i workout for:

 well good morning!

i workout for all those reasons and more, but i should have included eating lots of food!!! that's #1.

since i workout super early in the AM most days, i have been enjoying Houston's Fall weather to the fullest.  Fall not only means chili and cornbread, it means warm, hearty, filling, yummy, COMFORT food in general to me!  a big bowl of super creamy mac n cheese is hands down my fave (to eat in a bowl anyway) and pizza is the other

couple things though:

• when dining out, go for the broth based (tomato, chicken, beef, vegetable, clear, see-through) soups vs. the creamy ones because they are usually made with milk or heavy cream.
• the leanest cuts of beef include:
  • eye of round roast or steak
  • sirloin tip side steak
  • top round roast and steak
  • bottom round roast and steak
  • top sirloin steak
• a cup of any fruit usually is anywhere from 50-100 cals, but the sugar count is what you should keep your eye on.
• air/stove popped over microwaved popcorn any day

Q: what activity (exercise) have you wanted to try but haven't? i'd like to try the different types of yoga- i had NO idea there we so dang many.

le

fluffy tummies probs

exhibit A :shock:

it's no longer weird feeling this way once you know the culprit!  this was prolly one of the most puzzling and straight annoying bumps along my ever-evolving fitness journey. identifying trigger foods (foods that trigger reactions in a person e.g. gluten sensitivity = celiac disease) can be helpful in relieving certain ailments, eliminating excess weight, or preventing IBS (tummy issues e.g., uncomfortable, painful, gas, bloating, fluffiness, etc).  how do you pinpoint them? conduct a little experiment on yourself.  remember, health and fitness is all about trial and error.  find out what your body benefits best from and stick with it☝. first,

• keep a food dairy
•  track what you eat
• track when you eat 
• take note of how you feel afterwards

after a few weeks (yep, this takes time but the process is always worth it) you should be able to see a pattern. once you have identified a possible trigger food, eliminate it from your diet for two weeks straight.  was there a change? mentally? physically? add that particular food back in and pay close attention to your reaction, if any. once these foods are identified, they can either be avoided easily, completely, or at the very least, finally give you some dang answers!!!  my trigger foods are dairy,  broccoli, and Kashi.  i haven't cut them out completely, but i know when not to eat them, that's for darn sure.  no two piece swimsuits or form-fitting clothing for me for a few days!  hope this helps someone else as much as it has helped me.  learning your body is a process, fit friends. and fyi, i had some chicken pizza from Ruggles Green with a bunch of crème fraiche, mozzarella and fontina cheeses on it a few hours before the right pic. it was so worth it lol.

smile, tomorrow's friday yall :)

le

hearty turkey casserole + fit foodie lean legs workout

while i was away at the BE Conference (that post is in the works), my FITzee Foods orders came in!  thankfully Sonny only got to one meal before i got my hands on them :x.  i now have a new favorite to add to my list i wanted to share with ya:

Mom's Hearty Turkey Casserole

layers of sautéed vegetables, lean ground turkey, rich tomato sauce, and mashed yams all baked to perfection and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese!   low carb and gluten-free.  it was the first meal i cracked open and it reminded me of a healthified shepherd's pie.  this experience was over way too fast.

*stats: 353 cals, 16g fat, 20g carbs, 5g fiber, 29g protein*

then i hit the gym to combat the massive amount of sugar i ate over the weekend :shock:

i created that lean leg routine up there while using the limited hotel gym at the conference, and did it again that day.    grab two dumbbells (preferably 10's or higher) and a sturdy wall to lean on for the wall sits and have at it.  3-5 times through, no breaks!

i couldn't decide which bar to eat for my post workout snack so i ate both!!!! kidding, i had the apples 'n oats, my fave.

afterwards, PWO grocery shopping.  which is always a bad idea for me.  i can never wait until i get home to open something up.  you can eat them in the car. you can eat them on a chair. you can eat them ANYWHERE.  get those greens in :)

the FITzee Food's menu changes frequently because they use local, seasonal and natural ingredients.  make sure to keep checking the online menu to see the latest and greatest culinary delights – they just might become your new favorite.

in those defeated moments, think back to why you even started your journey in the first place.

then keep going, friends!!!

 FITzee Food questions? email me directly at le@fitfoodiele.com.  to order your healthy meals, go check out the September menu- October is upon us! 

le

let's try this again, shall we!?

and just like that....my prayers for the last 2 months have been answered.  to God  be ALL the glory.

buy FIT FOODIE LEAN right here, right NOW.

if you don't have a Paypal account, no big deal! you can log on in as a guest.

:shock:

as promised, it includes:

full page color foodie photos

*

almost 50 healthy, lean, clean, delish recipes

*

breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snack options

*

gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, low-calorie, vegetarian, vegan options

*

macro & micro-nutrients included (calories, fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, protein)

*

specialty grocery list for my favorite items used in the book

*

made with tons of LOVE!

to buy Fit Foodie Lean, click meeeeee!

or click the Fit foodie Lean cover in the right sidebar up there OR the cover pic in this very post. they'll all get you to the right place.

i just want to thank each and every single one of you fit foodies for being so patient with me and the never ending battle to publish Fit Foodie Lean.  i can finally say IT IS COMPLETELY FINISHED without a shadow of a doubt.  enjoy this ebook and have fun making and devouring these recipes with your family!

*jumping up and down*

NOTE: if you've purchased Fit Foodie Lean already via amazon, EMAIL YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFO TO LE@FITFOODIELE.COM RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!! please and thank you :)

for now, ummm it's super late and i have to teach in the morning, eeeeek!!!! GOODNIGHT!

le

caramel pecan pancakes

hi. i had all that yumminess for breakfast this morning.

caramel pecan pancakes inspired by @Spoonfuloffit via Instagram.  she is a motivational and inspirational powerhouse! i love her recipes and spunkiness :)  she blogs too- hit her up!

i haven't made or eaten protein pancakes in a really long time - i like to get my protein from plain ol' food.  you can certainly add a scoop of your fave protein flavor to this recipe if ya like though.

i made a sweet cream (only 15 calories) to go on top using a big dollop of fromage blanc, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and half a packet of stevia. you could also use a few drops of vanilla creme stevia instead of the granules. theeeeen i drizzled the cakes with walden farms caramel sauce (calorie-free, carb-free, gluten-free, etc, etc, etc!!) and dropped a tablespoon of chopped toasted pecans on there. oh and one more shot of cinnamon to make it pretty.

caramel pecan pancakes

the stuff: 

• 1/3  cup oat flour (you can buy the flour in the store or just throw your oats in the blender yourself like i did)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or until your desired consistency)
• 1/2 tsp butter extract
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3-5 drops of vanilla creme stevia or 1 packet or stevia granules
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp fromage blanc or 0% greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp of chopped toasted pecans (you can throw these in the batter or sprinkle on top)

do this:

mix thoroughly! in a medium heated pan, cook your cakes (the size is up to you) on one side until you start to see bubbles popping, then flip.  top with the fromage sweet cream- the recipe is above!  eat. enjoy.

i needed all those good carbs after my workout this morning for sure.

stats are listed below for one big fluffy, scrumptious stack of these babies:

i used 1/2 cup of oats cause i eat a big breakfast and that adds approx. 50 more cals to those stats, fyi.

thank you for reading.  sincerely.  i started this thing a year ago and i have received some pretty awesome feedback from people i see in the street, private messages, and of course from the comments on various posts!   i loooooove and appreciate all forms of feedback.  all of it.  every acknowledgement, every like, every share.  i have so many plans for Fit Foodie Le...so many things i want to do that have been placed on my heart.  and with God's grace and direction, i'll do just that.

the Commitment Day 5K is still open! you've got EXACTLY two weeks until go time.  start 2013 off strong and DON'T LOOK BACK.  is your city participating? check and see! and if you're in Houston, come run with meeeeeeeeee!

this post was ONLY supposed to be about caramel pecan pancakes.  i knew i couldn't do it. nite.

le