I live, I eat

Ah yes, it's time for another fitness review. This time I jumped on the bandwagon for Chris Hemsworth's Centr fitness app. I started out with the seven day free trial to see if it was even worth the full try. Lest I say, I stayed on to get the full experience. Signing up is super easy. There is not really much that you have to fill in but you do have the usual height and weight. There are a few goals and preferences that you can fill in, and then you get the whole week's plan. The options for the goals are lose weight, get fit & toned, and build muscle.  I have to say that I can really appreciate that they've made this app to cover pretty much everyone's major goal. There is also a preference for the diet being: regular, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan.  Even if you choose to have the regular plan, you can look forward to having some vegetarian options come up in your meal plan. These are able to be changed but I like that it rounds out the nutrition in...

Lest I say that when I heard about Walden Farm's products I was super curious.  I looked for this stuff everywhere and could only find it at my over priced natural foods market and on amazon.  In general, I would say that most of the products were a bit over $5 each.  They have chocolate and carmel sauce, a variety of salad dressings, PB and Jam, Ketchup, and BBQ.  When you are cutting your diet and these things are no longer permissible, this is like finding the holy grail. (Insert singing angels here.) I started this quest with a couple of salad dressings.  I bought the honey Dijon, the berry vinaigrette, and the ceasar.  The first one that I've tried was the ceasar. It was flavorful, but still not quite what the original is. When I looked at the ingredients, I saw that it was pretty much made up of spices, flavor, vinegar, and thickening agent.  As this has no calories, sugar, fat, but has a slight amount of sodium I saw this as a free food. I wen...

It's Saturday, and I knew that the weekend was going to be a bit harder.  I reinforced to my husband that he's kind of the only one that knows I'm on this plan, because we were going out to see my parents. I should rewind and admit that I completely slept in this morning.  We were planning on leaving by 10, which would have given me time to have breakfast, my break shake right before leaving and then lunch with the parents, getting back home for the second shake.  Didn't happen.  I got up late, made sure that I had my breakfast bar, which was the peanut butter granola bar.  It was about the size of the apple strudel and it was so thick.  It was tasty enough, but almost a pain in the tuckas to eat. Not a top pick. Off we went a little after 10, and I made him stop off to get me a coffee. Is it just me or is Starbucks getting too big for it's britches.  The coffee was a disappointment, but it was what I had.  I took a couple waters with me, but ...

Somewhere along the way things got messed up with the meals. Perhaps it's where I changed teh bar for an entree, or it could be when I realized that I looked at the wrong page in the guide for half the day. Anyways, it's a great thing that all of these meals are interchangeable.  When I weighed myself it as flipping between what I was and the pound lower.  I'm not going to take the liberty to claim that pound, so we will just say that we stayed the same.  Also of note, is that I'm not going to the bathroom for #2 as much.  Peeing? Heck yes, every 5 minutes it seems, but not the rest. I know, TMI, but it's part of the deal. I might try to go a bit more leafy green on my veggies. Today's meals minus dinner: I woke up this morning and got myself to the gym.  I've been pretty good about my workouts, and when I couldn't get to the gym, I did something at home.  I work out harder at the gym, and I have the bonus of the trainer.  I got my gym membership...

Oh my, is it Day 4 already? So far so good. I went up one pound. Hmm?  I've dealt with a handful of cravings and the general boredom food wants.  Otherwise this diet is overall been not too bad. My worst time of the day is actually after I get home from work and after dinner. I'm done with food and there's still a long time till I go to bed. On the regular plan you could have a dessert, so that's one of the payoffs when we are done with this week. Yesterday evening I had the pot pie and reheated the rest of my green beans to go with it.  I cut up the green beans and then mixed the pot pie into it.  It was okay but not awesome. Made me think what the heck were those people talking about.  Not a bad meal and I would definitely have it again though. I'm been drinking a ton of water and it's apparently not gone unnoticed that I keep refilling my gigantic water container and that I have to pee every 10 minutes.  Hey, if that's what it takes.  My cowork...

Day 3!! Not as bad as I thought it might be.  Yesterday I weighed in 2 pounds less, and today was the same loss (-4!!!!). Of course, just my luck that by the time I got to the gym and got weighed and measured by my trainer it was up.  Thank you coffee and water.  So for the duration, I shall only follow my scale, but I will go with my trainers measurements.  I will have to look back and see what my initial measurements were.  I will ask her to measure again at the end of the Fast 5, and then periodically through my weight loss journey. Just as a note to you all, I noticed as I was searching the web for other reviews that most of them are sponsored by Nutrisystem, and I assure you that I am currently not. If they choose (go on ahead!!) to sponsor me, then I will make sure that it is stated in the next blog to notify you all. So things that I've noticed.... It might be that I'm PMSing, but I have been exhausted.  But it's not usually that bad. I've been g...

So I have been pretty active, going to gym a few times a week and going for walks. The down side is that my eating has been way off.  Some of this has been the holidays but a lot of it has been stress.  I'm a stress eater. I eat my emotions. So this is always one of the hardest things to reign in for me. A looooong time ago I did Nutrisystem with my husband. He did not do very well on it, but I lost something like 20 pounds. Nutrisystem  has changed up the plan a bit with more foods and add ons. They also recently added some shakes.  I'm give and take on shakes, but they are great in a pinch and can help with weight loss. Especially if you are not used to eating multiple times a day, it may be easier to drink a shake then force more food down your throat. I went on Nutrisystem and went into my old account.  Even after all these years my account was there. It actually made the whole thing a bit easier.  I ordered the Core plan, which came with some ...

I currently work with a trainer twice a week at my gym and then supplement my workouts either there at the gym or just in my home for other days or extra workouts.  Over time I have amassed a lovely collection of workout dvds. I tend to have a love for Beachbody and dance workouts but I try not to limit myself. On Facebook, Black Fire kept popping up and tempting me.  I knew Bob Harper was suppose to be a good trainer, and there was a 30 day free trial. So I gave it a shot.  I had a DailyBurn account a long time ago, but when I went to go log into it and add the trial of Black Fire, it wasn't there.  Apparently, they were getting away from having a workout and food tracking site.  It was kind of like Livestrong. I made a new account and started my free trial.  You can choose to do the Black Fire, but they also have a couple other programs to choose from, or you can do workouts from various programs to do your own thing.  There is no tracking anymore...

Hi all, so here we are again with another workout and eating plan with online coaching.  This program is about to start its 12th week and I feel I have done enough of this one to truly remark on it. It appears that many online coaching programs are doing a limited access site with "rounds" that you can sign up for and do.  I preciously gave the 10 Weeks BodyChange Changetime  a try and stopped it after 3 weeks.  The 12WBT is similar in the way that you have access for the 12 week span and each week you are given access to a new weeks worth of the program. You can go back and redo or review the previous weeks in both of them.  I have to say that this limitation is probably one of my biggest problems with both programs. The upsides for the 12WBT are: They have a whole prep section before you start your round to get you prepped to go, and this helps to keep you going good. You are able to track eating, water intake, mood, and sleep. You get full length work...

So I signed up for the 12WBT a little over a week ago.  I decided to try that $3 for 3 weeks promo that I kept seeing.  After I signed up, I went on the website and saw that we were "pre-season" and there were a bunch of videos and tasks that you are assigned before the program begins.  The videos  have Michelle in them talking over the different sections and why that part of pre-season will help you succeed. I was initially put off by the pre-season.  I wanted to start right away and not deal with stuff in the meanwhile.  After the first week, when I was going through the tasks, I started to enjoy it.  New tasks, videos, and whatnot open up at different dates on the site.  You will see a notice when it will be made available.  Also, each week has a new task. When I started, pre-season had been underway for a while and I only had about a week and a half to go through most of the tasks.  After the first week opened up, I had access to...

It is the beginning of the fourth week, and stuff is hitting the fan all around me.  How does this happen?  It's like a giant sign that goes on.   With everything going on with my business and personal life at the same time, I feel stretched too thin.  I haven't been able to workout to the intensity that I like, and had started to wane, but thankfully picked it back up again. Eating has been difficult, also with everything going on and all of my obligations.  It's not like your meetings are going to stop because you need to eat your apple, almond butter, and rice crackers.  Which by the way, is not the easiest meal to eat at once.  I ended up making a almond butter sandwhich and eating the apple on the side.  And of course when you need rice crackers, suddenly there is a shortage. WTF!!!! Okay, so the sad news.  I will not be able to continue on this path with the Lose weight Stay in Shape with Sara Fennell.  There are a couple of re...

Okay, I'm on day three.  In so far.... I like the workouts.  A couple of things I have to improvise on because my gym doesn't have a couple of pieces of equipment, but is otherwise completely doable.  I'm doing supersets and a couple of singular movements and then abs.  I'm working out Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  She gave me a supplement suggestion, and I have to get a couple of things shipped. I normally go to bodybuilding.com to order my supplements because they usually have the best prices and ship super fast.  They also have great customer service. I have some bread products in my meal plan for these two weeks, and that is a little different to get used to.  Not bad though.  The rest of the food I like as well and eating every 2-3 hours.  Pretty clean eating.  I'm trying my best to drink my allotted water and not my coffee as I normally do.  I've also premade a bunch of food and have some of the steam bag veggi...

Alas, I am still searching for the perfect plan.  The up side is that I'm super hopeful about this one.  I just signed up with Sara Fennell to do her 12 week Lose Weight Get in Shape program.  You can see her website  here. Sara, who so far seems super nice, is the 2012 Ms. Ontario and 2011 Ms. Ottawa.  She has a bunch of different 12 week programs and help for competition prep.  The programs are: Lose Weight Get in Shape Bikini Body Challenge Fitness Model Build Baby Build Keep My New Body (Maintenance Plan) Plus Plan Get Fit at Home Pretty much the cost is 150.00 (Canadian dollars) every four weeks.  It was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I thought of it like she was a trainer here at my gym.  I would actually be paying more and not getting as much.  With Sara's program I will be getting a nutrition plan, workout plan, cardio plan, and supplement suggestions.  There is also the website where I can track everything. I ...

I wish everyone knew how easy it was to do meal prep for the week so they could ensure they had healthy meals at their fingertips.  The hardest part is doing the calculations in the beginning so you do not make too much food and end up throwing money in the trash. I recommend writing down what meals you will be making.  Be honest.  Do you normally eat breakfast at home?  Do you have a day you go out with your friends for lunch?  Calculate those in.  That ends up being good amount of food you could make the following week and save yourself some money.  Another option is to go ahead and make some extra food and then freeze it into your own little lean meals you can store in the freezer at home or at work. My general plan is to choose what proteins and carbs I want for the week.  Chicken and salmon are my top two picks.  I also generally choose from eggs, chicken breast, turkey breast, and fish for my protein and i switch off between sweet p...

I have fallen in love.  I've been on the lookout for things to do with Chinese healthy eating and medicinal food.  Mostly this is for my stomach, which is almost always in turmoil and for weight loss.  I know, I know... I need to go get a full allergy testing done.  But for some reason I can't make myself.  Maybe I am happy in my ignorance.  I do hate the thought that I would not, in good conscience, be able to eat all the foods that I love if I know what they do to me. I came across a recipe for congee on one of my searches.  It also goes by the name of jook, depending on where you are in China.  You would actually find this recipe all over Asia, and it is the go to meal for when you are not feeling well.  It is also a great breakfast food. I had recently purchased my new Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.  OMG!! This machine is awesome.  It's a 6 in 1 pot that is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, soup and chili maker...

I just finished my Jackie Warner FitOrbit online training subscription.  When I started, I filled out the questionnaire and it recommended 6 mos to reach my goal.  I signed up.  It cost $299.00 for 26 weeks.  When you fill out your survey, which is how they "customize" it for you, you can choose things like gluten free, vegetarian, etc.  You are assigned a trainer, which you get to choose from a short list, and whether you need a hard core person or a best friend type. I went with the best friend type because I thought it might be a bit more engaging.  I also started out on the regular diet, but ended up with the gluten free simply for the food choices. The trainer you are assigned to will send you messages.  You can respond to them through your email or the site.  I mostly went to the site.  Through this person you can also ask for specific things done to your diet and exercise plan.  Like I do not like boiled eggs, so I asked that ...

I've never been able to give up my coffee.  I like it strong, black, and sweet.  I grew up using sugar, then under my moms influence, I switched to Equal.  When Splenda came out, we both switched.  I had been using Splenda ever since. As I became a bit more health oriented, I looked into how healthy Splenda was for you.  Granted if you are counting calories, awesome, but it is still a form of sugar and sugar spikes insulin.  Insulin makes you fat.  So it really seemed like a shot in the foot. I fooled around with different sweeteners.  I really didn't care for Xylitol, not to mention it could kill my counter surfing dog.  Truvia and Stevia in the Raw came out.  I really like Truvia.  I did not care for the price.  I would wait until they came out with their 2 dollar coupons and then order a bunch from Coupons Clipped Cheap.  Also, Truvia has Erythritol.  It states on it web site: Erythritol Erythritol is a su...

I am going to Mexico in a week.  It looks like its time for a Almased fast to make sure that I am swimsuit ready. I have strategically placed blender ball mixers at the house and at work.  I also made sure to have a brand new canister, almond milk, and some stevia.  I'm not too sure about loading up on other flavors to add.  I really do enjoy the taste.  I think the only downside to Almased is the bit of chalky texture that it can get.  But its not nearly as bad as another name brand vegan protein shake mix I have, so blessings counted. I'm going to start with the three shakes a day.  I start my mornings with a glass of water.  I have a pitcher that I put some sliced cucumber and orange in to up the flavor. Definitely makes it easy to get your water in.  Then I have my cup of coffee.  (I've cut way down on coffee, and after my trip to Europe, I've found American coffee severely lacking.  Perhaps I can get a coffee maker ...

It's been a rough start to the week.  Work is stressful as always, but I am starting to get the hang of it.  My judge that I work with is high maintenance, and high stress himself.  So part of MY stress is learning to work with him.  This is also a guy that talks S*&T about almost everyone there, and I hate that.  He got very smirky when I told him I was trying to eat a predominately raw diet, so I can only imagine what he says behind my back. Current issues I will need to work on....... Hmmm let's see what I've noticed.... Coffee.  I've always enjoyed coffee.  I love the smell and the taste.  I like mine black with a bit of stevia in it. I have not had the wanting to get rid of it.  I see on youtube that pretty much all raw foodies are not down with coffee, and I understand why.  Coffee is dehydrating and stresses the adrenals.  But that knowledge does not alleviate my craving for the taste and warmth of my cup. ...

So it's been a long weekend and the neighborhood streets are like ice.  There has been rain and it is making all the ice on the road an ice rink.  I actually got stuck trying to leave my girlfriends house.  Everytime I went forward I would keep sliding or slide to the left.  I almost hit their cars twice.  Finally, we gave up and looked for the kitty litter.  That worked. I actually woke up at 4am.  Apparently the power had just gone out.  So I got out my LED lamp and some strategically placed candles.  Pretty cozy.  They went on a couple hours later. So no juice this morning, but I had some water and took it easy this morning.  About the time the lights came on I had a watermelon.  I also had 1/2 a cantaloupe after that, cause I was still hungry.  I had a  couple dates as a snack, and made sure to eat a small fruit before I left the house to curb any cravings I might get.  Tonight I am making ...