and toes, pull your belly button into your spine as tight as possible, and tilt your pelvis slightly towards the floor, and of course, squeeeeeeeze your glutes.

b.) hold this position for as long as possible.  if you'd like a challenge, try these options:

• transition to a high plank (palms directly below your shoulders); repeat low to high to low, etc.
• take your right leg  up and hold, repeat on the left
• take your right arm up and hold, repeat on the left
• drop your hips and glutes to one side at a time in a twisting motion while keeping your toes and elbows planted. greeeeat oblique exercise right there!

what has Chiso been up to? well, we are currently in potty training mode. aaaaaand we're gonna get it right one of these days.   my OBGYN and his Pedi gave me great tips and one of them was to invest in a singing potty, which makes perfect sense!  every time he does his thing, it plays a little song. i'll have to bootleg it and use my cell for now.  whatever works.  when he finally completes his mission that fateful day in the NEAR future, trust me, you will know. i will blow up this blog, twitter, IG, sound the alarm, run tel dat, EVERYTHANG :lol:

it's #throwbackthursday on IG!

how bad do you want to change?  make the decision, commit, and DO IT then!

le

clean, all natural, guilt-free chocolate sauce

i'm going dip and drizzle crazy.  i've googled homemade chocolate sauces in the past and normally they contain some type of oil (usually coconut which is 120 calories 13g fat, 12 saturated), a wack sugar substitute that tastes like chemicals, or just an ingredient i don't particularly care for.  i took a complete gamble with the ingredients and the measurements and it turned out, well, darn good. so i tried it on what else, some dessert first!

i made a guilt-free arctic zero sundae with soy whip and crushed pistachios.

trial and error is a huge, frustrating part of coming up with your own recipes.  it can get expensive too!!  so getting it right the first time (or at least the first few times) makes me feel good. really good.

would you like to read about my fantastic workout from this morning before i share the recipe? ok great!!! there is something about the peacefulness of the gym super early in the morning.  i get it now.  i can clear my mind, focus on my to-do list not only for that day but my long-term goals, projects, dreams, next moves, pray...talk to God...and get my life together.

  it's that crucial.  minimal interruptions, effective workout, no waiting on the equipment...  it's never the same in the evenings immediately after work.  even late at night; it doesn't compare.

symmetry is good.  symmetry is preferred. lol.  my right shoulder area is still more defined than my left, but i'm in the process of fixing it. one way to correct that is to do isolations (one limb at a time).  i used to pass this machine up, but never again!  i added it to my routine this morning and felt different parts of my glutes and hamstrings being worked way more vs. pressing both legs at once.  do NOT let the machines intimidate you- you can't progress if you don't try different things.  find a trainer and ask them for a demo if you can't decipher the directions.

i rushed home to my breakfast and my boys!  made some egg whites and topped them with fat-free feta and parsley.  i kept my banana oat pancakes simple and sprayed them with 'i can't believe it's not butter' and walden farms pancake syrup. aaand reduced sugar Heinz for my eggs.

 for my oatmeal though, i topped it with more fresh bananas, crushed almonds, and a drizzle of my clean chocolate sauce!  mmmm crepes would also be a grand idea.

  by the way, my oatmeal is cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk/water, and a splash of vanilla.  then i add cinnamon and stir.

ready now?

3 ingredients:

clean, guilt-free, all natural, chocolate sauce

the stuff:

• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp all natural, raw, coconut crystals (found at Whole Foods)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk

do this:

i suggest you heat the milk first ( you can nuke it for 15-20 seconds) THEN add the cocoa powder and crystals.  the cocoa won't absorb into the milk if it's cold and you will be stirring forever cause it  just won't mix. just like oil and water. you can either add more or less almond milk- the consistency is up to you.  i found that after mixing these exact amounts together (get all the lumps out) and letting it sit in the fridge for less than 30 min, it was the perfect consistency for dipping, pouring, or spooning it straight :lol:

the sky is the limit!   double, triple, or quadruple the recipe as needed, just adjust your stats accordingly.

strawberries and chocolate - classic combo.

banana chunks, dipped and topped.

raw unsweetened coconut flakes, crushed almonds, crushed pistachios.

had way too much fun today.  happy friday eve :)

le

le's leg day circuit

man my heart rate was already up as i walked into the gym today!  i got into my fat burning zone right away as i warmed up on the elliptical for about 10 minutes before hitting the weights.

to get the blood flowing in my legs, i did:

leg extensions / leg curls superset -  4 sets of 12-15 reps using med-heavy weight.

next, 4 sets of 12-15 reps of seated leg press with heavy weight.

1st heavy set w/ feet shoulder width apart,

2nd heavier set with feet shoulder width apart

3rd heaviest set with feet shoulder width apart

4th burnout set with light weight (kept going until it buuuuuuuuuuurned) with my feet shaped in a v (heels together).

now for the fun stuff!!!

 i went into my gym's empty group fitness room (take advantage if your gym allows it and there's no class going on) and did the following 3 times each: (burned over 500 cals after all this!)

*****le's leg circuit*****

using 25 lb. dumbbells,

and a step bench w/ 5 risers on each side,

*i mentioned on IG that you can add more risers if you'd like, but i'm super clumsy and went with 5 today.  it was still a nice height, trust me.*

do the following straight through w/ no breaks.

• 1. 20 squats holding the dumbbells in each hand and squeezing your glutes the entire time.
• 2. walking lunges going forward (i used the length of the room, bout 30 ft i guess!?! i'm horrible with estimations), then backwards ( no, don't turn around, stay facing forward but just lunge backwards. do your best to push yourself up back up to standing and maintain that balance.)
• 3. 20 deadlifts (feet shoulder width apart (1st set) narrow stance (2nd set) wide stance (3rd set))
• 4. 20 box jumps onto your bench. drop the dumbbells first please!  be careful and land softly by putting all your weight into your heels.  drop your glutes as low as possible and get into that squat before you jump back down.

 after a round of that, my heart rate was easily over 170 according to my watch!  i walked in two big circles around the room and let my hr drop to around 130 before i started again.

lastly, i finished up legs with 3 sets of 20 reps of jumping lunges.  make sure you drop that back knee down- no slacking.

i said i'd do abs at home (i always say that lol) cause i had to hit the grocery store before i could even get home.  making progress, but i need some separation in my upper abs since i have NONE.  that's my goal for this week.

 1hr of fat burning cardio on the elliptical later, leg day was over.

startin' the week off right!!! have a GREAT evening and try this workout and lemme know what you think!

booty work

just two of the many glute exercises i do to keep mine nice and lifted. get down on all fours and engage your core by pulling your belly button into your spine.  in layman's terms, suck in your gut.

1st move: 8 heel ups - flex that foot and press up strong through your heel while keeping your leg bent at 90 deg.   squeeeeeeeeeze whichever glute you're working.

2nd move: 8 hydrants - the name explains itself!  from the starting position (90 deg angle in that leg), take that knee down and up.  get it up nice and high for every rep.

3rd move: 8 kick outs - hold that leg up there, flex that foot,  and kick it out straight for 8.

4th move: 8 glute circles - wide, exaggerated circles.  bring your knee up over the top and to your elbow, then straighten that leg back out. the wider and bigger your circle, the better.

nice and round. the circles AND your glutes!!!:)

are you still squeezing? don't let it go.

now, do the left leg, same thing.  that will be 1 set. i usually do 3 sets in a row, then take a stretch break. remember to keep correct posture the entire time.  if you haven't worked your glutes in a good while, you will feel this RIGHT away, guaranteed. and yep, it's normal to feel the right glute/leg tingling if you're working the left and vice versa.

next, squats w/ side leg lifts.

again, squeeze your glutes the entire time and really get that leg up with a flexed foot.

squat nice and low into your imaginary chair either holding your hands up and bent at 90 deg.,

or down touching the ground.  either way, make sure your knees stay BEHIND your toes at the lowest point of your squat.  if they go forward, you are asking for a knee injury..

push up from your squat into your leg lift and keep a soft knee (slightly bent in both legs). make sure all your weight is in the heel that's on the ground. NOT your toes.

squat it nice and low back in the center,

then keep it even and work that other side.  an advanced move would be to pulse that leg up in the air 3 times before you come back down to your squat.  work your way up to it.

more to come; give these two a try.

le