Grovin'

i started saturday morning with a RUN!  yep, i stepped it on up and turned my power walk into a run. after a restful night i felt the urge and had the energy to do more for my workout.  and uhhh, my legs said GO but my boobs said NO.  ouch. so it definitely became more of a jog/walk kinda thing for about an hour or so. nice, early, humid workout nonetheless.

 great support from both sports bras and regular bras is EVERYTHING when it comes to postpartum boobs.  all boobies are different but i am now back up to a D cup (k, double) after getting quite comfy and confident with my B's post bikini comp last year.  my strongest, most supportive, 'old faithful' sports bra is so old actually that i can only find it used on eBay lol. it's the Asics Athletic Seamless Racerback bra and has served me well, so i'm sticking with the Asics brand from here on out. it's like a brand new bra after every wash- it tightens back up and provides maximum support.

*****

mama and papa stepped out for a hot date saturday night!  dates are good. dates are refreshing.  dates keep things going, exciting, and refreshing. dates give you something to look forward to.  we are going on 7 years of marriage this year!  i actually had something really cool planned that fell through....but i didn't reveal it to Sonny yet cause i'm totally gonna try again.  so, we went to dinner anyway to just enjoy some kiddo-free time. and burgers.

i chose the Grove downtown, and we got a nice big cozy booth to ourselves.

repeat offender.  just one of those things Sonny has grown to 'love' about me.  even if we're at a new spot- i always play it safe and order salmon, and then we argue on how to even say salmon correctly.

excuse the disrespectful flash;  the lighting was super dim and sexy though so i needed it.  reminds me of my early IG pictures pics- i can't stand looking at them!! uuuggggghhhh.

this was a spring mix salad with radish and tomatoes.  now that i think about it, our waiter didn't ask me when kind of dressing i even wanted, so no idea there.  i was living life on the edge and didn't get my dressing on the side this time.

Sonny asked our waiter what the quickest appetizer to make was (kinda hungry, aye?) and he said the flash fried shrimp.

sweet, crunchy, and full of flavor.

a tasty bacon burger and french fry combo for hubby,

and a grilled salmon fillet paired with sautéed cauliflower, kale, and fennel for moi.

much needed!

are they twinning or what?  Dego is much more social and aware these days which means more smiles :D

Q: what's your favorite date nite with your S.O.?

Q: how often do you make time for them? weekly? monthly?

long as i'm eating good food i'm a happy camper; 2-3 times a month is ideal for us when going out. home movie/dinner/game dates are great ideas too!

le

wienervention - the cleanest hot dog i've ever eaten

another early gym date accomplished this morning and officially 1 month postpartum! i expect to get a lot done today. 

i had my usual preworkout snack, some hot, magical coffee, and headed out for an hour of treadmill intervals. i alternated btw:

5 incline @ 4 mph - 5 minutes

15 incline @ 3 mph - 5 minutes 

walking IS boring but there are ways you can rev it up.  i always swing my arms vigorously, walk heel-to-toe with a wide stride, and i never hold the side rails either. that's cheatiiiiing ;)

can i do a blog #throwbackthursday? i'm doin' it anyway!

**********

while we were headed home from the hospital last month with our brand new baby boy, something beat us there- my Wienervention Kit from Applegate!!!

that nostalgic red and white pattern always reminds you of what? a summer picnic, yep.

however, the Houston heat was too much and i just wanted to lay down somewhere and stuff my face in the AC.  i'd like to give a gigantic high-five and thank you to one of my favorite natural and organic brands, Applegate, for the goods. i knew the kit was on the way, but it slipped my mind after giving birth and all.  my mom and aunt were at our house tidying up and waiting to help out with our new family member, so unbeknownst to Sonny & i, they went ahead and cracked the kit open and prepared a welcome home lunch for us! perfect timing, right?

i actually used to avoid hot dog wieners for this very reason...  i've always thought of them as the wack parts of meat that didn't make the cut all blended up together with fat and other UFOs.  i would only have them every blue moon, like july 4th or memorial day at somebody's BBQ. at home? not so much.  also, reading 'mechanically separated turkey, chicken, or beef' in the ingredients list is not very appetizing. thank God we have many healthier options to choose from these days; these Applegate wieners are in a league of their own! a wienerventioW was overdue.

rest assured these top-notch dogs are:

• all natural
• contain no antibiotics
• humanely raised beef fed vegetarian/grain diet
• gluten-free
• casein-free
• contain no fillers
• contain recognizable ingredients! every single one.
• really, really tasty.

nailed that presentation.

they also sent along condiments, cause you can't build a stellar dog without them.

• Annie's Organic All Natural Ketchup (her salad dressings are crazy good, especially the artichoke parmesan, trust)
• Rick's Picks Zesty Dill Relish - (which tasted like a combo of sweet & dill relish! i've always topped my dog with one or the other..not both. i bet it would be amazing in potato salad as well.)
• Annie's Organic Yellow Mustard

 for the buns, we had a choice of Rudi's Organic Bakery Multigrain or White hot dog buns!  i loved them both and you can snag a coupon for a bag of your choice right on their website. from the bun, to the condiments, to the wiener, this is THE cleanest hot dog i've ever eaten.

time to change the meat you eat and give Applegate a try.

in newborn news, 

i think he'll be tall.

more tummy time, aka, push up practice!

le

is that sweat? 3 weeks postpartum

why yes!  that IS sweat.  today...was a great day. not just cause it's friday either! it was great cause i started my day super-duper early this morning in the what?

GYYYM!

i'm back baby!!!! i'm home. kinda. i miss the smell, the energy,  the whirring of the machines...  is that weird!?   the same smell that used to make my stomach turn when i was training for my bikini comp, go figure. and i definitely miss my gym buddies and instructor friends!  i said 'kinda' cause i only came to walk, which is still the only thing i've been doing until i'm cleared to hit those weights again.  that's next though! i haven't gotten up at the crack of dawn to workout since i took my hiatus from teaching my Lifetime classes at the end of May.  i had my headphones blasting and arms swinging as i power walked to the beat. before i knew it, my hour was up! pure, sweaty, bliss.

Odego is sleeping a lil' longer these days (prolly 3-4 hour stretches if that) so this morning i had a small window of opportunity that i ran and jumped straight through.  praying for more mornings like that! else it's back to my evening neighborhood walks or whenever i can get them in.

i felt like i had the entire day ahead of me to get stuff DONE.  i've been losing track of what day it even is while trying to get a routine going with the kiddos, and today's workout made me energized, refreshed, focused, and most important, MOTIVATED!!! you see i even got this blog post up :D

i'm eating around 1900 cals a day currently, and this morning's balanced brekky consisted of scrambled egg whites with homemade guacamole (i only had a fresh lime instead of lemon and it worked just as well, yum), low fat turkey sausage, a nectarine, and some whole wheat toast with a tbsp of dark chocolate dreams peanut butter.  for your own customized meal plan, email me at leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com.

i marinated some chicken breasts in homemade honey mustard (equal parts dijon mustard and agave nectar and yes you can you honey) and a little sea salt and black pepper to taste.  i grilled them up on my grill pan and smoked up the 1st floor of the house real good.  all you need is a HOT grill pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray, cook the breasts for 8 minutes on each side (depending on size), then cover the meat with foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.  here are a few of my grilled chicken lunch/dinner plates from this week:

,..paired with plantains pan-fried in coconut oil, a fresh spinach, tomato, pecan, jicama salad, Annie's  all natural Artichoke Parmesan dressing on the side (i could turn the entire bottle UP it's so good) and my prenatal vitamin...

..paired with sautéed spinach and mushrooms, a summer corn, tomato, cilantro & mozzarella salad with honey mustard on the side..

..a ginormous spinach salad topped with pecans, strawberries, blueberries, jicama, green onion, and feta cheese crumbles.. this was actually my first time ever buying jicama and it won't be my last!

3 weeks postpartum now and my sweet tooth is still RAAAAGING, so i've been trying to stick to natural sugars as often as possible.  the cravings are SO strong though and all i want to do is eat chocolate and chips all day.  so i've been having fresh fruit with a little sugar-free cool whip and cinnamon for dessert most nights. super yummy and a better option than the Marble Slab i will go HAM on. also, the peeps over at Squarebars so graciously sent me some samples of their organic protein bars to try. omg. can you say right on time!? they are D-freakin-licious!!

no refined sugars, no GMOs, soy-free, gluten-free,  low glycemic, vegan, and 12g of protein. i'm feelin'em, and their nutritional stats aren't too shabby!

newborn life lol! have a fun friday evening!

le

8th month recap

group B-strep test is up next, guys.  HEY FIT FOODIES!  i'm gonna get in as much last minute preggo blogging as i can these last few weeks (or days, that's cool too).  my 8th month has whizzed on by

*bloop*

and i'm knocking on week 36 in like 2 days, praise God!

O_o :P   >:( :'( :| #flipacoin

early AM workout classes & breakfast:

so, getting up at 4:15am to teach my classes is only getting rougher.  but i'm hanging in there! that's my automatic answer for my gym members every time they ask me how baby and i are doing, lol.  that's really all i can say though, seriously.  sure i'd rather get those extra hours of sleep but i feel good after i get on up and most days and the urge to workout is still strong.

mmhmmm, don't forget that. aim to move every single day, even if it's just walking around your hood.

i am asked how i am still doing HIIT training  this late in the game.  modifications! lighter dumbbells, monitoring my heart rate, using my knees instead of toes for pushups...just a few examples. see vid below!  plus i'm doing way more coaching/encouraging/motivating and 'working' the group exercise room more. the classes are NOT about me anyway- it's all about the members!  i'll do a quick demo of a high intensity/plyometric move though, then quickly modify it just so i can keep moving with the members.

[wpvideo lBg6kZRN]

 eating, on the other hand.... i know my appetite is flaky cause baby boy is growing rapidly and fattening up for his grand exit/entrance, but after breakfast and a small lunch (even after working out), i could honestly be done for the day.  the rest of my meals are pretty much forced since i'm still very active,  so WE need those cals and nutrients to keep coming. and they shall.  so i have my pre workout snack (usually banana w/ peanut butter) on the way to the gym, then tackle my real breakfast afterwards as usual.

here are some breakfasts i've been rotating (clockwise starting from the top L):

1. spinach, tomato, and mushroom scramble (1 whole egg, 2 egg whites) with strawberries and blueberries

2.  4 egg whites over a whole wheat english muffin & topped with homemade guacamole w/ blackberries & a halo

3. spinach & mushroom egg scramble taco (La Tortilla Factory 80 cal light low carb, high fiber flour tortilla) w/ shredded part-skim mozzarella & pineapple salsa w/ berries

4. plain greek yogurt with strawberries & blueberries and dribbled with maple syrup (also a great post-workout snack)

individual workouts & lunch/dinner:

i have been enjoying taking classes to the fullest these last few weeks!  why?

1. i'm not up there teaching so i can stop at any time :P
2.  i get ideas and inspiration for new moves i can use later in my own classes and just experiencing another instructor's style, music, and motivational sayings
3.  group fitness is FUN and keeps me motivated!  i look forward to it. period.

i do a combo of the following every week:

• TKB - turbo kickboxing
• Zumba
• Barbell Strength (Lifetime Fitness signature formatted class)
• Step (don't knock it lol! keeps my heart rate nice and steady... great cardio workout vs. the boring treadmill and elliptical)
• Weights - since i'm not lifting crazy heavy, i'll do a full body workout in one day most times using basic exercises for each muscle group. 3-4 sets of 12 does the trick. looking forward to getting back to my postpartum 6 Pack USA workouts though.

lunches and dinners (starting clockwise from top L):

1. homemade Chipotle inspired salad (i cut the chicken into chunks and marinated it in Weber Kick n' Chicken seasoning blend)
2. Kick n' Chicken pan seared chicken breast with pan roasted brussels sprouts and grilled pineapple
3. pan seared whiting (cheaper than tilapia at Walmart right now so i gave it a try) grilled squash, and fresh coleslaw
4. salmon & avocado deviled eggs sprinkled with sweet & smokey paprika and black pepper with raw sugar snap peas and sliced roma tomatoes on the side.

the bump and i will be walking down the aisle in my brother's wedding this weekend! can't wait to party and celebrate gaining another sister. fun times ahead. and cake.

-----> if you are preggo and need help with staying on track (or starting) a healthier workout and nutrition regiment for you and your little bundle-to-be, please check out www.pregnantnotpowerless.com and sign up!  even if you're not preggo but know a woman who is, please tell her about this awesome program created by one of my inspirations and fellow fit mom @babyfatboss on IG. follow herrrrrr! <------