......Love the one you're with!

      Ever heard that song? It's by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Some of the lyrics are:

"Don't be angry, don't be sad
Don't sit crying over good times you've had
Well there's a girl sitting right next to you
And she's just waiting for something to do...

...And if you can't be with the one you love, honey
Love the one you're with"

    Why, you may ask, am I sharing this with you? What does this have to do with health and fitness. A lot my friends, an awful lot.

    The other day I spent an hour sorting through my clothes to eliminate some of them (as I like to do in January), and I had a epiphany. Some of my jeans I wore last May didn't fit me....whomp whomp. I am about 10 lbs heavier than I was then, and I thought, "Geez.....I remember not being entirely happy with my body then....what a waste!". Seriously, I kept going through my clothes all the while thinking about how instead of enjoying the body I had worked so hard on I was still finding flaws. Now, here I am, 10 lbs heavier and thinking, "well, I better love this body now because who knows what I might have in 1, 5, 10, or 50 years!" Right?!?

    I have spent a lot of my life not appreciating how I was in the moment. I remember hating my "front butt" when I was 11 years old! 11 YEARS OLD!!! P.S., a "Front butt" is that lower belly pooch. 

     Here I am now, 32, responsibility coming outta my ears, a body that needs extra work to keep in shape 'cause it's getting older, and I'm thinking "why was I wasting my 11 year old time feeling self conscious about a lower belly pooch?!". Poor 11 year old me!!
​

   I heard someone say recently that only loving your body when it's perfect is like only loving your kids when they're well behaved. Moulding a child into a decent human being takes time and effort, and there will be some moments when you're staring at your (seemingly) possessed child and thinking "I've failed!".....but you still love them anyway! 

   Don't have kids? Ok, let's change the comparison to dogs! You love your dog, even when you come home from a long day and it's pooped in your favourite shoes.....right?

   Make your own comparison from something you seem to love and forgive quite unconditionally and apply it here! 

   So, why not our bodies? Why not love what we've got while we've got it, no matter how it looks, or how it's "behaving"? This body, this temple we've got to live in can stay the same, get worse, or get better, but can't we love it all along the way? 

    I started this Health & Fitness portion of my website because I wanted to share my tips and tricks, workouts and food philosophy, but what I keep coming back to is encouragement! I swear, this is not really intentional! I sit down to write about one thing, and out comes something else! I think my heart, my body and soul are trying to work something out!

     How many of us woman (and men too) feel discouraged after looking through "motivational fitness photos"? All those freakin' ripped people, super nice tans, I'm sure they are rich too for goodness sake! There is a time and a place for that (heck, I shared my own "before" & "after" photos!), but more than just seeing  other people who are in shape, I think we need real people, loving themselves, loving others, no matter what the body! I want to have a "before" and "after" of my attitude toward my body! 

   Change your mind about yourself, decide right now to love yourself! Start a transformation right there in your head! Don't forget to take a "before" snapshot of your critical and unforgiving mind! You'll want a comparison for later! : )  
  

    Me telling you to love your body isn't a new idea....I'm sure you've already read it somewhere, or seen it on a Billboard or commercial. But I am not just telling you, I AM TELLING ME!!! 
  
    I am with you in this struggle, in this adventure, in this crazy human body! 

    So, here's the real challenge. Not just loving your body (which is easy to say), but to realign your values of beauty. We are told to love our bodies, but our hearts and minds say, "why would you, look at it! It's awful!"     

    Something I tell my kids a lot, and I think we can all agree on this point, is that what we are in our hearts is what makes us beautiful, and that is something we can all work on, regardless of our body type. 
  
    Remember how I disliked my body at 11, and I disliked it last year at it's fittest and thinest, so the problem isn't with my body, it's with my heart & mind. It's what we value as beauty, it's what we consider worthwhile. 

    I love the image above (you can sub in "man" if you're a man reading this!), but I love the challenge.

   Proverbs 31:30&31 says,"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate"  (emphasis mine)   

   Now, whether or not you are a Christian, believe in God, or read the Bible, you have to admit that is a gosh-darned good proverb!!! Don't be thrown off by the "fear" bit, that fear doesn't mean what we think (afraid, terrified), but rather to respect, or to reverence. This fear acknowledges God’s good intentions,  and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (1), which is a beautiful quality. What you look like will fade and change, and get old! You can't help that! But what you do, who you are, those things can last and can become your legacy of beauty.

    If we don't start by looking inward at what our hearts and minds are doing, and whether or not they are beautiful, we'll never be able to look in a mirror and say, "I love you".

   Take a good look at yourself. Are you a great singer, dancer, piano player, guitar player? Recorder player!?! Do you love passionately, hug hard, laugh easily, think deeply? Can you make a killer grilled cheese or a fantastic pot of soup? Do you help people in need, or offer a shoulder to cry on? Are you loud? Quiet? Both!?! Do you see beauty in others? Do you see that beauty can be, and IS, more than just what we look like? 

   Who you are is not  how you look and your beauty is not in how you look. Who you are is someone individual, and your beauty resides in that special and distinct place.

   Love yourself for yourself. You are the only mind like you, the only emotion like you, the only you there is. All of it, inside and out is you, so love it. Love the one you're with because it's you!      
  

xoxoxo


​

    I think most of us know that if you want to be healthy & fit, it requires zeal!

    What is zeal? 
   
    Zeal is defined as "great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective". I like this definition too: "fervour for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavour; enthusiastic diligence; ardor" 

    I am not one for new years resolutions, mostly because they are unrealistic. I've talked about having hope for a new year, and last year I shared some thoughts on just generally aiming to become a better person, but now I desire to have some zeal.

    Our pastor spoke about zeal and said it was a matter of the will and the heart. What you want, what you're passionate about comes from deep inside! It's not manufactured falsely, or forced, but rather pours out of your life because it can hardly be stopped! I had some serious zeal on Monday to clean my house top to bottom! Doesn't seem like a cause worth zealing over (p.s., "zealing" is definitely NOT a word, I just made it up! Haha), but why not? It's what I was doing at that moment, and why not do it with zeal?!? Why waste time doing things with indifference?

    On my Motivational Monday post (I know it's Wednesday...) I spoke about zeal in life in general, but here I want to speak about zeal for health & fitness.   
     

    My enthusiasm for health & fitness sometimes feels fake....usually when I'm devouring a 1 kg bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans on my treat day!!! Then someone asks me about diet, nutrition and working out, and you can't shut me up! Knowing how the body works, what makes it work better, what makes it stronger intrigues and inspires me! I am zealous about health & fitness, regardless of my treat days! I guess you could say I am zealous about food too, ALL food! : )  

    Our pastor showed this video at church and I literally, out loud said, "whoa....", so I want to share it with you! It is part of a campaign called "Protect This House. I WILL". 

   This one is crazy-amazing too (skip to 0:54)!
​

    I like the quote from Aldous Huxley in the collage above. Having zeal, enthusiasm, passion, and devotion to a cause requires us to be a little childlike. Kids are amazing in what they dream up and work towards and accomplish! They zealously follow their dreams because they believe in their heart they can do it, and their will to do it drives them on! 

   As adults, we hum and hah, doubt, speculate, and make lists and somewhere along the way, we become half-hearted in all we do. As I said at the beginning of this post, just add enthusiasm to what you're doing already! Why Not? WHY NOT?!? What's stopping you? Zeal is contagious, it brightens your day, it gives you drive and leaves you feeling purposeful! 

   When I work out, I usually hit a wall physically, I feel completely tired, muscles are shaking, I'm ugly sweating, my face is many shades of red and purple, but I say (often out loud), "if you're here, you might as well kick ass" (excuse my french) : )  

    If you take the time to workout, whether it's for 5, 10, 15, or 60 minutes, do it with zeal! Own it!

   When I create meals for my family, even if they are simple meals, I still like to make it taste good, be healthy, and be attractive because I love food and food presentation!    

    On my Motivational Monday post I shared about my amazing sisters who are passionate about helping refugee families. They have surpassed their original goal to sponsor just one family to come and live in Brantford, and are now planning to continue raising money for a second family! To help with the resettlement of a refugee family in Brantford, go to Brantford Refugee Family Sponsorship.

    I also shared about my friend Kelly who had a dream about a place, called Grace Inn, where the homeless could find a place to belong, be treated with dignity, and could feel at home. She's raising money at Hope for the Homeless in Brantford on gofundme.

   You may not feel like you have a "big goal" that you can apply zeal to, but that doesn't matter. Have zeal in what you do, or join with others who are zealous and support them with zeal!

   As for health & fitness, the zeal comes from the same place all zeal comes from: your will. Why do you want to be healthy or fit? Me? I like feeling comfortable in my own skin. I like seeing how hard I can push myself and seeing what I am physically capable of. I like knowing that my hard work is creating a longer and healthier life for me to enjoy my husband, kids, family and friends. And I like knowing that I am protecting this "house", this place God made for me to live in. I've only got this one house, and I want it to be it's best!

    So, go with zeal! Inject enthusiasm into your health & fitness! Why? Because you are worth it! You are! 

   Make 2016 a year with zeal!



  
​    

    Truth is, when you're trying to eat healthy, a holiday coming up can seem overwhelming!
  
    You want to enjoy visiting family & friends, but you don't necessarily want to jump off the healthy-living-bandwagon either! It is easy though (really, really easy!) to get caught up in eating 'til it hurts, trying every creamy, fatty, salty & tasty thing you see, and topping it all off with a glass or two (or bottle) of wine! Whomp whomp.

    There are ways to get through, ya just need to keep your head screwed on tight, and stay calm! : )   

    Follow me while I offer you 5 tips to help you get through the holiday season without loosing your mind (or waistline)! 

​Look Ahead

    Going to someones house in the evening where you'll be having a feast, or meeting up with friends at a restaurant? Then consider not eating a monster breakfast & lunch first!

    It can be a bad idea to show up starving because then you might be inclined to scarf down every morsel you see, but showing up already thoroughly fed, then feeling like it'll be rude to not eat dinner (and dessert) can leave you overly full of food and calories.

    And, knowing what might be for dinner can help you decide what things to eat beforehand. Eating raw fruits and veggies during the day can help you get the nutrients you need that you may not get at dinner, and they won't leave you feeling stuffed and uncomfortable! 

    Lastly, be prepared to say no! Don't be mean, but you don't have to eat everything that is offered to you! You can politely say "no thank-you".

Make a Healthy Contribution

    Going to a pot luck? Bring a tray of veggies or fruit! They aren't always something people think to bring, but in my experience, they always get eaten up! And make it a good colourful tray of food, it gives lots of variety and ensures everyone finds something they like. And, it means you know you'll be getting a serving or two of goodness!

​   It may seem like a boring contribution, but it will be appreciated. Take the healthy tray a step further by offering a healthier dip like hummus, guacamole, or try one of these 5 dips from Body Building.com, and don't even bother with fruit dip! What the heck?! Fruit is natures candy, and you need a dip for it? I think not. Good golly. I feel strongly about fruit dip being ridiculous, but if you insist on having it, try to whip up a healthy version like mixing greek yogurt, honey and cinnamon together. But I still think it's ridiculous.

    Bringing these may also help you if there are a bunch of pre-dinner snacks and appetizers, and will give you a healthy option to mix in with the hors d'oeuvres or candied nuts you may sample.

     One last note, if you're short on time or ambition, both veggie and fruit trays can be purchased at grocery stores, all ready for you! And if you have time, ambition, and don't want to bring something "boring", there are many ways to make a fruit or veggie tray amazing! Check out some of those amazing images above! 
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Plan to Enjoy

     If you say, "I am not going to eat ANY sweets tonight!"....you probably will. Thumbs down. The thumbs down is not because you couldn't resist, but that you're now lugging around guilt over a failed healthy eating attempt, and that guilt could lead you to keep making bad choices because, "you've already messed up".

    Well, my dear friend, stop that! I said stop it! : )  

    Try telling yourself instead, "I know there will be lots of dessert there tonight, and I love chocolate, so I will try a chocolate dessert if there is one that looks great!", or, "I love cheesecake, so if there is one I'll have a slice!". Make it part of your plan, your first draft, black and white plan. Not your emergency, all systems failing plan! The holidays often bring out specific desserts or foods that are special, so keep those in mind too. Instead of inhaling that store bought cookie you can literally buy any time you wanted, enjoy the amazing pumpkin pie your aunt brings, or buttery & beautifully frosted shortbread cookies (my weakness!)

    You know what makes off-limits food seem super-duper irresistible? Telling yourself you can't have any of them! It's true! Studies have shown that feeling deprived (even if you are well fed) can lead to over-eating! Geepers! 
    
    Be kind to yourself, show yourself some grace, and plan to enjoy some treats. SOME treats, not ALL the treats. :)  ....I am talking to my own sweet tooth....
     

Bottoms up!

    If you drink wine, don't use a jumbo wine glass if you can help it, A huge glass looks sad half-full, but a smaller glass looks more satisfying filled to the top! It can still be a 6 oz serving, but they will have a different effect on your mind and how you see it. You feel like you are enjoying a nice full glass of wine, which will leave you feeling more satisfied with it. The photo above shows a 6oz serving of wine in different glasses, and you can see the difference! Also, I know there are "rules" about which glass is for which type of wine....but let's be honest, unless you're a wine connoisseur (which most of us are not!), you won't really notice the difference!

   If you enjoy a mixed drink, try it in a tumbler instead of in a tall glass. You will be drinking just a little less liquor, and less mix too. And while we're at it, try having your mix with ice and water, carbonated water (otherwise known as soda water, club soda, sparkling water, or fizzy water). There are even quite a few types of fruit flavoured fizzy waters that don't contain any added sugar and make a nice alternative if you really dislike plain carbonated water. A real fruit, no sugar added fruit juice is also a better choice than (soda) pop or artificial, full of sugar juice. 

    If you have the option, beers, ciders or anything out of a can or bottle can be poured into a glass. Taking the time to pour the drink into a glass helps you stop and take notice of your actions and be a little more mentally aware of your drinking.​ 

    And don't forget to drink water! Try your darndest to alternate between alcohol & water as this will keep you from drinking too much, and will help you feel better the next day!  
​    

 Get Moving!   

    And, of course, be sure to fit in some exercise!

    It can seem difficult to find the time or motivation, but take 10-15 minutes to do a HIIT workout, or go for an after dinner walk with family, just find something you can do to help your body get moving and feeling it's best! 

     I created the workout above with maximum sweat in mind! It's a tough one! Some of the moves may be unfamiliar (like butt kickers or the extreme mule kick-it's my new favourite move!), but do your best, if you don't know what something is, do something similar (like a regular ab crunch instead of a v-sit) push yourself, and you'll be glad you did!

    Most important during this time is to be realistic. Life gets turned upside down, and your usual food & exercise plan will shaken up! Don't expect to eat a completely clean diet while visiting your best-baker-in-the-world sister, or most-amazing-deep-fried turkey uncle! Don't expect to be able to go for a 1 hour bike ride when you've got all your family over, or plan a 2 hour gym excursion when you are out of town visiting family or friends! Maybe you will manage to do those things, but there is a better chance you won't! 

​     Be prepared for glitches, be prepared for temptations, be prepared for peer pressure, be prepared to feel lazy and tired, but be prepared to do your holiday best! Not your usual best, but your holiday best! There is a difference!

   Above all else, enjoy whatever the holiday season means to you and your family. Whether it's simple or complex, fancy or not so much, just take the time to appreciate whatever Christmas offers you. And be sure to look at what you can offer Christmas! Giving & sharing, offering peace and joy, these are parts of Christmas you can give away to anyone and everyone. Smiling at someone, holding the door open, just putting others first during this hectic season can make the season bright!
​

    Hello!

    How was the weekend for all? I feel like mine was a blur actually....Saturday I embarked on a shopping adventure never to be rivalled by anyone anywhere ever for all of time!!! Hahaha....ok, perhaps I am being just a teeeeny weeeeeny bit overly dramatic, but it went something like this (let your mind play some dream sequence music here)....

     
    'Twas just this past Saturday.....

    I nominated myself to buy gifts for 19 children in our family, to make things simpler for one and all (I am NOT included in the one and all!) and so I drive into the big city and decide my first stop will be the mall (What? The mall!?! Who does that on the 2nd last shopping Saturday of the Christmas season!?! It's me. I do. Because I'm a big dumb dumb). Not only did I go to the mall, but I went to Toys R Us! (I know, I'm a psycho!)

    I walk into a store that seems more like a mad-house for crazy (and angry) people, and realize quickly that my heart is racing, I'm sweating, I'm smiling at strangers who are thinking I"M the mental one, and are therefore not smiling back at me, and I think I'm about to go into cardiac arrest! 

    So, I left Toys R Us! I semi-ran out of there, actually.....I was there for about 20 minutes and knew that A:the empty and/or wildly messy shelves were not going to yield anything worth looking for, and B: that everything seemed just a little more expensive than usual....? Do they put the prices up knowing crazy people will do anything to get that exact thing their child wanted? Golly gee.

    So, I left the loonie-bin and decided I would go to Party City (never been? It's puuuurdy much my fav place! You can shop it online too, fyi!) It is full to the roof of every party thing imaginable, including party favours, games and toys, candy (sooooo much candy!!!), and really helpful staff (at least here at the Belleville location).  

     2 1/2 hours later.....I emerge, exhausted, triumphant, carrying many large bags bursting with childhood glee (overly dramatic again? Sorry).

    I wasn't actually completely finished, and headed over to Michaels Arts & Crafts store for a few more items, then (after I went to the Theatre for a 2 hour production meeting for the upcoming musical!!!) I headed to Wal-Mart for my last few things I needed to find! I realized at some point I was talking out loud to myself about toys I was looking at, laughing out loud at someone who made an announcement on the p.a. system who sounded like Pee-wee Herman, and then I opened a bag of chocolate covered ju-jubes and started eating them as I finished up (yes, I paid for them!). I believe I was at the end of my "normal"! 

    I spent about 40 minutes in Wal-Mart, and then I was finally, finally finished with the day of craziness!

    ....until I got home and had to unload all the loot and sort & organize it and make sure I had gotten a fair amount of this and that for each child/age group, etc..... 

    The End.


   Yes, I know it doesn't have that usual feel a classic Christmas story should have, but I think it's awesome. I shall tell the story for years to come to my children, and my children's children, gathered around the fireplace each wintry Christmas eve..... : )  
 

    Let's move on, shaaaall we!?!

    I wanted to chat today about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It is my favourite type of exercise because it gets a lot done in a short amount of time!

    HIIT is a method of exercise where you alternate between high intensity, aerobic exercises and low-intensity, recovery exercises.  

    I didn't know about "HIIT" until March 2014, but I had done it in the past, just by a different name. 

    Someone had mentioned to me that their doctor had recommend they try "bursting" exercises instead of the usual 20 minute stationary bike ride. The Dr. told my friend that they should try 1 minute of intense, full speed stationary bike riding, then followed by 1 minute of ab crunches, pushups, holding a plank, and any other strength building exercise that she could "recover" in. 

    I thought this method was interesting, but didn't put it into practice until the summer of 2010 when I was in need of shedding some pregnancy weight I was lugging around. 

    We were staying in a very small cottage for about 16 weeks, and the space I had to work in was very small, but I figured I could do 10 minutes a day, and that would be a great start to feeling better and loosing some weight.

      Well, I was literally shocked at the way it started to change my body! My initial "bursts" were really basic (I had very limited internet access and so I just wrote out a list of ten exercises I could do and had a timer going on the computer to help), but this "bursting" thing was really effective!

       What makes "bursting" or HIIT so effective? 

       According to the Daily Burn, "this type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. “A high-intensity workout increases the body’s need for oxygen during the effort and creates an oxygen shortage, causing your body to ask for more oxygen during recovery,” says Eric Salvador, NASM, NSCA, head instructor at The Fhitting Room in New York City.  “This afterburn effect is referred to as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and is the reason why intense exercise will help burn more fat and calories than regular aerobic and steady-state workouts.” 

     Other reasons for HIIT being so effective (and popular) are that it increases your metabolism, it's convenient and can be as long or short as you want, and you can do it without any equipment! This article at Simply Shredded talks about many of the pros and medical studies done on the benefits of HIIT.   

    The truth is, I don't really like running. I don't like hour-long cardio sessions. I like biking....but I don't own a bike. I don't live close to a pool, and I sure don't live close to a gym, and I couldn't afford it even if there was one right next door! 

    HIIT is an amazing fitness solution for a lot of people. If you're older, out of shape, new to exercise, short on time, have no equipment, you can make this work for you. And why not? Why not trying to give yourself your best health you can? I'm not getting paid to sell anything here friends, I just cannot share enough about HIIT training! : )

   The last year or so I have loved adding jump-rope to my training. I works a lot of muscles and gets you red-faced and out of breath quick!

    Anywho, let me share with you some videos that I enjoy.... 

    Below is a 10 minute, full body HIIT workout from Class FitSugar (of POPSUGAR Fitness) that I enjoy! 

    Next up is a 10 minute jump rope & ab HIIT that has you alternating between jumping rope, then doing a plank variation. This woman (Sara) is a little weird, funny, rude, but I really like this video.
​

     And, of course, I always like having a non-internet reliant idea for a workout, so I like to use my "Do Anywhere" 10 minute HIIT. 

    So, thoughts, ideas, failures, successes you want to share, please do! Please do say hello and let me know if you've tried HIIT, or if you want to!

    I hope that this brief info about High Intensity Interval Training gave you some new ideas about fitness and working out. Put away the dated notion of endless cardio with little to no results! Embrace short bursts of really hard work with really big results! Imagine me now, standing on my soap box at the corner saying all of this to you in a big, dramatic, using lots of hand gestures kind of way! : )

 xo
​

   I'm not 100% sure when or where I first was introduced to Andrea @ I'mperfect Life, but she is so inspiring!

​   She made me re-think "perfect", "strong", and "fit".

   On her website, I'mperfectlife.net, she has an atricle titled "10 Reasons I Love My Ugly Body", and I think the title gives you an idea of how awesome she is! 

   Below is a photo of Andrea with this caption above it:

Even though I have lost 164 lbs and  I am at my doctor’s goal weight...
Even though I have been doing crossfit 4-5 days a week for almost 2 years and eat a very clean diet (90% of the time)…
Even though I am a certified personal trainer and a Spartan, a Rugged Maniac, a Warrior and a Triathlete....

This is what my body looks like (almost) naked

   
   She says of this article (emphasis mine), "My own mind-shift allowed me to see the value of my body far beyond its looks and truly appreciate it for what it allows me to do…live a life of freedom"

​   Amazing, right?!?

   I know so many people (myself included) who struggle with their own bodies instead of just seeing how amazing they are, right where they are!

   How many new Moms have said "oh, I'm so fat now, I need to get back into shape", while ignoring the fact that they just grew a baby inside of them!!!! That's pretty amazing, but we've become a society of people who think that being skinny is all that matters!

   When I first started working out to get healthy & fit again in March 2014, I remember finishing some workouts saying, "I cannot believe I got through that!!! I would feel so amazing for my hard work, but that high would only last until I saw that my body wasn't changing overnight!

​   "Gosh-darn-it, Amy-Lyn!" my current self would say to that former self! "Appreciate how hard you worked!", "Think of how many pushups you did!!!", "You completed Jillian Michaels '6 Week 6 Pack' series!", "You da bomb!" : )  Ok, no version of myself would have said that last bit, but my current self is now rooting and cheering for my former self! Why? Because I am learning to not scold and criticize my body!

   I have literally (literally!) been criticizing myself for as long as I can remember! Even as a young girl, I knew my butt was flat, I had a lower belly pooch, my shoulders were (are!) really broad for my pea-sized head! What purpose has this served except to leave me feeling unhappy about any effort I put in? 

   Andrea of I'mperfect Life has a dare, and I love it! I've done it, and it is a total game-changer!       

     I am daring you to do this! Start today!

     As a society, we didn't always see imperfections the way we do now! 

    I found something online that made me laugh, it said:

Dear society,

Can we please go back to the Middle Ages where being fat and pale was considered beautiful?

Sincerely,
Beautiful in the wrong century


    We swing back and forth in this culture on how we view beauty, but on either side of the pendulum, bodies are being valued by some societal system determined by who exactly....?  Too fat? Ugly. Too skinny? Ugly. Too this, too that, ugly, ugly.

    We are walking around as if life were only skin deep, which (we all know!) it is not!

    I tell my girls this very often; what matters most, what is most beautiful, is your heart! A heart that judges others and judges oneself is black and ugly. Seeing beauty in what matters is a life changer, a world changer!!!

   So, take this dare, and do it! Start by taking a look at yourself and say something nice! 

   I want to say this to you:
    

xoxoxo

    Hey there!

    The truth is, we may decide we want to eat healthier & exercise more, but a lot of days, it's just not happening. Why? Dunno. Too tired, feeling blue, feeling sick, not enough time, there can be a million reasons why we don't do what we wanted to do. 

    So, if you're just not feeling it, might I suggest you start small?

    Starting small for eating healthier could just mean you will determine to eat more vegetables. If you usually only eat veggies with your dinner, tell yourself you'll also have some at lunch, or as a snack. If you never eat veggies at all , just tell yourself you will start to eat veggies at least once a day! Once is better than nothing! 

    Getting up in the morning and knowing that you will not likely have a lot of time to workout, or as the day goes on you know you'll loose motivation to workout? Then don't let the day get away from you! Do a quick, pre-shower, or pre-whatever you do to get ready in the morning workout! I've provided my favourite combo below! It'll take 5-10 minutes (depending on how intensely you do it, or if you decide to do it twice through), and I pinky-swear promise you will feel better for having done something!     

     It's no huge leap to do either of those things mentioned, but it is something! And  something is better than nothing!!!

    Don't talk yourself down by saying, "if you don't do it now, 100%, eat clean, workout for at least 30 minutes a day, it's not worth even starting or trying..."  blah, blah, blah! That's all bull-crap (excuse my French) : )

    You can start now, you can start small, and it is a start! A small start is still a start!

    I think it appropriate that this post is so short (or small) ; )  

​    The End

    
xoxo
    

    Picture this, me, about 10 years ago, a young, fresh faced lamb. I try yoga for the first time ever.....and I hate it with every fibre of my being!!!

    The teacher, although well intentioned, and well educated at being a yogi hadn't really prepared us for her style of yoga. The slow, boring, "are we done yet?" kind of yoga. I was trying it at a gym I was part of, and I'm sure the classes listed didn't include "bored-out-of-your-mind-yoga", 'cause if it did, I wouldn't have attended!  I think it just said "yoga with so&so", and I feel like my sister or my Mom wanted to do it, so we all did it. Hooray for peer pressure!! 

   So, needless to say, I didn't enjoy that experience too much. I do know I laughed a lot though, which is good for you! I feel like I got kicked out? I honestly can't remember...that's bad.

   Anyway, fast-forward to the year 2012, I'm in Anne Of Green Gables at the Theatre Guild, and the director thinks it'll be a nice way to warm up for a rehearsal by having her yoga teacher come in and give us a quick 15 minute session. It was optional, and my first reaction was, "Optional? Hazaa! Count me out!!!". But then, peer pressure......geez. So, I (very, very reluctantly!) went, and somehow, despite myself, enjoyed it. Sort of. It was quick, we held each pose for just a few breaths, the teacher was easy going and nice. 

   It didn't convert me though, I thought, "well, I guess only most yoga is terrible, and the rest is barely tolerable". Yes, I am super optimistic! Whomp whomp.
   

    One thing I've learned to love about yoga the more I do it, is the idea of being forgiving to yourself (which is important in any workout!).

    This principle is so applicable to every area of life, and I've always struggled with it! I tend to beat myself up if I didn't get a good enough sweat on, or if my flexibility isn't as awesome as I think it should be, or if the house is super dusty, or dinner is late, or I'm staring at a basket of clean laundry that needs folding and I just don't wanna fold it..... Sometimes you just need to give yourself a break and be forgiving!   

   Below is a 22 second time-lapse video of a 40 minute workout and yoga session I did from a few weeks ago. I often workout in the great outdoors because I love the fresh air, feeling the earth under my feet, touching the grass with my fingers (seriously, this perks my brain right up!), and filming it in time-lapse is just sort of hilarious! : )  For real, it makes my kids laugh out loud!     

      So, I promise you that you can find some yoga you like if you actually take a look! Ok, if you already like it, I'm just preaching to the choir, but if you think the way I used to (that yoga is the absolute worst!!!), don't write it off completely! It is a fantastic stress reliever, your body starts to strengthen and gain flexibility, and (even if you have a slightly ADHD brain like I do) you'll find that you will be able to focus better. ​

     Here are my absolute favourite yogi's on YouTube that you should check out!

 ~Yoga By Candace- I've only done her 5, 10, 15, and 20 minute videos because my attention span (even though I now enjoy most yoga!) is still limited. Ok, I also do a 30 Minute Power Yoga of hers, and it is awesome, but I usually stick to under 30 minutes! 

 ~ Sarah Beth Yoga- I will be honest & say I don't do all of her videos, but I do love her Power Yoga playlist, and her Yoga for Flexibility playlist. 

 ~ Anita Goa- I generally go to this channel for her stretching & restoration yoga. Her playlist Stretch, Restore , Meditation//All Levels is generally where I'll find the videos I wanna do

   Oh! I also want to be sure to mention that I do not own a yoga mat! If I'm outside I'll use a towel, if I'm inside I'm on an area rug, and that works just fine! You don't need anything special to do yoga!!! 

   In conclusion (I do love ending posts like a bad high school essay!), I hated yoga because it was boring, not challenging in the right ways (I was only challenged in that I couldn't stand it because it was boring!), boring, overly spiritual, boring, did I mention boring?

   Now, I love yoga because I've found a style that fits me, I can find a class length I can tolerate, it's helped with my flexibility, being aware of my breathing, being forgiving, and I really do find some challenging poses (ever tried a forearm stand? Geepers!).

   If you have your own yoga time-lapse video, share it with me! Or make one to share with me! P.S. "time-lapse" is an option on (most?) iPhones in your camera. There is likely something similar on other smartphones, but I couldn't tell you for sure 'cause I ain't got one. : )

xoxo  

    Hello all you good people!

    Can I start by offering an honest confession to you? This post is not a finger wagging at you post, but a strong reminder to me post! 

    Last week went like this.......I had a treat night on Monday evening because we had gone out to the Royal Winter Fair, and I wanted to have some of the wonderful food offerings from there! Then my sister and her family were coming to visit from Tuesday-Friday, and I would plan on having a treat night with them (my sister and I are treat fiends!!!) on one of those days, but Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday treat days later.......whomp whomp.....

    So, 6 out of 7 days were laden with junk food....and I do mean laden!!! 

    I usually eat clean (no flour, sugar, grains, dairy or bad oils) 80%-90% of my week, then I have a treat day (or 2!), and then I get back to healthy eating! I plan my treat days around different things. For instance, I may plan it around having guests over, or being invited to someone else's house for dinner, or a special event I may be attending. Sometimes there is nothing "special" happening at all, and I just have my treat day because it's the weekend! 

     Some times treat days are a one day get-away....and some are treat cruises where there ain't no getting off!!!  

    I once saw something that helps me to re-start though. It's cheesy, but I like it (see it below!)!

    And sometimes I need to read it as: "a few days of bad eating won't make you fat & unhealthy, just like a few days of eating great won't make you fit & healthy"

    It's what you really and truly do the majority of your eating time that really makes you healthy or not. 
  

 
   
    Ok, so why have a treat day at all?

    Here are my thoughts......

    Eating well, working out, and thinking about being healthy are (clearly) good things, but sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming! 

    The endless road ahead of never eating another Oh Henry or Sour Patch Kid can also seem depressing.....or am I the only one who thinks this way?!? 

   I think I am not! Ya know why? Because every woman I've ever spoken with tells me so! Men feel this way to, but I'm not a man and can't fully address the issue for them!

   Anyway, all this to say that planning for treat days is, in my opinion, extremely important! If you tell yourself you'll never again eat any junk food ever again, you will fail!!! Sorry, Debbie Downer here, but you will fail. And when we fail, usually what follows is guilt, feeling like we are incapable of achieving what we're aiming for, and giving up entirely!

   I am not (I repeat I am NOT) good at eating in moderation! I am sometimes, but when it comes to junk food, I take one bite, and my brain goes bonkers and says in a scary voice "eat everything in sight that is bad for you!!!".

    So, while some people may be able to say, "I'm going to just have a tiny slice of that cake", I might say, "I'll have a tiny slice"....then secretly hide in the bathroom while eating 3 more pieces. Ok, I've never done that exactly, but I've done things similar. Very, very similar....

    Yes, perhaps I've got some food issues to work on, but also knowing myself, and knowing my triggers helps me to plan ahead for success! And one success spurs me on to more success, etc., etc., etc.!!!  Knowing that I am an all or nothing kind of treat gal leads me to plan specific days or treat eating.    ​

​    
   So, now that I've rambled on about treat days, what I really want to talk about is recovering from treat days. 
   
     Here are some of my tips!
         
​1. Start Your New Day With Water!

​    For many reasons, I don't want to tell you how much water to drink after a treat day (because the exact needs of each person is very different), but what I can say is that you NEED to drink some water!!!
 
     As soon as you wake up with your treat day hangover, drink a glass of water! Ok, maybe you'll only feel slightly "off" from your treat day (or just treat meal, or treat item!), but drink some water! 

    The benefits of water to the body are many (many!!!), but I want to highlight just a few.

    First, water (and being well hydrated) has a huge effect on energy levels and brain function! I know that after a treat day my body will be working through foods it doesn't consume regularly, and the food I consumed was short-term energy food. So, my brain needs as much help as possible, and my energy levels need a natural boost!

   Second, when I wake up post treat day, I right away feel hungry. Am I really hungry? Not likely. When most people think of "feeling hungry" they think of that stomach rumbling that can be experienced. I'm sure not getting into the topic of why or how our stomachs growl today, but drinking water helps to stop some of the rumbles, and can help you re-focus for success.  

   Third, water flushes toxins out of your vital organs, and that's something your organs will appreciate after a day of junk food! 

   So, do your body a favour and drink yourself some water! Want to make it even more powerful? Add some lemon! 


2. Fasting

    Whaaaaat? I know fasting may seem like an evil idea, but it sure has been gaining a lot of ground lately in popular fitness. Fasting has been practiced since, well, forever with many countries and (generally spiritual) groups practicing on a regular basis. I will talk more about fasting as my posts unfold here, but for now I will just say to start by forgoing breakfast the morning after a treat day. Skipping a meal will not kill you. You will not starve. You will not pass out or faint. What it will do though is force your body to use all that junk food you consumed as your energy source. Whenever you plan to eat again, make it something good, fresh, & easy. Think an apple, or baby carrots. Neither of those require much effort, and they are real food that your body can use right away!

 3. Plan Ahead!

    Even during your treat day, have in mind what your "back to normal day" will look like. Plan what you'll have to eat, making (obviously) some great choices. Veggies & fruits are a no-brainer for post treat-day fare as they are real, whole and have easily accessible nutrients to re-fuel your body.

    If you are thinking ahead to healthier things, you will be more likely to actually eat said healthy things that day! 


4. Move it! 

    Sometimes the last thing you want to do the day after having treats is to get some exercise (because you may be feeling a bit sluggish from a sugar crash...), but getting moving will reap physical and also psychological benefits to your post treat-day body & brain.

    A personal post treat day favourite exercise of mine is a detox yoga! Scared of yoga? Don't be! Especially in this context. Would it help put your mind at ease if I just said "twisting & wringing out (the junk in your organs) stretches"? No? Still weird? Oh well!

    Shape magazine has this article to help get you moving (some poses are cra-cra, so don't worry about having to do them all, just do your best!), or hop onto YouTube and look up "twist & rinse detox yoga" (my fav is by Sara Beth Yoga). 

   Second favourite thing is getting outside for a walk, Even a quick, ten minute walk &  getting some fresh air revives my body and mind! The title photo above is a selfie from a post treat day walk! : )  

    
5. Clean Up Your Mind!!! 

     
     I mindfully choose to enjoy some of my favourite things on my treat days without beating myself up about it, and that helps me enjoy my treats and be mentally ready for cleaning up my act the next day!   

    Truth is, when I "treat day", I do it hard! I don't have one Oreo cookie because it's my treat day, I'll eat a whole row of Oreos! Yikes!?! Yes, but I enjoy Oreos to dip into my milky tea while reading! But, as I said, I have mindfully chosen to have a treat day, so I am mentally prepared to do better when the time comes. If I had made myself feel like I was failing by having treats, I would not be ready to eat better. 

   This can be more difficult if you end up having multiple treat days (as I did last week), but there is still no benefit in beating yourself up about the choices you made! Say it with me: "There is NO POINT in beating myself up"!!! As soon as you do, you are setting yourself up for psychological disaster! And once your mind starts failing, your will power won't be far behind!

​    Show yourself grace, and decide that you are worth doing better for, and trying harder for. Last week, after that first treat night with my sister on Wednesday, I told myself then, "Amy-Lyn, guurl, you will be having a treat fest....have fun!". I still felt pretty "bleh" most mornings, but I gave myself permission to enjoy my time, enjoy my treats, enjoy my company, and to remember that come Monday, all would be re-set! 

     On a parting note, why do I call my day a "treat day" when purrrdy much everyone else calls it a "cheat day"? Because I despise the word "cheat"! 
 
    Websters dictionary defines "cheat" as

Full Definition of CHEAT

transitive verb
1:  to deprive of something valuable by the use of deceit or fraud
2:  to influence or lead by deceit, trick, or artifice
3:  to elude or thwart by or as if by outwitting <cheat death>

intransitive verb
1 :  a: to practice fraud or trickery b:  to violate rules dishonestly (cheat at cards, or cheating on a test
2:  to be sexually unfaithful —usually used with on  (was cheating on his wife)
3:  to position oneself defensively near a particular area in anticipation of a play in that area (the shortstop was cheating toward second base)


    None of that applies to deciding to eat something one would usually consider unhealthy or off-limits. It is a treat! In fact, it makes it sounds sneaky & terrible, so, I call my day a "treat day" because there isn't any cheating involved! 

    I know you wanted to know why I called it what I did, so now you know! : ) 

    Any tips you want to share with me? Please do! Leave a comment, say 'hi', get connected! 

xo  

 
    Monday, Monday, Monday!!!

   We're off to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair today, and we are all pretty pumped!

    It's an amazing event held in Toronto every winter for 10 days that can't be described fully because it would take all day!!! It's got animal shows/competitions of every kind (seriously, cow, pig, goat, sheep, duck, chicken, horse, dog, I'm sure I'm missing a bunch!), food product competitions, a zillion activities for the kids, amazing food vendors and competitions, as well as booths of things to wander through and buy!   
  

   
​    Now what I want to share is a favourite Monday playlist I created on YouTube! I'm sharing with you a 40 minute playlist that consists of 4 different videos (I need variety!), that are designed to get you sweaty & breathless! 

   Ok, well, apparently I can't seem to get the playlist to load, so, for the whole playlist on my YouTube channel, click HERE!   : )   
        

   As a parting note about what one may or may not need to workout, over the (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend, while at my parents house I did the above workout in a space (literally!) about 4x7 ft (that's being generous), and without my workout clothes (because I had apparently forgotten them!) so I wore the cosy pants I had packed and my sons t-shirt, and a bra I wasn't going to wear that day (so I knew I could get is washed and dried before I did need it!), and I got 'er done!  I have included crappy cellphone photos of this experience below! 

    "I'm on a diet"

    I literally hate when people say that (oh, and please read "literally" with a British accent, it makes it sound not so harsh)!  : )

   Seriously though, when I hear "I'm on a diet", I hear, "I'm forcing myself to eat a certain way because I want to look a certain way, but I really hate it, and I'll probably bail and backslide, and feel guilty, and give up!". 

    I have to keep reminding/reprimanding my husband for telling people, "oh, she's on a diet....she doesn't eat wheat.....or dairy.....or sugar....or beans......" when we're at a restaurant and I'm asking about different options and he feels the need to prattle on and let the server know why I'm asking questions and making changes to the food I'm ordering. 

    The server will walk away from the table, and I'll give Adam that look.....

    Then we have a conversation that goes something like, "Adam, you don't need to give reasons for why I am asking questions and changing things. People can (and should!) feel free to make alterations to foods to make them healthier!". We are not being forced to go out to eat, we are not being forced to eat whatever the heck they bring us, we are there by choice! And by that same choice I can ask (while being extremely polite and friendly) if I could swap things out for something else, or to exclude something, or whatever!

   Recently while in a liquor store, we were asked if wanted a sample of a cider, and I asked if I could see the bottle first to read the ingredients, and Adam pipes up and says, "she doesn't want sugar in it, she doesn't eat sugar", so I added, "I'm also trying to avoid strychnine and want to see if it's listed".  The lady working at the store wasn't too sure if I was being serious or not! Haha, oh man.   

   If I had heart disease and needed to eat better, would Adam go, "oh, she's got heart disease, she could die if she doesn't eat a certain way", or if I had Diabetes, would he feel the need to disclose that? 

   I seriously love my husband a lot (just to be clear),  but he's part of a group of people who don't fully understand that eating a certain way, or what we would call someones' diet, is different than "being on a diet".

    Someone living in India would have a different 'diet' than someone living in China, or people in the Middle East have a 'diet' that is very different from most of my neighbours in Northern Ontario. A 'diet' is just what we choose to eat. I saw somewhere (and I can't find it now!) that someone said:

D-Decide (what)
I- I (will)
E-Eat
T-Today

    A diet is simply deciding what I will eat today. People do change what they eat for different reasons like eating poorly during a stressful time, eating really well while training for something athletic, or eating a ridiculous amount of candy because it was just Halloween (....not that I did that....) : )   

   Wikipedia says "An individual's diet is the sum of food and drink that he or she habitually consumes. Dieting is the practice of attempting to achieve or maintain a certain weight through diet. People's dietary choices are often affected by a variety of factors, including ethical and religious beliefs, clinical need, or a desire to control weight"

    I think that is well said!  You can read a list of diets on that particular article. I know Wikipedia isn't the authority on anything, but it's an interesting read.
   

   There are literally hundreds of special diets to choose from too. The tops 15 that were listed on NHS included the 5:2 Diet, the Paleo Diet, The New Atkins Diet, Alkaline Diet, and many others. If you want to see that full list and what each diet is, check it out here.

    Some hilarious diets my husband and I have thought of (while talking about how, if marketed properly, one could sell any diet) are:

~The Chopstick Diet-anything you can pick up and eat with chopsticks is permissible! You do have to holding the chopsticks correctly though, so, no cheating! : )   Jelly beans would be torture... 

~The Letter Of The Alphabet Diet. Start at 'A', and eat any 'A' foods you wanted! Next day. move onto 'B'! No, "bag of chips" doesn't count for 'B' day, that'll have to wait for 'C' day, it could also be on 'P' day for "potato". Continue through the whole alphabet (sorry about 'Z'!) then start again!!! 

   They're awesome, right? I know. : )  

   I don't want to go on and on about diets, really. What I want to do is change the way you think about health & wellbeing, diets and dieting, and also share what I eat. ​    

   What do I eat? 

   I eat lots of veggies and fruits, meats, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and walnut oil. I avoid foods that leave me feeling less than stellar like wheat and grains (yes, all grains), beans (I'm not a huge fan of being extremely gassy!!!), sugar (I like to ride the sugar-high, but the crash can be a little too much!), and dairy (I eat it from time to time, it doesn't make my tummy feel yuk, it just makes my throat feel
mucus-y, which isn't conducive to nice singing!)  

   Does this way of eating have a name? It does indeed, it's called "Paleo". So, this is why Adam tells whoever will listen that I am "on a diet" because I follow a principle that someone laid out as "a diet". 

   Truth is, I don't remember setting out to be Paleo, it was trial and error, experimentation, and then one day stumbling on this way of eating and going, "oh, that sounds like a good fit for me!".

    After have my third child I had lost weight by eating whole foods-basically any food that was what it was! All meats, fruits and veggies, any whole grain (rice, quinoa, corn, etc., though I didn't eat wheat still), I ate dairy too. I didn't eat any white sugar though, and I avoided bad fats like canola, vegetable, or soy oils. Add this experience to a friend who ate Paleo a few years ago and I remember hearing her explain what it was and thinking, "yikes, what a lot of restrictions!" because I was used to whole foods including grains & beans.

   Anyway, back to the present time, when I set out in March of 2014 to get back into shape and be healthy, I knew I was going with a whole foods approach, but doing it while still including grains & legumes wasn't feeling right. So, I switched to whole foods & no grains or legumes, and I personally felt like that was my ticket. It just so happened to be Paleo.

   Do I want to convert everyone I know to eating Paleo? No, not at all! But do I want the people in my life to live a healthy life? Of course! 

   It's hard to say what is exactly the very best for each person because each person is different! But really, in general, if you are looking to feel better, loose weight, get into shape, etc., the best place to start is with the food the earth gives us, perfect, whole, full of vitamins & minerals. Power food to power your life! 

   I remember once talking to someone who had just started a low-carb diet 2 or 3 days earlier, and she was complaining about all the things she couldn't eat and how stupid the diet was. I thought, "geez, is she being forced at gun-point to do it?". Food is intended to fuel you, to nourish you, to be enjoyed, to bring you together with people. If you are saying the words, "what I am eating is stupid", well, maybe it is? What you eat shouldn't be some ball & chain you're dragging around.

    Get this "diet" thing out of your mind! Do it! 

    If you hear yourself saying to someone, "well, I'm on a diet....", with that sound of hesitation and a hint of embarrassment, rethink your feelings toward it. You need to own whatever you D.I.E.T. (decide {what} I {will} eat today)! 

    I always tell people that I'm talking to about eating well that one of the most important things is listening to your body, seeing how you feel after you've eaten something. Notice your skin, your mood, and your bodily functions (really stinky urine or poop isn't a good sign!-we'll have toilet talk in a few weeks-I know, you can hardly wait!)  : )  

   So, just for the record: I am NOT on a diet! I don't want to "diet"! My diet is "the sum of food and drink that I habitually consume" , and I choose (80%-90% of the time) whole foods! I also enjoy bad-for-me foods on my treat days, but that's part of how I operate, it's what works for me!