Striving for Health & Simplicity

As the Christmas season approaches I began getting even more nervous about what Tuesday mornings would bring as Tuesdays are my weight and measurement day. I have a timeline with specific goals that I would like met within a certain period of time. I was really nervous to be on this journey as the Christmas season approached, but I vowed to give it my all and go from there.  My healthier lifestyle journey began on September 6th. It's been fourteen weeks since I made the decision to change my lifestyle. After following Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live diet strictly for six weeks I moved onto the life plan. The life plan gives me the opportunity to continue eating much healthier while having slight variations for special occasions. The biggest thing I've stuck to is allowing myself to have very limited amounts of refined and added sugars. I haven't had a glass of pop since September 5th! That's huge for someone who could easily drink four litres a weekend. I have succ...

Friends, have you ever been in a social situation where you're constantly offered food and saying no feels awkward? I think we all have! Especially when celebrations are taking place. The Christmas season is quickly approaching with many parties, and social gatherings. Not to mention a lot of food! This time can be extremely difficult for those who are on a restricted diet or trying to keep up with eating a healthier diet. The Eat to Live lifestyle isn't one that many people know about so it can be incredibly difficult to follow the eating style at social events. After completing the six week strict diet you move into the lifestyle plan. The lifestyle is very similar to the stricter diet but with some more flexibility. I tried to treat the lifestyle plan like the stricter diet but allowed there to be some flexibility on the weekends, this was working fine until recently. As the Christmas season started to approach we began to get very busy, and I started getting lazy with m...

It's hard to believe that today is the last day of November! I can't believe how fast this month has flown by! My final challenge of the month was to shop the flyers more. My new career provides me with an amazing team to work with, fantastic flexibility, and amazing benefits, but the paycheque is lacking. I knew when I accepted this position I would have to make some sacrifices. One of the biggest sacrifices I have made in the last month is not being as "free" with my grocery money. My parents did an amazing job raising us three girls, and one of the biggest lessons I learned from my mother was how to budget our money appropriately. Especially when it came to grocery shopping. I love looking for a good deal, and couponing! At one point I had a whole binder dedicated to coupons, now that I'm eating real food and making a lot of my cleaning supplies this isn't really needed but I still have to save money somehow! A lot of my diet consists of beans, veggie...

It's hard to believe that we are only eight days away from November being over! This month has honestly flown by. There have been a lot of adjustments happening as an after effect of last months changes, but I still wanted to make sure I accomplished my goals! I have a beautiful kitchen. It was designed and built by my father to fit the space perfectly. Upon walking into the kitchen I feel a great sense of happiness and peace, this is probably one room of my apartment I'll miss most once I'm married. I love spending time in my kitchen, and honestly it's probably where I have the most "stuff". I cleaned out two boxes worth of stuff this weekend by following the below tips. 1) Separate- I separated everything into what I use on a daily, monthly, or occasional basis. I specifically focused on decluttering what I only use on an occasional basis. I asked myself how often I used an item, whether something else I had would fit that purpose, and if someone else(ie...

I am a recovering sugar addict. I love sugar, of any form! Some of my favourite forms of sugar would be candy, cakes, and milk chocolate bars. Over the last ten weeks I've been working incredibly hard on transforming my eating habits, creating a new lifestyle when it comes to eating, and really eliminating added sugars to my diet. My PCOS has seen incredible improvement since I changed my eating habits ten weeks ago, and that's my motivation to keep going on this journey. Unfortunately, this weekend brought me right back to the start in some ways. Over the weekend there were many birthday celebrations bringing with them many different types of foods, and a lot of cakes! I indulged in a lot of things that I worked so hard to cut out of my diet, simply because they were in front of me. It was the first time I had been in a setting multiple times in a row that had tempting food, and unfortunately I gave in. Giving in caused me to not only feel defeated, but by Sunday afternoon I...

November has dawned, we are almost half way through November. I always find November to be a very difficult month. It's an in between month as I like to call it. The leaves have fallen off the trees and need to be raked, but we haven't reached the point of significant snowfall yet either. November brings a time of cooler weather, darker evenings, and absolutely no desire to go outside. Last November I had a gym membership so I had no excuse to not exercise, this year I'm not so fortunate. A switch in jobs brought some sacrifices and my gym membership was the first thing to go. I've had to be more creative with how I'm going to get more physical activity into my day, and honestly I haven't been doing great at it. We are going to increase our physical activity slowly, but here's how we are going to start! We spend most of our time at Mr's house, which is within walking distance to a market, pharmacy, and Tim Hortons. Anytime we need something at one of...

Whether we want to admit it not November is officially here! In Eastern Canada this means it's time to make sure our cars are undercoated, put those winter tires on, and pull out all things winter! November started off fantastic for me! I've reached the twenty pounds lost mark. I am incredibly proud of myself for achieving this goal, and super excited to work towards the next goal! I am only twelve pounds away from my ideal weight. Years ago I was told that my ideal weight would help in decreasing the symptoms of my PCOS. I never thought that my ideal weight was achievable, but I'm close enough now to see that I might actually be able to achieve it! November generally brings the start of the Christmas season whether it's through the shopping, parties, or general preparations. This November I want to make sure that I achieve some other goals and not get caught up in the busy times. I've set three goals for the month. Goal One: Increase Physical Activity Goal Two...

After a whirlwind trip back to Barry's Bay last weekend I started a new job on Monday! All of the change in the month of October has been incredibly exciting, but also tiring. I'm ready to settle into a new routine. Three things I would like to improve on in November is exercise, tea consumption, and weekend eating. While in Ontario I had little to no control over the food that I consumed, the end results on the scale weren't too bad. I was only up one pound. The results on my body were another story. In any situation that I had control over I attempted to chose food options that I felt would be the best for my body. All meals were covered on Saturday, there were little to no options that fit within the guidelines. This resulted in me ending up back at the hotel both Friday and Saturday night with stomach issues, I think because it wasn't all whole natural food. I landed back home Sunday night with a face full of pimples! The experience in Ontario, and blood work r...

I am done! As of yesterday I am finished my initial six week Eat to Live Journey. More than once over the course of the last six weeks people would say that I was young, so I didn’t need to worry about my weight or habits yet. I am not your typical twenty something year old. I have health issues that left me in the hospital every second Friday this past summer, I knew that there was more to life then that. I knew that only I could control my weight and eating habits which in turn affect my overall health. My health is why I started this journey, and my health has seen improvements to make this journey all worth it. Over the course of the last six weeks I have learned three incredibly important lessons, ones that I am sure to carry with me throughout the rest of my life. I learned that I can live without added/refined sugar. Previous to my Eat to Live experience I was drinking between two and six litres of pop every week, I couldn’t drive by a store without picking up a bag of ch...

I am a planner. I like to have everything planned out, especially my meals. Over the course of the last six weeks I have found that when I take a break from meal planning I falter off the guidelines. Thankfully my significant other is an amazing cook, and one of the most supportive people I have rooting for me to do well with this journey. He's the primary cook right now, but with some career changes coming up in the next coming weeks I will be getting home much earlier so I need to start pulling my weight in the kitchen. We primarily eat a salad for supper every night, I am so thankful that we can do this. After working all day that last thing we want to do is spend time chopping vegetables. We had to find a way to solve this! After doing some research, and browsing My Momma Told Me I learned that you can store veggies in glass containers for the week. We eat fairly simple salads, so there wasn't much I had to chop. I did not wash our veggies beforehand, the hope is tha...

Have you ever had a week that you look back on and wonder what the heck happened?! In a matter of five days last week I got engaged to an amazing man, resigned from my current job, and accepted a new job. In five short days I completely altered the path I was on in life, it has never felt so good! At the end of the week we celebrated Thanksgiving, I was given a few extra things to be thankful for! The celebration made me extremely nervous for my weigh and measure in. Even though I kept fairly on track I did sway from the strict guidelines a bit. Below are my week five results: Weight Lost: 3lbs Inches Lost: Bust: +.25 Waist: - Thighs: .25 I'm very happy with how things are going. Here's hoping for another successful week!

It has been an incredibly busy few days. I apologize about my tardiness in posting results! Below are the number results for the last week. We have taken my hips out of the equation, mostly because where to measure is always a bone of contention at 7:00am! I have stopped going to the gym due to the loss of my gym membership, but we are going to make an effort to exercise at least three times a week as a couple. Weight Lost: 2lbs Inches Lost: Bust: .5 Waist: 1 Thighs: +1 In four weeks I have lost a total of 13lbs and 9.25 inches. I weigh in tomorrow morning for Week Five results, I'm nervous because of Thanksgiving!

It was a very busy and exciting weekend! The week ahead promises to be just as busy but I’m prepared! On Saturday we went to a family dinner in Mahone Bay, I was nervous because I wasn’t sure what I would eat. We ended up taking some turnip, carrots, and potatoes out before they were mashed to ensure that I could still eat them. It was just as delicious! That experience reminded me that even when my six weeks are up I can maintain this and move over to the life plan. Monday: Lunch: Vegan Black Bean Chilli, Apple, Clementine, Banana & Unsweetened Applesauce            Supper: Huge Salad with one ounce seeds & nuts, Piece of Fruit Tuesday:            Lunch: Vegan Black Bean Chilli, Kiwi, Clementine, Banana & Unsweetened Applesauce            Supper: Veggie Based Stir Fry & Egg Wednesday: ...

September is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. Even though this disease affects about 10% of Canadian women it is so little known. I want to talk about my journey with PCOS, particularly how it has affected my weight, cravings, and my overall self worth feeling. As a young child when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I always answered that I wanted to be a mom, even as a teenager I didn’t understand that I might not have that opportunity. The reality sunk in at the age of sixteen as an endocrinologist explained to me that I was one of the 10% of Canadian women that had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.   I had never heard of the disease before, but the symptoms all lined up to what I had been experiencing. Over the year or two before the diagnoses I had been experiencing a lot of weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, and irregular hair growth. All of these symptoms added up to be the initial signs of PCOS. PCOS is a hormonal disorder. It’s someth...

It’s been a week of learning experiences. Over the course of the last week there have been a number of stressful situations, I tried to not be an emotional eater but I wasn’t successful all the time. I ate two dark chocolate bars, and had one piece of gluten/meat free pizza. As I ate these items I knew that they weren’t within my eating regime, but I still did it anyway. I’m sure that I will see the affects of my choices on the scale and measurements tomorrow. I can honestly say that I learned I need to not have anything but what’s within my eating regime in the house, and I need to be extremely prepared when I go away so I’m not tempted. Monday: Lunch: Vegan Black Bean Chilli, Kiwi, Clementine, Banana & Unsweetened Applesauce            Supper: Huge Salad with one ounce seeds & nuts, Piece of Fruit Tuesday:            Lunch: Vegan Black Bean Chilli, Kiwi, ...

I learned a very valuable lesson in week two of my Eat to Live journey. The second week started out on a high note, I was extremely motivated and committed to following this plan completely, but then one day all I could think about was chocolate! I had cramps, I was achy, and all my mind could focus on was chocolate. I ended up having half a dark chocolate (70% cocoa) bar, and it took away that craving. I took away from this experience that moderation does work, having half that chocolate bar took away all my desire for something sweet. It was both high in cocoa, and significantly better than a Reese Pieces bar. I’m thankful for that lesson . Below are the number results for the last week. I was extremely nervous of the results knowing that I swayed from the guidelines, but I’m still very happy with the results. Weight Lost: 3lbs Inches Lost: Bust: .75 Waist: 1.5 Hips: .5 Thighs: 1.25 In two weeks I have lost a total of 9lbs and 7.25 inches. Here’s to an e...

Have you ever swore that you're going to stick to something extremely strictly? I swore when I started this ETL journey that for six weeks I would not go off the guidelines. That was until my menstrual cycle greeted me. I caved on Thursday and had some dark chocolate. I haven't done week two results yet so I don't know if it affected my weight at all, but I was disappointed that I caved. My goal for week three is to stick to it completely. Below are my meals for week three! Monday: Lunch: Eat to Live Mushroom Stroganoff, Plum, Clementine, & Unsweetened Applesauce            Supper: Coleslaw, & Nachos loaded with just veggies Tuesday:            Lunch: Mushroom Chilli, Clementine, Banana, Unsweetened Applesauce, & Kiwi            Supper: Salad & a piece of fruit Wednesday:   ...

Have you ever wanted to do the happy dance at seven in the morning? I sure did on Tuesday! The first week was challenging, but I stuck to the guidelines completely. Over the course of the last week there were some opportunities that really provided a challenge. One of the challenges that I’m proud I overcame was when a coworker bought the ladies in our set of cubicles smile cookies. I love smile cookies! I was able to say no, but I felt bad declining an offer from someone. I knew if I ate that cookie I would fall back into feeling the need to answer those cravings. I had to get up and walk away while they were talking about how good they were, but I got through it. There have been many little moments where I feel like I could easily fall back into that lifestyle, but each time I get through it. Below are the number results for the last week, I’m most pleased with the weight that has come off! Weight Lost: 6lbs Inches Lost: Bust: 1 Waist: 1 Hips: 1 Thigh...

Have you ever had a moment where you want to throw in the towel and just eat all the sugar around you? I had that moment on Saturday night. We attended a company party, I was prepared with my own dinner but there was a cheesecake being served for dessert (my favorite!) and it was all I could do to avoid it, but I was glad I did! Week two starts today, and I’m really excited for the upcoming week! We are hosting a dinner party Saturday, and it will mostly be all Eat to Live. Monday: Lunch: Eat to Live Mushroom Stroganoff, Pear, Clementine, Banana & Unsweetened Applesauce            Supper: Veggie Stir Fry with Bean Sprout Base (all veggies in the fridge) Tuesday:            Lunch: Mushroom Chilli, Pear, Clementine, Banana, Unsweetened Applesauce            Supper: Salad & a piece of fruit Wednesda...

It’s go time! Week one started on Tuesday September 6 th , I’m now on my fourth day of following Eat to Live strictly. There were some definite withdrawal symptoms the first two days but I’m feeling much better today! Below is my meal plan for week one, I eat a smoothie with Almond Milk, ½ Banana, Blueberries, 1 TBSP of Ground Flax, and 2 Cups of Spinach every morning for breakfast. I have left out weekends from here because we generally decide last minute what’s for supper, it will definitely fit in the guidelines though!   Tuesday:                  Lunch: Crockpot Mushroom Chilli, Banana, Peach, and Unsweetened Applesauce                  Supper: Bean sprouts, Carrots, Broccoli, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms Wednesday:                ...