Recipes, Training, and Weight loss

When I began this blog not so long ago I was very excited at the idea of posting at least 3 times a week.  Apparently my life just doesn't allow that.  Sure, there are times when I could have sat and thrown together a few sentences but sometimes you just need to sit and be a vegetable in your down time.  I think I am most likely to be a once or twice a week blogger.  Some weeks in my life just aren't interesting.

Now on to the good stuff.......

I am now a member of the Cassie Campbell Community Centre and have been pretty consistent about getting to the gym to work out.  I had a couple lazy days this week but less than last week and I think that is an improvement.  I do have my standard program at the gym but have managed to throw in a couple things to keep it interesting.  I make sure to do a cardio warm up of at least 15 min, usually this is a run on the treadmill, then either arms or legs get worked out, then on to abs, because I am determined to have a least a four pack, and then back to cardio, again usually running but I am going to try and mix it up a bit.  Krysta and I made it to swimming on Friday morning before 7:00am.  I don't think laps are for me but it isn't terrible to get into a bathing suit at least once a week to remind me that the summer isn't too far away.

I am training for two events right now, the Mississauga Half Marathon on May 15th and the Weekend to End Women's Cancers on September 10th and 11th.  I can't wait for the Weekend Walk (60km) and I am thrilled to be part of such an amazing event and help make an impact in the fight against cancer.   But first, the Half Marathon.  I am nervous.  Plain and simple.  I am going to work as hard as I can to complete it I am going to set myself a goal time and hopefully beat it, but if I don't I will still have made myself a healthier and more active person and that is my real goal.  I have found a training program for the Half Marathon and I started it a month ago or so and then fell off the wagon.  I will get back on it and keep you all up to date on how it goes.

I would like to take a moment and address an issue that is usually very closely related to health and fitness and that is weight.  I debated with myself whether or not to touch on this subject in such an open and public area, to lay it out for the world to see and quite frankly I think I need to.   My goal is to lose at least 40 lbs.  When I started this blog I had stepped on the scale that morning and weighed in at 200 lbs.  I wasn't as freaked out as you may have thought.  At my thinnest I weighed in at 175 lbs and that was just over a year ago.  I am a strong believer that weight is just a number, that the way you feel about your health and your self confidence should really be the most important things.  I think my weight is a good guide for me, little milestones that I can track and record but fitting into my skinny jeans is a pretty good feeling as well and that isn't always reflected on my scale.   This morning I weighed in at 192.4 lbs.  At the bottom of future blogs you will see my weight loss to date and my current weight.  I don't promise it was always be lower than the week before, but I do promise to not obsess over that.  Weight comes and goes, I will fluctuate a couple pounds here and there and I will get my butt back to the gym and kick it twice as hard.

I mentioned a recipe for Chicken and Chickpea Casserole on my last blog.  I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but perhaps I can throw that challenge to you.  I will probably try it when I am only cooking for 1 and Craig is back on afternoons as it leaves me to things like beans, green vegetables and tofu.  He has been really great about adopting our new healthier meal plan but there are still some things he's just not so into and chickpeas are one of them.  I can accept that.  So friends, give it a try and let me know if there are things that you would suggest to make it better.

Chicken and Chickpea Casserole

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

3 medium sized chicken breasts

1 medium red onion

1 large/2 small carrots

½ of a 15oz/400g can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1¼ cups/200g sweetcorn

1¼ cups/300g passata (sieved tomatoes)  or 14oz/400g can of tomatoes

½ tablespoon bouillon or other stock

5 dashes of tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pepper 1.  Pre-heat oven to 150°C/300°F. 2. Chop the onion into 8 sections and break the layers appart as you put them into an ovenproof casserol dish. Peal and cut the carrots into round slices about a quarter of an inch thick.  3.  Cut the chicken breast into small cubes and put into the dish with the carrot and all the other ingredients. 4.  Mix the ingredients together in the dish and then cover with a lid (or foil if you have no lid).    5.  Cook for 55 minutes then serve with yogurt. Nutritional Information (per serving) Calories: 248 Protein: 26g Fat: 2g - Saturated: 0g - Cholesterol: 51mg Carbohydrate: 33g - Sugars: 8g Fiber: 6g Sodium: 418mg

Look forward to:  An update on "Work" Outs and Vegan Chili

Now to watch the Oscars!

Cheers to health,
Jocelyn 

Body Flow, dog walking, and house painting

Fear not!  I have not fallen off the wagon, I did take a computer break though.  I was dog sitting Tosca Thursday to Saturday last week and she took the place of my computer as she cuddled on my lap.   She also motivated me to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather we had.  

Tosca has so much energy it's hard to keep her from moving and she needed an outlet for it.  We went for a walk almost as soon as we got out of the car on Thursday.  The warmer weather was lovely and it just made me itch for spring.  We wandered down some paths around my neighbourhood that I didn't even know existed and did pretty well at keeping up a great pace.  30 minutes later we found ourselves back home and sure enough Tosca was wired and needed to play.  Up the stairs, down the stairs, figure 8 of the living room, down the stairs, up the stairs, figure 8 of the living room, if I ran around the house even half as much as she did I am sure I wouldn't even need a gym membership. 

Friday morning we woke up early and went out for another walk travelling the same loop as the day before.  Tosca met a little girl on the walk playing in a playground so she gave her a nice big smooch and we went on our way.  I am certain that it made the little girl's day but it also made mine.  We got back home and I will admit that I became a bit lazy and couldn't convince myself to go to the gym.  I relaxed on the couch and did some research on videos for our "Work" Outs for next week.  I have decided we will be starting with Biggest Loser Boot Camp.  It's a tough work out but with less intense modifications and I am hoping it doesn't scare anyone away.

My sister moved into her new house this weekend and I spend Saturday and Sunday helping paint it from top to bottom.  That is a workout on it's own and a nice change from a structured workout.  I was a very good health nut and avoided alcohol and junk eating on Saturday.  I did indulge a bit yesterday by treating myself to a couple of beer, but all in all I still kept an eye on what I put in my body.   

I skipped the gym today.   I shouldn't have but it's a holiday and I spent some time getting our master bedroom ready to paint.  Please forgive me for a less than stellar couple of days.  I promise more excitement tomorrow.  

Look forward to: 

Our first "Work" Out and Chicken and Chick Pea Casserole

Cheers to health!

Jocelyn

Body Combat, Body Attack, Body Flow and an exciting "Work" Out

I had my doubts but here I am after surviving two classes back to back at Goodlife last night.  I did Body Combat first and felt more nervous about the over crowding than I did about the fact that I haven't been in the class for a while.  Body Combat is a ridiculously energetic program that is based on martial arts and draws from karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi, and muay thai.  It is all done to up beat, high energy music and you strike, punch and kick your way through the hour class.  They don't cap the classes as Goodlife so when I felt myself scaling back on the exercises it wasn't because I was tired (although I was pushed pretty hard) but because I feared that I might be kicked or punch by all the people around me that had no concept of their personal workout bubble.  I survived the hour including the really intense girl that takes the class whom I have been told likes to be close to people so when she is looking in the mirror it actually looks like she's punching someone in the head.  I left that studio and her behind and headed over to.....

Body attack where they take you through a cardio workout for strength and stamina.  They combine athletic aerobic moves with strength and stabilization.  I found a spot near the back as this is a class I had never taken before and it too was way over crowded.  I need to be able to see the instructor and the other people to make sure I am not the only one that looks like an idiot as I flail through the hour.  So we're warming up and I think I am catching on and then the door opens behind me and who walks through it.  INTENSE GIRL.  Now there is no punching and kicking in Attack but that doesn't stop her from grunting and yelling.  Lucky for me I was far enough away from her to not feel like I might be eaten but others did not fare so well.  My condolences.  

I woke up this morning and could still walk and move all my limbs so I have to give myself a bit of kudos for that.  I forced myself through work today without falling asleep, it was touch and go at a few points.  I can't quite figure out why I was so exhausted but I am wondering if I should blame the fact that I gave up coffee.  I did make it to the gym tonight, I ran for about 25 minutes and then headed to Body Flow.  Body Flow has always been one of my favourites.   It makes me all warm and tingly just thinking about it.   Flow combines pilates, yoga and thai chi to stretch and tone muscles with a focus on balance and flexibility.  The class always ends with a 5 to 10 min meditation and I find myself walking out like I just took a much needed nap.  This is one Goodlife class I will miss.  

And now.....THE BIG NEWS!

After some discussion today, we will be starting "Work" Outs for the Arse (get it!  It's a play on Arts.-courtesy of Christina).  On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the end of our work day we will all head to the main rehearsal hall and work out to an exercise DVD from one of our collections.  Each week a new person will be responsible for the DVD which will keep it fresh and challenging.  There is the added bonus of it being a team building exercise.  We start Tuesday and I volunteered to organize it and provide the DVD for week one because I am a keener.  I will make sure to report back on it's progress and let you know what DVD I decide on.  

I think I will take it a little easy tomorrow and either do a run and some abs at the gym or if the weather allows take Tosca (I am dog-sitting until Saturday for my sister) for a walk.  Now I am off to relax which may or may not lead to me closing my eyes.  I really am wiped out.

Goodnight and good health to all,

Jocelyn  

French Toast with Peaches

As promised as picture of this morning's breakfast adventure.  As the G.I. Diet doesn't allow syrup, I topped mine with sugar free raspberry jam.

The Game Plan

I can't say that I have tried every diet out there but I have done my research on them and I know that it really comes down to eating the right things for the science of your body and getting your butt off the couch and making it move.  On that note;

A new diet:
The G.i. Diet, Revised: The Green-light Way to Permanent Weight Loss: Revised and Updated
By Rick Gallop

I will try it for a month.  I will do my best to stick to it and hopefully it really is as easy as they say it is. 

Excercise:

I cancelled my membership at Goodlife yesterday.  I liked the gym enough, I went often (ish), but man was it expensive.  Krysta and Steph took me as a guest to a City Recreation Centre on Sunday and I fell in love.  Not only do I enjoy the price a whole lot more, but I like the atmosphere.  They have an indoor track which I hope will keep me motivated and moving.  If I am going to run 21.1km I am going to have to keep moving.   

I have my membership with Goodlife until February 25th and before then I am hoping to take some of my favourite classes once more. 

Today's classes: 5:30pm Body Combat 6:30pm Body Attack

Lifestyle:

I wasn't up as early this morning as I wanted to be, but one of my goals is to be able to get up early enough in the morning to make a good breakfast and relax. 

I did have time for my breakfast this morning and so I tried something new. 

French Toast with Peaches

Ingredients

Serves 1

2 slices of whole wheat bread

2 egg whites

1/8 cup of skim milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

canned peaches in fruit juice

1.  Cut the bread into 3/4 inch slices (if it isn't already) and remove the crust.

2. Mix all ingredients except the peaches in a bowl and whisk with a fork.  Dip the bread into the mixture and gently soak both sides, the mixture should be almost gone after dipping both pieces.

3.  Place bread in a hot non-stick pan for 3 minutes on each side and serve with peaches.

A SUCCESS! 

I will post a picture soon.  Having phone issues and that is my camera at the moment.

Happy health!

Jocelyn

Skinny by...blog

As I once again embark on another (yes, one more time) weight loss journey, I found myself questioning why I hadn't been able to stay motivated in the past.  Was I lazy? No.  Was I too busy?  No.  Did I not have the proper tools to accomplish my goal?  No.  Did I have something to keep me motivated?  Something to be responsible to? No.  Hmmm...

In the past I had given myself a goal date:

Skinny by...Christmas

Skinny by...Cancun

Skinny by...Summer

These all worked for a while but ultimately I would get to the goal and then fall of the wagon as a reward for my accomplishment.  By taking away the goal do I take away the wagon?

The is the hope of this blog is that by committing to something that isn't ending, my healthy journey won't end. 

So now you may be wondering how blogging about my healthy journey is going to help and what could I possibly talk about.  I don't blame you.  I am wondering the same thing.  

I hope to encourage me (and maybe even you) to keep things fresh and interesting.  I vow to branch out and keep exercise interesting.  I promise to try new things and be the guinea pig.

There is no road map on my journey and there is no end date.  There is only a goal, to be a healthier person.

Cheers (with lemon water) to health! 

Jocelyn