Change

Is there anything more terrifying, or exciting, than change? As someone who once moved 6 times in 3 years, and can tell what year a photo was taken by my hair colour at the time, I must admit change and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship. Isn't it funny how sometimes it's easier to just keep things the same, even when you're not happy?

Changing your body, in particular, takes a great deal of effort. The type of transformation I'm referring to requires a lot of planning, sweat, determination, and of course - will power. It's so incredibly easy to slip into a world of complacency - despising the way your lifestyle makes you feel but accepting it at the same time.

Lately I've spent more time and effort on coming up with excuses for why I'm not yet in the shape I'd like to be, than I have on making an effort to do anything about it. Honestly, summer is a tough time to stay motivated. I was actually doing quite well until July - then came Stampede and the least nutritious food known to man. Corn dogs, mini doughnuts, pop, mozza sticks, and deep fried mac & cheese wedges (so deliciously evil) all washed down with copious amounts of alcohol of course ;) It was a downward spiral from there....

So now it's back to business. And this time I've found a partner in crime. Someone who wants to be in shape for my wedding (almost) as much as I do. We're off to the gym tomorrow to sign up, and I'm excited like a little kid (or just me) at Christmas. I can't wait to start pushing myself, and her, to be our best selves. Because she's the one who taught me everything I know about fitness and nutrition. Oh, what a team we'll make!

Plan Ahead

My workout routine is, of course, an ever evolving creature. There are a few core principles however, that have remained fairly consistent over the last few years. These are based on what I have found works best for myself, through process of trial and error. Planning Ahead As someone who relies heavily on consistency, planning, and schedules, I find it helpful to pencil my workouts into my daytimer at the beginning of the week. There are several benefits to this system. #1. I can plan my workouts for times that I know will work for me, around other commitments. This means that I'm less likely to have to skip a workout because I'm not forced to choose between say, seeing a movie or working out. For example, on Fridays I do cardio before work, so that I will have Friday evening free. Something always seems to come up on this night. #2. It allows an opportunity to psyche myself up for a good workout. #3. It reinforces the idea that I need to make this commitment to myself. And that time is just as valuable as anything else I have scheduled. Example: This week's schedule Mon- Weights:Arms/Abs (evening) *I rarely have plans on Mon night Tues- Cardio (before work) Wed- Weights: Arms/Abs (evening) Thurs- Cardio (before work) Fri- Cardio (before work) Sat- Weights:Arms/Abs Sun- Rest

444 Days

Q: On what day of a woman's life is it most important to her, to look her very best?

A: Her wedding day, OF COURSE!

Unfortunately, the stress that inevitably surrounds this special day, and the many parties leading up to it do make this a challenging goal to achieve. On the other hand, there's nothing quite like a deadline and the thought of professional photographs to motivate a girl. Photographs that will be displayed in my home (and I'm sure my mom's as well) FOREVER..... No pressure or anything, right? ;)

My wedding is on June 16th, 2012. I have 444 days to get in the best shape of my life. 444 chances to say NO to the chocolate easter eggs in the staff room, and YES to working out as soon as I get home (2 small victories today). 444 chances to shape what I will look like in those photos, and how I'll feel when I look back at them for many years to come.

Lentil Stew Recipe

My lentil stew has become a favorite in my house on cold days, and makes enough leftovers for several lunches. I originally got this recipe from http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/ , and made some adjustments as I found it to be a bit bland.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 orange pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/2 medium sized onion

1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp chili pepper flakes (I like this dish a bit spicy - decrease if you prefer a milder dish)
1 tsp pepper

1 cup water
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup brown rice (I use 10 min rice)
1 cup split red lentils

2 cups chopped celery
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sate peppers and onion in olive oil for 3 minutes.
2. Add seasonings and cook for an additional 1 minute.
3. Add water, chicken broth, rice and lentils. Increase heat to high until broth begins to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook at low for 10 minutes.
4. Add celery. Increase heat to high until broth again begins to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook at low for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice. Stir.
6. Enjoy :)

Food Journal - Day #2

Yesterday's meals:

oatmeal w. flaxseed, wheat germ, cinammon, raisins
1 sc. vanilla prot. powder in water
black coffee

apple
1.5 tbsp natural peanut butter

lentil stew
cucumbers

protein bar (eaten while grocery shopping. Waited too late to eat my PM snack and was starving!)

chicken grilled with olive oil + Jamaican jerk spice
steamed brocolli + cauliflower

No treats! :) Feeling so strong today!

Lead by example

Here we go. Day #1 of my my brutally honest food journal. I'm putting it out there for all to see (treats/sneaks/slipups and all). In fact, I'm going to take this one step further and publish my stats as well. Although I have a sneaking suspicion I may live to regret this. Yes, even a 'fit' chick will break into a sweat at the thought of disclosing their real weight to the world.

5'5
Current weight: 127 lbs
Goal weight: 124 lbs

Side note: Feeling really good about these numbers right now, as I looked back in my food/weight logs last night and realized I weighed in at 144 lbs in August 2008. That's a loss of 17 lbs! Only 3 left to go :)

Yesterday:
30m. cardio (level 4 on elyptical)

oatmeal (w. flaxseed, wheat germ, cinammon, raisins, and walnuts)
protein shake (1 banana, 1 sc. vanilla protein powder, water)
black coffee

1/2c. mandarin oranges
1 sc. protein powder, water
mint green tea

lentil stew (homemade) * watch for recipe soon
spinach leaves w. raspberries, raspberrry vinigrette
v. small pc. candycane cheesecake

1 apple
natural (Adam's) peanut butter

1 handful nuts+ bolts

grilled chicken breast w. olive oil + cajun spice
spinach .w. raspberries, raspberry vinigrette

1 apple

Lies & 'Sneaking' Treats vs. the Food Journal

How often do you eat junk food? How many drinks/week do you consume? How much sodium are you adding to your food? Are you eating as many servings of (green) veggies/day as you need? Are you drinking as much water as your body needs? How often do you break a sweat?

This is not a skill testing quiz. Most of us know what our bodies need, to allow us to be our best possible selves. But if you feel like you're really trying, and just not making the progress you would like, it's possible you're not being honest with yourself.

How many times have you eaten just a handful of something you shouldn't, while standing in your pantry? Have you ever hidden the wrapper from say, a chocoate bar, at the bottom of the garbage can?

The problem with 'sneaking' treats is that the only person you're hurting is yourself. You can't lie to your body. It is an incredible accountant - tallying exactly the number of calories/fat/sodium you're putting into it, vs the number you're burning throughout the day. That's why one of my favorite tools for fat loss is my food journal. It's nothing fancy - just a spiral notebook where I write down everything I eat/drink in a day. Sounds scary right? Honesty can be an intimidating thing. The idea is to get a good idea of what you're doing wrong, so that you can see where improvements can be made. It's not about beating yourself up over your mistakes. It's about being honest with yourself. I challenge you to try it for 1 week. No need to document measurements, calories, etc. Just write down everything you eat. That includes the handfuls of M&Ms from the treat bowl on your coworkers desk. You may be surprised at the number of things you 'didn't realize' you were eating.