Makeup at the Gym

Hello ladies,

Im talking to just you this time… I am a self-proclaimed beauty addict and I love doing my hair, nails, and most of all… MAKEUP!  Nothing beats the feeling you get when you know you look good!  There is a time and a place for all of these things, though.  Nothing looks worse, or more out of place, than a woman at the gym wearing the same makeup she would wear to a club… or worse yet, she might actually  be wearing last night’s makeup from the club. 

SAY NO TO RACCOON EYES!

SAY YES TO THE NATURAL LOOK!

I can completely understand wanting to still look polished and pretty, but just know this… When your mascara is running down your face because you are a hot sweaty mess, it’s not a good look.

Let me tell you what I think you should SKIP and what you can USE (if anything at all) from your makeup drawer when getting ready to hit the gym:

SKIP:

-        Blush (you are going to get naturally flushed cheeks anyway… you don’t want to look like a clown)

-        Lipstick (it’s really not necessary)

-        Foundation (you are going to be sweating!  Come on now!  The sweat and oils from your skin are going to cause the makeup to break up and get all splotchy… not a good look)

-        Eye shadow (it’s just too much to have your eyes all done up.  You want to look polished, not ready to party)

-        Mascara (this is in both categories: SKIP and USE)

USE:

-        Tinted moisturizer (this will make your skin look naturally glowy and healthy!  It will also lightly cover up any discolouration or pesky breakouts)

-        Lip balm/Chapstick (instead of lipstick you can use a balm which will give your lips a healthy shine)

-        Eyeliner (I would suggest a brown eyeliner that you can use really close to your lashes.  It will just give your eyes the appearance of fuller lashes)

-        Mascara (I decided to put this in both categories because you CAN use mascara, as long as you don’t go crazy with it AND make sure you use waterproof!  I have very light eyelashes, naturally.  So they tend to disappear on my face and I just feel self-conscious about it.  I like to use a brown mascara that just gives my lashes enough “oomph” so they are visible, but not “over done”)

Bottom line is you are at the gym to workout!  If you can go there with zero makeup on and feel confident, you are one step ahead of the rest.  No woman "needs" makeup… everyone is beautiful in their own way and you have to embrace what you have been given.  Makeup can certainly highlight or emphasize your favourite features but just remember that it isn’t the makeup that makes you beautiful… it’s just you!

Now, if you are saying “OK I get it… I don’t need all the makeup, but I still need something that’s going to make me feel pretty!” I say this…

-        Paint your nails!  (A pop of colour on your nails will make you feel put together!)

-        Do something cute with your hair *within reason* (if you usually do a messy bun, try a pony tail… or if you want something totally different, try a braid!  French braid, side braid, fishtail, rope braid… you name it!)

-        My personal fave is having really cool running shoes.  Mine are hot pink and yellow and not a week goes by without someone saying “Hey!  Cool shoes!”

I used to wear makeup every single day… (school, work, going out etc.) a full face of it!  From the primers and shadows to the lipsticks and false lashes.  It takes a long time to put it on and a long time to take it all off!  Since starting at the gym I have really limited my makeup routine.  Even if I am not going to the gym I still find myself putting on my tinted moisturizer instead of foundation and my brown mascara instead of my intense black.  I am starting to feel that inner beauty make its way out :)

No Makeup, Makeup Look:

- Apply tinted moisturizer to face and neck

- Lightly apply brown eyeliner and smudge between your lashes, this will give your lashes a fuller look!

- Apply waterproof brown mascara (OPTIONAL)

- Apply a lip balm (you can use a tinted one too if you like, but try to keep it natural looking)

- Grab your shoes and you are ready to hit the gym!

So the next time you are about to head to the gym just remember all you need is a big smile and your running shoes; leave the lipstick at home!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Relationship with Food and Those Pesky Cravings!

Believe it or not, food cravings can be just as powerful as a drug users craving for their drug of choice.  Coming from someone who had a very unhealthy relationship with food, take it from me. 

Food wasn’t a source of nutrition, energy, or fuel for me; food was something I went to when I needed to feel better if I was sad, to celebrate when I was happy, and to make things OK in my life when I was too stressed to actually deal with them.  On the other hand, I also didn’t eat very much or very often (except for those times listed above) because I felt like I didn’t deserve to eat.  I felt awful in my body and to me eating felt like I was just going to make myself bigger and take me further from my goals.  Little did I know that withholding food and only eating at night would not help me lose any weight, it would actually make me gain weight.  Your body goes into a SURVIVAL mode and it says “Hold on to everything that just came in because we have no idea when we are going to be fed again!”  Your body realizes that it needs to hold on to whatever you DO feed it, good or bad, and store it so it won’t starve.  Eventually, not eating will result in anorexia and your body WILL begin to starve and it will start feeding off its “Emergency Storage” and then eventually, itself. 

Now that I know I need to feed my body in order for it to function and give me the results I want, my body and I are much better friends.  Now, I’m not saying you can eat whatever you want and expect your body to do what you want it to do.  Chocolate cake (a personal fave LOL) will not get my body ready for an intense workout.  However, an oat and egg white pancake will!  The pancake is filled with things my body needs in order to perform.  Sugar and bleached flour and icing will not do the trick.  Now, if we have our day to day meal plan all sorted out, you might find yourself craving certain things throughout the day/week/month/etc.  This can seem impossible to overcome but I promise you, you can do it. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I used food to comfort myself and when you have a craving for something after a bad day, or just because, it can be hard to tell yourself NO!  The other day I was struggling with cravings and I really just treated it like it was a drug, not food.  Humour me a moment and look at this with me…

If you are an alcoholic or drug addict and you are going to AA or NA, you are told to contact your sponsor if you feel like using again and that person is supposed to talk you down from the intense feelings and remind you that once you get over the hump, you will be so glad you said no.  The outcome is a beautiful thing. 

So, I decided to write it on Facebook.  I said I was craving and reminded myself that I am stronger than my cravings.  This made me accountable to each and every person who saw, “liked”, or commented on my post.  They all knew I was craving something (fruit, actually) and I knew that if I gave it I would be letting all of them down and most importantly, I’d be letting myself down.  Yes fruit is good for you, but right now I am not allowed to eat it.  So it really doesn’t matter if it was a piece of fruit or a big bowl of ice cream; either way, I wasn’t allowed to have it and if I did, I’d be cheating. 

Now, that was part one…  Part two was actually doing something about the craving.  I needed to get my mind off of what I wanted but I was just going in circles.  I was trying to talk myself out of it but I only got frustrated with myself.  So I decided to get a big glass of icy cold water and chug it.  Then I had a piece of gum (I chose a sugar free bubble-gum flavour) so this way I felt like I was eating something sweet!  Eventually I just really got into the show I was watching and the cravings passed.  When I realized it, I was so proud of myself!  It was the first really big craving I’d had since I started training with Craig and I wasn’t about to start slipping up now!  I do dream about eating fruit all the time and send him “Mind Messages” throughout my entire workout… “Let me eat fruitttttttttt” it hasn’t started working yet… I will keep you posted ha ha ha :)

Another great way of keeping yourself from giving into your cravings is painting your nails!  Sheryl taught me this and it has worked fabulously!  If you paint your nails, you can’t very well eat anything!  Wet nails + eating = disaster!  Let me just say, I have become a pro at painting nails LOL!

Another thing you can do is make a list of all the reasons you DON’T want to give into the craving.  Keep it somewhere accessible, maybe stuck to the fridge, and you can read those things before you decide to open the fridge.  Some of the things you could write are:

-        I don’t want to give into this craving because I have already come so far and giving in to this craving will only set me back

-        I don’t want to give into this craving because I know the feeling is only temporary, but the consequences of giving in are real and will require a lot of work at the gym to burn them off.

-        I don’t want to give into this craving because I am WORTH the healthy body I am on my way to having!

If you have any other tips or tricks for fighting off your cravings, please feel free to share!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Are you a TOUGH MUDDER?!

Hey everyone!  I have some exciting news to tell you all!  I will be participating in the TOUGH MUDDER Event in August and it is going to be an incredible challenge and experience!  If you have never heard of TOUGH MUDDER, here is a little blurb describing what they are all about:

“Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. As the leading company in the booming obstacle course industry, Tough Mudder has already challenged half a million inspiring participants worldwide and raised more than $2 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. But Tough Mudder is more than an event, it’s a way of thinking. By running a Tough Mudder challenge, you’ll unlock a true sense of accomplishment, have a great time, and discover a camaraderie with your fellow participants that’s experienced all too rarely these days.”

For more information, click here.

Here is a video you can watch that shows you what the event is like:

TOUGH MUDDER 2012

Now, after watching this you are probably wondering “WHYYYY ARE YOU DOING THIS KAYLA?!?!?!”, right?  Well, you all know that I am working out with Craig and the changes we’re planning for are huge!  I never really push myself and this (training with Craig) is the FIRST time I have truly pushed myself and put myself in a situation that isn’t easy for me to perfect.  TOUGH MUDDER is going to be the ultimate test of my ability; physically and emotionally.  I really feel like I NEED to do this!  After I finish my training with Craig I think I need something to “Ice the Cake” so to speak… I need to prove to myself that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to.  What better way than pushing my body to the ABSOLUTE limit?!

Now, don’t take this the wrong way… Training with Craig has already been an incredible physical and emotional journey.  For those of you who know me, you should already know that I respect and appreciate Craig and all he has done for me/with me so far!  Training with him is the only reason I even CONSIDERED doing this event and it was only with his “blessing” I made the decision and signed up!

In addition to training with Craig 3 times a week, starting in May I will be training on Saturday’s at a gym in Hamilton with my team and we will be getting our bodies ready for this event!  I am so excited! 

If you are interested in coming to watch or if you want to participate just let me know! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Personal Post: My Changing Body Shape

Today was one of those days where I just wasn’t comfortable in my own skin.  I wasn’t bummed out or anything, but I just wasn’t comfortable in my clothes at all!  In one of my earlier posts I talked about not getting down on yourself when your body changes shape and you can sometimes look worse than before you started; only for a little while.  Well, that is happening to me now!  I am starting to slim down all over my body but I am thinning out a lot from my ribs and up.  This makes my hips look worse!  The thinning out on top has really accentuated my hips and it just looks funny.  Well not funny, more like a big ‘ol spare tire.  I felt uncomfortable during my workout today and was tugging at my shirt all the time; not fun! 

My TShirt dilemma is frustrating, I must admit… I have a bunch of Yoga Tee’s from Joe Fresh and while I like them, they stretch out so much during the course of my workout I end up looking like a drowned rat by the end of it.  They made me feel really uncomfortable!  So I thought I would try something a little bit more fitted, and I like the feel of it while standing.  But as soon as I have to sit or lay down for a leg press I feel all uncomfortable again!  Gravity is not on my side at the moment.  I am on the search for the perfect workout tee to get me through this next part of training until things start to even out again!  I know this is all part of the game and I was expecting it; so it wasn’t a mood crusher or anything, just a pain in my butt!  One way to look at it is to focus on the positives: I’ve lost a lot of “padding” in my upper body and it’s really starting to slim down!  Rather than just focusing on how big my hips look.  It is all in how you look at it… Glass half full or glass half empty!

I think being prepared for these changes has really helped me keep things in perspective.  I can guarantee that if Craig hadn’t told me that I might look worse before I look better, I would be a ball of tears!  So I hope that you really absorb this info and take it from me and my accentuated spare tire LOL that it DOES feel weird and messes with your head a little bit; but your body WILL even out and you will LOVE the results!  It’s like a mini goal (a smaller goal within my BIG goal) and I will have one more thing to celebrate when my hips DO thin out… and they WILL because I am going to give it my all every time I go to the gym and I am going to keep my goals in the forefront of my mind :)

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Motivation: How to Find it and How to Keep it Alive!

Motivation is hard to come by some days but you have to dig down deep and find it!  There are a lot of ways to help yourself find that motivation and desire to keep going.  I thought I would share a few of my faves with you! 

Motivational Pictures:

I have a file on my laptop with pictures that motivate me and remind me that what I am doing is an amazing thing and I should get out there are DO IT!

Motivational Videos:

This video is so motivational it makes me emotional!  The message is so important and really helps you find that drive to get up and hit the gym or go for a walk/jog/run, whatever!  Show everyone HOW GREAT YOU ARE!

This man, Nick, has the most beautiful spirit and he reminds me to get out there and take advantage of the life I have been given!  I have two arms, two legs, and the ability to do anything I put my mind to.  Nick does not have his limbs yet he loves fishing, golfing, and swimming!  He LOVES living life!  He has so much LIFE and really pushes you to LIVE YOUR LIFE! 

Maybe you don’t have one, some, or any of your limbs.  Maybe you are in a wheelchair.  Or maybe you feel like you are too far gone; there is too much weight to lose so you might as well not even try.  Or maybe, you are just too sad to get up off of the couch and go to the gym.  Being overweight has an extreme effect on your emotions and your self esteem.  But you have to find the motivation, the courage, and the strength to get out there!  Believe me when I say that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to!  I know we have all heard it before but it is so true!  You don’t need to have a lot of money or a lot of time to start losing weight.  I know that is something a lot of people use as an excuse; I certainly have.  We all hear people say they don’t have time to go to the gym or go for a walk.  We have homework or deadlines to meet at work and we have to work late.  While I don’t deny that those things are very real and very important; I ask you this, what is more important than YOU?  Your body is everything!  Without your health you wont have to worry about that homework!  So MAKE time for yourself and take care of your body.  You will actually find that a healthy BODY promotes a healthy MIND and you will be able to accomplish your goals faster and better!  Your mind will be clear and you will be happier!  Feeling like you are “too far gone” is so far from the truth, it doesn’t even mimic it.  It doesn’t matter if you have to lose 10, 20, 50, 100, 300, or 500+ pounds; YOU ARE WORTH IT!  You are never too far gone and you should never give up on yourself!

Now you might say to me, “Kayla, I just don’t feel like it today.”  That is when I would say to you, “take a look at your motivational pictures and/or a motivational video.  Find your drive, deep down inside, and get out there!”  You don’t have to run a marathon or anything extreme, but just getting out there and moving is great!  Your body will thank you for going to the gym and doing your cardio, or whatever it may be.  You will feel energized and PROUD of yourself!  Every time you go for that walk or go to the gym you have ACCOMPLISHED something and it deserves recognition and celebration!  You should feel good about yourself and be proud of your hard work!

Now, if those things don’t work for you and you are more of a physical touch kind of person, try this idea out.  Get yourself a dress or pair of pants or shirt that you want to fit into.  We’ll call it your Goal Outfit.  Keep trying it on and noticing the differences each time you try it on.  Maybe this week it feels a little better in the thighs, hell maybe this week is the first time you can get your thighs INTO the pants!  They will be your motivation!  Each time you try them on you will see that you are getting closer and closer to your goal!  You can do this!

I hope this post reminds you, no matter where you are at in your goals, to never give up!  Always keep pushing yourself and finding that motivation.  Be the BEST you can be!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Oat and Egg White Pancake

Do you miss eating pancakes with the family on Sunday mornings?  Well I have a recipe that will make that problem disappear!  You will be enjoying Pancake Sunday’s with the family again in no time at all :)

What you need:

-        Food processor or blender or magic bullet

-        4-6 Egg whites

-        ¼ Cup of Quick oats

-        Cinnamon

-        Small frying pan

-        Flipper

-        Spatula

-        Oil of your choice

What to do:

-        Take your oats and blend them in the food processor or blender or magic bullet until it looks like the consistency of flour (in our case it would look like Gluten Free Flour, right!)

-        Add cinnamon now or sprinkle it on top of the finished product

-        Measure and add your egg whites to the food processor or blender or magic bullet and blend.  This will incorporate the ingredients as well as make the egg whites fluffier.

-        Add a very small amount of oil to a non-stick small frying pan and once the pan is ready, add the mixture and wait for small bubbles to form throughout the pancake.  Then you know it’s time to flip!  I like to use the spatula to lift up the pancake so I can slide the flipper underneath it and flip.  Less risk of breaking the pancake that way!

-        The second side takes less time to cook; about a minute or 2 or until golden.

Voila!  You have your Oat and Egg White Pancake! 

Here are some possible toppings for your pancake:

(NOTE: I am just making suggestions, I am not saying this is appropriate for everyone's meal plan!)

-        Mashed banana (this can also be added INTO the pancake ‘batter’)

-        Maple Syrup

-        Cinnamon

-        Cinnamon and Splenda

-        Berry Compote

-        Peanut Butter and Banana Slices

-        Any kind of fruit

-        Or my guilty pleasure that I will try again once I reach my goal… NUTELLA!

You can also make this a savoury pancake by adding spices instead of cinnamon and use sour cream and a possible topping.  Think of Potato Pancakes, but healthier :)

Give this recipe a try and let me know if you do!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

What the Heck is Gluten and Why Did I Go Gluten Free?

Definition of Gluten:

“In the simplest terms, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein composite, meaning it is a substance made up of several different proteins, in wheat and related grains in the triticeae family of grassy grains or cereal grains. These grains include barley, bulgur wheat, durum, einkorn, farro, graham, kamut, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale and wheat.” (http://gluten-intolerance-symptoms.com/what-is-gluten/)

I think this website does a pretty good job of explaining gluten, so check it out if you have any additional questions.

My reason for going Gluten Free (hereafter referred to as GF) was to jumpstart weight loss, initially.  Bread, pasta, and all things carb-a-licious aren’t good for you anyway so I thought I would cut those out of the running and eat things that were better for me.  I was shocked at how quickly I felt the difference.  The first difference I experienced was the lack of bloating and gassiness.  Not a fun topic, but it is the truth.  I hadn’t realized how bloated I had felt, until I didn’t feel it anymore.  Another positive change was my energy levels.  I didn’t feel bogged down or sluggish anymore; I felt energetic!  I wake up before my alarm clock 95% of the time now.  In addition to these great things, I’m also steadily losing the pounds!

I started looking into where gluten can be found and I was shocked to say the least.  Did you know you can find gluten in:

-        Stamps

-        Envelopes

-        Sunscreen

-        Shampoo

-        Medicine

-        Toothpaste

-        Lotions

-        Makeup

Gluten is everywhere!  So if you are in fact sensitive to gluten or have Celiac Disease, you need to be very careful!

I stuck with my GF Diet because eating any gluten now makes me very ill and it’s just not worth it!  There are so many GF versions of everyone’s favourite foods, there is no reason to sabotage your body if gluten isn’t your friend.  GF pizza from Boston Pizza is absolutely delicious and rice pasta or corn pasta is fantastic!  You will not run out of delicious things to eat, I promise!  You just have to be more diligent about reading labels and asking questions!  The extra effort is well worth it :)

I am not promoting a GF lifestyle; I am not a professional so I do not want to promote anything I am not educated to.  However, I am just sharing my experience.  I would suggest that if you are interested in changing your diet, you look at Canada's Food Guide and make sure you are eating a well balanced diet!  You can dowload a copy of the Food Guide here. 

If you are considering going GF I highly recommend that you speak with your doctor and/or nutritionist first.  It is not healthy or practical to make a dramatic change to your body without consulting a professional first.  If you Google the symptoms of Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity and you believe you might have the disease or sensitivity, please contact your doctor immediately and request a blood test.  This is not covered by OHIP if you live in Ontario, you will have to pay for the cost of the test.  But it is better to find out early, rather than increase the risk of damage to your body.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Almond “Breaded” Chicken Fingers

When I was a little kid (and throughout most of my life lol) I have loved chicken fingers.  When I was younger and got to go out for dinner with family (sans mom and dad) I took the opportunity and ran with it; I ordered chicken fingers.  Sadly, those darn things aren’t that good for you and the breading makes my tummy turn.  Darn gluten…  Have no fear, my friends… I have a delicious alternative :)

Almond “Breaded” Chicken Fingers

What you need:

-        Chicken breast (you decide how many you need depending on how many people you are cooking for)

-        All natural almonds

-        Food processor or blender

-        Egg whites (2 eggs worth should be plenty depending on how much you are making)

-        Spices

-        Tongs

-        Flipper

-        Frying pan

-        2 Plates (1 to spread the chopped almonds on and 1 to place the cooked chicken on)

-        Cooling rack (to place cooked chicken on) OPTIONAL

-        Rectangular dish (to hold the egg whites)

-        Oil (you can use EVOO, coconut oil, or whatever you have on your meal plan!)

Instructions:

-        Take your almonds (I used about a cup) and throw them into the blender with whatever spices you like and chop them up!  I used a little bit of chili pepper flakes.  You can decide how fine or chunky you want the pieces of almond to be, but aim for a finer consistency.  Spread it out evenly on the plate.

-        Whisk the egg whites slightly in the dish.

-        Slice your chicken breast into thin slices.  This will help the chicken cook faster!

-        Dip each slice of chicken into the egg white and then over to the almond mixture and then place the “breaded” chicken on to a clean plate.

-        Once you have all of the chicken “breaded” put it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes so the “breading” can adhere. 

-        While your chicken is sitting in the fridge you can heat up the frying pan.  Make sure to cook this on Low-Med heat as you don’t want to burn the almonds before the chicken has a chance to cook thoroughly.

-        Lightly oil the pan, I like to use a brush so I can spread out the oil evenly and limit the amount I need to use.

-        Once the chicken is ready to cook, space the slices out evenly in the pan and cook 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  I like to leave the sides of the chicken almond free so I can see when the chicken turns colour.

-        Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly use the flipper to remove them from the pan and place them on a cooling rack (or plate).  The cooling rack will allow the chicken to cool on both sides without the bottom getting soggy from the condensation on the plate.

-        Depending on what you are allowed to eat on your meal plan you can use whatever dip you like!  Mustard is great or you can create your own veggie dip by pureeing some of your fave veggies!  A roasted red pepper dip sounds delish, don’t you think?

I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you try it!  I will talk to you all very soon!

K