How's this for motivation?! ;)

Hi All :)

While there are many reasons to choose a healthy lifestyle, lose weight and get in shape... I thought I'd share with you some new reasons that you may not have thought of! :)

First, as an short obese person, I always had to use those HUGE bath towels after my shower... and there was not a bunch of extra left over either! Now I can easily wrap up in a regular towel! Seems like a small victory? Well $20 vs. $6 for each towel adds up to a new pair of shoes pretty darn quick!!! ;)

Next.... PANTIES!!!! Holy Moly thin people!!! You have been buying your skivvies for ridiculous deals like 10 for $25 WTHeck?!?! lol I'm gonna have gitch coming out my wazoo at prices like these!

And while I'm on the subject of clothing... REALLY?! Sales are everywhere! Tanktops 5 for $20, $15 jeans... no wonder all my friends have such huge wardrobes! lol

Groceries... while many will argue that buying fresh produce and veggies is expensive, I would counter with... try cutting out all prepackaged convenience food. It's difficult at first but like all difficult things, it's totally worth the effort. Your waistline, wallet and sodium levels will thank you! :)

Now on a bittersweet note ;) An unexpected side effect to losing weight for me is that most of my heels are too big.... meaning..... NEW SHOES!!!! lol

Hopefully this little list gives you some low cal food for thought ;) I'm sure I'll be adding more as the epiphanies come to me! lol

Cheap undies and little towel hugs... Crystal :) xo

The Hardest Place to Eat Healthy!!!

Hi All! :)

I'm sure we've all been there... doing our very best to eat clean and healthy, staying focused and making the best choices possible in every situation.
Let me help you by warning you of one of the places you are just better off being prepared with your own snacks...

The Movie Theater!!! :( lol

My daughter and I (and some great girlfriends of mine) are all huge Harry Potter fans! So when we got the opportunity to be able to see ALL the Harry Potter movies on the big screen, we jumped at the chance :) Don't judge people... I love these characters and cry at the movies too lol ;)

So for 7 Mondays straight we have been seeing the entire series...



I had already begun my 12 week transformation when we started going so I was prepared to pack (and sneak in) my own snacks! lol
It wasn't until Sidney and I sat down to our first movie that I realized how horrible the movie theater food really is!!!
Even Sidney commented that there was a serious lack of healthy options lol



Poutine....really, someone sat in front of us with one and the smell nearly drove me mad! I'm not gonna lie... it smelled amazing but really look at it, it looks pretty damn gross! The smell of the salt was overwhelming and made me thirsty lol.



Popcorn with "butter", chocolate (I still love chocolate lol), candy, soda AND to make matters worse... nachos and cheese, greasy pizza and chili fries too! Your best possible hope is the fat free frozen yogurt....unless....



You're pro active and bring some goodies :)
Yep! This is what was stashed in my purse... not just my snacks, but Sidneys too... after all what kind of example is it to eat healthy but let your kids eat crap?! Don't get me wrong, treats in moderation are fine... but junk is junk! Her treat is the frozen yogurt:) We bring our own bottled water because $3/bottle is just ridiculous... and if the reason of health doesn't speak to you, think of your wallet lol. Imagine the cost of theater food... save yourself some cash AND calories... pack some goodies (I've even brought cottage cheese with berries and an ice pack lol).

If people are cool with eating poutine right beside me... they can deal with the crunch of my sugar snap peas! ;)

Expecto Patronum hugs.... Crystal :) xo (yep, told you... BIG Potter fan;) lol

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

What a WEEK!!!

Hi All!

While we're so used to starting our weeks on Sunday or Monday (depending on your mind set lol) I have been running on the mentality of one day at a time. This means that by the time I stop to look up and take inventory of what I've been doing...a few days have passed and SO much has happened!!!

First... let me fill you in on my last "Fun Friday" lol :s
Let me buffer by saying that I really DO love Lisa (awesome trainer from World Gym Kitchener) she's just a little crazy! hehehe
"Fun Friday" was an insane circuit of 13 exercises that I repeated 5 times... never mind the stop watch! lol My first "go round" was timed at 5min 36sec....to my amazement, each round I got a faster time! my last circuit was timed at.. 4min17sec!!!
HOLY MOLY!!! :D That was insanely hard but felt AMAZING to accomplish! Here I thought "WOW, what a way to end Fun Friday... great feat accomplished! Hahahahaaaa... NOT DONE YET! 10min of intervals on the elusive stair mill had me sweating like someone had turned on the faucet! Eeewwwwww! Lol Seriously, I could barely speak but when I could, I was apologizing to Lisa for sweating so much LOL.
Because I am now one of those sick individuals that likes to push their boundries and limits, I also came back for a BeautyFit Boot Camp Blitz later that same day!!! Man was that fun! It really was fun with all the ladies and the people honking at us as they drove by lol... I was just completely spent afterwards (but man did I feel like I could take on anything... as long as I didn't have to run ;)

Tuesday had me seeing Rebecca from World Gym Kitchener for my nutrition and weigh in/measurements... I always get a little stressed when it comes to this time. I know that there will be results, I know I've done exactly what needs to be done to get them... I have amazing coaches and support all around me... so when I step on the scale and Rebecca says.... your down 8lbs!!! Woohoo! That makes me feel great!!!
Here's the low down on my measurements too :)...

Chest: 42.25" -.75"
Waist: 34.75" -.25"
Hips: 40.5" -1.75"
Thigh: 25" -.5"
Calf: 16.5" -.25"
Bicep: 13" -.5"
Total inches: -4"

Total inches lost to date: -11.0" Total lbs. lost to date: -15.8lbs.

Until next time :)

170.6lb 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