Sunday Funday!

I was so excited this week, because the downtown LA Equinox location finally opened!  I pre-signed for it 6 months ago, and have been waiting till the day I could stop going to ghetto 24.  Equinox opened on Wednesday, so I now have a lot more classes to explore!  The only thing I found out is that they are not open on Sundays... WHAT?!?  For the hefty membership they charge, I can't even believe they would consider only opening 6 days a week.  I'm going to go haggle my rate tomorrow.  It's only fair that I either pay 6/7 of the price, or get access to another location for free (I signed for single location membership).  One interesting thing I noticed is that this Equinox shop does not carry any Lululemon, at all!  I've been to many Equinox locations/shops, and this is the first one I've seen that does not sell any Lulu.  Hmmm... sign of changing times huh?

Anyways, so this week I've been eating a lot of muffins lol.  Aside from my protein muffins, which I bake about once a week now (enough to lasts a whole week!) and playing with different ingredients (dried fruits, etc.), I have also been baking these egg muffins.

I saw the original recipe on the Tone It Up blog.  It's super easy, you just mix 4 eggs, 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, handful of chopped spinach and mushrooms, whisk it all together, add some salt & pepper, and bake!  I find that I need to bake these for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  They taste great and last for a long time in the fridge too!  I just bake a bunch and grab a couple to go for breakfast.  Super easy for those mornings that I am running late (pretty much everyday)!

I also saw this super easy recipe (hit Translate on top to read it in English) of baking an egg inside of an avocado, and have tried this as well.  So fun and creative!  I had an avocado that was extremely ripe, so I was glad to have been able to use it all at once.  This one is so easy to do, because all you have to do is cut the avocado in half, take out the core and cracked an egg in it (scoop out some extra avocado to have more room for the eggs).  I added a little bit of salt and pepper before baking.

At first I didn't make the hole big enough for the egg, so I had some messy egg whites to clean up!  But second try was much better.  I baked it all at around 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  But I think my eggs got a little overcooked, so maybe less time next time!  Still tasted great though, especially with some paprika on top!

I just love finding and trying out healthy and easy recipes!  Especially appreciate the kind that I can make bulk ahead of time.  

I've worked out pretty hard this week.  The new gym definitely gives me more motivation to workout more!  Every time I've been there, I've spent almost 3 hours there!  Well, including shower time. 

Tuesday 3/26

What I did:  Ran and did weights.  

What I wore:  Lululemon Not So Deep V bra in caribe/gulf undulation with white cool racerback over.  Astro wunder under crops in black slub denim, and Adidas adizero adios 2 shoes.

Wednesday 2/27

What I did:  This was the Equinox opening party.  I went and got some free Earth Bar smoothies (love!), but they made their money back because I kept buying these damn $10 smoothies every time I go there!  At least they are meal replacements (that makes me feel better).  Oh, I did workout on Wednesday as well.  I ran my sprints on the treadmill and had a great weight workout with killer leg sets.

What I wore:  I purposefully wore older and not perfectly matched Lululemon products.  Lol.  I didn't want to run into other girls wearing the newest Lulu gear, and I did see a couple.  So I wore Lululemon swiftly racerback in pow pink, with pow pink Free To Be bra under it because I can't wear this bra with light colored tanks since it bleeds like crazy!!  Run: Empower crops in coal/passion, and Brooks Pure Drift shoes.

I wore the Principle jacket as to and from.

Thursday 3/28 - I was so tired so I went home after a short work day and fell asleep lol.  

Friday 3/29

What I did:  I had Friday off work, so I was able to go to the gym during the day.  I warmed up with a 30 minute run/sprint, and then took a Metcon class.  It's 10 one-minute exercises done back to back with no rest, then repeat it all 2 more times with only a minute rest in between.  Ending with some explosive cardio type of workouts at the end.  Pretty good workout I think.  Definitely got me sweating!

What I wore:  Lululemon Energy SL in angel blue, CW-X Pro tights, and Brooks Pure Drift shoes again.

Saturday 3/30

What I did:  I took a barre class at Equinox, then ran sprints on hills for about 30 minutes. 

What I wore:  Lululemon Scoop Me Up tank in caspian blue, with wunder grooves and Nike Frees.

I wore the Armani Exchange faux fur knit jacket as to/from.

And of course, didn't workout today since gym was closed!  Booo!  Ok, I could have worked out elsewhere but didn't feel like it lol.  So sad that the long weekend is now over!  And now that Easter is over, these Cadbury mini chocolate eggs will not be in the store for much longer.  I did cave and buy these lol.  Hey, they only come around once a year!  And I try to only grab a few a day...

Tahari ASL Vala Top & Thelina Slim Ankle Pants

I think it's funny, that I bought a whole outfit from Ruelala.  They styled the model with this shirt and pants, and I thought they looked cute together so why not.  I returned some stuff to Ruelala a while ago, and still had some credit.  This Tahari ASL Vala stripped top and Thelina red slim ankle pants totalled exactly the amount of my credit!  So I sort of feel like I got them for free.  =)  I forgot to take a screen shot of the site when I bought it, but here they are on me!

I think this Vala top was kind of interesting and a little more than just a plain t-shirt.  The material is super comfortable too.  It's very thin and soft, and it's actually kind of a burnout material so it's a bit sheer.  I wore it today with my Kitson black skinny jeans and these green suede Gucci wedge heels, and got lots of compliments on the top!  I got it for only 20 bucks, which I am pretty happy with.

I have not worn Thelina ankle pants yet, because I wasn't sure I could pull them off.  But I think I have decided to keep them, especially since they are only $39 which I think is a pretty good deal.  I actually think that I'm going to rock them to work at some point.  I'm trying to have a little fun with my work wardrobe, because black and gray bottoms are so boring after so many years!  I slowly added some colors, like my Express Wide Waistband Editor pants in aquamarine, and my Express red pencil skirt.  So now I'm venturing into a bright colored pant, as well as a shorter style lol.  I've actually always thought ankle pants were cute, and I've seen some really cute suits that are ankle pant style.  But I just didn't think my work environment was liberal enough for that.  I guess I have since decided that I don't care anymore!  Sometimes I look at some other women at my work, and think that my Lululemon groove pants that I wear to workout in are nicer than their work pants (and probably cost 5x more for reals).  A few months ago, I actually saw someone wear a cotton navy dress with little white dolphins printed all over it.  I think I almost fell over in my chair when I saw that!  She didn't get sent home, so I think my red ankle pants are more than safe!

Beyond Yoga Gathered Legging

I've never tried Beyond Yoga stuff before, but I ordered from Gilt when I saw it on sale last week.  I ordered the Gathered Legging in white and received them today.  Let me just say... O.M.G. the material is divine!!!  It is like the softest, most comfortable material ever!  Once I put them on, I did not want to take them off at all!  They are like Lululemon's running luon X 100!  According to the description, the material is 90% supplex and 10% lycra shell.  Whatever it is, it's magical.  And they fit super cute!  I love the gathered detail at the bottom.

I got them in size XS, and they are a perfect fit.  The waistband is wide, just like my Lululemon Wunder Unders, but they sit lower on my waist, and the waistband is looser fitting than wunder unders.  So I really thought everything was perfect about these leggings, until I turned around and looked at my butt.  Buahahaha... these are so see-through!  I can't believe it.  I wasn't even bending down at all!  And I was in a room with not-so-great lighting.  I can't imagine what they'd look like if I walked outside in them!  It's ironic, but a look at the Beyond Yoga home page revealed this photo:

Hmmm... It's obviously a stab at the recent Lululemon sheer bottom debacle.  I don't know though, I've owned many many pairs of Lululemon bottoms, and none have been as see-through as these Beyond Yoga ones!  And I am sure the size is the right size.  If anything, the waistband is even a little loose - I can see them falling down if I were to run in them.  I do kind of think I should give these benefit of a doubt since they are white.  I used to have a pair of reversible white Lululemon groove crops years ago, which I have since sold.  Those were luon and thicker, but they still were see-through.

The problem is, I like these Beyond Yoga crops so much because of the material and fit, that I don't even want to return them!  LOL!  I am thinking maybe I can just pull my cool racerbacks down really far and wear these anyways!  Hahaha!  But seriously, I will probably have to part with these, sadly.  I might try to see if I can get a dark pair though.  The sheerness may be a non-issue then, who knows.  I see that these leggings come in many many different and fun colors, which is pretty cool.  I love white bottoms though, but I still have yet to find a non-see-through pair of white leggings.  Maybe it will not happen and I should just stop trying!

New Dresses!

I bought some new dresses from ideeli a couple weeks ago and they have arrived!  I am very happy with this  Love...Ady Cap Sleeve Colorblock Dress:

This dress is a perfect fit, and I love the color blocking!  It looks great with a wide belt around the waist as well.  It is a good dress for work, though the skirt portion doesn't have a slit, so it is a little hard to take a bigger step lol.  It's also form fitting, but it can definitely be worn with a jacket or sweater over.  I got it in size S and it seems to fit true to size.  I spent $39 on it, down from $88.  Not too shabby!

For a more "fun" dress, I got this LA Class Sleeveless Ruched Mini Skirt:

This is a stretchy dress that can be dressed up or down.  I like the bright salmon color for the summer.  I can even use it as a beach dress.  It's stretchy but not super tight fitting, which is good.  I got it in size S/M, and it was only $19!  So this is definitely a keeper as well.

The only disappointment from this order was the Sharagano Short Sleeve Cowl Neck Twofer Dress:

I thought this could have been good, and easy to wear to work.  I got it in a size 4 which is what I normally get in dress sizes.  But as soon as I took it out of the box I knew it was going to be too big.  It's huge!  So needless to say, I'm returning this one.  It feels at least 2 sizes too big on, and the color/material doesn't look all that nice in person.  For a price tag of $39, I can definitely get cuter stuff.

It is hard to shop online sometimes.  Different brands can have such different sizing!  Even reading the size chart doesn't help.  I actually find size charts really useless in general.  They are usually something like: size 4 is 25 inch waist and 37 inch hips.  What!!!  I guess I'm getting really good at printing out return labels, and packing up boxes to drop off for my online returns!

Sunday Funday!

So I continued my current obsession of cooking healthy this week, so you are getting more food pictures and recipes.  =D  I've been experimenting more with quinoa this week.  I have always liked quinoa actually, but I never really quite knew how to use it.  I had a bag that I bought like 2-3 years ago and only used once or twice and finally had to throw it away.  Well, I'm giving it a try again!  And turns out, it is quite versatile.  It makes a great breakfast as an alternative to oatmeal or cereal, or for dinner as alternative to rice or pasta.

Here are some breakfast meals I made with quinoa:

Quinoa, Brie & Raspberry

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Quinoa - rinse first

1 cup almond milk (or any other milk)

Couple slices of brie cheese, depending on personal preference

Handful of raspberries, and some for garnish

This one is really easy.  I basically cooked quinoa in almond milk, then when it's about done, threw in the brie cheese and raspberries.  Cooked it all a couple more minutes until the cheese melted, then threw a couple raw raspberries on top, and voila!  So good!  I actually had something like this at a really cool brunch place a couple months ago, except they used muesli instead of quinoa.  So I kind of copied the recipe.  But it's super good with quinoa!

Quinoa, Tuna, Sweet Potato & Almond Slices

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup almond milk (or any other milk)

1 canned tuna

1/2 medium sized cooked sweet potato - I had some baked sweet potato left over from dinner

Handful of sliced almonds

Basically same as the one above, cooked quinoa in almond milk, when it's almost done, I added the tuna, sweet potato, and almond slices.  Cooked it all together for a few more minutes and ready to eat!  

Quinoa & Salmon Bake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 

6 oz cooked salmon

1/2 yellow onion

1 zucchini

1 squash

1 tomato

A few small artichoke hearts

About 1/2 cup of diced olives

1 tbsp of fresh dill chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

This one was for dinner.  I found the original recipe from Shape magazine but I modified it with more ingredients I like to make it a mediterranean flavor.  First cook the raw quinoa and onions in a sauce pan for a few minutes.  Then add the broth (I used broth I saved from a few days before when I made poached chicken and salmon) until it covers the quinoa and onion completely.  Put on the lid and simmer for about 10 minutes, when the broth is almost all gone, add in the chopped zucchini, squash, artichoke heart and olives.  Probably need to add a bit more broth at this point.  Stir for a few more minutes, then add in the salmon.  Then stir for another couple minutes, and add in the tomato and dill.  Salt & pepper to taste, in the end add a squeeze of lemon juice.  This dish is soooooo good!  It's so good I can eat it everyday!  

Kale Hummus

Ingredients:

1 1/2 canned chick peas, with about 1/2 cup of water from the can

1/4 cup olive oil

Handful of kale leaves, blanched in boiling water for about 30 seconds

3 cloves of garlic

Juice squeezed from 1 lemon

1 tsp sea salt

Cumin, depending on taste - I used a lot because I love cumin

Paprika to taste

To keep the mediterranean theme going, I've also made my own kale hummus this week that is so delicious!  Just blend all the above ingredients together.  I just used my regular blender.  I couldn't believe how good it was!  It's very easy to make and much cheaper than buying hummus.  I made a lot and I can save it in the fridge to use later on wraps or sandwiches.  Or, you can try to make these yummy appetizers with it:

Prosciutto, Hummus, Spinach & Goat Cheese Wrap

Ingredients:

Sliced prosciutto

Hummus

Spinach

Goat Cheese

These little things are so yummy.  I saw this prosciutto roll with fig preservative and arugula recipe, and thought to myself that I could modify it with my hummus!  Super easy to make.  Just spread the hummus all over the sliced prosciutto, then add a few spinach leaves and some crumbled goat cheese inside.  Wrap it up and serve!  It tastes sooooo good!  I love the kale hummus with this.  It looks pretty fancy too!  Here's what it looks like before I rolled it:

I think I'm getting carried away with all these things I've been making!  They make me so excited lol.  I guess prosciutto is not the healthiest since it is very salty.  But everything in moderation!  One or two of these rolls is enough for me.  

Ok so finally now I get to write about my workouts and outfits, haha!  I worked out 5 times this week, so I'm happy about that.  Each time I worked hard too!  I seriously believe that if you are going to be at the gym anyway, you might as well work as hard as you can.  I ain't got time to waste!

Monday 3/18

What I did:  I ran sprints, then did weights.  I still haven't got back into doing New Rules of Lifting for Abs, so I've been doing my own thing.  I actually canceled my ghetto 24 hour fitness membership, because the new Equinox downtown LA location is opening next week!  And I've pre-signed up since like last October.  Finally going back to Equinox!  My favorite place.. no kidding.. I will be living there when they open this Wednesday at 4 pm!  Lol.  So I've been just using the little gym at my building.  That's kind of why I haven't got back onto the program.  Once Equinox opens then it will be a lot easier.  

What I wore:  Lululemon Push Ur Limits tank in wish blue multi poncho stripe, Run A Marathon crop, and Adidas adizero adios 2 shoes.  I haven't worn the Push Ur Limits tank in the longest time!  I have 3 of these tanks still too.  I kind of got over them, but I think I like them again.  Sometimes it's good to not sell off all tanks that haven't been touched in the past 6 months lol.  I think I find them a little annoying to workout in because they fit very tightly, and the luxtreme fabric kind of rides up.  Maybe I should have sized up in them but oh well.

Tuesday 3/19 - Rest, actually I had no choice because I'd been having trouble with my TV so I was waiting around for the cable guy to show up... who never showed!  Wtf?!

Wednesday 3/20

What I did:  Ran and lifted again.  When I do this, I usually just do like 5-6 sprints with 1 minute rests in between.  Then do about 4 supersets of weights that hit pretty much all major muscle groups.

What I wore:  Lululemon cool racerback in dune petit dot, with Energy bra in grapeseed underneath.  Run Fast shorts and Nike Frees.

Thursday 3/21 - Rest day again, cable guy came back.  Or should I say, came.  Problem solved.

Friday 3/22

What I did:  Spin class (almost private lesson since only 1 other person showed up to class!), then ran a couple miles and did weights again.  Went a little crazy, but I used to do this all the time a few years ago!  That was when I was super skinny lol.  I remember on Saturdays, I used to get up at 6:30 or 7 am, go to Equinox and workout for about 2 hours, usually a ballet type of class then kettlebell class.  Then I'd come home to grab some quick breakfast and head out to a different Equinox location to do an hour of boxing.  Be done by around noon.  LOL!  I was insane!

What I wore:  Lululemon Dance Strap tank in fruity tootie, with astro crops in black/bon bon/paradise and I forgot to bring a pair of sneakers or flip flops to spin class, so I ended up wearing my Sam Edelman Mallory slingbacks that I had worn to work lol.  

Saturday 3/23

What I did:  Pilates class - it was super tough!  So sore from it!

What I wore:  I used to layer my Lululemon cool racerbacks all the time, but haven't done it in years.  I don't know why but I decided to do it again.  So I wore my majestic cool racerback over my lavender cool racerback and white Flow Y bra.  And white slub denim Dhanurasana crop.

I also wore my Principle Jacket in black/bold blue as to/from.  It's funny that I've been wearing so much "vintage" Lulu this week.  It's because other things haven't been washed... haha.

Oh yeah, Saturday night dinner outfit is also included here, because I got to wear my new Blank NYC skinny jeans in metallic pink!  They almost match my Ivanka Trump pinkish pumps perfectly so I thought that was awesome.  Too bad these jeans look kind of wrinkly on me.  Maybe because they are one size bigger than I am.  Oh well!  I wore it with my Express red dolman graphic tee, and this Zara white studded jacket.  I should have taken a picture with my pink Chanel purse that I took, because I love all the shades of pink/red!

Sunday 3/24

What I did:  Ran a couple miles, then did weights again!

What I wore:  Lululemon Run Energy SL in potion purple, with power purple Run Passion crop and Brooks Pure Drift shoes.

And that concludes this week's workouts!  I love the combo of eating well and working out!  There is seriously no substitutes for this combo.  It just makes you feel great!

Lululemon Flow and Go Tank in Faded Zap!

I went to my pilates studio in Beverly Hills this morning and stopped by the Lululemon store afterwards.  They have a person wearing boy shorts and super sheer tights over them, doing yoga in the window display, by the way.  As well as manequins dressed up in thongs with super sheer tights over.  Obviously a play on the recently Lululemon sheer bottoms thing that's all over the news.  It was actually a little gross and offensive.  I'm no prude, but it felt like they are making this whole thing a joke when it's in fact a serious issue.  Long time Lululemon fans all know that they've been making see-through bottoms for years now, it's just that they finally admitted it this week.  Although... why now?  I'm skeptical, I think they are using it as an excuse to lower growth expectations.  I work with bonds, not stocks, but I still work in finance and I know that companies usually go from being "growth" stocks to "value" stocks.  Initially when it's growing at a rapid rate, it's classified as a growth stock, its value increases at a fast rate and it pays no or little dividends and reinvest earnings for more future growth.  But that usually only lasts 2-3 years, because nobody is able to maintain that kind of growth rate forever.  Then the company will become more stable and be classified as a value stock, where you won't experience such rapid price appreciation, but you will likely get more dividends and stable prices.    This is around the time frame for Lululemon's growth to slow down.  The ugly shit (not to mention the bleeding colors) they've been making lately aren't helping either lol.  Just looking at my own personal spending at Lululemon, I used to spend hundreds each week and couldn't wait to own the new stuff that get released.  Now I look at the new designs and most of the time I go... meh, and move on.  I shop online a lot, live close to like 10 different stores, and know my credit card numbers by heart, so I'm an easy sell and I'm not even buying!  But who knows, you'd have to look at the benefit of using this as an excuse to lower expected earnings before they come out, or sustain a price drop if this didn't happen and you miss earning estimates.  Just speculating!  But I think that if they want to make jokes, they better be fixing their quality and design problems pronto, otherwise they won't be laughing for much longer.

But anyway, I tried on a bunch of stuff at the store today, but only came home with the new Flow and Go tank in faded zap.  I bought the original version of this tank in alarming a couple years ago, and I bought the deep indigo one last year.  I sold the original one on ebay, for something ridiculous like $128?!?  Did not expect that, but good for my wallet lol.  And I still haven't taken off the tag of my deep indigo one.  I'm thinking I'll sell it on ebay soon too, be interesting to see how much it goes now.  The reason I still haven't worn it is because I always felt a little insecure in it.  The straps are not tight enough, especially the ones connected to the bra.  So I would be a little afraid of falling out of it.  Maybe this is also because I got it in a size 6 since I liked how the back draped better.  But it's just a little big for me.

So anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I tried on the new version in faded zap.  The straps are now flat instead of round, which makes them stay better.  And also the neck strap and the bottom of the bra straps are wider so they are more supportive.  There's no way to fall out of this tank now!  Yay!  I bought it in size 4.  I think this is the correct size for me.  I actually wasn't a fan of faded zap when it first came out a few years ago, but I like it in the petit dot cool racerback and in this tank.  Here's what it looks like on me:

Closer up of the back...

And the front view:

In addition to the straps, the mesh body is also different now.  The deep indigo one had circle mesh, and this one has micro diamond mesh.  I think circle mesh feels smoother and a bit silkier, and micro diamond mesh feels more matte-like.  And as the names suggest, circle mesh has little circles in it, and micro diamond mesh has little diamond shapes.  The micro diamonds are smaller than the circles, making the material look denser and probably why feels more matte.  But really the difference isn't that big between the two.

Here are the two side by side:

So you can see that the new tank's halter neck strap has been reinforced with a wider strap, which gives more support.  And the bra straps are tighter than before, with the bottom one being wider as well.  The flat straps makes them stay better, and I think they look better too.  Not as flimsy/cheap looking as the old rounded ones.

Here are closer ups of each:

So I think I'm actually going to take the tag off of this tank and wear it this time lol.  This time around it also comes in pop orange, black and white.  I briefly considered pop orange for a second, but I'm really not a fan of orangey/samony/coral type of colors.  Plus I have the No Limit tank in flash, which is similar but so much better looking color.  So faded zap it is!

Major Scores from ideeli!

So ideeli was having a huge sale last week and I, being a first row member and can shop an hour earlier, had major trouble adding most things to my cart!  But I did manage to snag two things at extremely cheap prices and they both fit well so I'm very happy!

This is kind of funny.  I actually bought 3 pairs of Blank NYC skinny jeans from Gilt  for $49 a pair, all in my "size up" size of 27.  But when they arrived, the first (and only) pair I tried on, I couldn't even pull them up my thigh!  So I got annoyed and said forget it, and didn't even bother opening up the other two pairs.  But they had one pair of the same jeans, though in a different color, on ideeli for only $12.99!  And it was a size 28.  So I decided to take a chance and order them.  They were not eligible for return because such a big discount was given, but I figured if they didn't fit, I'd only lose 13 bucks.  Worth a try.  They were in a very pretty metallic light pink color!  Thought the pink is very very pale, looks almost nude with a slight shimmer.  I love them!  And they fit!  They are actually even a bit loose.  So maybe the pair I got from Gilt was defective or something.  I did check the size...

Here are the ones I got from ideeli, super happy!

These jeans are great, they look super cute with heels or boots over them.  

And the second item I managed to snag was this sleeveless scoop neck embellished dress by Nameless. For only $17.99.  It's a cute little red number that fits loosely and has gold sequins embellished on the front.  Super easy to wear, all I have to do is throw on a pair of great heels, I'm thinking my Modern Vintage wedge sandals in gold will look super cute with it!

This dress also came in a dark royal blue color with silver sequins.  Super cute too!  I was debating between the two and should have just got both!  

Oh well, I went with red because I don't really have any red dresses.  I have about 10 other items from ideeli coming, so excited!  Lol!

Sunday Funday!

So I've been feeling so great this week, I think it's because of my increased veggie intake from my green smoothies that I've been making everyday!  In addition, I read about this chia seed supergreen drink recipe from Pop Sugar, and have been trying it out every morning!  I actually was really super surprised by how much I like this drink.  I bought all 3 ingredients it calls for - I use ONE coconut water, Nutiva organic chia seed, and Sunwarrior Ormus Supergreens.  It tastes like iced green tea!  It makes me so happy drinking it, and as a pre-breakfast drink, it makes me not as hungry so I can make better choices for breakfast.  This is what it looks like:

I actually never had chia seeds before, and I find it very interesting because when it comes into contact with liquid, it becomes a gel!  Quite fun actually.  I also really like the nutrition content - for 1 tbsp, it has 60 calories, with consists of 3g of fat, 5g of carb (5g of fiber), and 3g of protein.  It's a very well balanced combo, and 5g of fiber is an amazing amount to add to the daily fiber intake from such a small amount of these seeds!  

So I've been having fun experimenting with it.  I decided to make these lemon chia seed protein muffins!  It's basically a combination of different recipes I've read.  Here's what the batter and finished product looks like:

Batter:

Finished product:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour - I used almond flour because I try to eat as little wheat/gluten as possible

2 scoops vanilla protein powder - I used Sunwarrior vegan rice protein in vanilla flavor

1/2 tbs liquid stevia - I used NuNatural 

1/2 tbs vanilla extract

2 tbs grapeseed oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

juice from one lemon

zest from one lemon

2 tbs chia seeds, which I soaked in water for about 10 min until they became gel

I just whisked everything together, poured them into the baking dish, and baked them for about 25-30 min in the oven at 350 degrees.  My batch made 6 of these protein cup cakes!  And they turned out great!  They are also easy to bring to work and have as a snack during the day since they are packed with protein.  I love the idea of a healthy cupcake!

Anyway, so I will look into more uses for these chia seeds!  I had heard about them a long time ago, but it's great to finally be able to try them out in different ways.  They are super versatile and I love that they are great for baking!  

So this week is the 2nd week after my "detox", and I have been eating more wholesome and nutritious foods.  I'm never hungry, and I even lost a pound!  I feel less bloated and way more energetic so I think whatever these new things I'm eating are doing real good!

Here are the workouts and outfits!

Monday 3/11 Rest day

Tuesday 3/12

What I did:  Spin class

What I wore:  Lululemon Let It Loose tank in pink mist, with indigo Ebb & Flow crops.

Wednesday 3/13 - Rest 

Thursday 3/14

What I did:  Pilates

What I wore:  Lululemon Dance Strap tank in army green, with black Ebb & Flow crops.  I seriously love these crops.

For work on the same day, I wore my new Tahari ASL skirt in gray ombre, with this white Mango button down top, although this picture's lighting wasn't very good so you can barely see the ombre in the skirt.  Oh well!  I love it anyways!

Friday 3/15

What I did:  Ran a 5k, on the treadmill, with lots of sprints and hills.  It was a killer!

What I wore:  Juicy Couture yoga tank with Lululemon Run: Passion crops in power purple, and Brooks Pure Drift shoes.

I wore my white swiftly LS top as to and from.

And for work, I wore my new Unique Spectrum button down shirt.  It's a great shirt for Fridays, especially when I paired it with my blue Express wide waistband editor pants that kind of resemble jeans and Sam Edelman Mallory slingback wedge sandals... hehe.

Saturday 3/16

What I did:  I had such a hard but great workout.  I started by alternating 90 second and 30 second sprints, with 60 second rests in between.  Then I did alternating lunge/bicep and squat/shoulder press sets.  Then I went back to the treadmill and ran 5 more 60-second sprints on 15 incline, and then finished it off by doing incline chest press and lat pulldown alternating sets.  I love doing workouts like these, because my heart rate stays up the whole time and I'm sweating like a pig but am so happy lol.

What I wore:  Lululemon Cross My Heart tank in silver spoon, with coal Team Spirit crops and Nike Frees.

Sunday 3/17 - Well, I did kind of want to lift weights today but I got too busy returning stuff at the mall that I ran out of time.  Oh well, while I would have liked to lift one more day, I feel ok about it since I did pilates on Thursday.  I love pilates for strength building.  It also leaves me shaking and sore afterwards.  Amazing how heavy those 3 lb weights can get after a while!  But I really did want to work out today so I could wear my new Lululemon swiftly LS top in fresh teal/very green!  It would have been perfect for St. Patty's!  But oh well!  I like how a lot of my workout motivation comes from being able to wear cute workout clothes.  True story.  =)