Ordering Food at Restaurants: How to Stay FOCUSED!

I LOVE going out to eat and trying new restaurants, new dishes, and enjoying the experience! However, it can be really difficult when you are following a meal plan, have food allergies, or are just watching what you are eating in general.  Nowadays restaurants are including Nutritional Information in their menus (or in a separate booklet) but they tend to leave things out or use teeny tiny font so you can’t read all of the information.  Don’t let this deter you from going out once in a while with friends and/or family.  I am going to tell you how to take the mystery out of the menu!

Use the menu as a guideline.  Don’t feel like you HAVE to order something directly off of the menu… get CREATIVE!  I will look over the menu to see what kind of veggies they are serving with their main courses but I always create my own meal.  For example, I might order:

-        A grilled chicken breast, no salt or seasoning (make sure you tell them this if you are avoiding these things)

-        Grilled or steamed veggies, no salt or seasoning

-        Side garden salad with a big slice of lemon to drizzle on top

This is generally what you find in a main course meal on a menu, just a “CLEAN” version.  No salt, seasoning, fatty oils/butter, dressings, sauces, etc. 

Most restaurants will have no problem with these requests!  Creating the same thing over and over again can feel a little robotic, so the chef(s) might even ENJOY making your special request meal!  I have had a few “is this girl serious?” looks when ordering like this but I don’t let it bother me.  It’s not like I am asking someone at the 7/11 to grill up a chicken breast for me!  If the restaurant is able to serve chicken and veggies smothered in sauce, they can make a clean version just for you and you don’t have to feel bad about it!

Now, if the problem is your company… Everyone is ordering all of the things you can’t eat… Stay strong!  Maybe you will inspire one/some of your friends to eat healthier and order something better the next time you all go out together!

Bottom line is: you can absolutely make healthier choices when going out for dinner at a restaurant; you just have to get a little creative!

Kayla

Overcoming Obstacles

Hey everyone!

First I must apologize for being so absent this past month, it has been … hectic.  This post might read more like a diary entry but I think it is important to be open and honest, it keeps me accountable.

I guess I’ll just jump right in!

February was not my favourite month so far this year… February and I got off to a bad start and the negativity lasted the entire month.  School is stressing me out big time (it is my LAST semester!), I hurt my knee (it’s already kinda crappy… I’ve got Osgood-Schlatter Disease), and my already sensitive hormones were completely out of whack.  I’m really trying to focus on the positives while I deal with my hormonal imbalance, but it’s challenging.  I’m most disappointed by my lack of weight loss this month… I’ve stayed the same and it has really bummed me out. 

School… I have always had a love/hate relationship with school.  All I can say about it is I am glad that I went to university and I am glad it is almost over.  I really believe in education but holy moly it stresses me out!  I’m not even going to go into detail about this one or we could be here allllllllllll night.

Knee… My stupid knee really pisses me off sometimes!  I haven’t been able to do a real leg day all month.  My knee aches and I get these pains that feel like ... well, the best way I can describe it is, you know the feeling you get (if you have sensitive teeth) when you drink or eat something really cold?  Its that sharp pain and then it slowly fades away… That’s what I feel in my knee after cardio or sometimes it’s the reason I have to cut it short.  I started going to physio again but just didn’t have a good feeling about her.  I didn’t feel like we had a real plan or reason for this pain.  So I’m going to my RMT (registered massage therapist) this Tuesday; she should be able to help me out!  I am really hoping I can get this sorted out so I can get back to doing leg days!

Hormones… Oh hormones… I have always had a “sensitivity”, I guess you could call it, to any fluctuation in my hormones.  Well this past month has been the worst I’ve ever felt when it comes to those pesky buggers… I would cry at the drop of a hat, take something to heart and brood over it for days wondering what that person meant by it, and so on… it was mentally exhausting!  I went to my doc to see what I could switch my BC pill to (that’s the culprit… as soon as I started taking it my hormones went BONKERS), so we shall see what it is like next month!  I am optimistic!

You may be wondering what the point is or what my message is here and I guess you could say that the point I am trying to make is, we all go through ups and downs and sometimes those “downs” are pretty hard to dig yourself out of but you have to!  Obstacles are a part of life and you have to figure out how to get around them!  I love the saying “fall down 7 times, pick yourself up 8 times”.  It is so true!  You cannot let anything keep you down.  Not an injury, not stress, nothing!  There were times I wanted nothing more than to stay in my bed all day but I got my ass out of bed, got ready, and went to the gym.  I felt SO much better after I worked out.  Cortisol is a nasty hormone that your body releases in response to stress; it will linger if you don’t get rid of it even after the stress is gone.  So going to the gym after a stressful event is SO important.  You need to rid your body of that stuff; you will be SO glad you did. 

This month I really pulled back and hid in the shadows for a bit, hoping that nobody would ask about my progress… If they had I was sure I’d burst into tears!  However, this weekend I really had an “Aha!” moment and decided that I can’t beat myself up over the events of this month.  I didn’t plan for it to be such a stressful month and there is nothing I could’ve done to prevent it.  So I just have to work with it instead of trying to resist it. 

When I am stressed I avoid food, so today I cooked up all of my chicken and lean beef meals for the week and packaged them up.  This way, I can just run to the fridge and reheat my meal instead of pulling out the pots and pans and cooking up the whole meal right then and there.  I am choosing to be PROactive, rather than REactive.  I am also choosing not to be so critical of my weight.  That’s not to say I’m not paying attention to the numbers, I just mean that I’m not going to be upset with myself about the lack of change (tomorrow is a new day and I will work even harder to make that change happen!).  Sometimes there are lulls, sometimes there are ups and downs and that is OKAY. 

Here is a picture quote that really helped me this month (thanks Alyssa!):

It may have been the month from hell, but I came out of it a better person.  A stronger person.  I know that I can learn from my weaker moments and rise above them! 

Even if you don't relate to these particular "stressors", just sub one of your "stressors" in place of mine.  Maybe money is tight right now and it is stressing you out.  You can still apply this way of thinking to your problem and help yourself get through it.  Maybe you fell off the wagon and regained some weight and are feeling defeated... Just pick yourself up and get to the gym.  Learn from your mistake (maybe you binged, maybe you stopped going to the gym, etc.) and be stronger this time. 

Someone very wise often says something that never made sense to me... in fact it was kind of annoying LOL "just try harder"... If you can't do a push up... just try harder.  If you can't finish that rep... just try harder.  But in all honesty, it's the only thing you CAN do.  If it didn't work out for you the first time, that's OKAY, just try harder next time and you will get closer to success!

I leave you with this quote…

 “I've come to believe that all my past failures and frustrations were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.” - Tony Robbins

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

Let's Begin!

Welcome!

This is my first post on the new blog :)  I thought I would begin by introducing myself...  My name is Kayla and I have decided to make some big changes in my life.  I was never a skinny girl and I don't plan on becoming one.  What I DO want is to strengthen my body and have a more toned, lean physique.  I started my journey in September when I decided enough was enough.  I didnt want to have to find an outfit that looked good, I wanted to throw on a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt and run out the door without giving it any more thought.  So, my plan of action?  I cut gluten and sugar out of my diet entirely.  At first it was incredibly challenging!  I was grouchy and hungry all the time and all I wanted to do was hook myself up to a sugar IV drip and let the sugar high wash away the cravings.  I did not give in and it DID get better.  It took me about 5 days to detox and get the sugar out of my system and then I noticed some MAJOR changes in my mood and body.  It was like someone flipped a switch, I had all of this energy that I hadn't had before and I never felt bloated or uncomfortable anymore.  I loved it!  I was hitting the gym several times a week and the pounds were coming off.  It was wonderful and I had lost 25 lbs all by myself!  I was very proud :)

Then the lull hit...

All of the sudden those dietary changes and workouts weren't cutting it!  I wasn't losing anymore weight!  The stress of exams had actually caused me to put on some weight.  I wasn't feeling so happy anymore so I reached out to a friend and she suggested I train with her personal trainer.  I was skeptical at first to be honest.  I felt like there was no hope for me. 

*Weight and body image has been a big issue for me for most of my life.  If anyone is interested in hearing more about overcoming body image issues just comment below and I will go into more detail* 

Nonetheless, I took her up on her suggestion and made an appointment to see a personal trainer.  That is the day my life truly changed.  He told me that my goals were ATTAINABLE!  I could become a physically strong woman with a feminine physique.  I was not too far gone...

We picked a day, December 21, 2011 and started working out!  I was beyond nervous for my first workout.  I was worried about what to wear, would I sweat to much, would people look at me weird for being in the "guys section" of the gym?  I had all of these insecurities floating around in my head but I told them all to take a hike because nothing was going to stop me from achieving my goals!  With 5 minutes to go until the end of my first workout, I started feeling "off" and had to end it early.  I had pushed myself so hard and did not have enough food in my system so I ended up getting sick.  It was an incredibly embarrassing moment (actually 25 minutes) but I have now figured out when I need to eat my meals so I am fuelled up and ready to work out!

*More on meals in a later post*

It took me FIVE days to recover from that first workout but I wouldn't have changed a thing!  Even the barfing...  It showed me that a little sweat and a little barf won't kill me.  It's not "gross", it shows I worked my ASS off and pushed myself to the limit!  Since then I have had 4 more sessions with my trainer (I am excluding names until I get permission to use names) and I feel fantastic!

I have lost 14 lbs since Dec 21, bringing my total to 32 lbs lost since September!

I am so excited about this journey and have met some wonderful people so far that I know will be with me every step of the way. 

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

~ K