Family Trip to Whole Foods :)

Hi All! :)

This past Sunday Ian (hubby), Sidney (kidlet) and I headed to Whole Foods Market in Oakville.
I was first introduced to Whole Foods by Sam when she brought me there in the spring as part of my "50lbs lost" Lulu Lemon reward road trip! (Still adore my scuba hoodie that I got that day... thought lately it's been a little warm for it ).

I was so excited to be heading there with my family because I knew they'd love it there too...



The first thing you notice when you walk in is how bright and colourful it is! Everything is so neatly stacked and arranged beautifully... it really is like edible art! :)
With all of these pre prepped foods, it's difficult to make an excuse about not being able to eat healthier, Whole Foods isn't the only place that makes healthy options like these readily available...:)



I'm a sucker for herbs and spices lol and they even have edible flowers which Sidney thought was pretty cool!



I couldn't resist taking this picture... the colours were so awesome and peppers are one of my faves!!!



This is the bath and body section, I knew Sidney would love this isle! She is obsessed with hand made soaps and scrubs lol She makes them for me all the time and is always looking for new inspiration! :)



Now on to the "main event" lol. I raved about the cafe area of the market and Ian and Sidney were both eager to check it out and get some lunch... oops I chopped Ian in half lol
The thing to remember about all this wonderful variety of food is that a)moderation is key AND b)they charge by the pound lmao Ian will never forget that now ;)



This is Sidney and her carb laden lunch! Btw... there's rice under her salad hahaha
I didn't even look at what Ian had in his container... it was just better that way! :P



This is my delicious, well balanced and portion controlled lunch ;) Mmmmmmmm.....



And finally, Sidney and I... I had to get in at least one pic ;) lol
I absolutely recommend a trip to Whole Foods market with the family... it's a great eye opener to the variety and possibilities that are out there. A healthier lifestyle doesn't have to be bland, boring and tasteless... Life is what YOU make it!!! :)




Until next time... check out the Whole Foods website www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Whole Foods Hugs... Crystal :)xo

Week 5 Food Challenges... :P

Hello Again!

One thing about writing about this whole process, is that I want to be completely real with you all! What's the point otherwise?!

Week 5 was not only the most physically challenging, but also the most mentally challenging where my food was concerned.

This had nothing to do with feeling deprived (yet lol, I'm sure it'll come) but with small things in everyday life. Things I didn't really think about because I was so focused on the task at hand.

For instance, I went to Medieval Times with my Daughters class this past week... I made sure to have my breakfast and then a meal right before we left for Toronto. Because of rules etc. I wasn't able to bring food with me, and realistically this is something I am going to have to be ok with and know how to deal.

So off we go... I have an idea of whats on the menu so I'm not surprised to see the roasted chicken pieces being dished out lol... no biggie, remove the skin and yum a yum! The garlic bread that came before it was harder to resist however ( BUT I did!!!! yay!!!) it just smelled so good and was that really great pasty white bread that goes straight to your ass and sticks to the roof of your mouth.

Then comes the potatoes, they are roasted and don't look greasy so I have one. Not too bad... I hope! Corn on the cob... pass... Jeebus I'm still hungry! Sidney (my daughter) didn't finish all her chicken!!! YOIINK!!! lol Saved by the chicken and not too soon cause here comes the apple pie! Aaahhhh crap!!! I think to myself " it not like this is cheesecake" great point! that would be soooo much harder.... no thanks to the apple pie... another small victory!!!

I return home without incident and eat a meal as soon as I get in the house.

So why was this so difficult? Well it wasn't because the food was so amazing that I couldn't resist, it was more of a mind game... its a special day, its just one meal, not something I eat all the time... all of these things would have been my excuse not too long ago.

To be quite honest, I could've eaten everything there because I am now allowed 1 "free" meal per week... BUT I am very choosy about what I am using a freebie on!!! lol I am not wasting it on something thats just "ok".

Sometimes the mind game is the hardest, no one but me would've known... and thats enough for me. In the end, it is up to me because this is about ME. Simple but true. :)

HUZZAH hugs... Crystal :) xo

Push, pull, TRX and "leaning" on Friends!

Hi All :)

Wow...What a week!!! :P

This past 7 days has been the most challenging yet... though I'm very sure I'll be saying that many more times before the end of my 12 weeks!

My favourite weight training ninja Lisa introduced "push" and "pull" days which apparently is going to be the theme for the next couple of weeks.

On these days, as you can guess, my weight training revolves around either pushing weights away from my body OR pulling weight towards my body.

For instance, on push day I do hack squats... they may sound funny but you won't catch ME laughing... YIKES! I love to hate hack squats. They are hard as hack (haha I made a funny!) and make me walk funny for at least a day BUT they get me one step closer to the "pitbull video girl" booty I hope to have at some point! LOL

Now, on pull day... it's aductors :0... if you're not familiar with these, then just imagine sitting in something like an ObGyn chair (I am not even making this up!!!) lol and squeezing your thighs together with like 80lbs attached!!! I know! My first reaction was WTH?! lol Is that possible?! Turns out that it IS possible...even with 3 sets of 12! Holy Moly it's amazing when you do something you had no idea you were capable of. And note to my hubby to be for warned about my impressive inner thigh strength! hahaha

That's just a couple of examples of what I do on those days BUT training is a full hour and Lisa is creative ;) By the end of an hour I am side stepping down the stairs and thinking about Alieve and a hot bath but, I do love the feeling!

So, now that you've got an idea of what a killer workout I get on push/pull days... imagine my face when I walk into BeautyFit boot camp to see bizarre straps hanging from the ceiling?! Oh Jeebus!

Turns out that these straps are known as a TRX system... they are designed for you to use your body weight as resistance while doing various awkward looking exercises (Sam makes it look easy, however I manage to look like a cat stuck in a tree :P).

I would urge any of you that have never seen a TRX workout to do a youtube search and check it out. Then imagine a room full of women at various fitness levels learning the basics.... GOOD TIMES!!! hahaha

It was an absolute testament to the amount of trust we all have in Sam, to hook our feet in and just go for it!!!

Now while I'm on the subject of trust... it's one thing for me to be going through this transformation by exercising, eating clean etc. All of these things require me to "carry my own weight" so to speak. While my weight is no secret during this process, knowing the number 178lbs and actually feeling the weight of it are two vastly different things.

This gave me big time anxiety when, in boot camp, we paired up and had to do the most frightening push ups ever! I say frightening for 2 reasons, first... I am not yet very good at military push ups and second... and most importantly... I had to do said push ups while my partner Beth (who is tall, thin and unbelievably kind) was in a high plank position and my feet were on her butt!!! I KNOW!!!!! I admit to almost crying at the thought of burdening Beth with my weight and also to apologizing profusely before and after... but she is a trooper!

I can honestly say that this entire week has been a challenge in every way (more to come about my past weeks food challenges)...

'til next time...

Hanging upside down hugs... Crystal :) xo

Boot Camp and Food for Thought :)

Hey All :)

I've been getting some amazing feedback from you all regarding this 12 week BeautyFit challenge, so I wanted to start by thanking you all for your amazing support and for taking time out of your day to send me words of encouragement!

That being said, I have also gotten some really funny comments and personal messages asking if I'm insane for "putting myself through this boot camp thing" LOL I don't take these comments as negative because a year ago, I would have said the same thing! :P

The idea of willingly and enthusiastically signing up for an unequivocal ass kicking really didn't make sense to me.

Now lets put this into perspective... doing intense hard core exercise to strengthen my body and mind is insane BUT doing intense hard core eating of any damn thing in front of me and zero physical activity to help to shorten my life span... thats acceptable! lol Yep... priorities a little mixed up!

Please don' t get me wrong people, I LOVE food!!! and always will (little known fact, I graduated with honors from culinary college.... ya, like I said, LOVE food and I know how to make it with lots of butter!!!).

So back to priorities... Sandra and Jimmy hit it home for me regarding food, they simply said... "it will always be there". WHAT?!?! That little sentence was like an epiphany where the heavens opened up and angels sang.....*aaaahhhhhhh* (true story people) lol

I assumed, in my fun little brain that if I didn't eat that wonderful looking thing in front of me.... it was gone FOREVER!!!!

So we've established that delicious food isn't going anywhere... and am I really enjoying it if I eat it ALL the time?!... hmmmmm.... dilemma!!!

So as all this great information began to "click" in my brain, it made sense to me that maybe I'll enjoy and appreciate the "little" things more if I really take the time to create some balance! (and isn't that just true for all important things in life? :)

Now to address my mental stability for doing these boot camps lol... I would have to say YES, I'm insane but I've got plenty of company and I'm LOVING it!!! To quote a song from P!NK... "if you are wrong, in all the right ways" hehehe

BeautyFit boot camp is unlike anything I have ever done before or even heard of before! It is something truly unique and life changing ...in my humble opinion lol

The idea that not that long ago 1 "burpee" would cause me to feel light headed and make my knees scream and just last night I nailed out 50 of them.... well that's just the best kind of insanity right there!!!

Then there's the support system... WOWZA! and it's not just Sam (Sandra) cheering you on, it's the whole class! You want to talk about diversity in women, we've got all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels BUT we're all there for a common goal of self improvement and in the process, we help each other immeasurably!

Call us crazy if you want but then run for it, cause there are lots of us and we're wicked fast now;)

Want more info... www.beautyfit.com

Until next time...

Hugs from the Crazy Train.... -Crystal :) xo

Week 4 Results!

Hi all! :)

Sooooo.... I had my week 4 follow up with the awesome Rebecca (WGK) today and....

*drumroll*........ here they are... My week 4 weight and measurements!

Aaahhhh!!! Lol Just kidding :P

Weight 178.4lbs (-2.6lbs)

Body fat 37.1% (-3.5%)

Chest 43" (-1")

Waist 35" (-2")

Hips 42.25" (-2.75")

Mid Thigh 25.5 (-.5")

Mid Calf 16.75" (-.25")

Bicep 13.5 (-.5")

So what does this all mean? lol

To date (day 23) I have lost 7.6lbs, 3.5% body fat and 7" ... not too shabby! :)

I'm not going to lie, understanding the science behind weight loss is very new to me. In a world where we are used to seeing drastic weekly pound loss on TV, it's difficult at first to understand why I'm not dropping 5lbs each and every week. Thank goodness I have amazing professionals in my corner to explain the finer points of my body's workings! lol

One of my greatest fears with this whole weight loss thing is the idea of loose and hanging skin :( I am completely happy with doing this the right way (diet, exercise and hard freaking work!!!) it may take a little longer but as far as I'm concerned, I could really use that time to "enjoy every minute of the journey" (direct quote from Jimmy).

I have some amazing and inspirational people guiding me through this (more about these awesome peeps later) and I figure the more I embrace each step taken in the right direction, the better the lessons are going to stick!

So... until next time!

7 inches less to hug... Crystal :) xo

Running... my new nemesis!

To date, there is no other form of cardio that disheartens me more than the dreaded...Running!

True, there was a time at the beginning of my weight loss, where walking at a 2.7mph was exhausting. As a matter of fact, in BeautyFit boot camp we sometimes head outside to my old high school and during one of these "outings" was the first time I had ever run the track there!

Don't get me wrong, I do get that I'm a work in progress. I do appreciate how far I've come thus far... it's just that this running thing really beats me up mentally.

So why? You may ask, am I even bothering? Well, I feel like the things that I find most difficult are probably the very things I'm going to learn the most from... or I'm a glutton for punishment! Lol

I will admit to, in the past, rolling my eyes and even making fun of those people who are out in the cold, rain, heat or snow running. I now find myself envying their dedication.

Yet, every time I get on the damn treadmill (2 min intervals of running and walking) I last about 30 min before I feel like I'm going to puke!

In my mind I hear the voice of Dory from Finding Nemo..."Just keep swimming, just keep swimming" so either Disney IS really motivational OR I'm hallucinating... either way, I'll take it!

So, in the meantime, I'm just going to keep plugging away at it. What do I have to lose really?!

One of two things are going are going to happen... I'm either going to become a runner or get a really great cardio workout trying :P

Thank goodness for an amazing support team... My BeautyFit family of Sandra and Jimmy, Lisa,Rebecca and Sheryl of WGK and of course Jenna and all the boot camp ladies, I know I'll get through this.

Hugs while I "just keep swimming"...I mean running (swimming is a whole other story).

-Crystal xo

HECK I'm sore today!!! Lol

That's right! Weight training and cardio yesterday has me stiff, sore and all ready for boot camp tonight! Lol

In the spirit of taking care of my sore muscles... I'm re posting this from my Crystalized Blog

Weak a$$ Hugs (cause I can't lift my arms to high)... Crystal :)

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The WICCY MAGIC MUSCLES MASSAGE BAR..... say THAT 3x's fast! LOL

I absolutely had to share this with you all, as it is fantastic after a crazy workout (BeautyFit Boot Camp hint, hint) or even a stressful day!

Made with fair trade cocoa butter and essential oils, it is silky smooth, moisturizing and has the most amazing cinnamon/peppermint smell! Just rub it on all of those overworked areas and RELAX.... Mmmmmmmm!!!

I came upon this amazing product when visiting one of my daughters (and now one of MY) favourite bath/body stores... LUSH!

For those not familiar with this amazing shop, it completely had me sold with its "mission statement"... (taken from the LUSH website)

We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.

We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans.

We believe in happy people making happy soap, putting our faces on our products and making our mums proud.

We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again.

We believe our products are good value, that we should make a profit and that the customer is always right.

* We also believe words like fresh and organic have honest meaning beyond marketing.

Incase you can't read the description from the photo, this is a bit of the write up from LUSH...

The spicy, tingly muscle-soothing bar with aduki beans for a deeper rub.

The Wiccy Magic Muscles Bar is the one for sorting out aching muscles. The first time you use one of these, it feels very strange, as if a very small radiator has been turned on inside the part of your body you just massaged. Mark and Ro created this one together to soothe aches and pains.

Perfect for exercise.

Once you get used to it, you'll start to run just for the pleasure of your Wiccy massage when you get home. Aduki beans work your muscles and aches as the bar is massaged into the skin and they help to break out tension.

The closest LUSH shop to me is at Stone Road Mall in Guelph but check out the LUSH

website for more locations and more beautiful products!

Happy shopping and Hugs... Crystal xo