The Things I've Learned

I've learned a few things about myself in the past week or so.

1. I don't do well when i put undue or extra stress on myself!  In fact i find i shut down almost completely.   
2. I've always known that i NEED 8 hours of sleep a night and these past few weeks with my new work schedule, trying to fit in the gym after work, make dinner and work on my own Challenge was cutting that back to 5 hours a night!  Not good!  Was losing my concentration at work and not getting anything else done.
3. I am a loner.......this one i always knew but these last few weeks have really made me realize that.  I enjoy my own company and rarely ever return phone calls or emails in the first few days and never during the work week!  I know this really ticks some people off, but i can't help it.
4. Don't push me, crowd me or hassle  me, i will shut down even more. 
5. I need to look after myself first before i am good for anyone else

.............i'm sure (i know) there is more but i don't want to bore you or myself........or make anyone mad.

I am stopping the blog Challenge, sorry to all you that have been following it.  I just don't have the time for it at the mo.  But i am sure you are all doing great!  From the few of you that i have heard from, it seems to be going well.  More than a few pounds have been lost.  

Way to go and keep up the good work........i'll let you know from time to time how i'm doing but i think it is going to be a slower go for me!

live life and love

Body Fat

Two scales and they both gave me different weights every time i stepped on them.  Frustrated, i went out today and bought a new scale........one of those new fangled things that do weight, body fat %, muscle mass, bone mass and water %.

I am not a happy camper at the mo!!!!!!  I did not like what it told me!

Why is it all the people who are doing this challenge with me are loosing weight and i seem to be the only one gaining weight????  At this point, i have to change my goal to 18 pounds to loose by christmas.

Well, i'm off to my sister's for the pre-trick or treating dinner of chili.  I told her it better be clean!  Then it's handing out treats to all the goblins and ghouls and then a block party of fireworks and bevies.

Have a fun night everyone!

Trick o Treat or Good vs Evil

Hey guys, I realized when i  was going to bed last night that i had not written in here since tuesday night!  I really really thought that i had written something on Wednesday night but now i realize that i had gotten home too late on wednesday, just enough time to make my dinner and chill for a bit before heading to bed. It's been a tough week so far~even though work is getting easier~ fitting in my gym time has been tricky, but i'm doing it!  I didn't get to the gym until almost 7pm on wednesday, so that by the time i got home it was already 8:30 and i was starving.  So it was late to bed  again.  

The one thing that i have realized this past week is that i can not get by on only 5 hours of sleep a night!  Something's gotta change cause all the research shows that if you want to loose weight with a proper diet and exercise program.........you must get enough sleep!

I think i need to buy a new scale!  It's tricking me into thinking that i am doing great.  Let me explain!  I keep a piece of paper beside it and write down everyday what my weight is.........i know, i know.......obsessive i am!  I've just found for me that this works.  Wednesday it said i was down 2 lbs.....yippee.  Friday it said i was down another 2 lbs.......yippee again.  But then i got to thinking.  Hmmmmmmm something's not right, there is no way i have lost 4 lbs in 5 days.  I had lunch with a girlfriend yesterday who i have not seen since mid septemeber and she said i was looking slimmer.  So i told her i that something was wrong with my scale and what it said that morning.  She just laughed at me!

Well, this morning proves it.  I NEED A NEW SCALE, i think.  It said i was now 5 lbs heavier!  Damn, damn, damn.........not a way to encourage a girl i'd say!  Heavier than what i started at????

So how is it going with all you guys?  A few pounds lighter? Clothes fitting better? Looking and feeling better?  Or getting discouraged?  Please let me know.  Oh and have you done those measurements like i said?

I was like a kid in a candy store yesterday.  The 3 books that i ordered on-line from Chapters arrived just before i was heading to the gym.  I got 2 new ones by Tosca Reno and that weight-lifting one i was telling you about:  Lift like a man, Look look a goddess!  Which one to take with me to the gym, hmmmmmmm.  I decided on the weight-lifting one.  I'd either look like someone who doesn't know what they are doing or someone who is very dedicated.

I've had a few interesting emails from people asking me to go over their diet and exercise plans for them. Some of them work out a lot, at the gym 5x a week and riding bikes to work.....way to go, but then tell me what it is they are eating and why are they a few pounds over weight?  Well, i can't emphasize this enough and all the research out there supports this!  Diet and nutrition is 80% key to dropping weight and exercise only 20%!  And when i say diet........I DO NOT MEAN CUTTING CALORIES!  I mean eating clean!  Eating the 5-6 small meals a day and getting enough protein and complex carbs form all those veggies.

Keep a food diary if you must.  After a day or so, you will see a pattern, see what you need to cut out of the meal plan.  I don't keep a food diary as such but i do write down the things i shouldn't have eaten and that makes me feel guilty so i try harder the next day.  Works for me!

Are you ready for Hallowe'en?  Worried about all those candies in the stores and laying around the house just waiting for the little kids to come to the door on sunday night?  Are they screaming for you to eat them and by sunday you will have to buy more cause they are all gone?  It's ok to have one or two but not the whole bowl.  Don't feel so guilty that you give up but just get right back on track the next day!

I am including a few clean recipes that i thought you might like to make for dinner on Hallowe'en night.  They will get you in the spooky mood and fill you up (so you don't cheat).  I've made them both before and love them.  They are from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean cookbook.

Creamy Pumpkin Tofu Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup leeks, white only, thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1/2 cup silken tofu (must be SILKEN)

sea salt to taste

Add oil to a small fry pan and saute leeks until softened.  In a large sauce pan, add broth, leeks and pumpkin.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook 30 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger and tofu.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Using a hand blender, puree soup mixture until uniformly smooth.  And sea salt as desired.  Serve hot

Makes 2 servings

Stuffed Roast Pork Tenderloin

1/2 cup cooked broccoli

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup fine oat bran

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

2 tbsp water or low-sodium chicken stock (left over from pumpkin soup)

2 pork tenderloins

1 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely chopped

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

Sea salt

In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, oat bran, walnuts, parsley, apricots and 2 tbsp of water or chicken stock.  Mix well and set aside.

Place pork tenderloins on cutting board and butterfly them-cut them in half length wise but not all the way through.  Using the blade of a large knife, flatten the pork tenderloins.  Spoon the stuffing into each of the tenderloins.

Fold one side over and tie with kitchen twine, starting at one end and moving to the other.  Sprinkle with the dried herbs, crushed pepper corns and sea salt.  Place in a shallow casserole dish.  Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25- 40 minutes (depending on size) or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degree F.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Let stand 5 minutes.

live life and love

Confused?

Confused?  I bet you are!  I've been getting a lot of people asking me what i am doing for my meal planning day by day.  And by what some of you have told me, you are a bit confused about Carbs and Protein.  For some of us, it's hard to know what type of food is a Carb and what is a Protein........although i think that most of us can figure the protein thing out but some things might surprise you!

Most people think of Carbs as potatoes, rice, wheat (bread, pasta) etc.......while this is true and it is also  these carbs (the simple carbs) that i want you to stay away from during this 2 month challenge.  Now, i'm not one for a no Carb diet......that is just silly cause i don't know about you but I do not want to end up in the hospital from too many fainting spells or going into Ketosis or have low mood swings!  I'm doing this to feel better about my self and damn it.........just plain feel good!  You've all heard the the key to losing weight is cutting out the bad carbs, the white carbs.......well it's true.

Bad Carb (but really yummy!)

So i want you to get your carbs from vegetables and lots of them!  Veggies that are green, yellow, red or purple are very high in the good carbs.

Good Carb (and still yummy!)

The great thing about eating clean is the combining lean protein and complex carbs at each of the small meals eaten over the course of the day.  Together they normalize insulin levels and slow the release of glucose which in turns slows the carb-to-fat conversion cause it takes more work to digest these foods.  It will rev up your metabolism, so you burn more fat!  How simple is that?

Is this getting too technical for you?  I'll confuse you even more with the amount of protein that should be consumed at each and every meal.  25 grams of protein!  Now you can get your protein in many different ways and i will leave it up to you to choose which way, but here are some guide lines and i trust you to make the right choice!

Egg whites                        5-7                   115 cals

Low-fat yogurt                 2 cups              220 cals

Whey protein powder       1 oz                 128 cals

Tofu                                 1 cup                 274 cals

Skinless chicken breast     4 oz                 125 cals

Salmon                             4 oz                  234 cals

Lean beef tenderloin         4 oz                 240 cals

Quinoa                              2 cups             509 cals

Almonds                           3/4 cup            621 cals

Natural peanut butter        6 tbsp               600 cals

Well, i hope you get my drift!  Although things like almonds are a healthy fat ( and we really need those), they are calorie dense and should be used sparingly

So mix and match your proteins, add as many veggies as you want and aim for about 350-500 cals per mini meal!

Here's what i ate today:

• 1 cup of my Quinoa/oatmeal cereal with 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup low fat yogurt, 1/2 apple pair with 2 tbsp peanut butter, 2 slices low fat deli ham
• 4 oz lean beef, 1/2 steamed rutabaga, 1 cup steamed spinach
• 1 protein drink
• 4 oz pork tenderloin stir fry with eggplant, zuchini and onion
• not sure what i will have for a snack if i am hungry!

Happy cooking, eating and combining!  If you do it right~it does pay off!

live life and love

I Cheated Today!

I bet that got your attention.  Yes, i admit, i cheated today.......but it's ok, it was a good cheat.  Let me explain.  I thought i was soo organized last night, getting all my meals ready but what i was cooking for my lunch wasn't done in time and i had to finish cooking it tonight!  So at the last minute, i had to through together a tuna and spinach salad for my lunch (no dressing) and i also didn't have enough snacks ready.  So heres the cheat!  I had a protein drink for my midmorning snack with a few almonds.

It's all right to have protein drinks but don't go for those nutrislim ones.  Go to a Health Food store and talk to the people there.  I can't really recommend one as i have a lot of allergies so i buy a special one from a doctor here in vancouver. But there are many good ones out there.  Most will have Whey as the protein or egg (both i am allergic to).  Other good alternatives are Soy protein or Hemp.  So when you are caught without a snack, a protein drink will fit the bill!  I keep a small container in my back pack at all times along with a small bag of almonds.

Since i am not able to suggest every meal or snack for you here on a daily basis, i highly recommend checking out Tosca Reno's web site www.eatclean.com ! I look at it on a regular basis and also receive her newsletter!  She is an amazing inspiration as she is 52 and in phenomenal shape.  I only hope i look that good at her age.........she rocks!

Well, i made it to the gym tonight........treadmill for 30 minutes then 20 minutes on the punching bag practicing my jab/cross and kicks.  Yup, i probably over did it and won't be able to move tomorrow......oh well, live and learn!

A friend sent me an email today asking me if her meal plan for the day was ok.  Here is her email and my response.

EMAIL

Robyn here is what I ate today tell me what you think....
Oatmeal, apple, 1 TBSP Penutbutter
celery sticks almonds and corn chips with flax
Asian chicken rice noodle bowl
cottage cheese, strawberries
Banana, almonds a few chips, chicken slice
Asian noodle bowl, mango
So an I on the right track or overdoing something. 

My Answer

Everything sounds pretty good but i think you are eating to many nuts. Only once a day is a better idea, you are adding too many calories. I also would not eat the chips 2x a day. They are a treat to be eaten only once or twice a week. Also, i would cut out one of the fruit servings and add way more veggies! Steamed or raw in a salad is best. Again, there is a lot of calories in fruit!

Hope all this helps :-)

live life and love

Day One~5am Taking measurments

OMG!  It's 5am on monday morning!  I am up (barely) with a coffee in my hand, knowing that i have to take my measurements this morning before i step into the shower.........i do not want to do this........i've been putting it off.........i should have done it yesterday when i had the time........oh well, here goes!

Weight : 140 pounds (i swear it said 138 yesterday!)

Chest : 37 1/2 inches

Rib Cage : 33 1/2 inches

Hips at fullest point : 38 inches

Hips at top of pelvis : 36 inches

Thigh at fullest : 20 1/2 inches (right side)

Calf : 13 1/2 inches (right side)

Bicep : 11 1/4 inches

I was wearing my fat jeans again yesterday to go grocery shopping (never again~will wear sweats from now on till i feel that i have lost a few pounds~tight jeans are just too uncomfortable!) and my really cool wells that i bought in Ireland.  It rains all the time there so i actually have two pairs!  These ones i call my Goth wells with red roses and black skulls!  Anyway, i have included measuring your calves is this cause the right wellie was tight!!!  How is that possible?  I didn't know that could happen.

I gotta run, it's later that i thought.  Catch you all tonight.

live life and love

The Guidelines for this 2 month Challenge

I just started a new job a few weeks ago and the hours are long-believe me!  I'm out the door at 6:15am and not usually home till about 7pm so i'm not sure how close i will be able to stick to a few of my own guidelines~lol~or fit in some gym time!  I have some time to myself today so i am going to go check out my local gym and get a free 10 day pass.  Last night i ordered a new weightlifting book from  www.chapters.indigo.ca called The New Rules of Lifting for Women....Lift like a Man, Look Like a Goddess....

I loved the title and the review looked good.  Now i am not new to weight lifting, have been doing it for years.  I've had personal trainers, tried different programs and have loved how it has changed my body!  If you are serious about this challenge then you must must start a training program.  Lifting weights helps with the weight loss.......building lean muscle boosts your metabolism, helping you burn more fat, shaping your body to the way you want it.

Start off easy if this is new to you.  The people who work at those gyms really do know their stuff.....don't be embarrassed to ask for their help, that's what they are there for and from my experience, they love to help beginners.  I should know because it was two guys at my University gym in Dublin that developed my training and diet program last summer to get me in my best shape ever!

So now for those Guidelines.  Take the time to review them all.  This is sunday so you have time, write out a grocery list, go shopping and start tomorrow!

• eat 5-6 small meals every day
• eat every 2-3 hours
• make sure you have lean protein and complex carbs at every meal
• drinks lots of water~8 cups a day ( i drink way more than this when i'm working out)
• never ever miss a meal~especially breakfast
• pack your food for the day~i use one of those soft insulated lunch boxes
• no processed foods! especially white flour and sugar!
• avoid all saturated and trans fats
• no colas, juices or fizzy drinks
• consume healthy fats (EFAs) every day~more on this later
• avoid alcohol! (this one will be tough for me~lol~but i'm determined)
• lots of fresh fruit and veggies for fiber and vitamins
• proper portion sizes (more on this one later)

Okay, this should be enough to get you started!  Don't be overwhelmed.....if this sounds like too much, start small, pick out a few things, make some small changes.  The number one rule in my book is if you eat small meals every 2-3 hours, you don't get hungry so you don't snack and ruin all your hard work!

So for breakfast this morning, this is what i am having to start my day off right!

Quinoa with Oats

1 cup quinoa, soaked for 2 hours

1 cup steel cut oats (my fav)

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 cups water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup raisins (i'm using blueberries today)

In a medium saucepan with lid, place soaked quinoa, steel cut oats, sea salt and water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.  Let sit for several minutes.

This makes 4 one-cup servings.  Only eat one cup!  The rest can be reheated the following day for breakfast or take it with you to work and heat up a serving in the microwave and this could also double as one of your meals later.

The Beginning

I always knew i would start another blog, but i never ever thought it would be like this. Yes, it would be about food, great food, gourmet food, entertaining, wine, recipes! You see, i LOVE food. Come on.......a blog about eating clean and loosing 14 pounds before christmas.....get real! Well, i guess i am getting real, i'm getting older, holding on to a few pounds that i am not happy about.

The other day, i put on what i consider my "fat" jeans. I've had them for years and even lugged them all the way to Ireland with me. About once a year i have to wear them........you know, i'm not the only one that this happens to! Well, i haven't worn them in several years as they were way to big for me.......but to my horrors the other day.........they were too tight! This is not good but it was the "ah ha" moment for me.

Last summer i was in the best shape of my life. I was eating clean (more on that in the next post), working out 4-5 times a week and riding my bike to work. I looked amazing. I went out and bought a whole new wardrobe to show off my svelte figure, toned arms, great shoulders and my beautifully rock hard butt! I even bought a pair of those Daisy Duke shorts.......you know the ones i mean. Can you imagine at 44 wearing those? Damn i looked hot!

So what happened???

Life happened! I moved back home after being away in Ireland for 4 years, my routine changed, i was looking for work, a place to live and mourning my lost life, my fantasy life, my parallel life! 5 months later, i realize i have not stepped foot in a gym, drinking too much wine and my nice clean diet had gone out the door! Hence the "ah ha" moment when my fat jeans were now too small for me.

I want to get back to that better me, that awesome me, the one that DID NOT look her 44 years. Right now i look tired, i see more lines, my double chin coming back. I am not a happy camper. When i look at pictures of me last summer, i see a happy person, a healthy person, a beautiful person. I maybe one year older but that doesn't mean i have to look older.

Why the title? Last night i was sitting here feeling sorry for myself (because of the jeans) and realizing i have to loose the 14 pounds that i have put on in the last 5 months. I was on FB and put that title in my status bar.......sort of as a joke but i thought if i wrote it down where people would see it, i'd have to do it. Well, i couldn't believe the responses and feedback i got! Friends saying they were in! Asking for suggestions,what to do.

Hence the blog about food. Not the food i wanted to write about but food none the less. I will put up pics, recipes, tips. I am no expert, so be patient with me. I do have a lot of knowledge and background on eating clean and nutrition (food allergies have taught me all that). I will be brutally honest with you and myself.

So if you are up for the challenge, come along with me for the next 2 months, eat clean, exercise and change the way you feel, act and live. Email me your questions, your progress, your stats and your pics. Join me as a "Follower" on my site so i can see who you are!

I will outline the basics tomorrow to get you started on your way to a new you!

live life and love