Shake and Shimmy

As many of you know me you also know that I have a fairly busy schedule...and somehow over the years I have stopped doing things, like going to movies, plays etc...generally it is because on my one or two nights off I am tired or my husband is tired so we sit..and sit and sit...not that I mind sitting but I think we sit too much...so I was excited when Ava Noir rented my studio for a Burlesque Workshop...I decided to attend.

What a fun night 15 women, learning the Burlesque basics, the walk, the look, the hips shakes and the shimmying....Ava Noir was fun informative and truly is hot stuff...in the beginning of the night my hips seems stuck...white girl hips...they just didn't want to move, but at the end of the hour they let go.

Ava told us to practice everywhere...so I did - in Shoppers Drugmart I did the walk up the aisle when I was along, I seductively reached for the cereal box...I shimmyed over to the on Sale Kasha bars...wondering if my new career as a dancer was looming.

I got home and thought why not..I am not much of a dancer so this is a really stretch for me....I called to my husband "stay there" I wanted to show him what I had learned...I was afraid he would scoff at me...so I walked towards him, I did the bicycle walk and with my hands behind my head, I shimmyed over to the wall, where I slid down the wall (trying not to groan from the pain of bootcamp) and did the knee thing, a litte peak....he watched...and smiled as I turned away from him and shook my booty....I then went up to him for the final shimmy and some hair tousling...oh yeah my first performance...was a hit..of sorts...and a great laugh.

I will not be giving up my career as a yoga teacher...thank god there is no shimmying in yoga...but look for me in the grocery stores as I seductively look for specials and healthy food...in my running shoes and yoga pants...next workshop is about feather BOA's....I have a feather duster..but a BOA sounds like way more fun..

Mango Protein Shake

Thursday is my longest day of the week I start at 10:00 am and end around 10:00 pm, so it makes for a tired Sheree...I have found that being prepared with great quality food really helps my energy...today was not one of those organized days....tomorrow thanks goodness I am off and will have time to grocery shop.

Breakfast - Breakfast Pita with Hazelnut butter
Lunch - Chicken souvlaki on a pita
Snack - protein shake, apple...
Dinner Greek salad - dressing on the side.

The protein shake may sound boring but it is amazing sweet, filling and yummy a recipe from my friend and trainer Misty.


One scoop East Coast Naturals Vanilla protein powder (Trust me this is the best brand, I have tried a few, that taste like chalk or have tons of chemicals in them)

I fill my blender with frozen mango, about 3/4 of the way full
I scoop protein power
Then I add skim milk up to the level of the mango.

Blend together - it can be as thick as ice cream if you use less milk or add a little more milk for a milkshake consistency...anyway - you like it is delicious...mango is the best fruit I find for this shake...I have tried blueberries, strawberries and raspberries....but they seem overwhelming in comparison to the mango.

I want to be a starfish

Through one of my students last week I learned an awesome fact...starfish spit out their stomachs and then their stomachs grow back....wouldn't that be awesome....we could eat big slice of pizza and then safey...spit out our stomach....

My stomach by the way is still shrinking, my food has been awesome...but I have been busy and have been totally unbalanced...Friday on my day off I plan to rebalance my life take a big long look at what I can slice off my scheudle to make room for my 1/2 marathon training...something I really want to do but can't if I don't figure things out.

I treated my self to a great slice of pizza. Yummy

My Stomach is Awesome

So last night as I was changing and I noticed.....my ABS are showing and .....as gross as it sounds my stomach doesn't hang any more....somehow this happened and I didn't even notice it. Now.... there is a ways to go yet. I won't be modelling for any 6 pack Advertisement, but it is just one more thing on the journey...as I sit here and type I can drop my head and look all the way down and not see stomach...whoo hoo to that.

My days have gotten very busy, so blogging seems to be hard, but I think it has really helped so I am going to continue.

I won't catch up on my food, it has been a good week, I haven't lost any weight in a week but I am okay with that...the cold has knocked my personal exercise schedule to hell.....just keeping up with work and home has been enough.

If all goes well I will run tomorrow if not I won't sweat it I have a Bootcamp tomorrow night....

Food Today

Wrap - Banana, cashew butter, Ezekiel Wrap
Lunch - Cottage Cheese 1%, raspberries, granola
Dinner - Chicken Souvlaki on Pita
Snacks, pear,

If only I could marry Katie

It was one of the those weekends, very busy, too busy and the whole weekend I had a cold....feeling crappy takes some of the joy out of the day. My first class of yoga teacher graduated this weekend and they are awesome, I am really proud of them and they were so excited. It has been a powerful 10 months working with these women and watching them grow. I have a new group of teacher trainees that started last month and it will be interesting to see them develop and learn.

Then last night I went to a Lululemon staff meeting and was presented with a Ambassador Card worth $1,000.00, I was shocked I hadn't expected it last night and it is hard not to rush in there and spend it all at once...I have been eyeballing stuff but didn't want to spend too much money.

My food on the weekend was awesome, I am not going to list it, but except for a donut I stole off my boarder (he had already eaten about 8 that day, so in a way I was doing him a favor), I ate very healthy. I had a great tofu dish at a vegetarian restaurant in Whitby. Hey Mom, if you are reading this let me buy you lunch there next week...it will be fun to see you.

Today's Food

Egg McMuffin, no meat, sorry it was the best I could do I had to be in T.O for a early meeting and I am still sick, I staggered to the shower and out the door in about 25 minutes.

So on the way home from my meeting I thought no way am I buying crappy takeout, then I realised I hadn't grocery shopped last week. The thought of stopping to buy groceries was not very appealing, all I could think about was going back to bed and nursing this cold. I kept thinking there must be something, the fridge was 1/4 full of this and that.

So I sauteed onions and 1/2 a carton of mushrooms in some fresh garlic and olive oil. I then added a can of diced tomato, some basil and oregano, I simmer it a bit then added 3/4 of a can of fava beans ( I have no idea how they even got in my cupboard). I had some left over organic spinach which I stirred in at the last minute.

Served on Brown Rice Pasta with a some grated Asagio cheese, it was really a great meal. Frank hung out with me while I cooked and we caught up on my life...which is busier than his...in a way. Frank works from home so I seem to be the one gone all the time.

I am defrosting chicken to make a potato, pea and chicken curry, in the crockpot, this will give us access to some fairly healthy food and tomorrow some time I will grocery shop....and menu plan...I need a wife. Too bad Katie is taken she is the Martha Stewart of Whitby.

I Braved the Scale

So last night after blogging, I came home and looked at the scale, I felt stupid to be afriad of a number, what is a number anyways ? I hopped on just before bed and slowly looked down.....and all was well, I was exacly where I was the last time I weighed myself. I was pleased becuase this means my metabolism is great, I used to gain 5lbs after a long weekend but now I seem to be able to maintain and slowly go down. What is great is that I am not doing anything that would be hard to maintain, I eat carbs, meat, dairy but in moderation, this fits my lifestyle very well.

This cold has really knocked me out so I am resting all day...sort of..working on a course I teach next month but doing so in my PJ's.

Food for the day.

Breakfast
Brown rice wrap, banana, cashew butter.
Lunch
Spinach salad, with grated cheese, no bacon, yogurt dressing.
Dinner
Butter Chicken.
Snacks, apple, cheese string, latte.

Getting Busy

The days have been really busy, the studio is doing well and I am working on writing courses and preparing for the launch of a mailing for the government, I still dabble a bit in the marketing world.

I am excited that Monday I will actually put on a suit and dress shoes and go off to the world of business. It has been a while since I sat in a boardroom, I have sat in many gorgeous boardrooms doing presentations and sales pitches and now I sit of the floor of my studio talking about hip openers and how to prepare your body for labor, it is a huge lifestyle change. I love yoga but sometimes miss the dressing up and energy in the corporate world. Although I am sure that this project will end up be so deadline orientated that I will be grateful to talk about hip openers.

I have been nervous to weigh myself since thanksgiving so I decided to wait until I was back to normal eating for a few days, plus I had the dreaded PMS bloating.

All week long I have been nesting, yikes, I can't stop cleaning I have pulled sheets, clothes and other stuff out of my cupboards and shipped them off to Goodwill,
I have thrown out anything I haven't worn in a year or that just doesn't fit.

Today I wore a pair of pants and they actually almost slipped off my hips, soon it will be time for smaller sized pants but I am not quite in the next size down, I can't wait.

I have a wicked cold so slept in today, breakfast was a raw food bar in the car.
Lunch - Omelette with cheese, green peppers and mushrooms, 1 slice of rye toast no butter a few home fries, I really felt like comfort food because of my cold, I had 2 big cups of coffee.
Snacks - Mozz cheese string, mango protein shake,
Dinner - Chicken Souvlaki on a Pita

Tomorrow I have canceled my plans to stay home and get well, I really have a busy weekend and don't want to be exhausted. Realizing my limitations is hard for me, to stay home and rest is equally hard...

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I had a great thanksgiving, time with my kids, my grandmother and father as well as my siblings, it is always great to spend time with the family.

Yesterday was just too busy to run, I really really wanted to but I had to cook stuff to take to my Dad's house and I had promised him I wouldn't be late...or at least too late.

I went there with the intent of not eating dessert but I succumbed to this divine looking Pumpkin Cheesecake...my sister had bought. It was really really good and well worth the lack of discipline.

This week will be back to normal with my food, I made a great turkey vegetable soup yesterday and will have a bowl of it and some salad for lunch.

I am heading into 3 really busy weeks so hope to be able to maintain my own exercise and make time for cooking, I find I eat well if I prepare it.

Breakfast
Fried Egg
2 slices of Ezekiel bread, a bit of light cream cheese.

Snack - Kasha Bar

Lunch
Turkey Soup, Salad with a bit of grated cheese.

Dinner - hmmmm not sure, maybe some Channa masala on brown basmati rice.

The last couple of days have been a blur I have had no time, with my normal busy schedule and Thanksgiving it has been hectic. yesterday I just decided to really really rest, I watched T.V. ate leftovers and napped, it was a much needed day to myself.

We had our dinner on Saturday and is was great, Frank did the prep (grunge) work because I was teaching all morning and I pulled it together. Although I must say Frank made an amazing dressing for the Turkey....he added apples to it.

We had 5 of the kids home, only Ben couldn't make it. I can only say it was one of the best days I have had in a long long time, having the family together is such a great feeling, watching them interact at an adult level is interesting.

Margaux (my daughter) had a split with her boyfriend, so it was perfect that she spend the day around people who love her and support her.

Plus the bonus is 4 grandchildren now....who are so cute...and entertaining and so full of love.

I have eaten okay, probably more butter then I normally would, and of course I had the most amazing slice of pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. I sent the leftover pie away so I wouldn't be tempted to eat more.

Yesterday I ate leftovers for both lunch and dinner but skipped the potato's and rolls, to cut down a bit on the carbs and starches....not sure if it really mattered because of the butter and sauces...

I love to cook, I love to read cook books and to try new recipes...generally I don't have the time during the week but for occasions I start a few weeks in advance sorting through Canadian Living magazines and cookbooks.

I tried a great recipe for Brussels Sprouts that I just have to share. It is from the More HeartSmart CookBook by Bonnie Stern. It is low fat and really really good, Frank ate 1/3 of the dish before I had even served it, he kept sneaking into the kitchen and popping sprouts into his mouth.

Makes 6 servings
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger (I used the pre-chopped kind but added a bit more)
1 lb carrots sliced on diagonal
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup chicken stock (they suggest homemade, vegetarians use veggie broth)
1/2 tsp salt (I skipped the salt because I used a prepared chicken stock)
1/4 tsp pepper

1. heat oil in large non stick skillet. Add ginger and cook gently until fragrant.
2. Add carrots and Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with maple syrup and turn to coat well.
3. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and cook uncovered until liquid evaporates and the vegetables are glazed.

So today I have one more Turkey Dinner to eat and then I am back to my food plan.

Breakfast
1/2 a whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese.
Pear
Snack - raspberries with yogurt and a bit of granola.
Lunch - Salad with tuna and a bit of grated cheese.
Dinner - Turkey and the fixing's I am going to skip dessert and avoid the carbs.

I am hoping to run soon....I have to do a bit of cooking for today but if I get going soon I will have the time for a run.....motivation please.

Down Again

Okay so last night I decided to share my husbands Kit Kat bar, if you can't beat them join them. Just a few pieces, it was okay it has been several weeks since I had any sugar and trust me it is all over my house. Both Frank and Charlie live on the stuff.

i am down another lb or so and can really feel the weight loss since I started blogging...I feel lighter and better and am working towards just 2 more lbs to meet my 10lb goal, I will then set my next goal. I think it will be 10 more and then I will maintain...I don't want to lose all my girly parts.

Keeping a few extra lbs on as you age helps fill in the saggy bits....or so my mother always told me.

Today menu - banana wrap, brown rice wrap, banana, peanut butter
Snack - yogurt, pear, bit of granola
Lunch = Sushi...
Dinner - Greek Salad

I will run today, tomorrow is Bootcamp and Sunday another run, Saturday I teach 3 classes and that means I get a bit of a workout too.

Thanksgiving is coming together.

Thank Katie for the Baked Apple recipe....I have a huge bowl full of apples.

Maggots in my stomach

This week I had the bright idea that I would precook some food for the week, it has worked out well. But I cooked Vegetarian food mostly and used tons of beans...now I like beans ,they are a great low fat source of fiber and they taste great..but they have an affect on most people, much like the old song..."beans beans the magical fruit ........the more you eat...the more you .......", so the last couple of days between run club, teaching yoga, teaching pilates and the beans.....I can only say has been a challenge...there is constant movement in my intestines....rumbling....stuff...maggots I am sure. Luckily I have a spare room to sleep in LOL.

I have been busier the last couple of weeks then I could ever imagine being....but I have successfully kept up my exercise and my good eating. My goal as always is to do one thing at a time. Friday I hope to go to a spa and spend the gift certificate Charlie (my boarder) kindly gave me for my birthday, I am hoping for a massage and a facial....I really really really need this time for myself.

I have Thanksgiving on my radar....Canadian Living magazines in my bedroom.....looking for new and yummy recipes.

Menu Today - NO BEANS.....

Breakfast
2 Fried eggs, one pear
Latte
Lunch - Salmon Sandwich
Dinner - Halibut Steak, Brussels sprouts,

Not sure about the snacks depends on how much I work out if at all. I may run and if I do I will add a protein shake, I have some raw almonds that I may eat at work.

Race Review

I was limping up my stairs Saturday night thinking YIKES, I can barely walk and I am running 5k in the morning, my mind was thinking how do I get myself out of this race.....luckily I had committed to meeting my friend Kyla, because there is no way I would have done it without her.

I took some Tylenol and went to bed with my lavender heated thingy on my still slight sprained intercostal muscles and tossed and turned all night.

At 6:00am I dragged my sorry butt out of bed thinking there was no way...I would be able to run today. Not the most positive attitude to start your day with. I slowly prepared for the race, 2 glasses of water, coffee, food, a visit to the bathroom, I had picked out my clothes the night before just in case....I grumbled to my husband who thinks I am nuts anyways....and therefore confirmed it one more time....and off I went to meet Kyla, still drinking coffee.

Kyla was in slightly better shape then I was, having done 2 bootcamps like I had, she did only one, her limp was slightly less.

So the race....it was great....I ran slow...and soon the pain subsided....it was hard... lack of sleep and being sore had its affects...but what affected me more was the amazing energy of the event....the power of people gathered for a common cause is unbelievable, I was there maybe 3 mintues before I started to get tears in my eyes, running beside children who had lost their moms, or moms who had lsot their daughters, or men who had lost their wives.

Cancer has not struck our family and for that I am grateful....the courage needed to fight that disease must be mindblowing, my friend Kyla has had cancer and lost her father to it so being at the event with her was powerful.

I am grateful one more time that I pushed beyond the fluctuations of my mind and put myself out there in the world on the side of the picture being painted.

Monday's I dust, do laundry and a little cooking for the week, I plan on making Channa Masala , Veggie chili and roasting a stuffed chicken breast. As usual I have a busy week so cooking today will save me tons of money and ensure I eat well.

Menu for the day.

Breakfast
Pear, egg, toast
Lunch
Channa Masala (chick peas and spinach, cauliflower in masala), brown rice
Dinner - veggie chili
Snacks - not sure if I will have them today.

Yesterday turned out to be a great day, I finished work around 2:00 and then ran some errands, the butcher, the veggie store etc....then home to spend some time with my husband. Since I worked 5 evenings my husband has been opening cans of beans, boiling plain pasta or eating out. He is not one to cook but he is one to eat. So last night I made a big meal for him and we invited the boarder to join us. I really appreciated the chance just to be at home, doing simple things, it has been so busy lately that cooking felt like a chance to relax and reconnect.

My sleep was restless I was up and down all night,I am not looking forward to my busy day as I am tired. But I was really proud of myself, I had a big dinner and didn't teach last night so I skipped my late night snack, I usually need it because I work until 9:30 most nights. Usually if I am sleepless I may eat something, I opened the fridge a couple of times but each time talked myself out of eating. Thank god the ice cream cake had been eaten....

Breakfast - Peanut Butter and sugar free jam sandwich,
Snack - Apple
Lunch Breakfast Pita, with light cream cheese, cucumber and hummus
Dinner chicken breats, stuff with apple and Havarti Cheese, brussel sprouts, brown rice

Saturday's

So I have overbooked my Saturday's, soooo unlike me LOL, I have 3 classes and run club....and then I imagine I will be napping the rest of the day.

Today there was no run club...I got to sleep in until 8:00am, whew.

Last night my husband picked me up late from the studio and he was hungry, and he is a bit of a fast food junkie so we ended up at Wendy's, I find sitting in fast food restaurants depressing just knowing how bad the food is for your body. I also find buffet restaurants the same way...something about mass quantities of un-healthy food turns me off, I feel like I am sitting in a depressing bar watching people who really need to drink, do so.

Years ago I worked in a country and western bar, Sunday's I found depressing it seemed to be the real hard core drinkers, they would sometimes bring their kids in with them. I felt sadness at times for how much these people needed to drink. I feel the same way sometimes when I watch people overeat really bad food.

Breakfast,

peanut butter and jam sandwich - Ezekial Bread
Banana
Snack
Mango Protien Shake
Lunch -
Latte, breakfast pita and light cream cheese.
snack - 3 brown rice cakes with light cream cheese and salsa
Dinner -marinated Beef ribs, 1/2 sweet potato, 2 whole wheat buns with butter, turnip.

Have a great weekend,

CIBC Run for the Cure tomorrow.

the scale jumped again...down...

Okay so I surprised myself this morning when I jumped on the scale and was down about 2lbs....I felt a little lighter but really hadn't expected it. It is probably about 1 1/2 lbs but I know Misty will work off the other 1/2 lb tonight.

I have completely lost one of my belly's, almost 2 and my chin is receding...I am really liking what I see these days....kind of the old Sheree returning.

Yesterday I chatted with someone about smoking, I quit smoking 20 times at least but was successful only once, I have now not smoked for 11 1/2 years. Persistence is one of the major keys to success, and is actually one of my strengths, I rarely give up.

I just feel too that this time I will be successful with my weight, there is something different, no gimmicks no fad diets, no quick fixes, just hard work outs, and some real soul searching.

This summer I got pissed off.....really pissed off...an inside kind of anger.

I decided to change...I made several changes, the one being the re-focus back on me, the second being my new mantra...I will not accept the unacceptable....

As soon as I made this decision things changed, almost instantly....the message is out there loud and clear.

I am painting the studio today....cutting in at least....I am going to try to turn this into a meditation and just focus on the job as I am doing it, painting is not one of the things I enjoy but maybe that is because I am always trying to get it done, today I will focus on being present in the moment.

Breakfast
Ezekial Raisin Muffin Cream Cheese (light) sugar free jam
snack - yogurt, raspberries, bit of granola
Lunch - salad, tuna
Dinner - Protien shake for the workout
Snack - rice cakes, with salsa and light cream cheese

The Business of Yoga

last night I taught a great class, what made the class great were the amazing people in the room, they were into the class and enjoy yoga...their energy just filled the room and at the end of the class I felt this amazing sense of joy.

I am lucky to have such job that brings me calm.

Running a yoga studio is a business, there is bookkeeping and advertising and all the back end stuff like cleaning and dealing with staff. Along with the courses I write I can often be really really busy. How nice it is to end the day with some great students of yoga.

Yesterdays Menu

Breakfast - Banana roll up, brown rice wrap, hazelnut butter
Lunch - 2 Chicken snack wraps fron Tim Hortons....not much of a "Timmies fan" but I was starving.
Dinner Greek Salad
Snack - 3 brown rice cakes with salsa and light cream cheese.

Ran for 35 minutes

Today menu

Breakfast - Ezekiel Raisin English Muffin with light cream cheese and sugar free jam
Lunch - hummus, carrots, salad, chick peas.
Dinner - veggie chili with light sour cream
Afternoon snack - mango protein shake.

Today I will walk while I deliver fliers and then I am going to trim the walls in the studio. That should be enought for movement for the day as I am teaching 3 classes as well.