April

April is here which means it's time to think about my monthly goals. I had a look back at March and although I didn't do too bad I'm hoping I can cross off every goal in April. Let's get to it then!

• Blog 1-2 times a week
• Complete a meal plan for two weeks of the month
• Complete closet clean up and donate clothes
• Finishing cleaning and packing for the move
• Save $100 dollars
• Workout 5 days a week
• Do my makeup 2-3 times a week
• Be more present at home
• Start Piyo program
• Reach my goal weight and lose and inch off my waist
• Finish US Visa application
• Sign up with new internet company
• Post to fb and instagram 5 times a week
• Reconnect with 3 friends a day
• Reach success club 5

My Fitness Story - Revelation

This past month I decided to finally focus on my health and achieving an active lifestyle. I've struggled with this for TWO years! So what makes this any different than last time? My commitment! 

Let's start at the beginning. 

When I was in high school I had a fairly healthy diet and was very active. My lunch ALWAYS included a fruit salad and vegetables. I did have days where I would eat pizza, chicken wings, hamburgers, etc but I would say my diet was 75% healthy and 25% cheat days. I was also a competitive synchronized swimmer which meant 3 practices a week lasting about 2 hours. I also did Jazzercise with my family 2-3 times a week with classes lasting about 45 minutes. During this time I was strong, confident, a leader, outgoing and happy with my life and myself. 

When I entered university I no longer had my family packing my lunch or making my dinner. It was now up to me to provide myself with a nutritious meal and maintain my active lifestyle. However, moving away to another city for university meant exploring restaurants and all that the city had to offer. My well-being took a backseat and hard. I lived in a dorm room with a kitchen so I could have cooked my own meals but of course that required time and effort both of which I did not have. That was the excuse. Instead I chose to eat at the cafeteria every day and there weren’t many healthy choices. I ate pasta with meat and veggies, bagels, hamburgers and fries and wraps. I got a gym membership for the year which I used maybe 10 times and that’s being generous. This cycle continued throughout my university years even after I moved out of the dorm. Takeout became my cafeteria.

Once I graduated from school I had more time to spend on healthier meals and workouts. The problem is I wasn’t focused on health and an active lifestyle; I was focused on weight loss. I got a gym membership through my work and I did well for the first 5 months. I joined a bootcamp at the beginning and then continued to go 3-4 times a week but once warmer weather arrived I stopped going to the gym. Eventually, I cancelled my membership after paying for something I wasn’t using because I had hopes that I would go back. This cycle continued for two years and even though I did lose 6 lbs in the I wasn’t looking at the big picture. I was looking for a short term solution to something that should be a life time commitment. It’s all about being healthy, active, strong and confident. I’m ready to look at the big picture and invest time to my well being. I want to feel and be the person I was in high school.

STRONG, CONFIDENT, A LEADER, OUTGOING AND HAPPY

 

 

March

After a very long blog hiatus I have decided to come back and change some things around. As the month is starting I thought this would be the perfect time to begin with my monthly goals.

• Change blog name and header --- I have decided to keep the name and the header for now
• Blog 2-3 times a week --- big fail on this one. I need to sit down and plan
• Build a business plan for coaching --- Done. Slowly starting out
• Complete a meal plan --- Done for two weeks. I need to work on meal planning every week
• Deep clean kitchen and bathroom --- Mostly done. Sadly it's back to being a disaster
• Clean out closet and bedroom --- Started out on the closet but still need lots of work
• Cook 5 times a week at home --- I've done pretty well with this one
• Workout 5 days a week --- I did 4 days a week so I'll call this a win
• Save $100 dollars --- I did save some money not sure of the amount but I'm sure it was close or more
• Dress up for work 2-3 times a week --- I did maybe 3 times a month. Need to work on this one
• Be more present at home --- I was present at times but this is something I really need to work on
• Complete second round of 21 day fix --- Done! Not so well but completed it
• Get to my goal weight --- Close but still not there yet. Need two more pounds

Happy Mother's Day

Before the day is over I just wanted to stop by and wish all the mothers out there a fabulous mother's day. In particular I want to thank my mom for being such an incredible woman and mother. As a single mother not only did she play her part but she also went above and beyond for my sister and I. She has always worked hard to provide for us and give us all that we needed and more. Now that I'm older I can appreciate all the things that she has given us both large and small. But most of all I love that she always supports our decisions and provides great advice. I know that I can come to her and tell her anything that is on my mind and that she'll say just the right thing. I haven't lived with my mom in 16 years but that hasn't changed our relationship one bit, on the contrary it has made our relationship stronger. I thank her immensly for everything she has or will do for my sister and I. I love her with all my heart <3! 

Why I hate working in the hospitality industry

It's on nights like this that I remember why I hate working in the hospitality industry

1. You will always need to work on weekends. Always! Unless you kiss ass or are high up on the ladder you will always work Saturday or/and Sunday. Forget about partying but always have beer handy at home you'll need it to forget about everything you missed out on.

2. Some people are lousy tippers. It doesn't matter that they've spent $300 on their bill an extra $4 for a tip will surely bankrupt them.

3. There will always be someone who comes in right before you close. Kitchen staff forget about leaving in 10 minutes and servers good luck getting out in half an hour. They will take their time ordering and also spend 30 mins talking before they touch their food. If you're on coat check good luck getting out by midnight. 

4. You will always and I repeat always have at least one guest who ruins your day. They will ask you a stupid question, complain about nothing, treat you like crap or do all at the same time. But don't forget to smile!

5. You know summer when all the great stuff happens like bbq's and beach parties yeah you're never gonna be there.  If you manage to make it everyone will already be drunk and possibly passed out. Cheers! Now chug that last beer. 

6. Holidays?! What holidays? You'll be working them that's for sure!

Congratulations!!

It’s been awhile since I’ve stepped into blog land and I have a lot of catching up to do. I’ve mostly been keeping busy with work, helping my husband study for his exam and finishing too many shows that I care to admit.

I’m going to start by congratulating my husband for getting accepted into TWO different French programs abroad! The first program is called Explore and it’s a 4 week French course that takes place in Quebec City, Quebec. The program also takes place in Montreal, Ottawa and New Brunswick but my husband’s first choice was Quebec City. This also means that I’ll be heading there for vacation! Woot woot! I’ve never been to Quebec City before so I’m pretty excited. The plan is to go there once his course is finished and spend the weekend there.

Quebec City

The second course is also 4 weeks and takes place in St. Etienne France, a small town near Lyon. The course takes place near the end of the summer and the plan is for me to go to Europe at the end of the course so we can both go to Amsterdam, Brussels and Frankfurt. This vacation is not 100% planned yet as we’re not quite sure if my husband can go as his stay in Quebec will take away from work time so we may not have the funds to afford the trip. We will do our best to save from now until August so we can make this trip a reality.

St.Etienne, France

Brussels, Belgium

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Frankfurt, Germany

I’m really proud of my husband for getting into these programs and starting his journey into the French language. Since French is Canada’s second official language I know it will be an advantage when applying for jobs and also open doors abroad. I have to admit I’m a little bit jealous that he'll get the summer of a life time while I work but you can't always have everything right? I've also had the opportunity to learn French while in school and didn't take it so seriously so I hope he does and learns a lot more than I ever did. 


 

Work it!

As I previously posted I’m going to begin incorporating workouts into my weekly routine. Now that healthy eating has become second nature I need to focus on toning my body. I have plans on joining a gym again but I’m still not 100% sure if I will or not since I tend to skip out on the gym quite frequently and I don’t want to waste my money again. In order to make up my mind I will be doing at home workouts for a month and do my best to be consistent so I can bring that discipline with me if I join the gym again.

I have chosen two workouts from the well-known Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels.  Last year, I bought her 6 week six-pack dvd at Wal-Mart and sad to say I’ve only used it maybe 10 times. Two weeks ago I did the dvd twice in a row and oh boy was I ever sore so I’m definitely incorporating that into my workout routine. While browsing Youtube for Zumba workouts I found her Banish Fat Boost Metabolism workout and it looked like it would be a great option for a longer workout incorporating cardio so that will make up the rest of my workout routine.

 

I will do each workout 2 times a week starting today Monday April 7^th. I have taken body measurements so I can keep track of body changes since you cannot always rely on scales. I will also take pictures of my troubled areas to see how they’ve changed although I’m not sure if I will post them on the blog.