It's All About Me...(Not Really)

Being fit isn't just about the physical, but rather it involves being healthy emotionally and mentally too. Now I am no doctor or therapist but I do know that when I am run down, unmotivated and mentally exhausted I am no good to anyone else. So as an average woman with no fancy education or medical/therapeutic insights how do I stay sane in an insane world?

Simple. I make time for me.

That's it. I know it's not a fit all answer to solve every problem. I realize life has it's ups and downs and there will be times we are exhausted and emotionally drained – but we can find joy in the simple things in the midst of our roller coaster lives. If we find ourselves in the midst of problems or situations that need expert advise then yes we take the opportunities before us. I am not advocating giving this up at all. I am simply saying that we need to make a little time for ourselves in our hectic schedules to enjoy life.

Finding ways to enjoy life can be as simple as finding a hobby, investing in our relationships, exercising, taking a vacation, learning something new or finding some quiet time.

I am no Martha Stewart, I am not crafty, artsy or athletic but I do find ways to take time to unwind, relax and enjoy the moments. Some of my favourite things include: reading, baking, exercising, going on hikes, watching a movie, taking a vacation and trying or learning new things. Of course I can't be doing all of these things at the same time, some of them are based on the season we are in. However some I take time to enjoy on a daily or weekly basis like reading, baking and exercising.

What do you do to remain sane? What are your hobbies? Do you enjoy taking the dog for a walk, going for a run, taking a long hot bubble bath?

Make the time for you. Make the time to find peace and relaxation. Make the time to unwind after a busy day or week - you need it. You can't be any good to anyone else around if you aren't taking care of yourself as well. Women in particular are very giving and nurturing in nature so we are always doing for others, wanting the best for them so let's not look at ourselves in any less of a way as we look at others and desire the best. Let's take that time for ourselves as well and take care of ourselves just as we take care of our children, our partners and loved ones, our homes and jobs.

We are worth it.

Sweets & Treats

It's no secret that I have a sweet tooth.  I LOVE almost everything that falls into the dessert category.  It's one of my hang ups that I have to watch myself for.  I have gotten a lot better over the last year and I avoid bringing that kind of stuff into my home but every now and again a girl's got to give herself a break.  I am very happy with the progress that I have made and I've even noticed that some of the treats I used to really enjoy I don't care for anymore.

So how does one meet a craving without blowing all the effort?  For me it's simple - I keep things in the home that meet the craving but also have nutritional value to them.  I try my best to eat lot's of fruit (and veggies).  Sometimes the natural sugar in fruit is all I need.

However in those weaker moments I like to have on hand some great snacks that taste great, meet the craving and actually have some health and nutritional value.  Now I did say some, I'm not perfect here and I'm not about to deprive myself and lose control down the road. Here are the items you will find in my pantry:

For my sweet tooth I like to have dark chocolate on hand.  I have read many articles on the benefits of having dark chocolate and it tastes great.  I also enjoy the GOGO Quinoa cookies from Costco.  These are yummy and actually contain some good for you nutrients.  Some other favourites  are the Pepperidge Farms Baked Sweet Crisps (which by the way you can get for $2 a bag when on sale) and Kashi granola bars that come in a variety of good for you flavours. You can eat 20 Pepperidge Farms crisps for only 90 calories, 3 grams of fat and 5 grams of sugar. And the good for you part is that they are made with a blend of whole grains.  Not too bad, but remember portion control is very important.  It's easy to get carried away and not pay attention but the key is to pay attention as I wrote about in my last post.

I also enjoy freezing grapes in the summer and making my own homemade ice cream with frozen bananas.  (Just freeze a sliced banana then toss in a blender with other fruit, peanut butter or a little chocolate).  I also enjoy doing my own baking so I know what is going into my goodies.  I use of coconut oil, coconut sugar, apple sauce, agave nectar and whole wheat flour in my baked goods and yes - the treats taste great!





For those of you who may crave salt over sugar, some of my favourites are the Pepperidge Farms Baked chips - these taste great with guacamole, Popchips (again you can get for $2 a bag on sale and come in a variety of flavours) and Wild Roots Wild Chips in the kale and chia flavour from Costco.  When craving a little crunch and salt these do the tick.  Again paying attention to the serving size is important.  Even when snacking on healthier alternatives going overboard will still add on the calories.

If you haven't already discovered some of these treats and goodies I hope you give them a try and let me know what you snack on to meet your sweet and salty cravings?  I would love to know!

Until then, stay fab!

Missing my Skinny Jeans

I am facing a struggle right now.  A food struggle.  And it is SO FRUSTRATING!  Sometimes it feels like I make all this effort, make all these changes and nothing is happening.  It feels discouraging and disheartening.  It seems as though I've plateaued. I am stuck and can't seem to drop any more weight. 

Do you know this feeling?  Can you relate to me?  All this effort feels like a waste, making it very tempting to give up.  But let me just say I won't.  My feelings are just that - feelings. I know that it's not just about losing a few pounds, but making myself healthy and strong to fight off diseases that may be from an unhealthy lifestyle.  But it would be really, really nice to fit into my skinny jeans again, know what I'm saying?

My collection of skinny jeans.

This past week I decided that I would write down everything that I was putting in my mouth.  Do you know how tedious that task is?  I am not a fan, but I knew if I did it would reveal something.  And as I predicted - it did.   I am a mindless eater.  Yep, I stick stuff in my mouth without any thought, mostly because I'm bored or I'm afraid I won't get a chance to grab a snack later. Usually I'm not even hungry.  Crazy right?  But how many of us do this?  I'm sure I'm not alone.  And when I do this mindless eating I'm certainly not going for the apples or carrots nope not me, I'm reaching for the cookies, chips, baked goods, you know the stuff that tastes good in the moment but follows with regret shortly after.

So how am I going to deal with this?  How can I overcome my mindless boredom eating? This is the challenge.  But I bet that if I can conquer this I might actually fit into my skinny jeans again.  My weakness if food.  I LOVE FOOD, and I think I am guilty of not paying attention to my serving sizes.  So is there something to learn, Yep you got it.  I have to learn to have a better relationship with food.  That it isn't about eating when I'm bored or feeling down.  But food is the body's fuel.  Not that it can't be enjoyed but I have to see it for what it is.  It is fuel for my body not a emotional fix.  

Maybe I need a hobby - something to keep me occupied, entertained and enjoying life.  I also need to recognize when I am feeling tempted to mindlessly eat and think about what that will do to me.  To be aware when I am eating.  To be more in the moment - if that makes any sense.

So the challenge for me now (and maybe you to) is to PAY ATTENTION!  Pay attention to how I feel when I want to grab a snack, pay attention to what I'm eating and pay attention to how much I am eating. My goal is to change my attitude towards food, and when I fit into my skinny jeans again I will post a picture.

Stay fab!





 

You mean I can eat Healthy and still Save Money?

We all like to save a little money, wouldn't you agree? So that is why today I want to share some of my secrets on how to save money while still eating healthy. I hear it all the time, how it's so expensive to eat healthy – and it can be, but with some time, effort and planning you actually CAN eat healthy and save money at the same time.

I will be honest with you, I usually spend about $110 a week on groceries for a family of four. Sometimes it's a bit more and sometimes a little less but on average that's what it usually is. So what are my secrets? Well let me tell you. These practices work for me but you will have to decide what works best for you. Hopefully you will be able to adopt one or two ideas and keep a little more money in your pocket as well.

1. I shop in a store that price matches. This way I can go to one place and buy what I need at the lowest sale price for that week. Mind you I don't price match if the difference is just a few cents, that's not worth it. However by price matching you can save some decent money on items you need.

2. I usually purchase only what's on sale for most things. That way I have variety in my food week to week and I'm saving money. This is where time and planning comes in for me. I have to watch what I have and how low products are getting. When I have a third left of the product I start checking the flyers for sales. That way I still have a couple weeks to look and compare prices. So far this has worked well for me.

3. I use coupons. It's great to use a coupon on a regular priced item and even better to use it on a sale item. Most times I will check the expiry date and hold onto the coupon until that item goes on sale within that time frame.

4. I buy in bulk when something is on sale for half price or more than half price. For example I really enjoy the Classico sauces so when they go on sale for $1.99 a jar (regular price about $4.29 at Metro) I buy lots to last me for a few weeks. I try to do this with all my non perishables and even frozen items.

5. I also compare regular prices in different stores on certain items like nuts and snacks. I find that on average nuts are cheaper at Costco. So once in a while I will go there and buy a bag. I personally like to buy a different kind of nut or mixed dried fruit each time I go so that I am getting different nutrients and variety. 
   
   
6. Lastly, I fill my freezer. I always have frozen veggies, fish and other items in the freezer as a quick go to when needed. If one week I buy a little less food I know that I have something in the freezer.

That is it! That is how I save money and still eat healthy. I hope this has helped and you can adopt some of my practices so that you too don't have to go broke to eat healthy. This does take some effort and planning but if you are able to give it a try and see how you too can save a bit more in the grocery store.

Let's stay fab!

Give me Some Encouragement Please

Have you ever noticed that all the motivational and inspirational pictures posted on Pinterest are of these amazing looking women with slim thighs, rock hard abs and perfect looking faces?  And have you also noticed that other women are posting these pics with the words inspiration and motivation?

I don't know about you, but for me I don't find those kind of pictures motivating at all.  I actually find them rather discouraging.  I know myself, I know my body type, what I'm capable of, and how much time I have to devote to working out, and I know that I will NEVER have ROCK HARD abs and SUPER SKINNY thighs.  I don't have the body type for it and I certainly don't have the time to spend working out to even achieve something close to what these women look like. 

Don't get me wrong, those women look amazing - and good for them, but they probably do modeling for a living and have the time to spend in the gym.   On top of that these pictures have also been touched up.  But what about the rest of us?  What about the average women who has to work all day, take care of children, cook and clean?  What does healthy look like for us?

I would love to see more pictures of women like me who work out and eat healthy who aren't a size two.  I know that I'm not perfect and I'm not even at my goal yet - but I also know that healthy doesn't always look like a tightly toned skinny figure.  

Not so good at taking selfies

Let's encourage one another to promote something more realistic, more like you and I.  

We all know that what we see is not real - we all tell ourselves it's a touched up photo and even that woman doesn't look like that.  But over time these images still make their way into our heads and hearts and convince us that this is the ideal - this is what needs to be achieved to be beautiful, healthy, strong, etc.  It somehow still has the power to make us feel not good enough. 

I hope that as I share my healthy pic that ts serves as motivation and inspiration to you!  Let's make beauty real by being ourselves and finding the confidence in that. 

Keep staying fab my friends, you are all worth it!

Can I be honest about something?

Struggles. We all face them. My struggle this week (because you know it changes time to time) is not feeling good enough. This battle in my mind takes over my thoughts and my emotions. Rendering me feeling hopeless, my goals unattainable, and not good enough to be successful, noticed and accepted.

I fall into the trap of comparing myself to those around me. I feel like I'm not thin enough, pretty enough, smart or ambitious enough. The lies and distortion halt me in my tracks. They leave me unmotivated and feeling pretty lousy about myself. Times like this are hard. I know that these feelings I have been facing this past week are only that – feelings. THIS DOES NOT DEFINE WHO I AM.

And I also know that next week I will probably be back to my normal self – feeling motivated, focused and confident in my abilities and capabilities. So what triggered this? I allowed myself to look at others and play that comparison game. I'm not perfect and neither is anyone else, and I think we are all guilty of this from time to time. We see someone else who looks better and we immediately put ourselves down. Why is that? Why do we compare? We are the ones who lose when we do this. We always tend to feel lower, less than, not good enough when we compare. Why can't we look at others and simply be happy for them or admire them, without it affecting how we feel about ourselves. And maybe some of you are able to do that. Not actually compare but see the good in oneself along with others around you, and that is awesome! But for me – I'm still working on getting there. I want to. I want to not fall into that trap when I see someone prettier, successful, more outgoing. I want to enjoy who they are as a person, without it affecting how I feel about myself.

Do I think this ideal is obtainable, yes I do. I think its a matter of changing a mindset. The mindset that says – yes I am just as good as that person, not less than - simply because of who I am.

I am strong, I am capable, I am perseverant, I am good enough! I know this because I have seen this in myself, others have seen it in me. I will remind myself that I am these things when I find myself playing that old dirty comparison game.

You know what? I am fit to be fab!!! And so are you! I hope that my honesty challenges you the next time you may find yourself playing that game. Remember who you are, and know that it is good enough!

Easy and Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins

One of my favourite things to bake is muffins.  They are easy to make, healthy, great for breakfast or a snack and the kids love them!

 
I have tried a few different recipes and mashed them all together to make my own version.  So today I will share this simple and great recipe with all of you.  

Easy and Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or white all-purpose flour, or flour of choice)
3/4 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup coconut oil (or whatever oil you like to use for baking)
2 tbsp of flax meal (I grind my flax seeds)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar (I use a combination of white sugar and coconut sugar)*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 chocolate chips
1/4 nut of choice (optional)
1/4 dried fruit of choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tray (or grease loaf pan). 

Mix all ingredients together.  Divide batter into muffin tray or place batter in loaf pan.

Bake for 18 - 22 minutes.  I usually check my muffins at the 16 - 18 minute mark to determine how much longer they may need.

Remove from oven when done and let cool.

Enjoy with a nut butter or jam for added flavour.

*Using only 1/3 cup of sugar does not give the muffins a sweet taste.  If you prefer them to be a bit sweeter use 1/2 cup of sugar.

Have fun and experiment with the recipe and make it your own!  Add different types of dried fruit, play with the measurements and see what you can come up with.  Share with me how you made this recipe in your own unique way.  I would love to hear back from you!

This is my kid friendly and fun version with blue bubblegum icing from Duncan Hines Icing Creations. The children really enjoyed having this as a treat!

Until the next time, STAY FAB!