How to set yourself up for a FAB week!

To me, Monday sparks the start of a new week and a clean slate. Whoever says “I’ll start that diet on Wednesday?” No one! See my point?

If I am going to do some badness, I like to save it for the weekend. It gives me something to look forward to! And by ‘badness’ I mean a treat meal or something a little naughty. Something that I wouldn’t normally eat during the week – like a container of icing. Just kidding – I am so NOT kidding! Moving on… In my mind, if I keep the week clean I have some wiggle room for the weekend. Hopefully I have worked hard during the week and eaten clean. I try not to drink alcohol during the week and save it for the weekend. I am quite partial to a gin & tonic or a glass or two of wine. Cheers to the weekend!

A few things that I do to help set myself up for a successful week include the following:-

1. Meal Plan (usually we only eat meat once or twice a week) – I literally write Monday through to Sunday on a piece of paper and start filling in meal ideas that we might like. If I see something I like, I write it down for the following week so I always have a list of potential ideas. Sometimes it comes easy, others it is like waiting to win the lottery (which I totally plan on doing this year!). I also think ahead and block out 1 night that we can plan a treat meal for. Or, if we have dinner plans with friends. It all gets included in the plan!
2. Make a grocery list – I will go through the week of meals and write down items that we will need. Then I go through the cupboards, freezer and fridge. Not only does it cut back on waste, it also avoids a potential domestic with my husband for wasting food and money 🙂
3. Plan fitness for the week – How many times do I want to run during the week? Am I training for a race? Is the weather supposed to be nice for the week? If so, I will plan to bike in to work, a good 25 minute ride. Yikes! Do we have anything active planned for the weekend? With the nicer weather finally happening I love to be outside as much as possible.

I also do meal prep for our puppy Buster Boo. Say what? Yep! We like for Buster to eat well too. It shows in his overall being when he is eating healthy. We like to prep a few bits to keep on hand for him. It makes feeding him in the mornings and evening so much easier when we can just pull out the containers out of the fridge. If we are doing a BBQ he always gets a little bit of meat and a bit of sweet potato. We also make an effort to take him to the dog park a couple of times a week. I honestly don’t know who enjoys that more – Buster or us? We love to watch him charge around and play with his friends. It is important for him to be able to socialize as well. A tired puppy is a happy puppy!

Do I always stick to my plan? Of course not. I am HUMAN! Sometimes all it takes is for me to see a TV ad with something yummy in it and I no longer want what I planned for dinner. It happens! But I don’t beat myself up for it. I strive for balance. I also believe that there is always tomorrow to get back on board and try again.

I try to set my mind and focus on a good week. To me a Monday is kind of like New Year’s Day. It is full of hope and potential. A lot of people do not like Monday but it represents a fresh start to me – a chance to shape & create an amazing week.

What do you do to set yourself up for a healthy week?

If a tree falls in the forest…

Oh that proverbial tree! This is a post that I have had in my head for a few weeks now. I guess you can say that in my head I have been drafting it! I want to compare ‘the tree in the forest’ to workouts, clean eating and results. If we workout and eat healthy but do not see a result on the scale, does it still count?

One of my fears of moving to Whistler, BC has been putting those dreaded winter pounds. Yikes! It makes sense that it happens. We are less active and on a cold winter evening the thought of cuddling up on the couch with something yummy is quite appealing. Appealing, until the next morning when we get on the scales and see what our ‘badness’ from the night before has done to our progress. Oh no! “I swear I will be good today!” Only to repeat such badness the following night!

As we get older, it takes forever for our hard work to show results. But…it only takes a few moments of weakness to gain it all back and then some. I remember when I was in my twenties I used to eat three chocolate bars a day! Yes, 3, you read that right! As the years go by our metabolism starts to slow down and the weight starts to slowly creep on. I am a firm believer in nothing happens over night. You don’t put it on over night and you certainly won’t take it off over night. If you do, more power to you! P.S. I secretly hate you and your ridiculous speed of light metabolism!

We should exercise and eat clean because it makes us feel better. But most of us (my hand has just gone up!) do it for the potential results. When we don’t start to see them we get frustrated and give up before the first week is even over. Or, think “screw it, I am going to treat myself because I am having a bad day”. For me there are many reasons that I exercise. When I first started running, I noticed that I stopped getting headaches. I sleep so much better when I have exercised and had some fresh air. I love the way I feel after an early morning run, it starts my day off on a great note – the world just seems to be a better place! I feel like if I have exercised well that week, I can justify my treat meal that I have planned for that week.

I feel better when I am eating clean. When I was in my 20’s I saw a nutritionist who got me on track with healthy eating. After sticking to the plan for a while, I really noticed when I strayed and didn’t eat well. Now I am so used to eating healthy that when I don’t I really feel sluggish. To me, that is reason enough to stick with it. I have to be careful with my choices when I eat out as it can sometimes result with a late night session of acid reflux. That is no fun feeling like death warmed up and not being able to sleep – such a waste of a good night sleep. I am a girl who is all about my sleep and I do not like to miss out on a night of zzz’s.

Once I weigh out all of the above reasons of why I choose the lifestyle that I do, results aren’t everything! And yes, I do have a pair of jeans in the back of my closet from way back when that I would like to rock again one day! It’s important to listen to your body and find out how it is truly feeling. So to go back to the start of my post and that proverbial tree in the forest, I do believe that it does make a sound if no one is around to hear it. Baby steps are way more important than waking up the whole forest at once.

Where to start?

So much has happened since I last blogged. Some good, some bad a bit of change thrown in there to make things interesting:)

The sad, or perhaps this should be titled the heart breaking. We said good-bye to our beloved Scruffy. I knew it was coming. He was having problems with his heart and with each day I could feel it in my heart. I knew that we were losing him. My anxiety was at an all time high. It’s a horrible feeling to feel so helpless. The day we said good-bye my anxiety went away. It had been so long that I felt such calmness and the knot in my stomach loosened. I decided to get a little tattoo of tiny paw prints on the inside of my left wrist. I never walk alone and I know that my little boy is always with me.

The good, we adopted a crazy puppy named Buster Boo. He needed a home and we needed some sunshine in our lives. He has helped us heal. He was brought into Vancouver from a kill shelter in California through a charity called Thank Dog I am Out. I have never adopted a dog before and I am so proud that we gave this little guy a chance at life. I only wish that we could save more. I was told that 6,000 dogs are euthanized in California every week. That is a horrible statistic. Just the thought makes me so sad.

The change, I started a new job in November at a law firm. I never thought that I would work in a law firm again but I love it! Each day always brings something new and different. It is such a different atmosphere to what I am used to. The best part of my job is that I finish at 3pm every day! In the summer that will be amazing as we will be able to get on our bikes and get out and enjoy the rest of the day.

Winter has not been as bad as I thought. I always wondered how I would handle it? This winter has been quite a bad one. We had some cold days that were in the -20’s! Snow for days! It blows my mind when I see how much snow we have had. I always think what will happen when it starts to melt? Will we have severe flooding? Despite the cold temperatures and the snow, we have not let it hold us back. We get wrapped up in our ski clothes and go outside and take long walks and explore. The skiing has been amazing. We ski every weekend. We spend so much more time outside here then we ever did in Cayman. I know that sounds crazy, but most days were too hot to be outside for too long. On the weekends we would hibernate in the air conditioning!

There are some things that we are still trying to figure out. Like finding a good yoga studio! Since moving to Whistler I have been to 2 classes. What?! #true story. It will happen in time. I find my body craving yoga and the community that comes with it. I have also been thinking about possibly teaching a class this year. I wouldn’t want to do it full time but it would be nice to use my teaching certification. Even if it is just to prove to myself that I can do it.

I said good-bye to my light blonde hair and went to the dark side. And I love it! I don’t know why I didn’t think of doing it sooner? I no longer look or feel washed out. I took my inspiration from the changes that fall brought with it. When I saw the leaves changing color, I thought ‘my hair should do the same too’. I was nervous when I made the appointment because it was such a huge change for me. But I have not looked back since.

The only thing that is constant is change. I am learning to go with the flow and not to fight it. The universe has a purpose and a path for all of us.

I hope that you have had an amazing weekend. Mine has been busy and filled with fun activities! I am going back to work tomorrow for a break!!!

Still figuring things out

Happy Wednesday! I hope where ever you may be there is sun and it is shining on you! As I write this post I am looking outside and it is raining. Bummer! Why is it that my weather app is more accurate when it comes to rain as to when it came to the sun in the summer? In the summer I would get excited because tomorrow was supposed to be a nice hot sunny day – and it would be get pushed back, to like next week!

It is hard to believe that it has been now over 4 months since we packed up and left our old life. Time has gone by so quickly and so much has happened. This change of season has really thrown me. I was pretty much used to sunshine 24/7 with maybe a little hurricane thrown in for good measure, or to ‘declutter’ my life!

I really haven’t experienced a change in seasons in over 20 years. I am finding that not only does it require a change in wardrobe, it also requires a change in my mind. It is so much easier to stay positive when the sun is shining as opposed to when it is not. I thought that I would enjoy rainy days since I have spent the past 16 years in pretty much non-stop sunshine. I am finding it to be a bit tricky.

Yesterday we started out the day with rain. Shocking:) I was doing a few things around the house at noon time. As I looked out the window I could see that it was no longer raining and I caught a glimpse of the sun…what? I told Scruffy to get his coat on! We were going out to make the most of the weather. We were out for just over an hour. Walking on the trails, inhaling the fresh air and enjoying the sunshine. Bliss! As soon as we got home I started preparing lunch., fresh air and exercise give me an appetite! When I looked out the window it was raining and the sun had gone behind the clouds. Talk about meant to be! I was so glad that we got out and enjoyed the short little dry spell of the day. And it pretty much rained for the rest of the day.

I am finding what helps to brighten my day a little bit, even when it is not bright or dry outside, is if I get out and get a bit of exercise. I need to make that a priority each and every day to brighten my spirits. I know this will be even more important with the winter months. I have also been bringing yoga & meditation back into my life. I need all of the positive vibes in my life while I try to adjust to my new life. More important, I need to give myself time to adjust to my new life. Just because we spent two years planning something doesn’t mean it will feel right from the start.

I hope you have a great day:)

Stuff my face

Today we were supposed to have the remnants of Typhoon Songda paying us a visit. According to my weather app the rain was supposed to hold off until about 4pm. Which suited me. Scruffy & I were starting to get a bit of cabin fever from the past few days. It was nice to be able to get up this morning and be able to get out and get some fresh air and exercise. We both felt better when we got home:) It was on the cooler side but at least it was dry.

I have spent the day reading and drinking tea on the couch. Not too shabby if you ask me! I have managed to get a few things done around the house while waiting for the kettle to boil! Sometimes having crappy weather forces you to relax and chill. Nothing wrong with that! It is important to recharge your batteries from time to time.

I knew for the past few days what I would be making for dinner tonight! Yes, I am that organized. I had seen a recipe for cauliflower crusted cheese pizza on www.dailygarnish.com and I COULD NOT WAIT TO MAKE IT!  It was everything that I thought it would be. I picked up all of the ingredients when we went into the US the other week from Trader Joes. I love that place so much. I was scared that if I didn’t use the exact ingredients it might not turn out. I mixed myself a gin and tonic and got started with the prep work. Scruffy was quite interested in what I was doing. If it involves food, you pretty much have his attention! He is not at all complicated.

I sauteed the riced cauliflower for about 10 minutes on a medium heat. I was very careful to keep stirring as I did not want the smell of burnt cauliflower flowing through the house!  Once it was done I beat an egg, added 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of garlic powder. I mixed it all together then placed in on parchment paper on my pizza tin. I cooked it at 400F for 27 minutes. Once it was a nice golden color, I took it out and let it cool for a few minutes.

I added some pizza sauce, the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Italian herbs. It got placed back in the oven for about 5 minutes. After five minutes I let it cool for a few minutes. Then I sliced it up and put it on a fun plate. Food always tastes better on a fun plate! Verdict? It was everything that I hoped it would be. Ooey, gooey goodness, without a bulky dough crust. I am looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.

I hope that you had something delicious for dinner tonight. I like to have something a bit naughty on a Saturday but still relatively healthy. I think this pizza nailed my craving! Have a great evening.

The storm that wasn’t

Yesterday I lived like I would not see the sun again 🙂 Well, at least not for a few days that is! On the news we were told that we had three storms rolling through our area over the course of the next few days. Whenever I ran into my neighbors that was the main chat! When I woke up this morning to take Scruffy out for a quick bathroom break it was raining. But by 9am it was gone. I had mentally prepared myself for a blah day, trapped inside! I decided to get a bit crafty but by noon Scruffy and I had to get outside, enjoy the sunshine and get some fresh air. Below is a little example of my craftiness! I thought that I would get a jump on making my 2016 Christmas cards. I just hope I actually send them out in time for Christmas 2016!

It felt good to get out and get some fresh air. It was nice when we were in the sun but in the shade was a wee bit chilly. I am slowly getting adjusted to this ‘thang’ called fall. It has been so long since I have experienced a change in seasons. And let me tell you, it is no joke! My skin is dry and my face is sore from this weather. I keep thinking that if I drink more water it will help to hydrate my skin but at this rate I am risking wetting the bed. Moving on…

According to the news the weather is due to hit us during this evening. I know better than to doubt the weather. I went through Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and nature is no joke! When it wants to ‘clean house’ it takes no prisoners! If nothing comes of these storms I will thank my lucky stars. One good thing about being stuck inside is cuddles and puppy kisses with this little guy. Never a bad thing!

Have a good evening. I am off to drink some more water and hope for a ‘dry’ evening!

 

 

Happy Hump Day

Happy Hump Day! We made it to the middle of the week. Yay!

I had the best intentions to get up early this morning and get the day started with a vengeance. Oh, where did I go wrong?! My alarm went off at 6.30am and I quickly ran Scruffy out for a bathroom break. I brought him into bed with me when we got back and before I knew it, it was 9.00am. What? I actually feel guilty when I don’t make the most out of my time. I like to be efficient and get stuff done. There’s always tomorrow as the saying goes 🙂

Once I did get moving I did manage to get quite a bit done. I spent a bit of time on the phone ticking things off of my to do list. Why is it that a to do list never seems to end? At about lunch time I took a break and Scruffy and I went out for a nice long walk. While we were out we saw a puppy escape and run down the road into the woods. As a pet owner, seeing things like that really scare me. I think of all the horrible things that could happen. Needless to say, I spent about 10 minutes trying to capture this little guy and bring him back home and lock the gate properly that he managed to escape through. Talk about a little houdini! Poor little guy was scared to death of me as I got a lot of teeth and barking from him.

I took a little time for myself this afternoon and did a yin yoga class online. It felt so good to ease into the poses and spend a few minutes hanging out there. I used to go to yoga every day, sometimes twice a day. It reminded me of how much I love yoga and how good it makes me feel.

Yin yoga

I am hoping that tomorrow morning I will miraculously bounce out of bed with bounds of energy and get my day started! The weather in our area is supposed to deteriorate through the course of the night resulting in high winds and loads of rain for a few days. Yikes! Enjoy your evening 🙂