The Incredible Shrinking Me - Day 2

Oh migraine Tuesday. I suffer and I mean suffer from migraines. Well today was one of those days. I couldn’t sleep it was so bad. When I have an episode, all I can really do is lay down in my bed in the dark. So that is how I spent my day. No exercise for me today, L it was pouring with rain and then so hot I could melt. Heat is not good for my head anyways.

I did however do ok with my eating. I drank a ton of water as per usual. For breakfast I had half a bagel toasted with plain cream cheese, a hard boiled egg, bottle of water and an iced coffee. Then I went back to bed with my slumber mask and an ice pack. I have a sick fur baby on my hands too so I had to get up a lot to take them outside.

I got up to have some lunch. I had a bottle of water, the rest of the potato salad, baked beans and some red grapes. Then more water. Back to my bed.

Terrill had to make dinner, because I couldn’t take the heat in the kitchen. I laid on the couch and gave him the instructions. We had something I saw on a low carb website called Your Lighter Side. I think she called it Texas Chicken. I of course didn’t follow the recipe exactly.

Terrill grilled some chicken and baked some bacon in the oven. Once the chicken was done, he smothered it in garlic barbeque sauce, then topped it with the bacon, laughing cow cheese and swiss. It all went back into the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

We had it with spinach salad and sliced up cucumber tossed in vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika. It was soooo good! Its all on the ‘make again’ list.

The Incredible Shrinking Me- Day 1

Alrighty, here we go. I'm starting Day 1 by revealing my weight. It may or may not come as a shock to the people that know me, but I think its hard to guess someone’s weight. 195.2 lbs. There, I said it. Its out there for everyone to know. I'm not sure what my goal is exactly, but I'll know when I get there. I mostly just want my clothes to fit properly again. I'll be weighing my self and posting it on Mondays. 

This was taken this morning just after I got up. I weighed my self, then took my fur babies for a walk. We were out for about 20 minutes or so. Then I came back and ate breakfast. I had a hard boiled egg and some Fiber One cereal. I washed it all down with a glass of water.

On the way to work I drank one of my iced coffees (see post here). I drank 2 bottles of water between then and lunch. I park close to the back of the parking lot, so I have to walk a little to get in. I also took the stairs today instead of the escalator-small changes people.

For lunch I ate a home made burger (no bun or condiments) with some home made potato salad that my mum made. Its seriously my fave. In the afternoon, I had some mandarin oranges.

For dinner I made some fish with broccoli, roasted parsnips and baked beans in tomato sauce. It was kind of a thrown together meal that didn't really make sense, but it was pretty good. I had another glass of water with dinner.

After dinner I took Abby and Jersey for another 20 minute walk. I'm starting off small and I'll work up to longer more intense walks by the weekend. Next week, I will start exercising even more.

No snacks tonight, just water. Although, today wasn't perfect eating, it wasn't bad, and definitely could have been worse.

If anyone else is making an effort to be more active and eat a little better, let me know. I'd love to hear how you are doing and what you are doing to get to your goal.

Much love!

Cure De Shopping

Good day guys and girls! I wanted to show you the items I acquired while I was in Montreal last week.

It’s no secret that I love leopard print. I have a lot pieces in that print, sweaters, shoes, scarves, dresses. You name it, I have it in leopard. I spied theses 5.5 inch wedges at Forever 21 while shopping with my girl Cynthia. I tried them on, loved them, Cynthia loved them so much, that she bought a pair too! We figured that even though we work together, we work in different provinces so owning the same shoes would be ok lol.

I like these shoes so much that I almost can't wait for fall! Shame on me I know, but they will look so cute with tights, skinny jeans or leggings.

Isn't this skirt adorable?! Cynthia had it in her closet (with the tags on still), it didn't work for her so she gave it to me-AWESOME! It is from Forever 21(you will see a pattern here) in the plus size section. Again this is a skirt I can't wait to wear this fall. A black long sleeved top, black tights and some serious shoes...perhaps in red. Damn I'm drooling- I have a problem folks lol. Oh ya and it has pockets. Nuf said.



I know own two pairs of these shoes. I bought them in grey a few months ago and was dying for them in the red, but I could never find my size. Well there they were at Zara in Montreal, just waiting there for me. Best part, they were on sale for $39.99! I also found this super cute brolly. I'm a sucker for anything British. I can't help it, its in my blood:) The umbrella is from Forever 21.




This gorgy Forever 21 sweater is another piece that Cynthia had in her closet (brand new again. Crazy Cyn, we are so similar its scary lol). I'm such a lucky girl! This is going to look great with a pair of dark skinny jeans with some over the knee boots, or even motorcycle boots.

My heart actually skipped a beat when I saw these. The staff at Zara had to follow me around with a mop and bucket to clean up the drool that was falling from my mouth. They are so beautiful; I can't even find the words. So I'll stop there.

Last but not least, this florescent leopard t-shirt. It doesn't get any better than this. From Forever 21 Plus. Easy to wear, super trendy and comfortable. LOVE.

Back to Normal Life Revamped

 

Hello my darlings!

I just got back from an 8 day stint in Montreal. I had a fabulous time. I hung out with wonderful people, ate some fantastic food and of course did a little shopping. I didn’t buy too much, a grey maxi skirt, a florescent pink leopard t-shirt and 3 pairs of shoes. I’ll post the pics of my new stuff tomorrow. I’m too lazy today to do anything other than laundry.

I mentioned in the title that I’m back to normal life revamped. What I meant by that is that I’m turning a new leaf when it comes to my health and life style. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be watching what I’m eating and making an effort to get some exercise. I’m going to document everything I’m doing here on my blog so you can follow along and see my progress.

I’ll be posting my food intake, recipes, exercise and drum roll…..my weight. Yes, scary, I know. It has to be done. Starting tomorrow morning I will weigh my self and take a picture of the scale and post the picture so you know I’m not fudging any of the results.

That’s all for now, see you tomorrow! It’s a brand new day :)

The Incredible Shrinking Me

I woke up this morning and none of my clothes fit :( I’ve been eating so bad lately I can actually hear myself getting fatter. While I have accepted the fact that I’m always gonna have some ‘junk’, I think its time to take my weight and health a little more seriously. Plus I have a closet + full of clothes that are too small!

I’m going to start documenting my weight loss, activities and the healthy food I make on this blog. I think this will help me be more mindful of the things I do or don’t do and my readers will hold me accountable and motivate me at the same time. I hope to inspire others to get moving and start making healthier choices as well! It would be wonderful to know I’m not doing this alone.

I’m going to be away all next week so the procrastinator in me says to start my new life style when I get back. I’ve been pretty good this week (except that my work had a slushy machine going all day and handed out ice cream sandwiches lol). I’ll attempt to not go food crazy while I’m away, but maybe it can be the last hoorah!

So stay tuned for my updates. I’d also love to hear what you are doing or tips you have :)

My Personal Rainbow

I was at Zehrs yesterday picking up some groceries and I somehow got turned around and ended up in the cosmetics isle!!! Well I didn't want to look like an idiot so I started to check it out. Joe has a ton of awesome nail polishes in fantastic colors for the low low price of 3 for $10! AMAZING. Of course I bought 6 :)

Now I have bought Joe nail polish before, and I like it because its cheap. You do however, get what you pay for. It doesn't last very long. The other colors I bought only lasted about 2-3 days. But if you like to do your nails as much as I do, that is long enough. I have Lime Juice Green on my toes and Heat Wave Orange and Canary Yellow on my hands with a top coat of Starry Silver.

Pink - Neon Pink
Blue - Fluo Blue
Silver - Starry
Green - Lime Juice
Yellow - Canary
Orange - Heat Wave
 

Baking Soda & Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Wash

I'm trying to grow out my hair. I want it long, really long. But more than just long, I want it to be healthy. I've been reading a lot about "No shampoo, shampoo". Basically you replace shampoo and conditioner with baking soda and apple cider vinegar. I know, I know it sounds crazy. I wasn't 100% on board with it at first but now, I think it’s fantastic!

I have been rotating between regular shampoo and the baking soda method. The first time I used baking soda and vinegar, I was completely shocked at the results. My hair was shiny, soft, had lots of body and felt clean. I mean really clean. The baking soda actually gets rid of the 'junk' your shampoo and conditioner leave behind.

Baking soda is a strong alkali with a pH of 9.0 on average. High-alkali products open up the cuticles of the hair and cause hair to absorb so much water that the shaft might weaken and or break. To counteract this, the treatment is best followed with an apple cider vinegar rinse to normalize the pH of the hair. The acid in apple cider vinegar will close the cuticles.

All you do is mix 1 Tblsp with 1 cup of water in an old shampoo bottle or squeeze bottle. Shake it well because the banking soda and water will separate. For the apple cider vinegar rinse, use the same measurements.

I basically squeeze the baking soda mixture on to my scalp and rub it in, then rinse. I will then pour the vinegar mix on to my scalp and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse, then rinse again. You will smell like vinegar while your hair is wet, but the smell goes away when your hair dries.

I'm not totally ready to give up shampoo completely, but I am on board. I'll keep rotating and see how it goes.

Happy hair washing! 

Spinach Pesto Pasta

This is one of my favorite meals to make, it's also one of the easiest :) I was surfing through Pinterest when I came across a pesto pasta. It looked easy enough, but I didn't have exactly what the recipe called for, so I made it up.

I tend to do that a lot, make up recipes or at least change them based on the ingredients I have or what sounds good to me.

The best cooking lesson I learned from my mum, show no fear in the kitchen. Don't be afraid to try something new or add to an existing recipe. That is how she cooks, and if I can cook half as good as she can, I'll be A-Ok.

What you will need:

1-2 Bags of Baby Spinach
1 Cup Cream or 2% milk
1 Tblsp Chopped Garlic
½ Block of Cream Cheese
½ Tblsp of Chilli Paste
1 Tblsp of Basil Paste
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Small Onions Diced
1 Bag of Pasta




Throw all the ingredients except the chicken, onion and pasta in the food processor.



Blend until its smooth and creamy.



Start to boil the water for the pasta and cook to package directions. I used fresh tortellini. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and cook in a frying pan with the onions with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle a generous amount of pepper and some salt to taste.

Once the chicken is cooked through, add the sauce to the pan and heat through. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, the sauce should be hot and starting to bubble.

That is all there is to it! I added some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Delicious :)

Grown Up Topsi Tail

Ahhh Topsi Tail. How I remember thee. Well I don't actually have a Topsi Tail anymore; I was able to get the same effect very easily.

I sectioned my hair into 3 starting at the top. In the first section, gather into a pony tail and secure with a small elastic. Move the elastic down the pony tail and make a part just above the elastic and make a hole. Flip the pony tail through the hole and pull it tight.

Next I took a small section of hair from underneath the first topsi and used it to wrap around the elastic to cover it up. Repeat the steps until you have topsied all of your hair. You can leave the last one as a pony tail or twist it into a bun. Both ways will look lovely.

DIY Studded Hair Comb

So you can add all things spiked to my list of obsessions. Of course I don't want to look completely weird so I thought I would start small.


I bought these hair combs at Pharma Plus for $5.99...I think. The pack came with 2 black, 2 brown, to white, 2 cream, 2 navy and 2 green. The spikes came from http://studsandspikes.com/. This website is amazing!! There will be some more studding and spiking tutorials in my near future ;P

This took me about 3 minutes from start to finish.

You will need:

A hair comb or even a hair band will work
A glue gun
1/2 Inch tree or cone spikes
News paper to cover your work area
 

 Heat up the glue gun, and lay out the spikes. Dot the glue on to the comb starting at one end. Glue one spike at a time.

 

The glue dries before your know it so you will have to work fast. I alternated between the silver and the black.
 

I think this is gonna look awesome when my hair is in a French Twist. Something about the classic elegance of the twist with the modern edge of the spikes totally appeals to me.


Happy Spiking!!

I Like My Coffee With Ice

I like coffee. I like it a lot, but its too damn hot outside! I make this iced coffee that give me my daily fix while keeping me cool on the way to work. It's also easier way cheaper than going to Tim's everyday.

It started with that last cup of coffee that is always left in the pot. I pour it over ice and add my cream and sweetener. Its sooooo good!! I started making a whole pot of coffee and keeping it in the fridge so its next to no work in the mornings.

Home Made Fabric Softener

I try to be as environmentally responsible as possible.  I really and truly believe that using ‘green’ products makes a difference. The problem is being ‘green’ costs a lot of ‘green’. Enviro products are way more expensive and you usually get less.

Here is a super cheap recipe for home made, environmentally friendly fabric softener that will help you be your own Captain Planet while keeping your pennies in your pocket J

What you will need:

1 ¼ Cup of White Vinegar

¾ Cup of cheap hair conditioner ( used Down Under Naturals. Its cruelty free, biodegradable, smells great and is cheap)

4 Cups of warm water

Old fabric softener jug

**This recipe makes about 1.9 L**

You can mix all of the ingredients in a bowel first or you can just pour it all straight into the jug it’s self. If you are using a bowel, mix the ingredients with a whisk or a slotted spoon. Pour it into the jug and give it a good shake.

That’s it! You are ready to go. You can use the same amount as you usually would.

Happy laundering!

DIY Rocker T-Shirt

Hello my lovelies! I found this T-shirt at the Salvation Army on the weekend for $2.00 and I thought it was too awesome to pass up. While the T-shirt its self is huge and not overly cute, the New Orleans, Bourbon St picture is super amazing. It’s got a 90's vibe to it, and I'm all about kickin it old school. 

I revamped it a bit by cutting the neck line, the hem and the sleeves off. Once the hems are all removed, the fabric will start to roll up a bit, which is what you want. 

Now for the more tedious part. I cut up the bottom of the shirt into little strips. Since this was my first time, I wasn't sure how far up to go. I ended going almost to the bottom of the picture. Once you have cut all the way around, pull each of the strips to make them form tassels. I tried on the shirt and thought that the tassels were too long ( the shirt is a men’s XL so its pretty long on my 5'3 frame). So I trimmed up the tassels. I left them about 2 inches long. Some are longer than others and that is OK. This type of shirt isn't meant to look perfect.

I tied up the shoulders with a strip I cut off the sleeves. I thought it made it look a little more feminine. All in all I'm pleased with how it turned out. I'll be rocking it this weekend for sure ;P

Easy Chickpea Curry

I'm a huge fan of Indian food. I never get sick of it and its good any time of the year. It can get expensive though if you are getting it as take away all the time. I want to save all my pennies for my shoe collection J

This is a super easy recipe for Chickpea Curry that I found here. I adjusted a few things and added some extra ingredients - I have serious issues following a recipe.

I made this yesterday and we ate it today for dinner with some brown basmati rice. I very rarely eat anything I make that day. I’m a huge believer in the whole flavors needing to meld thing. This is something my mummy always talked about when I was growing up. Mother does know best!  I did try some yesterday and it was delicious then, but better today.

What you will need: 

½ Stick of Butter
1 Large onion
2 Tsp ground ginger or ginger paste ( I used the paste)
5 Cloves garlic or 3 TBS of the minced garlic ( I went a little crazy here and added more)
1 TBS sugar or Splenda ( I used Splenda)
2 Tsp Curry powder (Again open for interpretation)
1 Tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
1Tbl Spoon Coconut Oil
1-15 oz Can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1-14.5 oz Can diced tomatoes
1 TBS Lemon juice
1-2 Cups frozen cauliflower
1-2 Handfuls of spinach

*The Coconut Oil and Cauliflower were last minute decisions so they didn't make it into this picture. 

Sautee the onions, and cauliflower in about 1/4 of the stick of butter. You can add more if you want. As far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as too much butter. Add the garlic and sautee until it all starts to smell lovely and has that gorgeous caramel colour.

Add all of the dry ingredients and the coconut oil. Now add the remaining ingredients except the spinach. Cook on medium until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low and cook for about an hour.



While the curry is simmering, you can start with your rice. Add the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts and is easily mixed into the sauce.





Serve on basmati rice and you are done! This curry is so tasty and quite pretty to look at since it has all those gorgy colours.

Enjoy!!