Organization is my key to weightloss

Freezer meals are perfect for organized healthy eating!

 To make life during the week easier I spent my Saturday making food and freezing it! I made egg muffins for breakfasts, baked turkey breasts for suppers, a pork roast to put in wraps and salads for lunches, and a quinoa vegetable salad for sides. These were all perfect to freeze, and then when I am in a rush or just to tired to cook I can pop them in the microwave and enjoy :) I also perfected my banana muffin recipe for a little treat with morning coffees. All of these recipes will be posted right here on my blog! They are gluten free, dairy free, and delicious!

Prepping for upcoming meals makes eating healthier easier. Every week I try to plan my meals for the week. Every night I plan my meals for the next day and put them into my points tracker so I know how much room I have for snacks, and treats. I can plan if I will have time to cook a meal, or if I need to grab something from the freezer. Organization is hard to find. But it becomes routine and makes healthy living a lot more convenient. Deciding what you are going to eat before hand takes all of the guess work out of meals, and if the food is ready or prepared you will be less likely to reach for an unhealthy alternative. At first meal prep and planning seems like a daunting stressful task. If you break it down into a day at a time, or three days at a time, it is easier to accomplish healthy eating. It is the little steps that make a huge difference in the end.

My favourite part of weight watchers is that you can truly eat whatever you want. It took me awhile to learn that this doesn't mean you should eat whatever you want because you won't see the results you want. What it means is that if you want a treat you can have a treat. Not everyday, and not all the time, but you can still have a little something to satisfy that sweet tooth. I have found that the healthier I eat, the more I want to eat healthy. The cravings go away, and you find healthy alternatives to the items you crave. The hardest part is eating my points. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables so they are zero points. If i go over the recommended serving I count them as points, and if I am still short I put avocado or healthy fats into my cooking for some extra points. I snack on almonds, and hummus, and try not to worry if I have a few extra points left over as long as I am not starving.

The hardest part of being busy has been finding the time to be active. I have been to tired to go to the late yoga classes that I love, and morning workouts have been exchanged for sleep and studying. I am hoping this will change before the weekend! However, I have still managed to find some activity in the busyness of life. Yesterday my friends went for a hike and I tagged along. We were gone for two hours, saw some breath taking views of the city, and took on some terrain that was deadly on my out of shape legs! It was great!

Being outside is refreshing and reenergizing. Hiking is a great way to spend time with friends, enjoy the summer weather, and get active. One day I will be able to hike to the top without wanting to crawl, or just sit down half way. Everyone has a starting point, and everyone has goals. It does not matter how you reach your goals, as long as you get there. It may take months, or even years. But every little bit is an accomplishment. Getting to the lookout was my accomplishment. Next time I'm striving to get there a little bit easier.

I will post the recipes for my freezer meals over the next few days, as long as time allows! Maybe I will get some more hikes in and I can share the views with you. I wish everyone a motivated week, and hope you can find a small accomplishment in a bad or busy day! Everything counts, some days just getting out of bed is a big accomplishment.

K.

Dijon Garlic Marinade

This marinade is perfect on any meat and can be used on the grill, in the slow cooker, or substituted as a salad dressing! It has the perfect balance of garlic and mustard, without being over the top! It is soon to be a staple during BBQ season!

It is finally grilling season! I am definitely not a BBQ connoisseur, but last week I found myself at the meat market and decided to get some pork chops. I am not a huge fan of pork, but I thought I would give it a whirl and see how I could make something with great flavour and was seasonal. I am so happy I did! These pork chops turned out to be better than I imagined.

I covered the pork chops in a Dijon garlic marinade and grilled them! The marinade was the perfect mix of tangy and sweet. I was able to use it as a salad dressing as well! Even more exciting - It was zero weight watchers points!


Dijon Garlic Marinade
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
Fresh Dill
3 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp Olive Oil

Mix all ingredients together and cover over meat of choice. The longer it sits the better. However, 20 minutes is long enough if you are in a hurry! I also put this on the meat while it was on the grill, and after flipping the pork chops. 

This was perfect on top of a fresh green salad! Trying new things makes eating healthy exciting. When you can find guilt free ways to change things up, there is no reason not to eat healthy! It is about experimenting with what works for you, your lifestyle, and your body! No one is the same, but if you stay dedicated and motivated things will seem a lot easier!

Enjoy your day!
k.

Citrus Cinnamon Fruit Salad Dressing

This fruit salad has a citrus kick that keeps it fresh in the fridge for a few days! It is a great way to change the way you usually eat fruit, and it quick and easy to make! There are so many possibilities and combinations of fruit that you can enjoy it time and time again!

One of the hardest things about eating healthy is finding the time and energy to cook healthy. To make this easier I make a lot of my meals and snacks on Sunday so I am prepared for the week. I do not want to eat the same thing everyday for a week so I either make a variety, or I plan to cook again on Wednesday. On weekends I enjoy fresh meals and my favourite foods! One food that gets boring is fruit. I get tired of eating apples, bananas and kiwis day in and day out. I eat these because they are an easy grab and go snack. However, this week I made a fruit salad that stays fresh for a few days! Fruit salads tend to get soggy and brown fast. While covering them in lemon juice can fix this problem, it can overpower the flavour. Thankfully, any type of citrus juice can keep fruits fresh longer. The perfect fruit salad comes down to using the right fruits and dressings to keep things fresh.

It is finally spring and so many fresh fruits are available! I was so excited to see melons like honeydew, cantaloupe, and papaya in the produce section at the grocery store.  I stocked up on my favorite berries and melons and came home to make a salad. I used all my favorites - strawberries, blackberries, mango, kiwi, and papaya. These are what i find stay freshest in a fruit salad that you plan on eating for a few days. To keep it fresh I added a cinnamon citrus dressing for some punch!


Citrus Cinnamon Fruit Salad Dressing

The juice from one orange
1 Tbs Cinnamon
1 Tsp Honey

Pour over fruit salad and enjoy :)

Seems pretty simple right? Thats because it is! It tastes good, and gives some variety to snacks. Being healthy should be exciting and refreshing! That is one of the keys to staying motivated and excited about your success!

I hope everyone is having a good week!

k.

A Season to Reflect

Today I got the chance to take a walk around my neighborhood. It was great to get out. With all the rain this weekend everything smelled so fresh, all the trees were blooming, and the scenery that is usually brown and dead looking was green and gorgeous! I got a chance to see the city before the sunset, every time I look at the city I am blown away by the views. I guess that is what happens when you move from the flat land. I don't think looking at the view will ever get old. I noticed the trees in front of my complex were blooming. I didn't even know that there were trees in that spot! The walk gave me a chance to notice life, and reevaluate myself. It was short walk, but it gave me a chance to reflect on myself, where I am, and where I want to be.


I am trying to keep to my goal of getting in four workouts, and three yoga classes this week. With today being a holiday the gym was closed, and I missed the last yoga class because of work. Normally I would have called it a day and told myself that I will try again tomorrow. But, if I am going to commit to getting in shape I have to make it a priority to be active.  I am really happy that I decided to get off my behind and go for a walk. It gave me a chance to realize how out of shape I really am. Doing cardio in the gym is much different than walking up a mountain, or running the stairs up to the next street. Walking outside is something I am going to fit into my everyday routine. It does not take long and is refreshing.


My point here is that it does not matter how active you are, as long as you are active in some shape or form. Everything offers something different. I go to yoga to relax and refresh, I go to the gym to burn energy, release anger, or just take a break, and now I will go for walks to reflect. With the weight watchers system every thing counts. Something that seems like a big effort is an even bigger accomplishment. It may be the hardest ten minutes of your day, but eventually you will be able to do that activity for longer and longer. You can build up your strength and endurance. This will also increase your motivation because as you see your progress you wont want to go back to your old habits.

Happy Monday
k.

Chicken Cabbage Soup

Chicken Cabbage Soup is perfect for a cold day! It will warm you up from the inside out and fills the house with the coziest smells. It can be topped with your favourite Mexican toppings for a completely different experience, such as avocado, sour cream, corn chips, and salsa, or enjoyed on its own!

The weekend has been cold and rainy. However, I am not too upset about it because I have caught a bad virus and do not have the energy to do much besides lay around. To help with the rainy day blues, and to fight this virus, I made some chicken cabbage soup! The smells are wonderful and make me feel warm and fuzzy, and it is a great comfort food for those blue days.

While feeling under the weather it can be difficult to eat healthy, or eat at all. I have found it easiest to fill the body with comfort foods and smoothies for some substance. I have not been overly hungry so I have been focusing on eating small meals so my body has some fuel. Once this virus is gone I will get back to eating regular meals and snacks. 

Chicken Cabbage Soup

12oz Chicken Breast Cooked
1 Can Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes
1 Carton Low Sodium Chicken Broth (4 Cups)
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Snow Peas
1/2 Cup Carrots
1/2 Cup Broccoli
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Cabbage
Fresh Dill, Fresh Parsley, Cayenne Pepper, Chilli Powder, and Black Pepper

In a pot saute onions and garlic until clear, add chicken, broth, and the fresh dill and parsley. Bring to a boil.
In a separate pan fry cabbage with 1tsp oil (I used coconut oil) and the cayenne and chilli powder until light brown.
Add tomatoes and remaining vegetables to the soup pot. Once boiling again add cabbage and let simmer for 30 minutes.

This makes 10 cups of soup and is very low in weight watchers point values.

I topped my soup with a quarter of an avocado and some corn chips. It would also be delicious with grated cheese and a tablespoon of sour cream, but I am still avoiding dairy.

Happy Sunday!

k.

The beginning.

This is my journey through life as a busy student. I am working hard to find the motivation to get healthy, be fit, and enjoy the simple things in life while going to school and working a part time job. This is common for many students and I hope that through the support of others people will be motivated to be the best that they can be! Life passes by so quickly and every moment should be enjoyed, the good and the bad.

In my late teens I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, it seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen. This meant no more perogies, cold beer and clamato, bread, or pasta. For the longest time I would cheat, only to regret it later. Now I live a gluten free lifestyle and feel better for it! I love cooking and baking. Being gluten free has allowed me to have fun in the kitchen and develop new and exciting meals that make me forget all about fluffy bread, and delicious potato filled perogies. My love to cook and try new ideas makes eating healthy much more enjoyable.

Recently I rejoined weight watchers. I have a nasty sugar addiction, and love quick meals and snacks. The items I chose may have been quick, but they were not overly healthy. However, the good feelings that I get from eating healthy make it so much easier to stick with it. I have been slacking off at the gym since summer classes started (I have only gone a few times, and keep cutting my workouts short). For the upcoming week I am setting my goal as attending yoga three times, and getting in 4 good workouts. Hopefully in the next few weeks my routine will be back to normal.

All goals can be reached with dedication. People never stop growing and changing. Life is not static, it is always moving. Every moment needs to be enjoyed because once it is gone, it is gone forever.

I hope that this blog will keep me motivated and on track to reach my goals. I invite everyone to join in with me on this journey. There may be failures, setbacks, and disappointments but overcoming these will only make the journey more exciting and I will be stronger for it!

k.