Tuesday 25 October 2011

Throw out that weight scale! You are NOT defined by a Number

I don't know what it is, but lately it seems all that's been popping out at me are things about weight. Losing weight, gaining weight, you have to be at this weight to be happy, and all these numbers that are being thrown around.

For one, there is this stupid thing called a BMI. Which stands for Body Mass Index, and it's a stupid calculation of your weight and height and it gives you your ideal weight. Problem is, it's not accurate, for someone like me, who's 5 foot 6 1/2, they say my ideal weight is about 140-145. I would look really scrawny at that weight. Also a second thing is the media, saying what weight people should be.

Just the other day on the news they were talking about weight and Rosario Dawson came up. They said that when she went to go play a drug addict on the movie RENT, she was really underweight and was scrawny, cause that's how they wanted to portray a drug addict. When she was filming for that movie, the media went crazy calling her "beautiful", "the perfect weight". Are these people blind?! She was almost nothing but bones in that movie and the media thought she was beautiful. As for the men's side of things, when did it get popular that men were so skinny they could wear skinny jeans? That's a fad that I wish would have never come out. I can't find one single person on who, a pair of skinny jeans looks good on.

So it got me reiterating, what I've always thought, that people should focus on looking healthy and going by how they look to define whether or not they are healthy. I for one, will never focus on a number, because we shouldn't be defining the looks of our bodies by a number. We should be evaluating ourselves (based on looks), and decide if we look healthy or not. With that being said, there are eating disorders that people have/develop and it's not easy to decide if we look healthy or not when in that state of mind. But we should always use our brains to decide if we look healthy or not. Nobody else should be deciding that for us.

Also, lately for the past week and a half. I have not gone to the gym. I'm starting month two over again. I went  up to my in-laws for a week and my diet went out the window because of my mother in-laws amazing cooking. But as of right now, my fiance and I are both on track for starting a low carb diet, and we are going to stick with it. She has decided on trying to go to the gym more often and since we have both decided to stick to a rough diet plan, then that's all the easier on the both of us. Right now for instance, she's frying up steaks with mushrooms, a bit of potatoes, and broccoli with cheese. Mind you, the cheese isn't that healthy, but I haven't had much dairy today. So for the last time, I'm starting month 2 over again. Who ever said getting in shape was easy anyways?

A good rule that I had read in men's health (this can apply to men or women) that one way to stick to your diet is to post a picture of yourself now, in just your undies, on the fridge. It should make you think twice about grabbing that jello pudding, or something healthier (in my case, it's Pickles, mmmmmmmm).


So, back on track tomorrow, starting a rough diet plan (I can never stick to a diet, a rough outline is what always works best for me), and I'm working on compiling some pictures so that I can get some fall fashion stuff up for you guys and gals. Wish me luck, and hopefully I've inspired someone out there.......is anyone out there?.......

Saturday 15 October 2011

Breakfast

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For me, it's hard to stomach the sight of food first thing in the morning.

I remember reading in Men's Health a while ago that breakfast is the most effective if eaten about an hour within getting up. Me, and actually stomaching it, is closer to that hour mark.

But what my schedule is, on workdays I get up and head right out the door and off to work. I always fall asleep right after I get on the bus. Then once at work, I have my breakfast. So I need something quick and easy for my breakfast.

Here's what I do. I get a cup of yogurt in a container, then take a half a cup of frozen berry mix, and nuke it in a mug in the microwave til it's not frozen. Just a tad warm is my preference. Then mix the two and off I go. It all takes less than two minutes, easily.

What do you guys do for breakfast?

Monday 10 October 2011

FOOD!

Well I said I would put up a pic of my trail mix that I make and here it is. This is my trail mix that I like to make, cause I don't like the mixtures that they have on the market and can't seem to get enough of this and too much of that.

For ingredients it's easy, mind you, use whatever you wish to use, this is just what I like to do, and I measure nothing, it's all eyeballed til it looks about right. This is mixed in a 8 cup container (at least that's what it said on the bottom), and I mixed in dried apple chips, dried cranberries, non salted cashews, and salted sunflower seeds. I love this kind of mixture because not only do you get the salt from the sunflower seeds, but you also get a bit of sugar from the cranberries and banana chips.

Here is some pictures of it being made:









Any extra banana chips and cranberries may potentially be subjected to my hamster, Muffin.




Also I'll put up my recipe for PuckerPower Chicken. For me, I can't get enough of the sour stuff, and sour candy just doesn't do it for me anymore, it's too plain. So every once in a while, I make this dish that I love.

You'll need:

2 chicken breasts
1 big thing of the Real Lemon Juice
and enough pasta of your choice, and make it about half and half of pasta and chicken.
oh, and miracel whip or mayonaise to taste.

Cube up the chicken, put in a frying pan, pour enough lemon juice in so that it just barely covers the chicken, and cook until the juice is all gone. Then after about 30 seconds of the chicken being dried out in the pan, add enough lemon juice to cover half of the chicken. Cook until most of the juice is gone.

Then cook your pasta, mix together with the chicken, and add mayo or miracle whip, to help prevent the pasta from sticking.

Also if you take this to work, it's a good idea to put a bit of lemon juice in the bottom of your container so that when you microwave it, it doesn't dry out.

Who's brave enough to try that? Probably only me.

Hope you enjoyed my post. Anyone like my trail mix blend?

Friday 7 October 2011

Good news!

I'm not sick anymore, and today was the second day back to the gym, and I'm feeling great. I love going to the gym now, I don't find it as intimidating as I did in the first place. It's nice now that when I go, I really feel a sense of accomplishment that I got my ass of the couch and went and did something. Not easy after a 12 hour shift either. But I did it.


The diet part is coming along quite well for me now. I've been making sure to have 2 chicken breasts a day, breakfast, and healthy meals. Which is quite a change for me. I've also noticed that since I've been eating healthy, and I decide to dulge in a craving from McDonalds, my body "rejects" it, later on.

I've noticed too that I'm starting to lift heavier weights, I find I plateau'd just a little bit on what weights I lift, but after getting used to them, I find them light. So I've had to bump it up. Loving not only feeling the progress, but when you see physical progress like that, and the very slight muscle definition I've been getting lately, it's all worth it. Now just for my gut to go away. I don't think it's downsized yet, but lets hope it will in this next month. Thanks for sticking with me.

Sorry that this is a quick post, but I shall have more soon. I'm actually preparing pictures. In a couple days I'm going to be showing you, my trail mix that gets me through the days. Plus I'll put up my signature recipe for my PuckerPower Chicken, if anyone dares to try it. A Mr.ChubChub specialty, but only for those like me who like things as sour as they can possibly get them. Doubt anyone else will try it.

Monday 3 October 2011

Setbacks

Well I've had a minor setback, as do most people when they are trying hard to do something, they have a minor or major setback somewhere along the way.

The Setback for me in the past few days, was that I was sick with the stomach and regular flu. Lets put it this way, I would be afraid if I had to do squats. Luckily though, that went away and I was able to resume my workout regime. Since I was only a week into the second phase, I'm just going to restart the second phase. So from today it's four weeks til I'm done phase 2. Just a minor setback.

Gotta go. But I might be putting up progress pictures soon, or some of my favourite meals. What would you like me to put up?