Making the Buddy System Work

January 31, 2018 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

So with January coming to a close, this is usually the time that I start slacking on my fitness goals and it becomes a downward spiral until it’s a complete fail. This year, it has been different. I am feeling more on track and focused than I have been in quite a long time. And I am pretty sure it’s due to the fact that I have a buddy system in place.

One of my besties decided to start her own journey at the same time as I did and conveniently joined the same gym that I go to, so we have been able to motivate each other to try and stay on track. I don’t know about her but I know that the buddy system is definitely something that I need. I need someone to be accountable to and give me the motivation to keep going.

Having someone else on a similar path as yourself, in my opinion, is something that everyone needs. Someone that can relate to your struggles and your successes. This person should also be someone local to you, if at all possible. Sure, I have followed some other very motivating people on their own weight loss journey, but it’s not the same as having someone right there with you.

It’s having someone with you, that you can sit down with face to face and discuss your journey, someone who can bring out that little bit of competitive side of you in a class, someone to literally slap that piece of cheesecake out of your hand when you really need it. The buddy system has really helped me this time and I am hoping it will continue through the dreary, cold month of February that often finds me wanting hibernate more than getting out to the gym.

I am not saying if you don’t have a ‘buddy” you won’t be successful, I am the furthest thing from any sort of “diet expert” but I just know what seems to be working for me.

My “buddy” April and I have started an Instagram account @MomsFromTheBurbs that will be documenting our journey and also using as a place for others to share their tips, tricks and struggles on their own journey. So please feel free to follow along with us! There will be no judgement and will be keeping it real!

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Getting Fit

It’s Not About Being Skinny

January 9, 2018 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

Last week I posted about my new hate for leggings. I told you about how my once friend was now my sworn enemy and my plight to get back on track and was ready to lose the weight that I had gained over the past few years. But after a few comments from my readers, I need to clarify that I didn’t mean to portray was that is was all about getting skinny.

However, I am not going to say that I don’t want to lose weight. I absolutely do, but I want to do it for reasons much more than being skinny. Now well into my 40’s, I have come the realization I will never be one of those people that are considered “skinny” nor do I care. What I care about is being healthy and happy in my own skin. And right now, I am not at that point in my life.

My clothes that once fit comfortably are no longer comfortable. Most days I feel like a stuffed sausage. I don’t feel even remotely as fit as I used to. The thought of even running a kilometer makes me cringe when at one point I was able to run almost 10km. My skin feels completely dehydrated from not drinking enough water. My sleep has been suffering and mentally it has been taking it’s toll as well.

But I woke up on New Years day with new found excitement to get back on track and so far I have been staying true to myself. I have been making much more healthier food choices, I made it to the gym almost every single day and been drinking so much water I feel like I might float away. And already I am noticing results. And not just on the scale either.

I think one of my biggest problems was not enough water. I have been keeping this huge glass on my desk and continually filling it throughout the day. And my skin is thanking me for it as this horrendous winter weather has been playing havoc on it as well. It’s also helped flush out some of the bloat. My stomach doesn’t feel like I just ate a 10 lb burger all the time anymore.

I have gone back to tracking what I eat and I know that will make a huge difference. Not only am I making healthier choices but it’s also making me accountable for how much I am eating. I can eat all the healthy food in the world but if I am eating too much of it, it isn’t going to help. I am also making use I am using my FitBit to actually count my exercise and not just using it for the watch function. LOL

For further motivation, I treated myself to some new trainers this weekend. I have returned to a gym I used to have a membership at and can’t wait to get back into the swing of attending classes that will push me out of my comfort zone instead of mindlessly walking the treadmill with nothing to push me to do better. I attended my first Zumba class in over a year and although by the end of the class my face was beat red and I was completely wiped, it felt amazing.

So regardless of that the size says on the label of my clothes, I just want to be a happier, healthier me. The best version of me, the me I was meant to be.

Skinny Zumba — Red faced still even an hour after Zumba.

Getting Fit

My 30 Day Challenge for a Happy Stomach

November 21, 2017 Cathy Unfiltered2 Comments

Disclosure: Although items in this post were provided to me, all comments, opinions and photos are strictly mine.

I was doing some updates on my blog recently and I realized it has been quite a while since I posted anything in my Getting Fit section. Then I took a step on the scale and realized that not only was I neglecting that section of the blog, I was also neglecting myself.

No wonder I had been feeling so sluggish and just generally low lately. And my stomach, l can’t even begin to say how much my stomach had been bothering me lately. I have always had stomach issues (IBS) but recently things had been getting much worse. And let’s be honest, when your stomach is off, everything seems to be off.

I know from the past that when I am neglecting my diet and not exercising my stomach issues flare up and it reminds me to get back on track. This time with the gluttony of the holiday season upon us, I knew I needed to really focus on getting my stomach back on track, so I could actually enjoy the holidays. Most people wait until the New Year to start fitness and eating right again, but I knew that I needed to start now. There was no need to wait.

I decided to start a 30 day challenge to get back to a happy stomach by incorporating Renew Life Flora Ultimate Critical Care 50 Billion daily probiotic into my daily routine. I’ve always heard about how probiotics are a beneficial bacteria in your stomach and aid in a healthy digestive system but truth be told, I had never really tried it. Having IBS, I know that I should have really been focusing more on aiding my stomach, but up until now I just focused more on avoiding trigger foods and trying (and not very well) about staying active., as that seemed to keep things at bay.

Skeptical at first, I didn’t expect to see much improvement but after a week, I was already noticing some subtle changes above and beyond those I see when I am eating better and exercising more. I felt less bloated, was more regular (sorry for TMI) and the achy feeling I often get in my stomach wasn’t appearing as often. I have been taking the probiotic daily, trying my best (and it’s been hard) to eat better, and trying to be active each day. Using an activity tracker is key with me, as it keeps me accountable.

Now that I almost completed the full 30 days, I have a much happier stomach and it has given me that boost to keep going to improve my eating and exercising habits. And with the holiday season in full swing, I feel like I will be able to enjoy the festivities and not be gaining even more weight thru the season. I will be happy just to stay the same and once the New Year hits, I will focus more on the weight loss side of things.

Of course taking a Renew Life probiotic is extremely helpful for stomach health but I also need to ensure I am drinking lots of water and trying to cut down on my caffiene (aka copious amounts of coffee) intake and reducing the sugar in my diet as all of these can contribute to an unhappy stomach. Priobiotics are the beneficial bacteria in your stomach and aid in digestion but has also been linked to our immune systems. If you are taking antibiotics, for example, they can deplete the “good” bacteria, so taking a probiotic can help get things back on track.

In addition to my stomach feeling much happier these days, I am noticing my overall self just feeling better. As I mentioned, starting in the New Year, my fitness will be a major focus for me and will be posting about my progress if you wish to follow along. If you want to join me and stay accountable to each other, please drop me a line.

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Motivation Monday – Making life better

January 23, 2017 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

The other day I saw a quote that really resonated with me, “It’s not about being the best, it’s about being better than you were yesterday.” I think it makes a very valid point. You should never reach your “best”, you should always be striving to be just a little bit better. And besides, what is really the best version of you?

By no means, do I mean that if you reach a weight loss goal, you should keep trying to lose more weight. I refer to the best version of yourself as a whole, definitely not just one aspect of yourself. And you don’t need to be focusing on ALL aspects at once, break it down and focus on a few at a time. Even with a single aspect, for example, my weight loss/fitness goals, have been broken up into smaller areas that I want to make better.

Right now, I have 3 areas that I am focusing on.

Being accountable to someone

Recently one of my besties indicated that she wanted to step up her fitness and weight loss game. We decided that we would try and make “gym dates” as often as we could with each other. I don’t know about you, but I find that having someone to talk to and workout with pushes me to workout a bit harder and longer. As well, if we are feeling weak and wanting to totally indulge and throw the good eating habits totally off the rails, we told each other we could text each other for some words of support. Knowing that there is someone else out there with the same struggles that I can rely on for support makes things a whole lot easier for me. It is also a lot more motivating for me.

Make my goal visible.

I have always been a visual person. I do much better when I can see things and the results. This past weekend as I was cleaning out my pantry, I came across a bowl containing some little colored rocks. At one point, I think they sat at the bottom of the fish tank we had. Not sure how they ended up in the pantry though. When I saw them, I remembered something I had seen on Pinterest when looking at some other fitness/weightloss ideas. I went to my local Dollarama and picked up 2 small glass jars. In one jar I would put a stone in for each pound I want to lose and in the other jar, I would transfer over a stone each week for each pound I have lost. This would make my goal a much more quantitative number. If I could see where I have to get, it seems more real to me, instead of just a number on a scale. Now I just need to make up some nice labels to make the jars a little prettier.

Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan

I have always said that I could not follow any sort of diet plan that told me what I had to eat and when I had to eat it. My life just doesn’t work that way. And although I still somewhat believe this about myself, I know that I need to meal plan in some shape or form in order to keep myself on track. What works more for me, is to make a list of meals for the week and then plot them into place as the week falls. Basically crossing them off the list as we eat them. This allows me to have some flexibility in our eating schedule but ensures I have the ingredients on hand to make the meals. I find if I don’t have the ingredients on hand, it’s a lot easier to turn to other less healthy meals. This is all great in theory, I just need to be much better at actually making the meal lists. One of my favorite Mom bloggers, Mrs.Bishop has just started a Meal Plan Monday segment on her blog that I am SO excited about. I really struggle with coming up with new and exciting meal plan ideas. It seems like I recycle the same old meals over and over again. Having a new meal plan to reference each week is going to give me a bunch of new ideas to add to my meal plan. I have looked at her first post and there are a bunch of great ideas that I will be trying out in the next few weeks.

So hopefully starting with these 3 items to focus on will push me ahead in my journey. Small steps add up to a better over all result. Good luck in your journey and we will catch up next time. If you don’t want to miss a post, be sure to subscribe to my blog!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Monday Motivation – It’s a whole new year

January 9, 2017 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

I decided that with a new year starting, it was time to change things up a bit here on the blog. Instead of my Friday Fitness posts, I felt that Motivation Mondays were the new year to do things around here. As much as my fitness and healthy eating are a big priority still, I felt that my journey was more a reflection of my motivation to be a better “me” overall.

I also decided that this will not be a weekly post, but bi-weekly. I found that trying to post a weekly Fitness Friday a little bit stressful. I didn’t want to just post for the sake of posting and not have any real, worthy content. Every other week is probably a little more manageable to get decent, readable content out there.

2017 is a biggie for me, as I will be turning 45. Eeeks!!! It’s about time I really focus on what I want in life and how I can achieve it, as I am not getting any younger and it won’t get any easier. I want to make 45 my best year yet and this is giving me the motivation to eat better, continue my fitness routine (or even step it up a bit) and see what else there is out there for me to improve.

Like 90% of the population, I started 2017 with my “got to eat better and workout more” resolution. I have been doing okay so far. Not the best, but not completely horrible. But today, with the boy back to school and I am starting to get into the groove of working from home full time, I can really move forward and get things going.

I am a creature of habit and when my day to day routine goes off track, so do I. So hopefully this week with routine returning, my motivation and success will return as well. One of the biggest ways for me to keep on track is to put my workout clothes on as early as possible in the day so that when the time comes for me to workout, there is no excuses, I am ready to go! I also need to ensure I am wearing my Fitbit. I have been really, really bad about getting my steps in since way before the holidays, so I need step it up. Pun intended.

I talk about my Fitbit a lot, and if you don’t have an activity tracker, I totally suggest you look into getting one. They are so motivating and it really shows you how active or inactive you are each day. If you don’t know much about trackers, you can check out this article that compares and rates some of the more well know trackers out there. They can be a bit of an investment, but again, totally worth it you are looking to get moving and motivated.

There is that age old saying “you are what you eat”. As much as one exercises, if you are eating way more calories then you are exerting, there is no way you are going to ever lose any weight. I decided to try following the 21 Day fix program. I started following it loosely last week and this week I am really trying to really stick to it. It has been a total eye opener in that I truly do not have a well balance diet. I am way to carb heavy and never get enough protein. I am really trying to change this and hoping it will be a huge help in my weight loss journey.

I know that eating well and exercising rank highly on a lot of peoples New Years Resolution list, and I hope that if you are one of those people, that you are staying on track and keeping motivated.

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017

December 29, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

It’s almost New Years Eve and it is time to say goodbye to 2016. I can’t say it was the best year of my life and I can definitely say it wasn’t the worst year of my life. Sure it had it’s highs and it’s lows and there are memories that I will never forget, but it just wasn’t a standout year. Although it was the year that I did start this crazy adventure called blogging, in all honesty, it was really just another year.

As I say goodbye to 2016, I am entering 2017 already with a bit of change. My job has changed in that I am still in the same role per se, but I now have the opportunity to work from my home office full time. Being able to commute the 3.5 seconds from my bedroom to my office is definitely going to have it’s perks and I somehow think that leggings are going to become a staple in my wardrobe. I am anticipating all the good things that can come from this change.

In 2017, I will be turning……eeeeks 45. Yes, no longer my early 40’s but at that peak and heading closer to 50. My goal is to say goodbye to negativity, drama and not always feeling good in my own skin and saying hello to happiness and becoming the best version of myself. I want to stop the bad eating habits and exercise consistently. This summer I want to be able to wear a bikini and not care that I am not a size 2.

I was doing quite well with my Fitness Friday segments but as the holidays grew closer, I let them fall to the wayside and all my good habits that I was starting to enjoy went to the wayside as well. As I sit here typing, everything feels tight and squishy and I don’t feel good about it at all. Time to get back in the saddle and do what it good for me. Sure, I know 95% of the population makes resolutions to lose weight but this year just feels different to me. I want to do this, I need to do this.

I also need to focus on being better to myself. Being a Mom, I way to often turn my focus to other things and put myself and the bottom of the priority list. That doesn’t mean I am going to make it all about me but I am going to allow myself to do things for myself guilt free. Even if it’s a few minutes in the evening to read a book or give myself a pedicure, I am going to enjoy that time and not feel the least bit bad about it.

My son is getting older by the second and soon hanging with Mom isn’t going to be so cool anymore. I want to make this next period of our lives really count. I want to enjoy our time together making memories, doing things. Things that we both will look back on and be glad we did them, together. What does that exactly mean? I am not sure but we will sure have fun trying.

I am going re-evaluate what’s important and focus on those things. So as the clock ticks closer and closer to the close of 2016, I say goodbye to what was and hello to what is to come.

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Enjoying the holidays with Bulletproof

December 11, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered1 Comment

It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But it is also one of the busiest and stressful for most people, including myself. And with the start of cold and flu season, it is a virtual trifecta for my body to stage a revolt. For years I have let the holidays get the best of me and by Christmas day, I am almost always sick and miserable.

This year, I have decided to not leave everything to the last minute, trying to reduce the stress and actually enjoy the holidays. I have also decided that although I am not even going to try and “diet” through the holiday season, I am going to try and be more mindful about what I am eating. It’s not a holiday season without treats and rich goodies, but all in moderation.

Anyone who knows me knows my day doesn’t start without a coffee in my hand. It’s always been double cream, double sugar. Yeah, not the healthiest way to start my day but I need my fuel. Could there actually be a healthier way to start my day and still have my coffee? It’s not the actual coffee that is all that bad for you, it’s all the fatty cream and sugar that make it unhealthy.

I had heard of the concept of buttered coffee before, but Bulletproof coffee takes to the next level. By using an upgraded coffee and blending it with grass-fed unsalted butter, and their Brain Octane Oil, Bulletproof is a low toxin, high performance coffee full of healthy fats to fuel you.

Don’t get me wrong; when I first heard about it, I was skeptical on several levels. Could I actually enjoy a coffee that didn’t have sugar in it? How could Bulletproof do more than just give me that of energy to get my day start that my daily coffee doesn’t already do?

From the start, they use a proprietary method in their coffee production to minimize the opportunity for mold toxins to occur. As we all know mold can contribute to a number of chronic health issues and that is the last thing I want to worry about. Their Brain Octane Oil which really differentiates Bulletproof from other coffees, helps burn fat, is a reliable energy source without the crash and is made from 100% coconut oil. A coffee that helps burn fat, sign me up!

It’s a little more work to make than hopping in the car and hitting the drive thru but for something healthier in my cup each morning I am willing to take the time.

After adding the Brain Octane and grass-fed ghee to the BulletProof brewed coffee you mix it all in a blender until frothy like a latte.

It was a bit of a different consistency then I had imagined, it was the oiliness from the ghee that made it different. Not in a bad way, just different and I was surprised that I didn’t feel the need to have sugar in it.

Almost immediately I noticed that it affected me differently than regular coffee. I didn’t feel that immediate burst of jittery energy; it was energy but not the jitteriness. I felt more alert and ready to conquer my day. Normally by noon, I am starving and but my hunger levels were definitely much more controlled. And come 2pm when I normally seem to hit the wall, I was still going strong.

This past week, when I have had a busier than usual schedule due to holiday commitments and activities, this new found energy level has been more than helpful. At the end of the day, I am not crawling into bed, I am able to enjoy my evenings and get things done.

So with only a few weeks left, I am hoping Bulletproof will continue the good it seems to be doing for me and I will be healthy and happy for the holidays. I am looking forward to continuing to use Bulletproof into the New Year and incorporating it into my New Year’s resolution of more exercise and eating better. With this energy, it should be a breeze. And you should check out the Bulletproof blog to help incorporate more healthy living ideas into your routine.

This post is sponsored and although I was compensated, all opinions, comments and photos are strictly my own.

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – How Exercise Helps My Mood

December 2, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

Yesterday I woke up pissed off. And as the day progressed my mood worsened. Blame it on the insensitivity of people in this world, blame it on my lack of sleep, blame it on the fact the holidays sometimes get me down, blame it on the fact I haven’t been getting to exercise as much as I have wanted to lately. Regardless, the tone of my day was set as soon as I woke up.

I felt like no matter what the day brought me, nothing was going to make my mood any better. Sadly, on days like this, I often wish my day away so that I can wake up hopefully in a better mood the next day. Life is too damn short to be wishing it away. I need to do something about it but being stuck at the office all day, I knew there wasn’t much I could really do to improve my situation while there.

My son was going to be with me that evening and the last thing I wanted to do was subject him to my grumpiness. I needed to come up with a solution before I got home. I had to look at some of the reasons I was initially blaming for this bad mood. I can’t really change the fact that I have had to deal with insensitive people in this world. Although, I could just choose to ignore them. I can’t take a nap at work, so sleep would have to fix itself that night. The holidays aren’t going anywhere fast, so again, just ignore that as much as I can. So the only fix that seemed to be viable was the exercise.

After a few minutes of pondering, I knew that if I really put my mind into it, I could fit in some time to exercise that evening while my son was playing a game on his tablet. I could throw in an exercise dvd that I had and sweat away the grump. I know in the past, exercise has always lifted my spirits when down in the dumps, so I knew it would probably help in this case. Even just planning the exercise time made me feel slightly better.

Being overly tired when I got home, I was almost happy to wallow in my grumpiness instead of working out but that wasn’t the example I wanted to set for my son. So I got him set up to play and I got the dvd player going. My mood started to lift almost instantly. That, and the fact my son was laughing at me made me laugh too.

By the end I was in a completely different frame of mind for the rest of our evening together. I need to remind myself that as much as some days I really hate the thought of working out, I need it. My body needs it and my mental health needs it. When something as simple as a short workout can greatly improve my mood, there is no need to go thru life grumpy.

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – The body is talking to me

November 18, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

I will be honest, I don’t have much to talk about today as my body has been telling me to take it easy this past week. Between being a Mom, working, blogging and trying to have a social life, I have over programmed myself these past few weeks. Things were starting to catch up with me and the body was complaining.

This past week, I still made it to the gym twice and was eating mostly healthy so it wasn’t a complete loss. However, it was pretty evident that I needed to slow things down by Wednesday. I woke up with an ear infection and upset stomach. When my body needs a break, there is no subtle hints, it tells me loud and clear.

Making sure I stay on track and getting my exercise in, drinking lots of water to stay hydrated, making wise food choices and getting quality sleep are key. Sure this all sounds good in theory but I need to make sure I actually do it.

I know with the holidays quickly approaching, I need to listen to my body and get the rest that I need now so that I am not sick then. It doesn’t mean that I am going to live like a hermit and not do anything, I am just going to make sure that I am being much more cognizant of what my body needs and wants. It’s always so hard to stay on track during this time of year and I know that I won’t even be remotely perfect, but I am going to really make an effort this year.

The New Year is always a fresh start for a lot of people. And this year it will be for me as well. There are a few changes I already know that are coming my way and I am looking forward to them!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

FItness Friday – two steps forward

November 11, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered1 Comment

Well I can definitely say that I am feeling much better about my fitness journey this week than I did last week. I wasn’t even remotely perfect this week but it was at least a step forward in the right direction. Did I get my 10k steps in every day – NO, did I eat well everyday – NO, but did I do better – YES!!!

It’s all about moving forward and not dwelling on past mistakes. It’s ensuring that each day I try to do a little bit better or at least get up and dust myself off if I’ve had a bad day. No need to dwell on what I did wrong, it’s focusing on what I can do better moving forward.

What did I do better this week? I made it to the gym twice and was able to get out and enjoy and nice long walk and enjoy the fresh fall air. I did my best to follow the meal plan that I had planned out earlier in the week. And when I got groceries, I only got what I needed and I definitely didn’t need any candy, chips or chocolate.

I decided that if I didn’t get my steps in that day that I wasn’t going to get all upset about it, I just tried to do better the next day. Some days it is just impossible to get the steps in due to what life throws at us. And when I took my son out for a pancake breakfast date this morning before school, I let myself enjoy my meal with him and knew I would have to adjust my eating for the rest of the day. What I am realizing is that I can’t always be perfect and beating myself up about it isn’t going to help me move forward. I know I am not perfect and never will be. Ensuring that I am moving forward is the key. Always forward and not regressing completely back and ignoring it.

So again, another busy week ahead of me but I will keep pushing forward.