Fitgirl Chronicles

Getting Together a Plan

Sunday is a good day to make a plan.  Lately I feel a little "all over the place" as far as the clear goals of my eating plan and fitness plan go.  But here goes.

Firstly, I am reading this book  "A Course in Weight Loss" by Marianne Williamson.  I read right through to the end and now I am going back and slowly completing the Spiritual Lessons.  I think this book is AMAZING.  It is, for me, the mind aspect of "why" am I overweight, "why" can't I get this part of my life together.  It is definitely a process of digging deep to get to the answers inside.  Basically it is the connection of Spirituality and Weightloss.  I would highly recommend the book. It is a lot of work getting through the exercises but worth it.  I am very happy I found this book.

 

 

As far as food goes.  My goal is to be more organize and dig out those healthy recipes.  I am still enjoying the same breakfast that I always seem to eat.  Two poached eggs, and a home made latte.  

  

Some things I want to make this week, a fruit salad of some sort.  I would like to make this recipe that I found here at Love and Photographs ; it was originally posted here on A Foodie Stays Fit:  (Both GREAT Blogs that I just happen to stumble upon by the way!) 

Black Bean, Lime & Cilantro Rice Bowl

Makes 4 main dish portions or 6 side dish portions

●      2 cups cooked brown rice, chilled in refrigerator

●      2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed  (use a good, organic brand - it makes a difference)

●      2 cups tomato, diced  (I usually use 3-4 roma tomatoes)

●      1 bunch sliced green onions (6-7 full stalks, slicing the white and green parts)

●      3 T canola oil

●      3 T red wine vinegar

●      3 T water

●      juice of a fresh lime

●      1 small diced jalapeno pepper (more or less to taste)

●      1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (more or less to taste; I love cilantro so I use almost a cup)

●      1 teaspoons sugar  

●      1 teaspoon kosher salt

●      1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

●      1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Exercise is going to be walking the dog. Getting my butt to the gym early before work to get that routine going again.

More later........

 

Let's Be Honest...

Lately I have time to think about my journey to lose weight and I have not been that happy with my progress.  I have thought about what I want to accomplish and the effort that I have expended and I have realized there is not enough effort being put in to meet the goal.  Further more I pretend to myself in a quiet way that I am doing all the necessary things.  This past week  and leading up to it I have realized more clearly that I am not being honest with myself.  I am not honest about what I am eating and drinking and I am not honest about what I am doing for working out.  I am not making up stories about doing things that I have done or not done, it's not that kind of dishonesty.  It's the kind of dishonesty to oneself when you fool yourself into thinking all is well,  "it's OK if I eat this fast food, I can eat this because it really doesn't make that much difference" or "if I don't work out for 4 days, I'll catch up later". Small, little lies to oneself with over indulgences and bad choices.   Giving into the moment instead of seeing the big picture and then doing it over and over until it is a habit. I don't expect to be perfect and I know things take time but a pattern of "fooling myself" or not being honest with myself is getting tired and it is getting me nowhere.  

So, the first step is to recognize the problem.  Check. Now to fix the problem. I need to be honest with myself. Honest about what I eat and drink and how it affects my health.  I also need to be honest with putting the work in to do the exercise because I need exercise to make me healthy. Full Stop.

I have to be careful not to get too down on myself because that really doesn't get a person anywhere.  But I was feeling down already knowing deep down I was outwardly wanting something and then inwardly doing all the wrong things to get there.  That is not a good feeling.  So I do take comfort in making a conscious decision to  align my actions to my goals. There will be ups and downs in getting to where I want to go but that is normal and to be expected.  I will move forward with honesty and integrity and that way I can really say I am doing my best and that is all one can really do is try and live their best life.

My friday portrait on a monday.

Morning lights.

 

Have a great day everyone.
 

 

Pancakes, Turkey Meatballs and Yoga

So far that is what my week has looked like.

I am happy that I have been hitting the yoga mat.  Each morning I have been doing a podcast from Yoga Journal. The ones I have been doing are about 20 min but a person could combine them or do the longer ones.  For now the 20 min feels about right.  I feel so much better when I do Yoga.  I am trying to accept my body where it is and appreciate it.  I am normally competitive and always comparing myself to others, so when I can't get into a pose as much as the experts I am taking a deep breath and (trying) to just accept where I am today.  After I do the yoga in the morning I feel much more clear headed and aware of my body which frankly is something I needed lately.  Another Yoga site my Yoga friend recommended is Yoga Today, I will be trying this one too.

As well I have challenged a friend at work to take the stairs, so as of yesterday I am taking the 4 flights everyday instead of the elevator. It is a simple way to get a little exercise in and I feel motivated to do it because I see all the super young people at work doing it and I think "I can do that"!

Watched a lot of basketball on the weekend.  I think it is so important for our kids to be active so each weekend we are their biggest cheerleaders.

 

My amazing husband make these awesome chicken fajitas....very healthy and great.

 

Tried a new recipe for Turkey Meatball soup - very good for weeknight, fast, healthy and easy.  Next time I will add more broth.

 

We didn't even have leftovers which is a shocker in our house.

Special request pancakes.....

I spent about an hour making 8 million banana/whole wheat pancakes to freeze and have ready for those crazy mornings.  This week I did a monthly meal plan to try and get on top of the "What's for dinner?" question and to try and eat healthier.

   

That's it for now.  Have a great day everyone!
 
 
 

Moving Forward!!

  Let's just say that October was a blur of crazy busy life and activity.  I have missed my poor neglected blog so here I am. I am not giving up!

Starting at the beginning....

Breakfast today

The old standby.

 

I feel like I have been in a cooking rut lately so I have been scouring cookbooks, my recipe collections, the web to find some inspiration.  I would like to take the stress out of the age old question that I ask myself everyday at 4:00pm - "What's for dinner?" Just having a plan is half the battle.  I am still working on it but a couple of good websites, I have come across containing menus, recipes and meal ideas are "This Week For Dinner." and "What's for Dinner?".

The last little while I have got my priorities mixed up with work and fitting in exercise/eating well, and the basic everyday struggles of fitting it all in.  Unfortunately I have been doing a bit of emotional stress eating.  Not a good cycle to get in.  I found some great articles in the Prevention.com site here. Worth a read. Like anything it will require some work but there are lots of good ideas about journalling, changing habits, staying present, getting in touch with one's feelings and enjoying the journey. I know this can be changed!

Another thing that totally inspires me is fashion and the goal of wearing exactly what I want to wear.   Anyway, in my surfing I found this great site where this girl "Jessica Schroeder " styles her own unique outfits everyday and then posts it.  It's very fun and creative and I find it very inspirational.  I love thrift store shopping and she is a pro.  Check out her site "What I Wore". She has a great post on translating the fashions from the TV show Mad Men and creating your own "Mad Men" style.  Excellent!  I love Mad Men, the amazing costumes and style and set and story and characters.....

Finally, who can't help but be inspired by amazing women who have triumphed and managed to get to their personal goals and establish healthy lifestyles.  Here are a couple of blogs I have found inspiring:  "Prior Fat Girl" and "Oh She Glows".

I'm glad to be back in the blog world to keep me accountable and keep my eyes on the goal at the same time reminding me to enjoy the journey....

Daydreaming of Diners, Summer Sun and some Amazing Coffee

More of our summer travels into Saskatchewan and back into Alberta.  So many great things to see right in one's own back yard. Visiting family in Regina Beach we were greeted with these amazing flowers.

McGraw....what a face...

The Blue Bird Cafe in Regina Beach (formerly Butler's fish and Chips). A very quaint cafe that has been in operation since 1928, noted for it's fish and chips.  We had milkshakes this trip which were very good; fish and chips next trip.

My favorite - sunflowers. Found these in a random drive by of some older neighbourhoods in Medicine Hat.

We made our way to Calgary and visited the Zoo there. Well worth it. 

Ah, the hippos, my favortite. Chunky....

I took this for my friend Diane.

We found this little gem in Calgary on Kensington Street, "The Lido Cafe."

Your basic diner from a simpler time. Vintage without trying to be vintage.

The breakfast special was excellent and reasonable for $6.38 + gst. Not something I would eat everyday due to the calories etc.... but a great weekend treat. The poached eggs were perfect and I am picky about my poached eggs.

The kids had french toast, just how they like it.

Another great stop in Calgary was "The Roasterie" also in Kensington. The coffee is outstanding. Everything is roasted on site - you can't beat the smells..... This coffee shop is authentic and all about the coffee.

Finally, a stop in the country. More great veggies from my mom's garden. My mom gardener extroidenaire.

I so appreciate the home grown veggies.

From that to this roasted pot of goodness. I made a pot roast with roasted veggies on the bottom.

We paired it with this new wine I had in Banff, Bonterra Syrah. Love this wine!

Well, that is it for our travels for awhile. Trying to get back to the familiar routine at home and find my way in my own kitchen again.  

Have a great day everyone.

Feeling muscles I haven't felt in a while.....

That would be due to the shoveling of the huge pile of rocks into our back yard.  But I am glad to do it and get a workout in while fixing up the back yard.

I love the blog world.  I have been surfing tonight looking up some inspirational, interesting blogs to get myself inspired and motivated to continue on my weight loss journey. Some of the blogs that are on my google reader are:

http://lovinmytummy.com/

http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/

http://priyankalovesfood.wordpress.com/

http://www.yogaisyummy.net/

http://healthhappinesshope.wordpress.com/

All unique in there own way and health conscious with great examples of the vast array of healthy food out there.  So more good blogs to add to your readers.  I love seeing how other people are making there lives work with fitting in exercise and eating healthy. And I love seeing all those great food shots.  

My day started with a great brunch - made by great husband.  Sunday Pancake ( a great simple oven baked pancake), watermelon, strawberries, bacon and poached eggs.  This was a lot of food but it lasted me through lunch as well.  Normally I put extra butter on my pancake and sugar but I refrained and took a much smaller piece than I normally would.

My snack for the day was muesli and some strawberries.  Supper was a barbecued hamburger with only 1/2 a bun with a small potato and red peppers (forgot to take photo) and a glass of wine. Overall an Ok day with food.  

Loving the ferns in my garden....had to add that.

That's it for tonight...not feeling too bloggy.

I am so lucky.......

I am so lucky to have such a great family!  The kids and my great husband made me this special brunch.

I am very grateful for all of them in my life.  The old me would have had two or dare I say, three servings of this breakfast with extra butter and syrup.  The new me took one sensible portion and focused on the people not the food.  I still enjoy food (how can you tell by the tons of food pictures!) , but I don't need mountains of it to be full.  I am trying to be filled up in other ways.

After a lovely brunch and some very thoughtful presents of a new sports watch, some perfume, some running socks and my favorite some homemade cards from the kids we went for a drive and in our travels we found this little Lebanese grocery store.  I love finding unique food stores.  I bought a few things.

Some pita bread, lentils, beans, & chick peas

I am not sure what I am going to do with these Fava beans but I am sure I can find a recipe to use them in.

I have never heard of these lentils but they looked interestings so I bought them.  I will do some research to find a good way to use them.  I love lentils.

With my new pita's I made this amazing lunch it was so good & healthy.  The pita's were VERY good.  They are baked locally. On my pita I put a little cream cheese, pickles, tomatoes, avocado, Dijon mustard, light mayo, & lettuce.  It was very filling.

To my family:  Thanks for a great Mother's Day!!