So many excuses, so many pounds not lost

Posted on May 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

It feels like all my life I’ve had a weight problem.  I have no idea when I was officially heavier than others but I did start dieting around 12 years of age and I do vividly recall certain treats being off limits to me.  Of course that just meant that I’d eat more when no one was around.  I even snuck ice cream into my rice krispies…that’s talent…but it’s also another story.

I went on my first real, paid diet when I was 17.  At that time I weighed almost as much as my dad.  I believe I weighed 168lbs and I lost 40lbs.  It was great.  I kept that off for  a while but marriage and kids each added some pounds and some diets in between kept it from getting bad.  The best was when I discovered Dr. Fuhrman and Eat to Live…obviously.

However I need to come clean.  I still haven’t finished and I feel like I still have a weight problem.  When I first set out to lose weight I lost more than I even thought possible however I set my sights on getting closer to the idea for my height and that’s what I haven’t reached.

It frustrates me at times and other times I’ve felt like a fraud.  I’ve got lots of reasons why I haven’t finished losing weight and the past three years have been the worst but in the end that’s all…I haven’t finished.  I’ve been living a reasonable life or justifying it but today I’m openly declaring that I’m done with having reasons and excuses and I’m ready to finish.

How about you? Does this sound familiar? I became a trainer because I love how much my life has changed and I want others to feel just as great as I do.  Don’t get me wrong, I love how far I’ve come….I’m frustrated that I haven’t finished. I’ve lived this and I’ve struggled through it.  I can help you and you can help me too!

All these reasons justify the comfort food and the lack of consistency when it comes .  They keep me resigned and lead to me hating myself.  I’ve even lost my confidence in myself.  So I’m declaring to you that I’m done with the excuses and I’m done with the justifications.  I’m upping my game and taking action!

Life isn’t always easy but food or skipping a workout hasn’t made it easier…in ways it has made it harder.  It is keeping me from following my dreams!  That just plain sucks.  I know how hard it is to face people when you don’t feel your best and I know how easy it is to avoid situations because you don’t want to face them.

I’ve been there and I’m still avoiding certain things because I haven’t finished losing weight.  Eleven years ago I wanted to be in the body I imagined…that’s a long time…that’s even before I radically changed my life! I’ve never declared that I’m perfect and I realize my inaction has impacted my life so much.  Each time I learn a valuable lesson…now it’s time to move, go, do it!

I got complacent but I’m done with that!  I don’t want to wish I’d taken more action a few months ago so that by now I’d look a certain way.  If I take consistent action I’ll get there and then I will no longer have to worry about how I look or feel.  I also had two illnesses in one month…that is not good and it’s really bothering me.  My health is so important and I need to make sure I’m at my best.

So, are you going to join me?  I can’t do this alone….I want to feel free, vibrant and confident…don’t you?  Let’s keep each other focused and committed! Start now by downloading my e-book and drop me a comment on how best I can support you!

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Posted in Eat to Live, Exercise, Healthy Eating, Motivation

Have you tried cherimoya?

Posted on May 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

When I first heard of this fruit I knew I HAD to try it. I googled it and according to Wikipedia it has a sherbet-like texture and it tastes like a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach, and strawberry. I didn’t go searching for it in local grocery stores nearby however I did think of it once in a while.

Several years later I saw it in our local grocery store so unexpectedly and I was thrilled.  I brought two home and since they were ripe I put them in the fridge.  Oh my…how tasty.  They have a custardy texture with a mix of fruity flavour and maybe even a hint of vanilla thrown in.

I’m not a fan of tropical fruit but this one was a hit.  They’re back in our grocery store and my husband has been bringing them home.  As a desert on it’s own it is fantastic but this past week I used them to make awesome smoothies that tasted like Juicy Fruit gum!

Here’s a recipe for the amazingly sweet smoothie.

Juicy Fruit Smoothie

1 cherimoya, peeled and chopped finely (make sure you remove all the seeds!)

2 inch slice of pineapple

1 banana

1 Tbsp hemp seeds

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach

6 ice cubes

1/2 cup water

Throw everything into the Vitamix and blend until smooth.  Enjoy…be sure to share!

For more recipes get my free e-book and join me on facebook…I’d love to hear about your favourite smoothie combinations too!

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Posted in Healthy Eating, Nutritarian, Recipes, Uncategorized

Spinach and Chick Peas – 3 ways

Posted on May 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

I whipped this up for dinner recently using the Indian version.  Delish…and it’ll be lunch today.  If you don’t like a big bunch of cooked spinach this may not be for you but I love it….and you should eat more greens :) so this is a perfect way to get them. The possibilities are endless but I’ll give you three tasty options depending on what you’re craving.

Many times I don’t care what veggies I’m cooking and I just chopped and saute whatever I have on hand but the big decision is what flavours I’m craving so that’s why I have options for you too!

Another bonus…it’s fast! It’s like a dump and simmer kind of recipe.  I used green onions because I was in a hurry and didn’t want to wait to saute a regular onion.  Mushrooms would be perfect but I ran out.  You can have dinner ready in 30 minutes with minimal mess.

Spinach and Chickpeas

1 large can crushed tomatoes

2 cans chick peas (rinsed and drained)

3 pkgs of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed out)

2 green onions, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Indian version – 1tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground corriander, 2 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce to taste

Italian version – add basil, oregano and rosemary to taste

Mexican version – 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp oregano, hot sauce to taste

Prep:

Saute the green onion in some water and 2 minutes later add the garlic.  Add your spices and herbs and stir them around.  Dump the tomatoes, 1 cup water, the chick peas and stir well.  Simmer for 10 minutes to combine the flavours.

Add the spinach, stir well and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more.

We had this with a bit of whole wheat pita to soak up some of the juices.  I loved it…my son ate it but he’s not a fan of the texture of cooked spinach.

Other variations – add any other veggies you want to use up such as zucchini, mushrooms, regular onion, anything else in your fridge.

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Posted in Healthy Eating, Nutritarian, Recipes

Ignore Those Voices in your Head!

Posted on May 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

So here we are, another Monday morning and you may have made big plans for today.  It’s the first day of the new you or the start of something fresh.  Or…you tried on a skirt that didn’t fit how it should have and you’re beating yourself up for it.

Which one is it? A bit of both?Or something else all together? But I bet you’re beating yourself up about something.  Am I right?

From time to time we mess up and delay our progress in reaching our goals.  I can certainly relate.  I am far from perfect and I’ve got wonderful excuses for not being where I feel I should be by now.  Those voices in my head are brutal.  My inner dialogue can be so mean and so critical.  But I’m learning to accept them and act in spite of them.

Picture this…you’re driving your car and the radio is on.  The ad on the radio tells you to go to your nearest McDonalds and try the latest burger but you choose to ignore it and you keep driving.  You’re in control.  You don’t need to do what the radio says right?

Imagine that radio is the voice in your head.  It may say you’re lazy or it may say you’re a failure but you’re the driver..you control your life.  What do you want?  Seriously consider what you want and no matter what your voices tell you take a step–take action! You didn’t get here overnight and those steps will not give you instant success but over time they will.

Those voices in your head will continue to tell you stuff but you can keep control of the steering wheel, tell your voices that you’re in charge and keep moving.  Before you know it your skirt may be too loose or you’ll be amazed that you’re feeling better about yourself.

Don’t force the thoughts…acknowledge them, be present to what they’re saying but remember that you’re in control.

Join me on Facebook and let me know what you’re thinking.  I’d love to hear from you! Let me know what you want…no holds barred!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Posted on May 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

Yesterday I was craving something spicy and zippy.  I wanted hummus!  I whipped this recipe together in my Vitamix rather quickly and had to control myself from eating the whole thing by myself!

You can eat food that tastes good and enjoy weight loss and optimum health.  I’m not sure why a plant-based, whole food diet seems so restrictive to some.  The key is to focus on ALL the foods you CAN eat.  My culinary tastes actually expanded and I discovered lots of new and tasty recipes after changing my eating.  I was literally stuck in a rut before.

Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can chick peas, rinsed well

2 tsp garlic paste

2 roasted red peppers

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp shriracha (vietnamese hot sauce)

a little bit of water to get it going in the blender

Dump everything into the Vitamix and blend until smooth.

Awesome with raw veggies or as a spread for veggie wraps.  In a pinch this would even be great as a salad dressing if you add a bit more water!

Enjoy

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Posted in Eat to Live, Healthy Eating, Nutritarian, Recipes

the tragic end to our watermelon

Posted on May 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

The watermelon wasn’t just some fruit…it was the promise of a sweet and tasty sign of summer on the horizon.

One bite and it just wasn’t that good.  Well, my son decided to have some fun with the melon.  Kinda funny…what do you think?

 

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What the FLU reminded me I needed to do

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

A week ago today I came down with a fever that lasted 5 days.  I was shocked.  By Friday I had a bad cough, chest pain, headaches and lots of congestion.  I was still shocked that this could be happening to ME!

You see, for six years I didn’t even get a cold.  When I became a nutritarian one of the benefits was super health and I could hug and kiss my sick kids and didn’t even fear getting a cold…I was like a super hero thanks to my health.

I started wondering what was going on when last fall/winter I ended up with a cold twice.  I figured it must be a result of lots of stress and lack of sleep.  Three weeks ago I had a cold again…grrrrr.  Then last week the flu!  No wonder I was shocked.

It was a good wake up call.  I took the time to revisit what I’d been doing to hinder my immunity and it boils down to a few things.

Lack of sleep – I was burning the candle at both ends and I need to go back to an earlier bed time.  Sleep is so important for me to recover from the stresses in life and to relax.

Junk – Yeah, with stress comes junk…well for me it does.  The past three years have been very stressful for me and no matter how much health-promoting food I eat I feel that I’ve been more lenient with junk when I’m really stressed…sometimes to the point that I hardly notice I’m taking a bite of this or a taste of that.

Exercise or a lack thereof – Even though I’d been very consistent once the T-Tapp challenge started, I looked back and the past two months hadn’t been too good. The past three years were my worst for consistency to be honest.  I’d never had this much trouble with consistency since starting T-Tapp.  Something big was going on.

Stress! – The culmination of three years of stress came to a head this year.  I’m in a much better place however I still have moments where I feel like I just came out of a war.   Stress impacts me a great deal.  I became exhausted and unable to follow my routine.  This is surprising because it wasn’t a new routine.  We’re talking something firmly established and in place for several years!

Yeah so those four things set me up to get sick.  I wasn’t charging my batteries and recovering from the stress and it was making me want to sit on the couch and ignore everything rather than taking the time to take care of myself.

So now, as I recover from the flu and a cold within the same month I really need to take charge and get myself back together.  I need to build back my strength and my immunity because there is no substitute for it.  I wanted to cry because I felt to tired and weak on Friday and I know I don’t want to feel that way ever again.

Can you relate to any of these factors playing havoc in your life?  I’d love to hear how you take care of yourself and make sure you eat right, sleep enough, exercise consistently and reduce stress or unwind from a stressful day.

I wish you great health!

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Posted in Exercise, Healthy Eating, Motivation, Nutritarian, T-Tapp

You think it’s hard to eat healthy?

Posted on April 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ok, so maybe some things are hard (such as dealing with social situations) when you want to eat healthy and lose weight.  Others appear hard such as figuring out what to make.  If you’re ready for the change then usually it won’t feel as hard because you’ve done your homework and you truly are ready.  I love to help people by sharing recipes and ideas on what to eat.

I’ve been doing this for quite some time and I find that being a nutritarian is actually easy.  I really don’t have to cook every day for me and I wish my family all ate like me so there would be no need to cook for them as much either…hahahaha.

A few days ago I already had my dinner planned and so did my older son since he’s eating like me lately but my husband didn’t know what to eat and if my younger son had a choice he’d eat junk every day.  Well, I didn’t want them to eat take out and if I was going to cook then they were going to have to eat what I came up with.

In 45 minutes I’d made a huge tossed salad and a delicious quinoa/bean/veggie salad. I kept thinking how easy it was and that we often “think” it’s hard because it’s different or new.  Even the kitchen clean up was easier…no grease, no gross meat gunk…it was fabulous.

I didn’t follow a recipe I just grabbed whatever veggies I had on hand and chopped them while I cooked the quinoa, some corn and peas.  Then I drained and rinsed the cooked stuff under cold water and added it to the chopped veggies.  To that I added two cans of beans then dressed it and stirred it all up. Voila…it was done.  I ate mine over the tossed salad on my plate.  It was so good and easy!

I’ve developed my own little system where I only need to cook for myself once or twice a week and maybe whip up a bean dip mid week if necessary.  It’s outlined in my e-book too.  Honestly I think the hardest thing is to keep enough fruit and veggies in the house!

Go download the e-book, read through it and get ready to make the change.  If you’re not fully ready why not try some of the tasty recipes and use them as side dishes until you are.  Don’t forget that I’m here for you too in case you have any questions or want to bounce some ideas off me.

You can do it!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Project “Look Good for Prom” – Week 1

Posted on April 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

About two weeks ago my son approached me and said “Mom, can you help me look good for prom in June?”  I told him about the T-Tapp challenge and said he could eat like me for a magic combination that would help him lose weight and be healthy.  He agreed..much to my surprise.

Last week we embarked on a 5 day fruit and veggie “kickstart” to detox after Easter celebrations and get into the groove by resetting his palate faster.  I felt it would be easier to go big rather than dabble with some things and just have a little bit of others.  Apart from fruit and veggies he did have some of my flax seed crackers.  I was skeptical that he’d join the contest but he did when we took pictures and our measurements on Tuesday, the day the contest started.

I made sure we had enough variety of fruits and veggies for smoothies, salads, and even made an eggplant dip and a mock-guacamole dip so he wouldn’t feel deprived.  The kid was constantly hungry and I explained that he needed to make sure he had enough green veggies as well as other veggies to fill him up rather than eat too much fruit.  Honestly the food flew out of the fridge last week.  I also told him about toxic hunger and that he was suffering from withdrawal from his food addictions too.

He was very sleepy but then again what teen isn’t?  He was a good sport too! He did have a moment or two where he was tempted to indulge in a cookie or a chocolate but with some thought-provoking questions and facts he was able to skip them. He told a few friends and even twittered about his lunch one day!

The plan now is beans, greens, fruits and seeds/nuts for the most part, with some whole grains too, for another 5 weeks and we keep going with the T-Tapp challenge until June 10th.

When it came to T-Tapp I loved having a workout buddy.  He was very gung ho about working out and I had to remind him at times that less is more.  For something that looks so easy he got the full experience when we did the Total Workout for the first time.  Up to now he’d never done more than just the basic workout and even then he’d say it was amazing how good it was considering how easy it looked.  With some very funny and sweaty moments he pulled through the first week.

Overall he’s glad he’s doing this but I asked him to answer some questions about his first week:

What was the hardest part of this week? – Being hungry all the time, veggies don’t fill me up as much as meat and bread. (My note: I think part of this was dealing with withdrawal and toxic hunger and it should get easier as we progress)

What was the best part of this week? – Making my mom happy, cause she has a workout buddy.

How are you feeling after eating this way?  – I feel good; a lot better than I used to.

What are your thoughts about T-Tapp so far? – YOU PEOPLE ARE INSANE…ITS TIRING!

Are you feeling any physical or mental changes as a result of the two things? - Physically I feel better. My poop is better! (My note: Along with several poop conversations he also mentioned that he felt happier this week).

We didn’t weigh ourselves but we will be taking measurements mid-way to see how it’s going.   I’ll keep you posted.  I’m so proud of him for taking on this step in his life because of the health benefits of eating a nutritarian diet and for the rehabilitative qualities of T-Tapp.  He hurt his knee playing football and I hope this helps with that.

The journey continues but I hope that what he learns after we’re finished is that his health is important and that he feels so good that he’ll continue with the healthy habits after the challenge.

We’ll keep you posted!

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Posted in Eat to Live, Nutritarian, T-Tapp

Cashew Chocolate Dip – A healthy chocolate dip!

Posted on April 12, 2012 | 8 Comments

For real? A healthy chocolate dip?…YEP! And it tastes fantastic.  No one needs to know it’s actually healthy.

I wish I could say I invented this but I didn’t.  I am thrilled to be sharing it with you though!  It came from Dr. Fuhrman’s website and as a member I get access to awesome recipes, support and information.

I made this tasty dip to serve with fruit after our Easter lunch and it was aaaaamazing!! The original recipe calls for almond or almond butter but I used cashew butter and it was great.  The best thing about this is that you can follow a plant-based, unprocessed diet and still enjoy something that your friends will think looks and tastes normal :) This is also friendly for people on vegan or raw food diets too.

Cashew Chocolate Dip
Ingredients:
2/3 cup raw cashew butter
1 cup almond milk (make your own, it’s easy…instructions)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman’s Cocoa Powder or other natural cocoa powder, not Dutch processed (I used two)
2/3 cup dates, pitted (next time I’ll use only half a cup)

Instructions:
Blend the ingredients in the Vitamix until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary.

Use as a dipping sauce for fresh strawberries and fruit slices.

Now obviously this isn’t something you’d be eating every day because it is nutrient dense but it’s a tasty treat when you’re craving something special and chocolate!!

Try it out and let me know if you liked it.

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Posted in Eat to Live, Healthy Eating, Nutritarian, Recipes