I HAVE A CONFESSION

I have a confession to make!  I knew this week was going to be tough, starting a new job and all, getting used to the hours, new environment and learning the ropes as I go and oh yah, standing all day! This old body just does not like standing all day!!!

Oh right, the confession.........

I wrote the last few posts ahead of time as I knew I just would not have the time this week to do them.  Is that bad?  I was right though, it has been a tough and busy week and two more days to go before I can relax????  Not only do I have this new job as Manager of a gym and my own Personal Training business but my sister and I have another business.  

Yup, call me crazy!  In my spare time.....oh wait......what spare time?  I design and hand make Industrial Vintage Lighting for peoples homes, cafes, businesses etc.  In fact, one was just purchased by a local Wedding Planner and it will be featured in a wedding this weekend.  How cool is that?  I also rescue Vintage furniture and repurpose and restyle to fit into todays modern lifestyle.  And this week has seen some big changes in that department.

Yesterday I discovered through my PR person ( my sister) that a reporter wants to come to my house next week and interview me!  Turns out he has a thing for lighting......lol.  Plus I have been featured on a Canada wide Facebook site show casing Canadian Artisans, I have an upcoming Open House on October 20th that I am getting ready for and I just took down a month long Widow Display that I did for a local business.

So when do I have time to also fit in my workouts?  I've been waking up a little earlier this week and hitting the gym before I go to work.  Just like any other busy person, sometimes this is the only time you can find those "extra hours in the day" to workout!  

Yes, it is hard getting up earlier but the good side is you get it done, have energy for the rest of the day and the evenings to relax, spend time with family or get the grocery shopping done.

SO NO EXCUSES!

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TOTALLY CLEAN LABOUR DAY FEAST

I have been a "clean" eater most of my adult life. 

Roasted Beets with Raspberries and mint and Balsamic glaze

Grilled prawns in curry, lime and cilantro 

Grilled Corn on the Cob with no butter!

So when I invited a girlfriend for a BBQ Labour Day weekend, she informed me that she was doing Tosca Reno's "stripped clean" diet for the month of September! I said 'no problem'. You do not have to sacrifice flavour for an incredible meal. 

Avocado Chocolate Mousse 

I told her there would be a surprise at the end with NO guilt!!

Confused?

Confused?  I bet you are!  

I've been getting a lot of people asking me what I do for my meal planning day by day. And by what some of you have told me, you are a bit confused about Carbs and Protein.  For some of us, it's hard to know what type of food is a Carb and what is a Protein........although I think that most of us can figure the protein thing out but some things might surprise you!

Most people think of Carbs as potatoes, rice, wheat (bread, pasta) etc.......while this is true and it is also these carbs (the simple carbs) that I want you to stay away from during this   challenge and always actually!  You will be surprised how much better you will feel.

Now, i'm not one for a no Carb diet......that is just silly cause I don't know about you but I do not want to end up in the hospital from too many fainting spells or going into Ketosis or have low mood swings!  I do this to feel better about my self and damn it.........just plain feel good!  You've all heard the the key to losing weight is cutting out the bad carbs, the white carbs.......well it's true.

Bad Carb (but really yummy!)

Good Carbs (and still yummy!)

So I want you to get your carbs from vegetables (and some fruit, just remember that fruit is also very high in sugar!) and lots of them!  Veggies that are green, yellow, red or purple are very high in the good carbs.

The great thing about eating clean is the combining lean protein and complex carbs at each of the small meals eaten over the course of the day.  Together they normalize insulin levels and slow the release of glucose which in turns slows the carb-to-fat conversion cause it takes more work to digest these foods.  It will rev up your metabolism, so you burn more fat!  How simple is that?

The Guidelines for this Challenge

So now for those Guidelines.  Take the time to review them all.  And don't forget to contact me if you have any questions along the way by either leaving a comment on this blog or contacting me directly through email at robyn@zhooshfitness.com

•               eat 5-6 small meals every day

•               eat every 2-3 hours

•               make sure you have lean protein and complex carbs at every meal

•               drinks lots of water~8 cups a day ( i drink way more than this when i'm working out)

•               never ever miss a meal~especially breakfast

•               pack your food for the day~i use one of those soft insulated lunch boxes

•               no processed foods! especially white flour and sugar!

•               avoid all saturated and trans fats

•               no colas, juices or fizzy drinks

•               consume healthy fats (EFAs) every day~more on this later

•               avoid alcohol! ( LOL!  Isn't that what got us into this challenge in the first place?)

•               lots of fresh fruit and veggies for fiber and vitamins

•               proper portion sizes (more on this one later)

Okay, this should be enough to get you started!  Don't be overwhelmed.....if this sounds like too much, start small, pick out a few things, make some small changes.  

Keeping a food journal is an excellent idea!  Write down everything you eat over a 3-5 day period........and I mean EVERYTHING!!!  You will start to see where a little extra treat here and there really adds up.  In just a few months last year, my sister dropped 20 lbs  by cutting out snacking in the evening and going for daily walks with her dog.

The number one rule in my book is if you eat small meals every 2-3 hours, you don't get hungry so you don't snack and ruin all your hard work!

So for breakfast this morning, this is what i am having to start my day off right!

Quinoa with Oats

1 cup quinoa, soaked for 2 hours

1 cup steel cut oats (my fav)

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 cups water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup raisins (i'm using blueberries today)

In a medium saucepan with lid, place soaked quinoa, steel cut oats, sea salt and water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.  Let sit for several minutes.

This makes 4 one-cup servings.  Only eat one cup!  The rest can be reheated the following day for breakfast or take it with you to work and heat up a serving in the microwave and this could also double as one of your meals later.

Don't forget to check out my FB Page www.facebook.com/ZhooshFitnessByDesign

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