My Smoothie Recipes

Since buying a professional grade blender last year - the JTC Omniblend V - I have become somewhat of a smoothie addict! I highly, highly recommend this blender, it's just as good as the Vitamix for about half the price. If you're serious about smoothies, I would invest in a commercial grade blender. It won't break, rust, and should easily crush and blend ice cubes and frozen fruit to perfection in under a minute. I would get a blender with a tamper stick, to help push down food if it gets stuck along the sides.

NEW: Follow my new Instagram account - JULIASFITDIARY for more Smoothie ideas and much more!

Here are some of my go-to smoothie concoctions. I don't really measure the ingredients, I just dump some in and blend away, but for these recipes I've given you a reference to about how much I add. The berries you can always use fresh or frozen. In the summer I often freeze my bananas in ziploc bags (already peeled) because they brown so fast, and freezing stops the process.

Just a note: You can add leafy greens such as kale or spinach to ANY of these smoothies. If I'm making a breakfast smoothie, I also add a generous handful of raw whole oats, a handful of nuts (almonds, pecans, or cashews), and sometimes 1-2 teaspoons of whole flaxseeds. (A good blender should crush the flax seeds, meaning you get the amazing nutrients within. Uncrushed flax just pass right through you because the shell is too tough for your stomach to dissolve.) This will make the smoothie more filling, but you might have to add more liquid to balance out the dry ingredients. If I'm making a post-workout smoothie, I will just add a scoop of my protein powder to the mix.

Handy tip: Use a sharp knife to peel oranges and other citrus fruits. Cut off the top and bottom navel in one smooth slice, then stand the orange upright on the flat edge, and use the knife to cut away the peel in a convex shape.

Blueberry Splash

3/4 cup blueberries

1 banana

2 Tblsp. plain Greek yogurt

1/2 glass of water

1 tsp Stevia

Green Machine

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

several thick cucumber slices

1 kiwi (peeled)

1/2 a lemon (minus peel)

1/2 glass of water

Stevia to sweeten

Strawberry - Orange Creamsicle

1 cup strawberries

1 whole orange (minus peel)

1 banana

3/4 cup soy or almond milk (or just regular cow milk)

dash of cinnamon

Stevia to sweeten

Cran-Raspberry

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup raspberries

1 whole orange (minus peel)

3/4 glass of soy or almond milk

Stevia to sweeten

Peanut-Almond Milk

2 tsp. natural unsweetened peanut butter

1/2 cup raw whole almonds

1 banana

1/2 glass of soy / almond / rice / dairy milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Coco-Mango Madness

1 cup mango (fresh or frozen)

1/2 banana

1 whole orange (minus peel)

2 Tblsp. plain Green yogurt

3/4 glass of water

2 Tblsp. shredded unsweetened coconut

Stevia to sweeten

Breakfast Muesli Smoothie

1 whole apple (cored, quartered)

3 tblsp. Greek yogurt

3 dates (pitted)

1/2 banana

small handful of oats

small handful of nuts (almonds, pecans, or cashews)

1 tsp. flax seeds

1 glass of water

Watermelon Lemonade

2 cups watermelon (use frozen if you want a really cold lemonade)

1 whole lemon or lime (minus peel)

Few sprigs of fresh mint leaves (can be omitted)

glass of ice cold water

Stevia to sweeten

Pina Colada

1 cup pineapple (fresh or frozen)

1/2 banana

3/4 glass coconut milk or coconut water

1 whole orange (minus peel)

Forest Berry Blend

1 cup mixed berries (blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, currants, raspberries)

1 banana

3 tblsp. Greek yogurt

3/4 glass water

Stevia to sweeten

Let me know if you try any of these out, and how you enjoyed it! Happy Smoothie-making!

My Fitness Diary (11) : Post-Holiday Bulge

Hi everyone, it's been ages since I've written a somewhat personal blog. I honestly don't always enjoy just writing about beauty products and doing product swatches - I find it actually quite boring! So today I thought I'd write something a bit more personal, and also about my fitness and health.

The Christmas and New Year break are now definitely over, and I had such a wonderful time. I loved spending my first Christmas in our new apartment, decorating, buying a huge tree that reaches the ceiling, and spending time with family and friends.

Christmas I spent with my fiancé's family (oh yes, by the way, I got engaged! See here for my Engagement Story) up in the cabin in the Swiss Alps, and it was enchanting. Very wintery, snowy, and super cozy. I actually filmed a little video with some impressions.

We cooked a delicious Christmas dinner up there! Starter was a decadent homemade poultry paté terrine with glazed cinnamon apples and toast, made by soon-to-be mom-in-law. Our main course was veal filet in a whiskey with morrel mushrooms cream sauce, red cabbage with apples and balsamic vinegar, and German bread dumplings. For dessert I had prepared a Limoncello Tiramisu with raspberries, which was both airy and citrusy, but also decadent and rich.

After Christmas we spent a few more days up there skiing and hanging out with family, then came back down from the mountains. For New Year's Eve we decided to celebrate at home in the company of very good friends, so we cooked another nice dinner.

For starters this time I made a Carribbean Shrimp Ceviche as an appetizer (which I'm still lusting after now and can't wait to make again), for the main course I made lamb and fig BBQ skewers in an apricot mint marinade, rosemary herbed potatoes and glazed ginger carrots. For dessert we had homemade German apple Strudel with vanilla custard. Washed it all down with several bottles of red wine and champagne. We had so much fun, and I spent the entire day January 1st recovering on the couch, watching Pixar movies and vegetating.

Now the holidays are over and it's time to get back on the fitness wagon. I admit I didn't really keep up my exercise routine in the time we were away, and that's ok. Part of the festivities is all about relaxing, eating nice food, and not worrying too much about things. Still, it's not an excuse not to do anything afterwards! I gained a few kilograms, and I know for certain that I don't want to keep that extra weight jiggling around into 2014.

When I went skiing, I realized, damn, these ski pants are suddenly really tight!! What the hell happened? I bought them in Vancouver 2 winters ago, when I was extremely fit and svelte. I remember buying them with some room to spare, so that I could wear thick long johns underneath on the super cold days. Now when I put them on, I could still button them but they were slightly uncomfortable.

So now I'm determined to lose the extra weight, it's about 4kgs (8.8 pounds) that I put on within the last few months. Due to my injury in the summer, I was out of commission for so long, and even with starting to work out in the fall, it's just been hard to get back into my old habits. But 4kg really shouldn't be all too hard to lose, with consequent healthy eating and regular work outs.

Today I hit the gym again hard, did 10 minutes of running to warm up my muscles, then stretched, followed by about 30 mins of weight lifting (arms, back, shoulders), and ending with a 5km run. I felt great afterward, and very motivated. I try to hit the gym, or do some kind of a challenging work out, three times a week.

My nutrition basics will look something like this for now until the extra pounds I put on are gone, back to my "maintenance weight" goal. Clean eating!!

• no refined carbs, any carbs should be whole grain and complex carbs in small quantity (should be low in the Glycemic index)
• no added sugar at all in tea, coffee, yogurt, etc.
• less bread and potatoes (my biggest weaknesses in the carbs department!)
• limit myself to a really rich, sinful dessert once per week (ice cream, cake, etc.)
• no late night snacking
• VEGETABLES galore!! Good thing I love veggies so that's ok with me. Lots of dark green and red veggies especially
• LEAN PROTEINS: Chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean cuts of beef or pork (tenderloin)
• Fruit - no dried fruits just fresh ones, less bananas, more berries
• Healthy fats from nuts, olive oil, avocado, seeds
• Eat breakfast!! Homemade muesli with yogurt, fruits, nuts and seeds, or maybe some eggs with veggies, breakfast smoothie
• Drink lots of water, reduce alcohol to once or twice per week (I don't drink soda anyway)

That's all I can think of at the moment. Just a really healthy, lean diet that will give me all the nutrients and protein and vitamins I need, leave me feeling full, but allow me to have a caloric deficit in relation to my physical input each day, which will lead to weight loss. Essentially this means you burn more energy each day than the calories you consume, within a healthy range of course. No crash diets and starvation!

Which leads me to my last point: I have a new Instagram account! "JULIASFITDIARY"

I wanted to have a personal, visual record of my exercise routine, what I did that day, and what I eat on a day to day basis, simply as a way of keeping track of my progress. If you want to follow my journey, please check me out on your smart phone under the account JULIASFITDIARY on Instagram.

http://instagram.com/juliasfitdiary

I don't have much up yet as I just started it today, but I will be posting lots there so make sure to add me on Instagram under that account. I'll still be posting on my primary account HelloJuliaGraf with beauty and life stuff, too.

So, now you know my fitness and health goals for the next few months, what are yours?

Autumn Splendor

I had to share some of these images I shot on my favorite running route a few days ago. I drained my iphone battery with pictures and videos, just trying to capture the beauty that is autumn. There's no greater way to enjoy this season than in a deserted, quiet forest on a beautiful sunny day, with leaves crunching underfoot. These are just some quick iphone snaps, nothing super creative with my SLR.

It certainly makes it so much more enjoyable to exercise outside when you've got scenes like that surrounding you. The only problem is that I had to stop every few meters to whip out my phone and take a picture!

This last one was shot in the evening from my rooftop patio, the mountains in the background.

How have you been enjoying autumn this year?

My Fitness Diary (10) : Starting Over

Hi everyone! It's been ages since I've checked in with you on a fitness / weight loss post. So let's get up to speed, shall we?

I was really motived in the spring of this year, and started posting a lot of my #SummerFit videos on my second Youtube channel (you can see those here if you're interested). I was exercising regularly, getting back into great shape, my endurance level was going up - and then it all came crashing down!

I had a spinal cord injury beginning of August (which I blogged about here) that left me hospitalized for three days, and in a world of excruciating pain.

After I was released from hospital, I couldn't sit or walk properly for a while. The pain continued and of course I couldn't do any exercise at all, as I was advised by my spinal doctor. He also told me to avoid any exercise for at least 10 weeks. I had to go back to leading a very sedentary life, where I was basically getting very, very little movement throughout the day. I found it hard to sit for very long, so I resorted to editing my pre-filmed videos (which I thankfully I still had a couple stored up) in a horizontal position on our guest bedroom.

Now it's October and I am slowly back to a somewhat normal existence. I can walk, sit for a good 4 hours before the pain comes back, and I am undergoing physiotherapy. I see my therapist twice a week, and we're working on flexibility, strengthening, and increasing movement again. An after effect of my spinal cord injury is that my left leg is partially lame, and I have a loss of feeling. It's slowly going away at a snail's pace, but for a while it was very scary, and also annoying. I kept tripping over my own feet because my leg and foot wouldn't function properly! 

So where has this left me fitness wise? Well of course it totally threw me off my course, and since August, I've not been able to do anything in the way of fitness. It's been a nearly 3 month break, and only now am I slowly easing back into it. I'm also having to change up the kind of exercise I do. Goodbye Insanity fitness DVDs, goodbye high-impact exercise - hello to low impact! Ugh. A part of me hates it because I feel like such a grandma. I was so proud of the strength I had before this, and now I feel really frail. I know, however, that my back needs time to heal, which can take up to 1.5 years for it to go back to normal, but it's my absolute priority right now.

Of course I gained some weight, not dramatically, as I've been trying to watch what I eat a lot more since I cannot get a lot of movement in. It's really frustrating because I absolute hate restricting myself on food, it just doesn't make me a happy camper. I just feel really unfit and soft right now, a lot of the muscle definition I had worked up is ebbing away. It threw me for a loop, I admit, after being so energetic and fit for the past 2 years or so. It made me realize how much it's become a part of my life, and how much I miss going outside to exercise when I can't do it. It's not only good for your body and health, but also for your mind. It's depressing when you have an injury, and you just can't do anything for so long afterwards.

After getting the green light from my doctor, I made the decision to join a gym that has an indoor pool. I've always been sort of against gyms for myself, because I just never really enjoyed it. I hated the smell, the gross public showers, and running like a hamster on a treadmill, never really going anywhere. But I went for a trial work-out at this place nearby, and it was very clean, with really new equipment, lots of windows, and I loved swimming. I used to swim a lot as a teenager, and then again as a student in university, so I'm actually quite good at it. Right now I can do front and back crawl; breast stroke still hurts my back somewhat because you have to arch your back. I also want to start weight lifting for my arms, because I just hate the softness I have there, and no amount of running will change that. I'll have to be careful with lifting weights on other parts right now, because it can be bad for an injured back. I'll just have to see what works, and what doesn't.

I'm excited to start a new routine, but also sad that running will have to go on hold at the moment. I tried some speed walking but it just wasn't the same. I will miss my beautiful wooded trails in autumn this year. It also means I'm unsure if or how I will be able to film fitness videos again, as I will be in an indoors environment, which makes things extremely awkward for self-vlogging. I'll have to see how it develops and if I feel comfortable doing that with people around, who might not be too keen on being filmed working out in the background.

That's it from my side, and where I'm at. As you can see, we all suffer set backs at some point, for some it might be small things, in my case it was a bit more scary. The important thing is just not to give up, and when you're ready, to hop on the wagon again!

Have you ever suffered a set-back in your fitness or weight loss routine? What happened and what did you do to overcome it? Please share in the comments, I would love to get some feedback as this is something I think everyone struggles with from time to time.

xo,

Julia

Pumpkin Hummus Recipe

Like this? Then pin it on Pinterest here!

I've had lots of questions how I make my Pumpkin Hummus after posting on Instagram, so here's a quick recipe. I love to serve this with pretty much anything! It's filling and makes a good side dish for dipping veggies or bread in.

Ingredients

1 can drained and rinsed chick peas
1-2 cloves garlic
2-3 Tblsp. Sesame Tahini
2 Tblsp. extra virgin Olive oil
Splash of water (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
1-2 tsp ground cumin
juice of half a lemon
shot of tabasco sauce if you want a bit of kick
salt & pepper
pumpkin purée (anywhere between 1/2 to 3/4 cup)

To make the pumpkin purée, you can use a variety of pumpkins or winter squash. If you use a Hokkaido pumpkin you can leave the skin on, so that's the one I normally use because it's so easy. You could also use butternut, Muscat, whatever you have on hand - these varieties you will have to peel. This is what a Hokkaido pumpkin looks like:

Depending on the size of your pumpkin, use a quarter or a half of it. Remove the seeds and peel (if necessary.) Chop up into rough chunks, and steam them for about 15-20 minutes until fully soft. If you don't have a steamer pot, try roasting them in the oven for 20 minutes on 200 degrees C. I wouldn't recommend boiling as that makes them very watery. Then use a handmixer to purée the flesh, or a blender, whatever. Since this is the most time consuming part of the process, I like to make a lot of purée at once, and use the left over for soups or baking. You could even freeze any left over purée.

Easy way out: Use canned pumpkin. Make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling, it should just be 100% pumpkin, no added sugar, nothing.

To make the hummus, put all the ingredients into a bowl and use a handmixer to blend. Or, if you have a blender, dump everything in and blend. Wow, that was hard wasn't it? Now you've got amazing pumpkin hummus!

This hummus will be gone in no time, so I normally double this recipe and keep it in the fridge for snacking. I love dipping veggies in it, or use it as a healthy sandwich spread.

Recipe: Autumn Pumpkin Salad

Like this? Pin it on Pinterest here!

I came up with this salad a while ago and have been making it on the regular - I just love early autumn seasonal produce like freshly harvested blue grapes, pumpkin, blue figs and red cabbage. I combined them in a salad with tomatoes and spinach, added some blue cheese, roasted nuts and seeds, and a nice dressing, and you've got a very filling and utterly delicious dinner salad.

I'm not very particular with measurements, as you can see in the video, so I'll try to write down about how much I used of each ingredient, but please adjust to your taste accordingly. You'll also just have to use however much salad leaves you think you can eat, as everyone is different.

Watch my video tutorial on how to create this dish!

Ingredients (Makes 2 large portions. For an appetizer this will serve 4.)
Fresh spinach
1/2 Hokkaido pumpkin 
Pumpkin seeds
Red Cabbage
2 Tomatoes
Handful of blue grapes
2-3 fresh figs
Handful of nuts (I used Hazelnut and Pecan)
150g of any kind hard blue cheese (for eg. Stilton or Roquefort)
Ras el Hanout & Curry mix spices

Dressing
2 tblsp. best quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp. vegetable oil (eg. Canola, Sunflower)
1 1/2  to 2 tblsp. white balsamic vinegar (depends how tart you like your dressing)
1 1/2 tblsp. plain unsweetened yogurt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper
1 big garlic clove (minced)
Splash of water to thin sauce
Salad herbs (fresh or dried, for eg parsley, chives, basil, etc.)


1. Cut pumpkin in half & de-seed. Chop into bite-sized bits. Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with spices of your choice (I used Ras el Hanout and Curry) and a splash of inexpensive olive oil. Toss with your fingers, then bake in a preheated oven at 210 C / 410 F for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin is roasted and slightly crispy on the outside.

2. Coarsely chop up the nuts coarsely and roast in a hot pan without oil until toasted slightly brown. I added some pumpkin seeds to the nuts.

3. Wash spinach and chop up and slice all the vegetables and fruits. Whisk together all the ingredients of the dressing in a large salad bowl. Assemble all the fruits and vegetables on top. Sprinkle with the nuts and seeds, and crumble the blue cheese on top. Top with the hot roasted pumpkin. Mix the salad and serve immediately! Tastes phenomenal paired with a glass of red wine.

Let me know how you like this recipe! :)

Food Porn: This is How I Roll!

I've been on a healthy food kick again since the end of August - not that I was pigging out before but I've been really inspired to try out new combination of foods and use ingredients I've not tried yet. That might be a bit hard because I think I've tried every single vegetable and fruit that is for sale at our huge grocery store.

My mission is to find Kale. It's pretty hard to find here in Switzerland, even though it's a very common form of cabbage. It's one of those superfoods, chock full of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and even protein! Anyone living in Switzerland seen it somewhere? I really want to try it!

Here's some food porn as inspiration to kick-start your own weight loss and/or health journey. These are all pictures of food I have cooked, from my Instagram stream  - which you can follow me by the way under my username mizzchievouz, or on Tumblr.

  

I've been making an effort to eat less meat, and more vegetarian meals. Since I try not to eat too many refined carbs, I opt for legumes or root vegetables, which are filling and delicious. I don't have specific recipes for the above dishes; my method is more like, "throw a bunch of veg and salad together, add some protein and done." The more colorful and varied, the better. There's nothing worse than boring food, boiled in water. Yuck! I love to work with fresh herbs and spices to add a lot of natural flavor to my dishes, instead of using ready-made dressings and sauces which are often chock full of sodium and sugar anyway.

What are your health goals for fall? Share in the comments!

Healthy Lunch Ideas for School

It's back to school for many kids and adults out there, be it high school or college. Or, you might be a mom who has kids to send off everyday for school. Here's a video you might find helpful: healthy, affordable and - most importantly - utterly delicious lunch ideas! Your kids will love you so much for making these yummy lunches, and you can have the peace of mind of feeding them healthy, fresh foods low in fat, sugar and sodium.

Here's what I'm making!

Lunch #1

Chicken Salad Wrap
Fruit Parfait
Coco-Mango Infusion

Lunch #2

Crunchy Veggie Wrap
Apple Strudel
Red Berry Infusion

Lunch #3

Spicy Tuna Wrap
Strawberry-Apricot Milkshake

All these lunches can be prepared in advance to cut down on prep time in the morning when you're in a hurry. The chicken and tuna salads can be prepared a day in advance; make an extra portion to keep in the fridge for multiple days. Veggies can also be sliced or chopped the evening before, just be sure to wrap in cling film to keep them fresh and juicy.

I hope you enjoy these lunch ideas! Let me know if you try any of them out. They are sure to be a hit with young and old alike.

My Fitness Diary (9)

Well my dears, I finally am ready to bust out the pictures in my actual work out gear. So here it is, my current state of affairs:

Without meaning to sound self-congratulatory, I do feel extremely happy and proud of myself. I feel amazing and it's because I know I'm healthy, and in the best shape I've probably ever been in my life. I never thought that I would ever be able to post pictures like the ones above, or even be able to wear spandex someday without feeling like a liverwurst. Now the only way is UP! Stronger, fitter, faster. Not rail thin, not starving myself, not weak and frail - and I can't wait!

This isn't the end of the road for me, no way. I am liking my workout and fitness routine way too much to quit now. It's been such lovely spring-like weather outside, I'm actually itching to buy some new workout clothes and start running again, now that all the snow has melted away. I want to switch things up and keep it interesting.

It's been one hell of year for me and I have never felt more full of life and energy. It's totally been worth every blood, sweat and tears - thankfully there wasn't too much of that along the way.

I have some very infomative videos about my current weight loss and fitness status, and the second one is another Food Diary which I filmed over the course of several weeks, mainly documenting my dinners and lunches that I eat on an everyday basis. Loads and loads of vegetables, lean proteins, reduced carbs and sweets. I do like to sneak in the odd sweet treat and carb-rich meal now and then, but it's all in moderation. Definitely watch these videos to get super motivated yourself!

My new Food Diary video:

My slightly older Food Diary video:

FAQ:

How often do you work out and what do you do?

I work about between 4-5 times per week on average, but I've even managed to work out 6 times a week sometimes. But 4-5 times is about the norm for me, usually between 45-60 minutes. Over the winter I've been doing Beachbody's Insanity DVDs and they've worked great for me. It's a combination of high intensity interval training, cardio, strength and resistance all rolled into one. I also bought a chin-up bar to work more on my upper body strength, and that is my new challenge.

Do you recommend Insanity for beginners?

For complete beginners (aka couch potatoes and haven't exercised in ages) - no. Probably not. It's a really intense work out. It's probably also not suited for anyone with knee or back injuries as it's quite high impact. This can be reduced greatly by modifying moves and wearing good cushioning sneakers. I started Insanity when I was already used to working out regularly, but not quite as much. If you already do some regular exercise and your endurance is not too bad, then it's great if you want to step things up a notch. Don't worry if you can't do the entire workouts and keep up at the beginning - try your best, forget the rest. It will come. Even I can't keep up with every single move all the time until the end yet!

What do you recommend for beginners?

Keep it simple. Start with running, speed walking, swimming laps at your local pool, taking your dog for a brisk long walk, biking, etc. Work your way up slowly, don't jump in at the deep end! I started out with an elliptical home trainer in front of my TV, and worked up my endurance. Don't worry if you suck at the beginning and can't last for long - we've all been there. Your body will adjust with time and you will get fitter!

How do you find time to work out?

I make it my priority. How do you find time to watch your favorite TV shows, play video games, or go shopping? If something is important enough for you, you will make time for it. It's mind over matter. If you have kids, ask your partner, family or friends to watch them while you hit the gym. If they are old enough, involve them in your activity.

I really don't like vegetables / I don't know how to cook healthy meals.

Sorry, I can't help you there much. I've always liked vegetables (even when I was overweight) and I just am a creative cook. I love variety and there's not much I won't try. If that's not you, I would recommend to hit up a big book store and spend an afternoon browsing through their cook book section. There are so many great cookbooks out there, that focus on CLEAN eating - whole, simple foods, no prepared crap. I followed a low carb plan, that's what works for me. Once you get better at cooking, you might find you really enjoy eating vegetables. Personally, I hate boiled broccoli as well, there's nothing more tasteless.

Spiced Chicken with Roasted Pumpkin Vegetables Recipe

I filmed another quick, easy but healthy cooking video! The point of these videos is more to serve as inspiration for healthier eating, you can always substitute specific ingredients or make your own taste adjustments.

This is a really simple and fast dinner solution, and one of my favorite ways how to make vegetables in the wintertime. You can also substitute with root vegetables like beets, rutabaga, parsnips or anything else. Roasting them in the oven means you actually have very little "active" cooking time, and you just have to turn the veggies once in a while in the oven while they are roasting.

I hope you try it out, and let me know how you liked it!

Battle of the Holiday Bulge - My Tips on Avoiding Weight Gain

It's that time of the year again when many of us gorge on deliciously decadent food and spend our free time indoors, lazing on the couch watching movies, entertaining with family and friends, or doing not much at all. As a result, we tend to put on some extra pounds during the Holiday season. For some this is just a part of the deal, but it doesn't have to be. You can still enjoy the Holidays without getting completely derailed from your diet and workout routine, without having to deny yourself every sweet indulgence.

I put together a video with my own tips and ideas how you can strike a balance between enjoying yourself and eating Holiday goodies, without packing on the pounds. If you're interested, check it out!

Or watch directly on Youtube

Am I Insane Enough? My Fitness Diary (8)

I'm undertaking the biggest challenge I have faced so far fitness wise. Yes, I'm going to attempt to do the Insanity plan from start to finish for the next 60 days. Well it's actually 62 days but who's counting?

This is the 60-day plan that comes with the Insanity DVD - they aren't kidding around, they mean business. I printed out the plan on a calender to keep track of what I need to do each day.

October is nearly complete so here's November and December...and no I don't work out at midnight, my printer randomly added those time slots.

It's composed of daily workouts, six times a week. The first 4 weeks are already hard with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for about 40 minutes each, then 1 week of "recovery" (which is pretty much more cardio but not as hard), then 4 weeks of general mayhem with HIIT workouts that are about an hour in length. Most workouts combine cardio training with strength (push-ups, squats, lunges, abs, etc.)

This is not a workout plan that I would recommend for beginners - it's way too much if you're just getting started. Remember, I've been training since January where I started with about 2-3 sessions of moderate exercise per week. I've also been doing Insanity off and on for the past month or more, but never according to the given plan because quite frankly, it's a bit crazy!

So why now? Basically, I've hit a plateau - I'm pretty happy where I am physically, but I want to have more of an athletic figure. No matter what I do, my last bit of remaining stomach fat is still "there" and I know that's ok, but I want to really challenge myself. I want to see if I can actually do this and get in the best shape of my life - physically and mentally. I'm not sure if I will be able to get through this program, but here's hoping.

I could have timed this better. It means I'll be under a strict nutrition plan up until Christmas, which means goodbye all the Christmas cookies, cakes, and liqueurs. I've decided to completely give up alcohol for this period - no more wine with dinner. I won't be changing my actual food plan much from what I'm already eating since I'm quite good with that as is. I still eat a lot of food and large portions, I never go hungry. I've recently added in magnesium supplements to help recover my muscles, since magnesium deficiency is quite common with increased sports activities.

I still don't know how strict I will be with myself during this. I somehow can't see myself not eating anything sweet or lovely for the next two months, as that is part of the Christmas holiday traditions for me, but let's see. It also means I'll have to continue my workouts when I'm on holiday this year in Vancouver - I fly out on December 20. I'm sure I will have to skip days here and there, but I'm going to try my hardest.

Why Insanity?

I love the effectiveness of the workouts and how quickly time flies. The music is not annoying, and the trainer Shaun actually motivates me, instead of making corny jokes like on other DVDs. It's a workout DVD that is very gender-neutral, unlike Turbofire which is aimed clearly at women. I like the fact that none of the women in Insanity seem to have fake boobs (as far as I can tell.) I also like how most of the workouts are done standing up, I really am not much of a lying-down-on-a-mat-doing-Pilates girl, I love the energy of jumping around. It's incredibly high energy and really tough, but somehow I like it. If you're serious about getting into the best shape of your life and don't have any problems with your joints and doing high impact sports - this is a great workout DVD.

I took some before pictures today - I can't wait to see how my body will transform after this!

Do you have any fitness or dietary goals in the period leading up to the holiday season? Please share in the comments!

Before & After my Weightloss (Pictures)

I finally had the courage to post some before pictures in my latest weightloss update video. It's so strange to look back on those photos now, I sometimes don't recognize myself. In this video I talk about how I lost 33 pounds (15kg) and dropped 4 dress sizes and kept it off through healthy eating and exercise. No diet pills, no quick fixes - just making healthy lifestyle changes. I also go into detail about what changes I made, what exercise I do and how frequently, what I eat, and the challenges I have faced in this journey.

Watch the video on Youtube

Exotic Pumpkin Soup

I made this delicious exotic pumpkin soup because I just love pumpkin at this time of year, and you can't go wrong with some homemade soup on a cold autumn or winter night.

What you need:

1 pumpkin (Hokkaido/sugar pumpkin)
2 onions
1 stalk of lemongrass
6 Kaffir Lime leaves
1-2 hot chili peppers
1 garlic
1-2 tablespoons powdered vegetable stock
juice from 3 oranges (or from concentrate)
fresh ginger
180 ml sour cream or crème fraiche
herbs of your choice (chives or cilantro)

1. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30-40 mins at 165 C or 325 F.

2. Meanwhile dice onions, chop lemongrass and chilis. In a large pot, add some cooking oil and brown onions, then sauté the chili, lemongrass and minced garlic.

3. Remove the peel from the pumpkin with a paring knife then add into chunks to the pot. Add 2-3 cups of water and vegetable stock, drop in kaffir lime leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, remove kaffir lime leaves, then purée the soup with a hand mixer or blender. Add orange juice and blend again.

4. For the topping, grate some fresh ginger into a bowl, add sour cream and chopped up herbs. Serve the soup piping hot and add some of the sour cream topping.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try this recipe and if you like it.

My Fitness Diary (7)

Today I went through my closet because I am endlessly frustrated that I have so little space and so few clothes in it that I actually like and wear. Even though I recently purged my closet - and you can look back on that blog entry here - I keep finding clothes hidden somewhere in the back that just don't fit me anymore.

Like these jeans.

I mean just LOOK at those jeans! I used to wear these!! At moments like this, I think - how did you ever let yourself get to that point? It makes me sad, but at the same time it's a reminder to myself to never lose track like that again.

A lot of you have asked me, "How do you stay motivated to keep eating healthy and exercising?" To be honest, it's just become part of my life by now. When I started this 180 turn-around in January, I did zero physical exercise and indulged regularly in sweets, chocolate, cake, pizza, etc. I didn't watch my portion sizes or how frequently I ate these things - all I cared about is how good it tasted.

Do I still get these cravings? Sure - and sometimes I'll have a piece of cake, or some chocolate, but nowhere near as often as I used to. In the back of my mind, I've become very aware of how much physical activity is required to burn off the amount of calories in a single slice of cake, let alone a meal at McDonalds (about 1500 calories)! So I know that if I go back to my old ways, I'll pack on the pounds again in no time.

When I got back from my New York trip - and I thoroughly enjoyed the food I had there - I had such a craving for healthy food again: spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, fresh fruit, plain yogurt and whole grains. Your body gets used to whatever you feed it - be it healthy or crappy foods - and you begin to crave it when you go without for a while. When I was in New York, I had indigestion and spent a lot of time on the bathroom, and I knew it was the food I was eating. For me, it was a joy to go back to my normal eating plan, which is focused entirely around whole foods.

On the exercise front it's my overall health that keeps me motivated. Seeing results, even small ones, are a highlight. Take chair dips for instance - when I started, I could barely do any, now I can keep going for a long time until my arms give out.

Even the fact that I can go hiking, or for a run, without getting winded immediately keeps me motivated.

One of the biggest motivators for me of course is also seeing old pictures of myself, or when I see the "big girl" clothes I used to wear. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to know that now, my "skinny" clothes are hanging in my closet, and my fat clothes are downstairs in the basement. I want to get rid of them, but some part of me has me hanging on - not in the hopes that I will fit into them again one day as it used to be, maybe as a reminder to myself, a warning not to go down that path again.

Today I bought a slinky form-fitting black cocktail dress for an event I'm invited to this month, and I nearly had tears in my eyes when I wore it in the store, and actually ventured outside the changing room to see how it looked in the full length mirror. The feeling I had when I saw my reflection was, "You did it!" I felt so confident. Half a year ago I couldn't imagine even trying on a dress like that - the clothes I purchased were more focused around hiding my size.

I totally encourage those of you who are overweight and have given up not to do so - I want you all to experience that feeling, when you've reached your goals and you see how how your hard work has paid off. I feel like I got my life, and myself back. I feel like I was just drowning underneath that weight, like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Please let me know your own weightloss struggles and successes in the comments - I would love to hear them!

My Fitness Diary (6)

Today I did something absolutely groundbreaking....

Yup, I went for a run. For those who can't afford a gym membership or other expensive fitness classes, all you need to do is strap on your shoes and run around the block a few times. Of course, it's much more enjoyable when you have some nice scenery around you, and some good music on your mp3 player.

Speaking of, I totally recommend the Sennheiser CX 300 II available on Amazon if you're looking for good running earphones, they have amazingly crisp sound quality, different earbud sizes for a snug fit that won't fall out, and they don't hurt your ears while wearing them. They also cut out background sounds so you can really tune out any cars or traffic noise and just focus on the music. I've owned them for over a year and still going strong.

Today I did just that - I listened to Tool Aenima on my mp3 player and ran along the river that flows near where I live. It was the perfect weather - not too hot, and the trees offered some shade as well. I remembered the first time I ever went for a jog before I started a regular exercise routine, I could only last a few minutes without having to walk. I was so out of breath, panting, had a stitch in my side, and just felt miserable and wanted to give up. Today I noticed what a big improvement I've made in this time, and how much further I could go.

I'm not an expert runner, I'm more the jump-around-like-a-maniac plyometrics kinda gal. I love HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training) where you do a period of high intensity work-out, followed by a short rest period to get your heartbeat down again. Then you're back with incredible high intensity for a few minutes and then again a rest phase. HIIT training is great for me because you burn a high amount of calories in a relatively short period of time; it's the "get 'er done" way of exercising. Short, incredibly tough, but effective.

You can do HIIT with running as well, which is what I tried to do today. I did bursts of fast running until I was so out of breath, then a period of walking. Sometimes I mixed it up by doing some running jumps and lunges in between. I must have looked a bit odd, thank god for a deserted pathway along the river! It helps to have somewhat spongy ground underneath you like running in a park on mulch or grass, but if you're in a city and you're running on concrete, make sure to buy a really good pair of running shoes to cushion the impact. Buying a good pair of runners is essential for any exercise routine, I can't believe what a difference it has made! I used to have horrible shin splints, today I didn't notice any. I posted about the shoes I purchased here.

Now that the weather is turning a bit cooler with fall approaching, I will try to run at least once a week to mix it up with my other DVD work-outs. It's a great way to get some fresh air and to keep the work-outs interesting! Speaking of DVDs, I recently added Beachbody's Turbofire to the mix, but I'm not entirely convinced on it yet. The music is a tad irritating and I feel the workouts don't have an adequate stretch period before and after - I'll have to try it a bit more before I can form an opinion.

Are you an avid runner? What is some your favorite music to run to?

Clothes, Shoes and Purses Purge

Today I was going through my closet trying ot pick out outfits for Berlin this weekend, and I just had a moment of insanity! I was so frustrated that probably half or more of my closet was filled with clothes I never wear anymore because it's just not my style anymore, or they are just way too big on me now and just look rather unflattering.

So I had a bit of a purge...this is one of the piles of stuff I weeded out.

I don't know why it's so hard for us to get rid of old things. We always have this thought in the back of our head, "Oh I can't get rid of that, I might wear it someday!" Ladies - NO! If that shirt has been collecting dust in the back of your closet for over a year without being worn once, chances are you'll probably never wear it again so just part ways and be done with it. There's loads of charities you can donate your things to. I discovered some things I dragged around with me that I bought when I still lived in Montreal!

I filled up 3 bags of clothes, shoes and purses for charity. Some things were a bit hard for me to part with because they are clothes I purchased quite recently and are still in trend, but because of my weight loss, I now look like I'm swimming in them!

Goodbye stuff! I can't say I will miss you, but I hope someone else out there will find joy in something in there.

Now my closet is rather empty looking, and it's now at a point where I actually need to buy clothes, rather than just buy it for kicks. All my clothes from last fall/winter don't fit me anymore since I started my weight loss after that time, so I pretty much need to buy a new fall wardrobe. How exciting!

I also rediscovered a rather expensive camel colored winter coat I bought at Benetton a few years back, and last winter I couldn't wear it anymore because my arms looked like sausages in the sleeves and I could barely button the front. Now it fits again - even feels a bit loose! I'm so excited to wear that coat again this winter.

Well that's about it for me, have a great weekend everybody and I hope to see some of you at the meet-up in Berlin.

My Fitness Diary (5)

I'm back from vacation and I've pretty much gained back those few kgs that took me about 2.5 weeks of hard work to get rid of. I knew I was going to gain weight in that week since I didn't exercise at all as we were staying at a friend's house and the environment was just not condusive to doing plyo, and I ate a bunch of unhealthy food.

Exhibit one, several servings of the famous Berlin Currywurst:

Exhibit two, several servings of Germknödel (yeast dough dumplings with sweet filling):

Way too many serving of cocktails:

A trip to the legendary Burgermeister in Berlin:

 A rather delicious Shawarma in Kreuzberg:

Combined with going out to dinner many times (Spanish, Greek, Vietnamese, Arab) and sugary breakfasts, the damage is done. I don't totally regret it, it was my vacation after all and food plays a huge part of my vacations since I want to try all the local specialties.

But now I wonder if it was really all worth it since I know how much work I have to put in to get back to where I was before. The weather was absolutely atrocious when we were there so I didn't even get to wear my cute mini skirt that I bought especially for clubbing, or some of my cute summer outfits I worked so hard to fit into again! Haha, oh well...

Back at home now and I'm seriously craving healthy food again in moderate portion sizes. I immediately felt how after gorging on way too much food that my body doesn't really need, I felt so sluggish and I noticed I had to go to the bathroom way more. I guess it's a fast way to see that your body is trying to get rid of the excess crap - literally. Blech.

I'm going to do a hardcore session of Plyometrics now and get back on healthy, lean food and plenty of vegetables. I feel like I've been drowning in sugar the past week, be it in the form of cocktails, condiments, sugary sauces, white bread and sweets.

Food Haul!

I did some food shopping and decided it might be interesting to share what I bought with you, and talk about why I purchase the things I do. Sometimes it can be hard to know what is actually good for us and what isn't, especially when there's so many ready-made meals out there that claim to be diet or low fat. The best thing you can do for your body though is to feed it fresh foods, especially produce. Check out my video below for further tips!

Or watch the video on Youtube

Grocery Shopping Dilemma

I'm sure you've all been through this typical grocery store dilemma. You're at home and you go through your fridge and make a list of food you need, most of it being fairly healthy. Tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, chicken, milk, eggs, etc. Then you head to the store and you're doing ok...

Yup still on track! And then it's like BAM!! You start drifting into the other aisles and suddenly you're here:

Times like these I kind of wish there was a grocery store nearby that didn't even have those things on sale! They would be so much easier to avoid if these products weren't EVERYWHERE! You have to think about how much marketing and money has gone into these junk food products by huge food corporations like Kraft or Nestle, to make sure that there is such an omnipresent and huge assortment available to us, ready to fatten us up.

If you're tempted by these kinds of foods, you have to make some hard choices. There's a few ways to go about this:

• Cave entirely and load up on junk food - FAIL! No progress is made and you've totally fallen off the wagon. :(

• Cave only partially and indulge in one junky item. Here the best choice is buying a single serving portion, for example one small chocolate bar, or a small bag of chips - don't buy the XXL Party Pack size or a dozen donuts!! Sometimes it might be better to indulge in a craving and try to at least minimize the damage, than to totally deprive yourself and go insane because all you can think about for the next day is how much you're craving a Snickers bar! Of course, if you're indulging every day or every time you have a craving, you're not really changing your eating habits at all. Also, make sure to read the labels on the back - believe it or not, there are differences between junk food. Frozen yogurt might still contain a bunch of unnecessary sugar, but it will also be less fattening than Pralines & Cream ice cream. 70% dark chocolate is another good variety to regular milk or white chocolate as it contains a lot less sugar and fat.

• Deny and walk briskly past - yay you did it! Pat on the back for you! It's OK to have sweets once in a while, but if you're trying to change your diet and lose weight - let's face it - the more you avoid these foods, the better.

• Deny and buy a healthy alternative - this is usually my favorite (albeit often more expensive) option. No chocolate for me? OK, but I'll buy a container of fresh blackberries, or cherries, or splurge some extra money on a pricier cut of meat. Reward yourself for staying away from junk food with high quality healthy food. If you can afford it (and I know not everyone can) splurge on the pricier grade of nectarines or peaches, or maybe organic tomatoes or meats - the food tastes a lot better than lesser grades, and you're rewarding yourself with food - but ones that won't pack on the pounds! If you're a foodie like me, you'll get so much more joy out of the food you're eating if you buy high quality produce.

Keep your goals in mind when grocery shopping. Make a list and stick with it as much as you can. Avoid the junk food aisles. How serious are you about getting back into shape and losing those pounds you've packed on in recent years? If you've already dropped some weight, try to remember how amazing you felt finally being able to slip into your old jeans again - are you willing to give up those feelings for a chocolate bar?

I hope that's been motivational and helpful to you, and happy healthy shopping!