Last night I was scrambling for something to eat for
dinner. I had no idea what to make, I
was getting hungrier by the minute, and I needed something quick and easy.
No big deal right?
Well, I took to Pintrest.
Naturally.
What I found was a whole lot of Gluten Free imitation
versions of casseroles that made me go… ICK!
The tricky thing with gluten free versions of gluten ridden foods, is
they often have higher calorie, carb, and additive numbers. I wanted something fast, but I didn’t want to
sacrifice quality or nutrition.
I found inspiration from a few different recipes and came up
with something that I thought I would enjoy!
Here is my recipe, I hope you enjoy!
Kayla’s Zucchini
Avo-Fredo (Alfredo)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Sauce:
-½ medium avocado
-2 tbsp ricotta cheese
-1 handful fresh basil
-¼ cup Chicken stock
oUsed to thin out the sauce. You want it to coat the back of a spoon, but
not too thick
-2 tsp lemon juice
-Sea salt
Remaining:
-1-2 medium zucchinis
oMade zucchini noodles with your zucchinis
-1 medium tomato
Optional:
-1 chicken breast
Instructions:
-Make noodles out of your zucchini, set aside
-Chop your tomato, set aside
-In a Vitamix Blender, add:
oBasil
oAvocado
oLemon juice
oHalf of the amount of chicken stock
-Blend until thick and smooth
-Add in your ricotta cheese, blend
-If needed, add remaining chicken stock
oYou want your sauce to be thick and creamy, not
soupy!
-Warm a large saucepan on medium heat
-Add your Avo-Fredo sauce and gently warm
-Once warmed through, add your zucchini and toss
in the sauce until coated and zucchini warmed through
oYou still want some crunch to the zucchini
-Toss fresh tomatoes in
-If you are using chicken, toss in your chopped,
cooked chicken breast
-PLATE AND ENJOY!
This was absolutely DELICIOUS and tasted just like Fettuccini
Alfredo, my fave pasta dish! It was
creamy, dreamy, and very satisfying! I
used 1 medium zucchini and 1 chicken breast and ate all of it. It was fantastic!
Please let me know if you try it and what you think!
Wow, what an incredible 6 weeks! Bootcamp ended last night and I was filled
with SO many emotions. Last night we did
hill runs, walking lunges up hill, and even walking/running backward
uphill. It was hard, probably my hardest
workout ever during those 6 weeks. I
pushed myself and groaned and cursed but when the hour was up I felt SO
accomplished! I know many of the girls
felt the same. #FUManhole
Once I got back to my car after we finished training, I was
overcome with emotion. I was so grateful
for the women I now call friends and for my Coach, Sandra. These ladies push each other and cheer each
other on, it is so heartwarming. Thank
you for that :) I also felt so proud of
myself (and this is hard to admit because I feel like I am bragging, but I
think I need to get over that…), it was a very challenging workout and I paced
myself but I never gave up. I am
learning with each passing day that I am strong, mentally and physically. I can push myself further and harder than I
ever thought possible. I felt like nothing could stop me, I felt like a warrior.
They say that it is your mind that actually stops you from
pushing past your comfort zone, not your body.
It is SO true. My legs were
shaking, my knee was tight, and my lungs felt like they might explode; but I
was OK. I could safely push on and give
it 100%. My mind was telling me I should
slow down or take a breather, but I knew I was OK. I guess I am learning to listen to my body,
not just my mind.
Joining Sandra’s bootcamp is easily one of the best
decisions I have made on my Health & Fitness Journey. I have truly learned so much about myself in
the last 6 weeks and I am really looking forward to starting up again on June
17th! I can’t wait to see
what goals we can achieve over the summer!
Now, there is another thing I wanted to talk about. If you follow me on Facebook you may remember
I had a “Light bulb Moment” about loving your body. This was all sparked by a Kickstarter video shared by Taryn Brumfitt. She shares her
story, which is all too familiar, about not loving her body. It affects her relationships and social
life. Sound familiar? It does to me. She thought she was alone, so she decided to
ask 100 women to describe their bodies in one word. The responses brought tears to my eyes… wobbly,
imperfect, stumpy, very average, not nice to look at, gross, disgusting,
disgusting, disgusting… Taryn realized
that she had an even bigger issue on her hands.
She had a young daughter and she wondered how she would teach that
little girl to love her body, if she didn’t even love her own. She entered herself into a body building
competition and achieved the “perfect body” but quickly realized that the
outside is only half of the battle.
Nothing changed about the way she looked at herself or how she felt
about her body. It is just as much a
mental change as it is physical. She
decided to start a movement; The Body Image Movement. Taryn wants women to start loving their
bodies just as they are right this very moment.
EveryBODY is beautiful. It starts
from within; you need to learn to love, embrace, and accept your body exactly
the way it looks and feels right now.
That’s not to say you can’t improve the exterior by going to the gym or
doing yoga etc. There is nothing wrong
with that. It is all up to you, but just
remember that it starts on the inside first.
You can achieve the “perfect” body, but if you haven’t spent the time to
love yourself, flaws and all, nothing will change. You will still find something “wrong” with
yourself.
Her video really got me thinking, but it was the comments
section of her video that truly lit a fire within me.There were so many trolls saying that she was
promoting an unhealthy lifestyle by telling “fat people” to love
themselves.It crushed me!Everyone and everyBODY is deserving of love
no matter what size, shape, colour, or gender.Taryn was not suggesting that everyone throw caution to the wind and
stuff their faces without regard for their health.No matter what the scale says, you are
beautiful and you should love your body.
My journey has never been about reaching a certain number on
the scale or a certain dress size. I
just want to be healthy and happy and have the outside match the inside. I am getting there, one day at a time! It is very exciting and I am having a lot of
fun on this ride. It is hard but it is
so worth it :) I love my body and I am
so thankful for it. I treat my body with
respect now; I eat well, exercise, and have realistic expectations and
goals. This is a lifestyle change for me
and I have never been happier!
If you take only one thing from this post, I hope it is this…
You are beautiful, just as you are. You don’t
need makeup or Spanx to achieve it. You
are already beautiful. Take a
look at yourself and remove the cruel, judgmental lens. Embrace the body you have, be grateful for it
and love it.
Wow, what an incredible
week! Everything from my toes to my
eyelashes hurt from bootcamp, but I love it!
Initially I wasn’t going to write about my experience until after the 6
weeks were over, but there is just too much to say. I would end up writing a novel if I
waited!
So I guess I should begin
with how I decided to do Sandra’s bootcamp.
She has been telling me about it for a very long time. It always sounded so nice, but for other
people. I was too scared to join! I thought I had to be fit to do a
bootcamp. I didn’t think I would be able
to do it, so why bother signing up for something if you already “know” you are
going to fail? Right? WRONG!
Sandra and I went for coffee
and had a major gab session which ended in me telling her I would do her
bootcamp :) I was still scared out of my
mind, but I decided I needed her help to achieve my fitness goals. Then Sylvia shared that poster (Bootcamp Poster)
on Facebook and she asked “Who is coming with me?!” and I decided to make the
commitment (you know, Facebook Official LOL) and I commented saying that I
would see her there! Immediately I went
out and bought some tops and new socks.
What can I say, I love shopping, for any reason. Going to bootcamp? You need some new socks, girl. Yup, I said it!
I paid the fees and then
started bootcamp on March 4th!
When I walked in the doors,
I was certain that I wouldn’t know anyone but there was Jennifer and she gave
me a hug and welcomed me. It was so nice
to see a familiar face as soon as I walked in!
I ended up knowing quite a few ladies, so that was really nice! Although it doesn’t much matter, in case you
are a newbie considering coming to the next session of bootcamp, and don’t know
anyone, you are so busy doing your own thing, that you don’t have a chance to
feel like a loaner :P
Our first task was to run 5
laps and I thought ok let’s go balls to the wall! Bad idea lol.
I was toast after 2 laps. I
brought myself back to reality and reminded myself that I needed to ease into
things. Slow and steady wins the race,
right?
Sandra offered many
encouraging words throughout the evening – one of my favourites being: “Do not
cheat yourself; this is YOUR workout, not mine!” It made me push myself that extra bit
further. She was right; I shouldn’t
cheat myself out of a great workout and the results that will inevitably
follow, by half-assing it. I needed to
find my comfort zone and safely push past it.
I won’t get the results I want, unless I FIGHT for it! I ended that first night of bootcamp in happy
tears. It was really hard but there I
was; I finished! I didn’t sit anything
out, I didn’t let my insecurities get in the way of my goals and my
dreams. I made a promise to myself and I
was sticking with it. It felt so good :)
I had two bubble baths
between Tuesday night and Thursday night; wow I was so sore! But I LOVED it! It was a reminder of the effort I put into my
workout and it made me feel proud!
Then we had our second
night, just this past Thursday and I was pumped. Aside from the stinky boxing gloves (inner
germaphobe FREAKING OUT here!) it was an incredible night. We worked together and pushed each other to
succeed. It truly is a team of
incredible women in there who are all working toward the same goal. We ended the night with some yoga and this is
where it hit me. I had a new found
respect for my coach. I absolutely love
Sandra and truly believe that she was put in my life for a reason. And on Thursday night it clicked and I
realized I hadn’t seen her in her element before. I had only heard her talk about it. It was beautiful and I could feel how
passionate she is about her calling in life.
At that moment, during yoga, the tears began to silently fall and I was
just overcome with emotion, adoration, and respect for my friend. I am blessed to call her my friend and
grateful to call her my coach. I wouldn’t
want anyone other than her beside me through this journey – love you girl!
Then there is Peaches ;)
Girl, you make me laugh and make me feel SO comfortable, THANK YOU! I told you that I think I can learn a lot
from you, and I meant it. Even though we
haven’t known each other that long, I feel like you are the big sister I never
had and that you are going to teach me how to be more sure of myself and be a
little crazy – not so sweet and quiet all the time lol! On the first night of bootcamp, I was one of
the last to finish my walking lunges and even though you were done with your 3
laps, you came back and did them with me to the finish line so I didn’t finish
alone. You will never know how much that
meant to me. I truly appreciate your
friendship, and I hope it lasts a lifetime!
Ladies, if any of you
reading this are looking for a way to get out there and get healthy – I highly
recommend that you join the next session of bootcamp. I know I have only been at it for one week, but I guarantee
if you sign up, you won’t regret it. I don't need 5 more weeks to be confident in that statement. This is a team of women who are here to support each other and work on
their goals. There is no drama, no
BS. It is hard, but if you come in ready
to give it your all, you will have an entire room filled with women who will
help you achieve your goals – you never finish alone.
To all of the ladies
attending this session of camp, I really look forward to getting to know you
better :)
I don’t always practice everything I preach when it comes to
this particular topic, but I think it’s important that I start, TODAY.I hope that after watching the attached video
and reading my post, you will try to do this with me.A little bit each day makes a difference.
Here is the video:
So you know how you wake up and immediately decide it’s
going to be a “fat day”… where nothing you put on looks good and you think
everything makes you look fat?Then you
proceed to talk down to yourself during breakfast, getting ready, the whole
drive to the office, and WATCH OUT when you finally get home from work and take
those jeans off!
Do you understand how detrimental that is to your
health?Mental and physical.I’m not saying it’s not okay to have an off
day – but I am saying it’s not okay to bully yourself about it.
OK fine, maybe those jeans are a little tight – rather than
bashing yourself about the muffin top make a healthy decision to do something
about it.Are the jeans actually just
too small or did you just eat a few extra slices of pumpkin pie over the
holidays?If the jeans are from high
school and you just don’t want to let them go – PLEASE DONATE THEM!You aren’t a teenager anymore.Buy some jeans that fit and flatter your
body, you deserve it!If the pie is to
blame for the tight jeans – take a deep breath and make a plan.Tell yourself that you are going to make sure
you do these three things every day to help get yourself back on track:
1.Stay hydrated!
2.Fuel your body with healthy foods and do NOT, I
repeat DO NOT withhold food from yourself – that will not help you!
3.Get as much sleep as you can (7-8 hours if
possible!)
If you can add in some exercise too, even better, but don’t punish
yourself.Please.Just commit to being healthy and getting
yourself back on track.You are allowed
to enjoy life and the delicious treats that come along with it ;)
Fat talk is something I don’t quite understand – I mean I do
it – but I don’t get it…
Why on earth would we sit here and rip ourselves to
shreds?It doesn’t even sound
productive.You certainly wouldn’t tell
another person that they looked really fat and ugly today, would you?So then why do we feel that it is okay to say
it to ourselves?
If your daughter (sister, cousin, friend etc.) came home and
told you that someone told her that she had a disgusting muffin top and she should’ve
just stayed home in bed today – would you accept that?Absolutely not is what I’m thinking…
We need to shut down fat talk.
We need to start loving ourselves just the way we are.That isn’t to say that you can’t make
improvements (in a healthy capacity of course), but we need to accept that the
body we have right now is worth just as much love, adoration, and respect as
the body we might be working toward.Even if you HAVE the body you worked hard for, it is time you start to
appreciate it and love it unconditionally.
You are still the same person deep inside (heart,
personality, humour etc.) no matter what package it comes in.Don’t wait until you are “there” to start
loving yourself.Love who you are now!
Take a moment and think of all the young girls in your life
- you are a role model to them whether you know it or not.Every time you talk down to yourself you are
teaching them that it is ok.Kate Winslet
recently said in an article that she makes a point of talking about all of the
things she loves about her body, in front of her daughter so that it becomes
NORMAL to her.This is what we should
all strive for.Right now the norm is
trash talking your own body… Ugh look at
my muffin top, ugh my thighs touch, ugh blah blah blah.
Break the circle - love your body - start speaking words of
love and respect to yourself about your body.For example:I love the way my
bum looks in these jeans!
If you have a sister or daughter (or anyone - boy or girl)
in your family, make sure they hear it.It is important that we show people it is OKAY to be proud of your
body!We have become a world of thinner
is better and talking about your muffin top makes you cool in some twisted
way.We need to change that!
Can you imagine how this world would change if we just
starting loving ourselves unconditionally and decided we no longer accept the
current, unhealthy, definition of beauty?Oh how things would change!
Anyway, this is starting to get long… I don’t want you to
feel like you are reading a novel ;)
I posted a challenge on Facebook Dec 16th asking
everyone to choose LOVE today – Dec 17th.I am now challenging you to Shut Down Fat
Talk.If you start talking or thinking
negatively about your body – recognize it and turn that bullying behaviour
around and say something nice to yourself about your body.If you hear someone else bullying themselves
about their body, compliment them instead.I truly believe if we start to practice positivity, we can change the
way women all around the world think of their bodies.So, will you accept my challenge?I encourage all of you to try :)
Guys, I am not purposely avoiding you – I know men have a
lot to deal with too when it comes to body image and what is considered “sexy”.Please read this with him/he/etc. in place of
any her/she etc. mentioned above – this is for you too!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post!
If you enjoyed it and you accept my challenge, please like
the post on Facebook so I know!I will
check in with those who “like” the post to see how you’re doing :)
I usually don't write blogs "like this" (sitting in front of the TV), I usually mull my thoughts over for a few days and then start writing, but this episode of Oprah hit me so hard, I had to grab my laptop and start writing!
Oprah had a woman on the show named Toni Morrison and they talked about an interview they did many years ago. Part of their discussion was about letting your face speak what is in your heart. Whether you are talking about your children, loved ones, friends, or coworkers - people need to be seen. When one of those people walk into the room, your heart is glad to see them, but does your face show it? Many of us are so concerned with with "other people" think that we seem to have put the mute button on ourselves.
You know you've been in that situation, you see someone you haven't seen in a while and all you want to do is wrap your arms around them and give them a big bear hug, but you settle for a one armed-half-hug because you don't want to seem to excited (there's people around...geesh). Have you ever noticed what reaction MOST people give that kind of embrace? They are genuinely HAPPY for you! They feel the love! Hell, sometimes they want to join in on the hug because positive emotion is just so contagious! And even more importantly, the person who is receiving that hug feels SO special!
Don't let your true feelings be muted, life is too short to worry about what other people think.
Life is SHORT! Be in the moment! Your feet will still hurt in five minutes so when you come home from a long hard day and your child comes up to you and wants to show you all of the cool things she painted at school "Mommy, mommy LOOK!!!" and you stop for a moment and wish you just had five minutes to put your feet up, I say this... Grab your little one, sit her on your lap and put your feet up and listen to all the stories she has to tell you :) When your little one, loved one, friend, etc walks into a room and your eyes light up and you make time for them, it shows them how valued they are. Toni shared an example of a time when her eldest son came into the room and showed her a painting he did at school, she said "Oh, that's nice!", she said he ripped that painting up into tiny pieces and let them fall to the floor. She asked him why he did that and he said, because I saw that little smile on your face. She instantly knew what he meant. It was that dismissive little "uh huh, oh nice, oh sure" kind of response. You can make your best friend feel that way, your mother, or your spouse. When someone wants to share something with you, BE there with them and be grateful that they have chosen to spend that time with YOU.
Now, some of you might be thinking, "what do you mean 'BE' there, I'm sitting right across from my boyfriend/best friend etc", yes but are you mentally and emotionally there with them? If your cell phone is in your hand; you are not really there. BE in the moment with those you choose to spend your time with. Hang on to their every word and let your face speak what is in your heart.
When you are in the moment you can truly appreciate and experience life. So many of us get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we don't always LIVE, we just exist. This is a saying I have held close to my heart for as long as I can remember. I forget it, often, but I always come back to it. I think to myself, if today was my last day, what kind of stories would I have to share in heaven? I could tell you about the long, hard day I've had - I have had a lot of those. But what about the fun things in life, the things that make memories. I watched a TV show recently and the main character was out on a first date and he was asked "what do you like to do, what are your passions" and he said "I like bowling"... I don't want my answer to be bowling. I want to talk about all of the things I am passionate about, and not have to stop and think about what those things are. When you are in the moment and you (yes I am going to say it, yes it is very cliche) "stop and smell the roses" you will see things a little differently. When you make time to find the beauty in every day life, you will be happier and filled with more joy.
Think about it for a second... When you really sit back and relax, what do you see? I bet you notice the pretty rainbow after the rain, or maybe you see the fresh morning dew on the grass in your backyard. When you rush through life because all you are thinking about is getting the kids off to school, or turning in that report - you miss all of those things. Life is what you make it, my friends. You can choose to have a happy life or you can let those opportunities pass you by. Now, I am not saying that everything is always rainbows, lollipops and fucking sunshine... sometimes life kicks you in the pants and you really need to let it all out. You might be mad for a month! That is okay too, but bring yourself back and remember to allow the beauty in :)
Whether you are reading this thinking I am totally nuts or you are right there with me, I have a challenge for you. These are my top 3 rules for being happy and I challenge you to practice them :)
1. Decide to be happy
You can only be happy if you choose to be. You wake up and realize the alarm clock didn't go off, you are about to be late for work, the line up at Starbucks is WAYYYYY too long, but you finally sit down at your desk and take that first sip - only to realize the lid wasn't on properly and that warm fuzzy feeling in your chest is actually hot fucking lava coffee all over your shirt - THAT could really mess up your day, OR you can say, "Well, its a damn good thing I didn't clean out my car like I planned to on the weekend, I should still have that sweater in there... might stink, but its dry" and then tell your shitty but funny story when you go out for drinks later that night.
2. Make other people happy
I find immense pleasure in making other people smile. Whether it is a "Hey I saw this while I was out the other day and thought of you" gift or just telling someone they look nice today. Making someone else's day can often have the same effect on you. I am sure you have done it before, it's pay day and you are feeling good so you decide to pay for a coffee for the person standing in line behind you. It probably cost you less than $2 but I bet you will have made that person's day! It has happened to me before and then this magical little thing happens, you want to "Pay it Forward". Someone does something nice for me - holds the door, gives me a compliment, or buys my coffee - I can guarantee the next 5 people I see are getting a MEGAWATT smile from me and a compliment and a free coffee! It feels SO good to share the sunshine :)
3. Accept that you cannot change anyone expect yourself
In life we encounter all kinds of people. Some of them we fall in love with, some of them just dream about serving them a shit pie like Milly did... If you dont know what I am talking about please watch this video:
So yes, sometimes I want to do that to people because I just dont understand them. Why are some people so mean?! Shit pie. Why do people leave their animals (or children) in a hot car?! Shit pie. Why this, why that, WHY WHY WHYYYY???? Shit Fucking PIE!
You can drive yourself CRAZY my dear wondering why this and why that. When you realize that you cannot change people and you cant figure everyone out, you will be a lot happier. Do not waste one precious minute of your life thinking about those kinds of people. People will only change for themselves, you might be able to help people but in the end you cannot change anyone, you can only change yourself. So when all you want to do is scream WHYYY?! Step back, pretend you've given them a shit pie, smile, and move on :)
So, please remember to let your face show how your heart feels, be in the moment, and take the steps you need to take to live a happy, healthy life :)
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!
“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!
Noticing the changes your body is going through can be tough at times. You see yourself every day! Some people would think that would make it easier but it doesn’t.The person who is going to notice those changes the most is someone who hasn’t seen you for a little while.But really, who wants to wait around for that?My recommendation?Get yourself a TShirt or pair of shorts and use it as a guide.Throughout the weeks, months, etc. keep trying on those SAME pieces of clothing and see how differently they fit.Maybe the TShirt is looser in the mid-section or maybe the arms feel looser (or tighter if you are trying to gain weight/muscle).Remember to keep track of these things in a notebook.This way you can look back on your success and remind yourself of how AMAZING you are!
Sometimes it is hard to SEE changes and a tape measure or the scale is not the best way to measure that change.If you move the tape measure an inch up or down it can totally throw off the measurement and you might be left feeling down on yourself, not good!The scale is a good tool BUT your weight fluctuates and seeing that number go up/down/up/down can really mess with your head.It’s best to weigh yourself once a day or once a week or whatever is best for you; but just remember not to put too much emphasis on the numbers.You want to pay attention to how your clothes are fitting you, too!I have a love/hate relationship with the scale.When it gives me good news, I adore it, I will be in a GREAT mood all day and I have pep in my step.If that scale dares to give me BAD news, it will ruin my whole day, sometimes my whole week!It’s not worth it, you will waste a whole day/week feeling upset rather than continuing all of your hard work.
Another important thing to remember is you might look worse before you look better!Your body is going through changes and things will look different, but you won’t go from wherever you started to where you want to be that easily! I WISH! When I started losing weight my waist started shrinking but my hips stayed the same.I looked like the Michelin Man!Eventually things start to even out, and then you will go through the process all over again!But it is all welcomed changes :) I can’t wait to see more changes, I’m just at the beginning of my journey... I've got a lot of changes to come!
The main point of this post is to remind everyone who is working out and making big changes, to celebrate the small stuff!Don’t get too caught up on the numbers and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.This is a work in progress, enjoy it!When you are celebrating your accomplishments throughout the entire process it’ll feel like a MASSIVE SUCCESS the whole time!It’ll be like celebrating your birthday all year round :)If I feel like my jeans are fitting a little looser, I celebrate!If I am able to find an outfit quickly and easily without having to try on a few different options, I really celebrate!You get the point!You have to celebrate every victory; no matter how big or small :) I should clarify what I mean by celebrate. I don't necessarily DO anything special or extravagant... It might just be sharing the news with someone close to me or watching one of my favourite shows without worrying about the homework I really should be doing lol ;)
I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!
K
PS – Im working on another post for a DELICIOUS almond “breaded” chicken recipe!It tastes just like chicken fingers and it is totally gluten free!
Going to the gym can be a daunting task.There tends to be a lot of people there and a lot of equipment that you might not know how to use.It is easy to feel lost or out of place there, but have no fear, there is hope!World Gym is a fantastic place to work out and I have never felt more comfortable in a gym before!I ABSOLUTELY started off feeling like I didn’t exactly belong because I had NO CLUE what I was doing.I’d aimlessly walk around, look at a few machines, wonder what they were for, and then I would try a few out but never really feel like I was doing it RIGHT.The more I went, the more comfortable I felt.But it wasn’t until I started personal training that I felt the true community or family-like feeling at the gym.I’m not saying you need to train to feel part of the team, but it just felt that way for me.I was there with a purpose and people could tell!
I think my frame of mind and the vibe I was giving off was much more positive, I wasn’t confused or feeling like I was out of place.It’s all about how your portray yourself!If you walk into a room having already decided that this just isn’t going to go your way, it will absolutely turn out that way and everyone is going to feel that negative vibe.If you walk into the room excited, happy, and ready to rock, you are going to give off a totally different vibe and people are going to see you as approachable and fun!I highly recommend the 2nd option :)
I have actually met some wonderful people now that I am training at World Gym.They are people I know I will keep close to my heart forever.First person being Sheryl… She works at the gym but also trains there with Craig, the person I train with!She is incredibly kind and she is the reason I am training with Craig today!I am indebted to her for life!She pulls me up when I am down and cheers me on when I succeed.She is truly an angel!OK enough of the mushy gushy stuff lol
Next person is Craig, my personal trainer.He is AMAZING at what he does!The hour goes by so fast because we talk throughout the entire session (except for when I’m dying and need to focus on breathing lol) and I spend half of that time laughing!Some personal trainers, doctors, or enthusiasts tend to have strong opinions on certain things or they tell you to do something without explanation, and it is because they have no reason… they just read it in a book somewhere or heard it from another person.Not the case with Craig.I ask a LOT of questions and he always has answers… Unless I come up with something totally random and weird… Like my weird feeling in my arm when I laugh LOL!He could make each workout session totally generic, routine, and very “business” -like but he doesn’t and that is why he is so good at what he does.You don’t feel like you are going to workout with your trainer, you feel like you are going to workout with a friend!
Mel is another girl that is so kind and she made me feel as comfortable as I could feel after my first workout with Craig when I got sick.She sat with me until I felt better and comforted me when I was a little scared.I’m not a fan of throwing up or not knowing what’s going on.You don’t find people like this every day, and certainly not in any old gym.
Finally, my newest new friend, is Crystal!She is such an inspiration and a breath of fresh air!She introduced herself to me the other day at the gym (she is friends with Sheryl) and we hit it off!She projects that positive vibe I was telling you about earlier.You just gravitate toward people like that and they brighten your day.She also offered to be my cardio workout buddy; I thought that was just so sweet!Now if I am feeling like cardio is the LAST thing I want to do, I can call her up and say LET’S GO!
It is so important to build a circle of friends for yourself when going through any kind of transformation.You need people who you can lean on for support, people who have been where you are and know that the climb is hard, but SO worth it!It is easier to share your struggles with someone who has struggled with the same things and has succeeded!I am so grateful to everyone I have mentioned here and I am so excited to meet even more people!It feels so much better when you can share your successes with a bunch of people who know what it took to reach that point of success!It also feels even MORE wonderful when you get to cheer those people on.They are sources of friendship and support; two very important things to have in anyone’s life!
So, I hope you are all healthy and happy and if you are planning on starting up at a gym I highly recommend my gym :) but more importantly, wherever you go, make sure your chin is up and you have a smile on your face!
I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!
