Recipe | Apple Cinnamon Oats

With September upon us, I am already moving into full blown fall mode and craving all things cinnamon and spice.  Have you ever walking into a Michaels Craft Store?  That's the smell I love... ah, bliss!!

To satisfy that craving, I decided to make a recipe that I saw on my friend Jen's Instagram and WOW, not only did it taste delicious but the whole house smelled like fresh baked apple pie.  HEAVEN!

Ingredients:

3 apples, assorted variety
1.5 cups of Almond Milk
1 cup steel cut oats
2 Tbsp brown sugar (I used Splenda brown sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp Butter (I used margarine)
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Completely coat crockpot with cooking spray
2. Chop apples into small pieces, I did about 1-2 cm squares
3. Add all ingredients into the crockpot
4. Mix ingredients together
5. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (I did 3 because I like the apples a little more crunchy)

Makes 4 larger servings for 310 calories each.

This is the perfect dish to have as either a breakfast or a dessert... just dress it up.  I took half a serving and mixed it in with vanilla greek yogurt (2%) and topped it with cinnamon for breakfast and it was delicious! (only 250 calories)

Enjoy!!

The Struggle Can Be Real

It's not a shock to me that there are ups and downs in this lifestyle journey but what is surprising to me is that I had my first 'down' day yesterday.

Something felt 'off' all day but it wasn't really anything I could put my finger on.  I continued to do my workouts as I normally do, including hit up the gym for my 4th of 6 straight days (need this so I can take Friday and possibly Saturday as a 'rest' day for baseball playoffs).  While at the gym, my stomach felt bloated and gassy and just unhappy so I called it a day after 30 mins on the treadmill and headed home.

Let's look back for a second... (two things)

1. I received my first workout 'outfit' from Fabletics in the mail and was super stoked to wear it to the gym.  The leggings are a XXL as is the tank and the sports bra an XL... all currently the size that I am wearing from Walmart... just prettier (read more expensive).  Got home all geared up for another great workout and not a single piece fit... in fact, the pants wouldn't even go past my upper thighs.  UGH!  Not how I was hoping that would go.  So, I pulled out my normal, more boring (read cheap) duds and put them on.  Feeling slightly demoralized that the XXL was too small, I went off to the gym
2. I spend a lot of my time on Instagram looking at accounts of those who have paved the road, so to speak.  The people who have been where I am (or further away) and made it to the finish line.  I like to go to the start of the account and go picture by picture through the journey and see how it all went... the ups, downs and the wins and the losses (literally).  Well, on top of the whole workout outfit and the gassy/bloated (read make you feel fat) feeling in my stomach, I started getting those 'why can't I be at the finish line?', 'why is it taking me so long?' feelings.  

So, now you understand what I mean by the 'down' day.  No, I didn't skip a workout making me feel guilty.  No, I didn't eat a 'cheat' meal or 'cheat on my diet' making me feel like a failure... I just had a moment of doubt.  A moment where I wondered if the effort of losing the weight and changing my lifestyle is really worth all of the hard work.  It was time to take a step back and regroup... so, I hit the shower, had some dinner and went to bed early.

Today, I can see clearly again.  The scale this morning showed that I am still moving in the right direction (no, I don't typically weigh in any day but Monday's but felt I needed it today), that the hard work I am putting in is, in fact, worth it!  Those Instagram accounts are amazing for inspiration, motivation and ideas for making it to the end of the journey.  However, I have to remember that while I may not be where they are, they have all been where I am.  They all have had moments of doubt and felt like quitting.  Taking one day to go through 2 years of pictures only makes it seem like they did it so fast and the weight just FELL off but no, they put in the hard work and had the same results I'm having day in day out.  It takes weeks, months... heck, even years to get to the finish line (is there even one) and once there, looking back at the time it took, will be awesome!  The dedication that it takes to stick to it will be worth every single struggle along the way!

Just remember, Mama always said there would be days like this.  Don't let it take over the whole picture... wallow in the moment and then pick yourself up and move on!

Diet Challenge | Week Seven Update

Happy Monday!  It is the start of another week and that means that it is time for the weekly diet challenge check-in... speaking of which, I think I want to change the name from 'diet' challenge to 'lifestyle' challenge because that's really what I am doing, changing my lifestyle.  A diet makes it feel like there is an 'end' date and once I get to my goal weight (swooooon) I don't plan on stopping.

With that out of the way, I am happy to say that the scale was very good to me again this week and I was down another 1.5 lbs for a new weight loss total of TWENTY POUNDS!  Let's dance!!  I am thrilled to hit this little mini-milestone and it is one that I have tried to hit again and again over the last couple of years.  Gotten close but never succeeded in reaching it.  Twenty pounds makes me feel like I am here... I am on the right track to changing my life for the better and I can't wait to see what else I can do!

We are now in the home stretch of baseball season so one more weekend to go... it will be a tough one though because it is playdowns (or playoffs to us regular people) which means Friday, Saturday and possibly Sunday.  UGH!  Not that I don't love watching my little man play ball but it really does make it hard to schedule in time at the gym and planning meals a little more challenging.  Oh well, that's why this is a lifestyle change... life has moments that are hard to plan and it all part of the game!

WINS for the week:

1. GYM - I did it!  I joined the local community centre gym on Tuesday (first visit was Wednesday) and went 4 times.  My plan is to focus on going to the gym and get in a routine for the month of August... doing cardio and then come September, I will get a personal training session to learn about adding weights into the routine as well.  I am pumped, excited and totally motivated to see how life will change with adding this into the mix!
2. Loose Jeans - Technically I think this was a win for last week but it still applies!  I am able to pull my size 22 jean capris up and down without undoing the button.  WHOOOP!  When I started this journey, they were slightly tight (as in 'get these off me' status when the day was done) so this is a total NSV (non-scale victory).  I also went through my pants drawer and realized that I have sizes to get me all the way down to size 12!  So that should help the wallet out a bit!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Schedule - Not really anything new but with the addition of the gym into the routine, scheduling time has been a little more challenging.  However, with baseball ending and Murray's summer hockey coming to a close, those schedule conflicts should come to a close soon.

That's all I can think of this week... it wasn't a really up or down week (other than the awesome of 20 pounds and joining the gym)... these far outweighed the challenges!

So, for now... time to keep on keepin' on!  

Diet Challenge | Week Five Update

Happy Monday... no really, it's a HAPPY Monday!!  But before we get started... need to do a big Happy Birthday shout out to my amazing hubby, Murray!

Okay, enough talking about other people, let's bring the focus back to me ;)  I am SUPER pumped to report that this morning's weigh-in was successful and I lost another 4-lbs for a new weight loss total of 17.5-lbs.  I can't even express how happy it makes me to be down FOUR pounds in one week.  As I have said before, I am not expecting major drops and am happy with not gaining but seeing all the hard work that I am putting in, paying off, brings a GIANT smile to my face and makes me want to keep going!

My newest Fitbit badge!

WINS for the week:

1. First 'Eat Out' Meal - Yep, it was bound to happen, the dreaded restaurant meal.  However, if you read my blog post from last week, you will know that I did it with flying colours!  I planned it all before leaving the house and stayed totally on plan for the meal and didn't feel the least bit guilty with my choices!
2. Steppin' Up - Killed it with the steps this past week.  I did close to, or over, 12,000 a day and made sure to get two walks in each day.  Not sure if I will ever increase my step goal beyond the 10,000 but am more than happy to knock it out of the park every chance I get.  

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Making Cupcakes - I happen to be the cupcake queen of my family so for most occasions, I am asked to make some version of cupcakes.  Saturday was my niece's 5th birthday and, of course, I made cupcakes.  Usually my routine is to fill the cupcake wrappers and leave enough batter in the bowl for me to enjoy a super yummy, and horribly fattening, batter snack.  Add on top of that, the licks and tastes of icing and sprinkles and whatever else goes into making them look pretty and it's basically an all-out schmorgishboard (no idea how to spell that).  Not only did I not eat any batter, but I didn't even have a lick of the icing!  WOOHOO!
2. Birthday Party - Same day, different challenge!  My niece's birthday party was on Saturday and it ran right into when I would be having lunch (late, as usual) so instead of being tempted by snacks, I just brought along my salad and ate it instead.  WIN!!

This upcoming week is loaded with challenges so I am going to have to do some MAJOR planning to stay on plan, as much as humanly possible.  We have a baseball tournament this coming weekend, out of town, so that means staying in a hotel ALL WEEKEND long.  I plan to bring snacks (fruit and whatnot) to fill in the gaps and eat at Subway as much as possible.  There is also a gym at the hotel (I know, I actually checked... who am I?!) and I will be bringing gym clothes to work out each day in hopes that any extra calories I do eat are burned off!  Fingers crossed that next week's weigh-in, is at worst, a stand still!  My goal is for NO GAINS!

Diet Challenge | Week Four Results

First off, this post must start with a GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little man who is 9 years old today!  He brings me joy every single day and is inspiring me to become a healthy mom!!

Okay, onto week four's results... I weighed in this morning and was down 1lb for a new total weight loss of 13.5lbs!!  To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect on the scales this morning because yesterday was Steven's birthday party and while I know that I made really good food choices and got in all my steps, I still think my calories were higher than normal.  However, I cheered for myself when I saw the drop on the scale... at this point in my life, I have yo-yo'd enough to know that a loss is a loss, whether it's 5lbs or 0.5lbs, you celebrate the loss regardless.

Before I get into the WINS and CHALLENGES of the week, I wanted to talk about how I am feeling after a month of 'dieting' or a month into the new 'lifestyle'.

I am overwhelmed by my motivation and extremely proud of my success.  Having been on this journey before, I have never had the ability to stick with it for longer than a week or two.  The only two major successes I have had have been my two stints with Jenny Craig (losing 38lbs the first time and 90lbs the second... and then gaining it all back).  Knowing that I am doing this ON MY OWN this time... prepping the food, doing the exercise, being my own coach, is making me understand what it will take to be a healthy, happy person for the long run.  I am not even close to being where I want to be but I know that this time, it will stick and I will reach my goals.

WINS for the week:

1. Motivation - It has to be said that one of the major keys to my success the last month has been my motivation!  It's still at an all-time high and it's helping me get through each challenge as it presents itself!
2. Floors - Kicked it up a notch this weekend and nailed enough floors to get my next badge from Fitbit.  Yep, I did 25-floors in one day and for someone who lives in a townhouse and works in a one-level building, that's pretty impressive!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Baseball - I know, it's starting to sound like a broken record but seriously, it's every weekend!!  We had another double header this weekend and I was 'forced' to plan for 6-hours on the field.  I ended up grabbing another 6" from Subway because we didn't have good 'portable' meals but overall, I think I did well.  My water intake was a little low because there weren't any bathrooms nearby so I didn't want to be in an emergency situation.
2. Birthday Party Number One - Yep... we are in the middle of the birthday bonanza so the first party was yesterday.  I did the best I could for planning and prep and made sure I got all my steps in but there were some foods that I had to guesstimate the calorie count on... I only had a small amount of those to be safe but still, posed a big challenge.  Not to mention the dairy queen cupcakes... those were definitely a challenge - but I resisted!  Not worth the guilt!

Plans for the upcoming week include another birthday party, a birthday dinner and perhaps more baseball.  

Today marks the beginning of the second 28-days so I will be adding in some more exercise and also planning to decrease my calorie intake by 100 calories a day (from 1700 to 1600)... time to step it up a notch!

Laugh At Yourself

Learning to laugh at yourself is definitely a lesson that is learned through time.  In my family, you have to be able to laugh at yourself because if you don't, chances are, you will be only one not laughing.  We are a sarcastic group of people who look for any chance to laugh at one another... sad, but true.

This past weekend, on Father's Day, we had a BBQ and because the weather was so wonderful (read hot and sweaty), my parents set up a two-lane Slip 'n Slide in the backyard and while the assumption is that it was for the kids, the adults needed to give it a whirl too.

Here's the line-up:

Dad - total champion.  Great form, slid the full length and had a great dismount at the end... I sort of hate him right now

Steven (my son) - Decent form... he's 8 so very gangly and awkward, slid almost the full length and had a bunch of fun

Murray (husband) - Moderate form, slid the full length and had a slightly less than stellar dismount but I give him full credit, I didn't think he would have any form or style

Mom - Great run up but came to a full-stop at the start of the slide and basically just fell on to it and slid about 2 feet... needless to say, bad form, bad distance and no dismount to be seen

Me - Well... I personally thought I had the whole thing down pat however, it didn't go exactly as I planned or envisioned in my mind.  I took the standard 10 foot run-up and then (all this is according to the many witnesses) I swan dove about 6-feet into the air and belly flopped on to the slide.  Yep... landed flat out and had zero slide.  Zero form, no distance and horrifying dismount.

Needless to say, we have renamed the Slip 'n Slide to the Run 'n Thud.

Empties Update...

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny

Pros:
Availability - I purchase these in packs of three through Amazon because my local drugstores no longer carry this version but I have heard that they are still found throughout the US so they are very easy to get your hands on
Price - As I said, I buy mine is a three-pack for $13 (including shipping) but if you can find this in store, they generally run around $3 each
Colour - This is the perfect colour for an all over face bronzer... at least for my pale as white paint skin.  I absolutely love it!

Cons:
Not Cruelty Free - According to Cruelty Free Kitty, NYC has no clear stance on animal testing but are owned by Coty who does test on animals.

Overall:
I am so sad that NYC is not a cruelty free company because this bronzer is, by far, my favourite bronzer in my collection... and that I have tried.  I do have two more to use up before I can move on to a CF brand but I will no longer be purchasing this product.  If you aren't concerned about CF then I can 100% recommend it!

Why do so many companies still find it necessary to test on animals?

A Year of Changes

As I sit here, looking at the last few days of before my 38th birthday, I find myself looking at my life and seeing many changes that need to happen to make me a happier person.  Negative start, right?  Well, it's not nearly as negative as it sounds.

For starters, I am a happy person.  I have a wonderful, loving husband; a beautiful, smart and amazing son; a family who loves me unconditionally; and a brood of animals that never fail to bring a smile to my face.  Not to mention a full-time job that I enjoy getting up for everyday; a group of friends that enjoy my company as much as I enjoy theirs; and all the major necessities of life... car, home, food, clothes... blah, blah, blah.

However, I can look back over the past few years and see that something went awry when it comes to taking care of my own personal happiness.  When my uncle passed away 4 summers ago, I was an avid reader and book-blogger and in dealing with grief, I found I couldn't concentrate on reading so I moved to watching YouTube videos... which led to filming videos and collecting all of the things (nail polish, makeup, candles, bath crap... you name it, I want and need it).

As I said, looking my 38th birthday in the face, I realize that I am ready to make some changes.  Not only do I want to fix my diet (or at least start a diet) which we will get into later, but I would like to re-evaluate my 'hobby'.

Nail polish has been a huge part of my life for the last 4 years and while I absolutely love painting my nails, I am tried of the constant need to have the most current collections and the time needed to swatch each collection and take pictures, film the review, edit and upload... it's about taking back my life.  Enjoying the polish and not feeling like my hobby is my job.  It's so amazing being able to get new polish collections for free but I am beginning to realize that the downfalls of spending all my time online isn't necessarily worth the benefits of a house full of nail polish.

Saying all that, can I actually sit here and say that I am 100% ready to throw in the towel?  No, not 100% but I am right there... looking the end of YouTube in the face and not feeling overly bad/sad about it.  So what's next?  How exactly do you end a 4-year hobby and something that has ultimately changed your life?  Is it something you do cold turkey or do you slowly make the transition?  I am usually more of an instant gratification gal... rip off the bandaid, right?

Well, let's see how it goes... start small and work our way to the feeling of personal happiness.  Making myself smile when I think of JUST ME is so important and I am ready to make the changes necessary to make it happen!

Here we go...