Moving Forward

2012 will be the year to go further. The year to take all the changes I made in 2011 and crystallize them into our lives. 

Hubby and I will be starting a 30 Day Cleanse on January 2nd and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to it. I'm craving routine and structure. I will also be going back to work on January 3rd and I'm excited to be back at it.

In the spirit on New Years traditions, here are my resolutions:

My January goals:

1. Get back into the swing of working, exercising, and eating right.
2. Cleanse out all of the sweets and treats I've eaten over the holidays.
3. Take off the weight I've put on over the holidays and hopefully a few extra pounds for good measure...


My 2012 goals:
1. Find and maintain balance between all of the things that I love - family, work, exercise, wine and dinner parties!
2. Finally reach my goal weight - another 40-50 lbs to go - I'll figure it out once I get closer!
3. Make a commitment to practice yoga on a weekly basis - so good for my soul!
4. Run 10K, not sure if it will be in a race or just on the treadmill yet.


What are your resolutions?


If you dream it, it can happen...

Looking Back

2011 was a great year for me and my family.


I started my Maternity Leave in January and took advantage of a little ME time before baby came.


We welcomed our little Madeline in February and were so lucky to have yet another perfect child.

We started our first 30 Day Cleanse in March and were immediately thrilled with the results. We quickly became fans of all the Isagenix products.


I reached my pre-pregnancy weight in April after only 2 and a half months.


I took my first photography class in May and it guided me to take the most precious pictures of my girls.

I joined Goodlife Fitness in June and found my inner gym rat.


Hubby and I completed the Mitsubishi City Chase in July in a great time AND had time to grab a pint at The Prescott before we crossed the finish line.


I discovered the Saunders Farm Exercise Class by Exer Susie in August and can't wait until we get to go back in the Spring.


We celebrated 5 years of marriage in September and travelled to my new favourite city - NYC.

We began the long awaited renovations on our basement in October. One step closer to having a new home for all the toys.


We travelled to Florida and took the girls to Walt Disney World for the first time in November. It was such a magical trip and we can't wait to go back once Maddie gets a little older.

And finally, in December, I will run my first 5K race at the Resolution Run with my hubby by my side. 

This has been a year of firsts. A year of healthy choices. A year of setting a good example. That being said, there is still room for improvement. 


The journey does not end here. 

Getting Ready for Change

A week from today, I will be back in the workforce. As I suspected, my last few days are flying by. Being the neurotic person that I am, I'm trying to ensure that every nook and cranny of the house is organised. It's almost like the nesting feeling that I get when I'm pregnant. The need for everything to have a home. 


I've also been going through my closet to put together some work friendly outfits since I realized that I can't wear my lulus to the office. I will be back to the land of dress pants and blouses. My mother-in-law and I ventured out today to check out the sales for Boxing Day. I'm happy to report that I found a few key pieces that I've been looking for. The best find has to be this belt for $6.

Fun Belt from The Gap

I bought it to match a dress that I also bought from The Gap while we were in Florida. You know it's time to go back to work when you get excited about wearing things like this everyday - just can't pull this off staying at home!


Next on the list is meal planning. I was hoping to have some dishes stored away in the freezer, but it seems as though we have emptied it rather than fill it this holiday season! 


We have a few weekday staples in our house - chicken fajitas, turkey chili, chicken curry -  but I think we'll need to mix it up a bit to keep us interested this winter. I'm looking for recipes that are easy to prep, take 30 mins or less to cook and are between 400-600 calories for serving. Do you have any family favourites to share?


Here's the recipe for a new favourite in our house:


Thai Chile Peanut Meatballs

• 40 frozen fully cooked chicken or turkey meatballs
• 2 heaping tablespoons chunky peanut butter
• 1 14.5 oz can light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon red chile paste
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 packets of Splenda or stevia

Put your meatballs in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine all other ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low. Stir to combine before serving. Serves 4.

Per serving: 479 calories / 16g Carbohydrates / 35g Fat / 29g Protein

Serve with whole grain brown rice and steamed broccoli for a well rounded sensible weekday meal. This recipe is a modified version of this one over at melanie makes.

Enjoy and please don't forget to share your favourite week night recipe!

Uninspired

In case you haven't noticed, I've been feeling a little uninspired lately. Between the slew of holiday parties, my inability to follow through on my diet objectives, and the fact that I might very well be grieving my last couple of weeks at home, I haven't had the time or inspiration to put some words out in the world. Actually, maybe I'm lying. There have been a few occasions of the past couple of weeks where I have sat here thinking about something to write and yet nothing came out. 


It's official. I have Blogger's Block.


It seems to fit in nicely with my loosening of the rules on food and exercise. I took last week off from the gym due to Maddie getting sick on Monday, Tuesday, then Wednesday, Thursday was cleanse day so I didn't want to ruin it by exercising and inevitably being hungry later. By Thursday afternoon, I started getting sick and by the weekend hubby was very sick. The exercise gods were against us. A week without exercise starts to put doubt in your mind. It creeps in slowly and makes you think that you are incapable of doing the things you were able to do a week ago. 


Can I still do 20 push ups?


Can I still run 5k?


Can I still run 5k OUTSIDE?


Can I still run 5k outside in the COLD?


On Monday morning I was determined to answer at least one of those questions. With Katie by my side, I ran 5k on the treadmill in my best time yet - 37 mins 10 secs. My goal before the Resolution run on December 31 is to get 2 more runs in and hopefully one of them will be outside. I also have to get back to my daily push up routine to stay competitive in the Losing it in Ottawa Push up Challenge - Has anyone in LIO blogged about that yet? It's been decided that I will video my push ups wearing my NYE party dress... 


That's right ;)


Other than that, there have been a few false starts at trying to get "back on track". Man do I hate saying that. I'm trying to accept that it's ok to take it easy over the holidays. Unfortunately, I'm doing a terrible job at meeting in the middle. Gotta keep trying though.


One of the factors giving me hope and forgiveness is knowing that on January 2nd I will be joining a group of others in a Resolution Cleanse. We'll be following the Isagenix 30 Day Cleanse and sharing our progress and success through a Facebook group. We would love more people to join so let me know if you want more information!


I think that in combination with my return to work on January 3rd will be just the kind of structure and routine that will bring me back to the happy healthy place. 


Until that time, I will enjoy life's little pleasures and try my hardest to ignore the guilt.

Midweek Randoms - December 7, 2011

I'm not feeling very "deep" these days and so rather than getting into a big long blog post, I'm just going to share a whole bunch of random things going on right now!

• I have less than 4 weeks before I go back to work. I'm enjoying my last days at home getting ready for the holidays. Maddie has also started daycare 2 days per week, which is great because I actually have 2 days at home without kids! What a treat!
• We hosted our annual Christmas party on Sunday. We kicked off the season with friends and family. This year there was a ton of kids! We had to laugh at how our parties have changed over the last few years. They are definitely more kid-centric now! Thanks to everyone who came out - so great to see you all!
• I've finished all my Christmas shopping, but somehow keep finding reasons to buy more... 
• I did 500 crunches at the gym this morning. I've decided that I need to start focusing on certain areas and the baby belly is one of them! My ab workout went a little like this... 50 regular crunches, 50 toes up, 50 heels up, 50 legs up/bum lifts, 50 legs up & down, 50 side-to-side obliques, 50 right side, 50 left side, 50 regular crunches, 50 knee tucks. I'm just hopeful that I'm not in too much pain tomorrow!
• I'm participating in a push-up challenge set out by the Losing it in Ottawa community. My goal by the end of the month is to do 30 push-ups from my toes, followed by 5 one-leg push ups on each side. I've upped the ante by telling everyone they have to videotape themselves doing it! I will share it on here at the end of the month!
• I have my first donation for Bust-a-Move! (Thanks Mom!) Only $970 left to raise... Want to help me out? go here.
• Finally, Maddie learned how to clap last week! She is so proud to show off her new moves. Here's a video:

(Please forgive the narrow picture - I'm still learning how to film with my iPhone!)

Bust a Move

So, if you're an avid reader of the Losing it in Ottawa blog, then you know that on Wednesday this week Pam issued a challenge. Not one to back down, I kept reading with excitement.

The challenge itself was to register for Bust a Move, a unique, home grown fundraising event first organized by the QEII and IWK Foundations in Halifax. Six hours of exercise, heart pumping music, up to 800 participants and fundraising for world-class breast health services. 

She went even one step further to say that she has joined up with a team. In response, we, the Losing it in Ottawa community, have created our own team to make the challenge even more exciting.

This will be the event's first time in Ottawa and I'm excited to be a part of it. 

There is, however, a catch.

In order to be allowed to participate on April 21, 2012, each participant must raise a minimum of $1,000. 

I almost backed out after I read that. I don't think I've ever raised more than $100 for anything, even selling delicious girl guide cookies back in the day. After some encouragement from my fellow LIIO team mates, I registered.

So now it's your turn. 

I'm sure that every single one of you knows someone affected by breast cancer. For me, it's two - my Aunt and an old work colleague. I'm happy to say that both are survivors. They would not be if it weren't for donations and fundraisers like this to support research and advancement.

I've done the math and if everyone who reads my blog on a regular basis donates $20, I should be able to meet the $1,000 minimum amount in no time. So please, pretty please, sponsor me for Bust a Move right here: https://ottawacancer.akaraisin.com/pledge/Participant/Home.aspx?seid=4542&mid=9&pid=731068

For more incentive, I am offering this - If I get enough donations to participate, I will gladly post a picture (or several pictures) of me wearing a tutu while busting a move. Yes, that's right, a tutu.