Day 12

Day 12 : Green Smoothie Goodie

So kale was on sale this week, along with pineapples,  blueberries, greek yogourt and pears! This resonated green smoothie goodie to me so here is this week green smoothie recipe!

My Green Smoothie recipe : 

Ingredients: 

- 1/2 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen, I went with fresh ones)
- 1/2 cup of pineapple
- 1/2 cup of pear (about one diced pear)
- 1 cup of kale
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Greek yogourt (I used 3/4 of plain and added a drizzle of maple syrup, but you could use whatever flavor or other types of yogourt and add more or less, depending on the texture you desire)

- 1/2 cup of liquid (water,  milk, juice. I used water)

Start by blending your liquid and your kale together. This will ensure that you don't end up with big leafy parts of kale. 

Kale + Water + Blender = Green mess :S

Add to the green juice all the other ingredients and blend until desired texture!

Final result! 

Makes 2 servings!

Enjoy,

Russy

Days 10 & 11

Days 10 & 11 : First reward and injuries

Like I said in my first post, it is extremely important to be nice to yourself. It is with encouragement, support and humanity that achieving a lifestyle change will happen. Those elements can come from friends, family, lovers and coworkers but it should first come from you. So, while I was grocery along with my mom last week,  we stopped at various stores,  for fun!  My treat was a the new Oreo donut from Tim Horton and a new workout outfit! The Donut was extra yummy and that new training gear help keep my energy and spirits up!

How you like my training swag yo?¸!

I also slighty over trained this week. My shoulders and joints have been in pain for the last 3 days even though I didn't do any strength training since the last workout plan :( Another explanation behind this discomfort could be that I did not do any stretching after I trained, which is fairly bad. Whatever it is, I will have to be careful to not hurt myself! 

Have a good Friday!  

xoxo, 
Russy

Day 9

Day 9 : Second Workout Plan

Short and Simple. Here is my 2nd workout plan! The first one was posted on Day 3. 
I will be alternating those 2 workouts in order to push back the almost inevitable plateau (plateau is when you are still working out but it isnt as effecient as before because your body got used to your workout!)

Cardio

• 10 minutes of moderate intensity bicycle before strength training
• 20 minutes of intervals on elleptical after strength training

Strength Training
Lower body :

• Sumo squats with kettlebell over head swing (25 reps, with 25lbs kettlebell)
• Around the clock lunges (5 reps for each leg, total of 25 lunges for a per leg)
• Hip lifts (25 reps)

Core :

• Back extension on swiss ball (25 reps)
• Raised legs crunch (as much as possible)
• Elbow plank (1 minute)
• Medecine ball woodchop (15 reps on each side, weight of ball TBD)

Upper :

• Dumbbell Fly on swiss ball (25 reps, with 15 to 25 lbs dumbell in each hands)
• Diamond tricep Push ups (min of 15, but as much as possible, max of 30)
• Outward abductors (20 repswith 15 to 20 lbs dumbell in each hands)
• Hammer curls (20 reps, with 15 to 20 lbs dumbell in each hands

Post-workout snack is going to be 3/4 cup of plain greek yogourt, 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup! Yum!

 xoxo,

Russy

Day 8

Day 8 : Grocery shopping tips

Many like to think that healthy eating is costly. While part of it may be true because of the price of non seasonal produce, I have managed to find a way to keep my healthy eating habits within the means of my student budget. In this post, I will share my grocery shopping tips to help keep the bill as low as possible.

1) Go to the farmers markets (if possible)
Last time I mention it, I promise lol. But farmers markets are one of the greatest way to get fresh produce on the cheap. If you can't attend the farmets market, there are other ways to get fresh produce on a budget. For those who live in Ottawa, the Good Food Box is a great way to get cheap produce! For my Greater Montreal peeps, check out Bonne Boite Bonne Bouffe. Both those services deliver boxes of produce (on a 2 week or a monthly basis) in neighbourhoods.

2) Look at the flyers
Before going to the grocery store, I always look at the flyer just to get the idea of what is on sale this week so I can tailor my weekly plan to it too! Beware : Not everything that is in the flyer is necessarily on sale. Sometimes, they just put a product with a flashy color but there is no actual reduction on the price! Look for the words "save X$" or "XY% off". 
Additionally, take a good look at the multiple buy price. For example, if there is a sale that says : 3/5$, most people believe that you have to buy 3 times the product to get the reduction. Unless it is specified underneath that price that if you only buy 1 the regular price will be applied, buying only one will scan at 1,67$. :)

3) Price match is your bestie and coupons are just a different currency. 
Stores like Real Canadian Superstore, Freshco, Maxi and Wal-Mart do price when you can prove the price with the flyers. After looking at the flyers, just bring them with you and you can enjoy the rebate from all the other stores within one store.
As for coupons, you shouldn't go overboard (like I do with them) but they are a great way to save money. If you see a coupon for a product that you like and will be buying, why not using? 1$ off on something you will buy is 1$ more staying in your pocket! You can get coupons for a lot of different products nowdays. Check out Save.ca, Websaver.ca and brandsaver.ca for home-mailed coupons! Some stores also have their own coupons so be sure to take a look them too!

To tie #2 and 3 together and make you life easier, check out the Flipp App (available on Android  and iOS) which gives you flyers based on your location so you dont have to carry them with you at all times! When you add sales, price matching and coupons, you can save a lot on your grocery bill. The best I got so far was 70% of my whole bill which translate me bying 50$ woth of food for 15$. That lasted me a solid 2 weeks!

4) Don't go empty
Don't go empty handed to the grocery store. Always make a grocery list so you don't wander around for hours. It will also prevent you from forgetting an ingredient too!

Also, make sure to don't grocery shop on an empty stomach. Being hungry in a store full of food will make you want to buy anything and everything (true story...). If you can't go right after a meal, try pack a snack with you and have it right before going so that your tummy doesn't get the best of your wallet!

That is it! Tomorrow is my new workout plan!

Happy Saturday! xox,
Russy

Day 7

Day 7 : Weekly Meal Planning

This is still a work in progress but this is how I usually go.

1. What do I have in the fridge/cupboard?

That is the first question I ask myself and this is probably the step that you should never skip! It prevents food loss, which is a major problem in industrialized countries. This simple step stops you from buying stuff you already have, finish that last serving of grilled zucchinis before it goes bad and help realize the potential your fridge already has.

2. What is on sale? What is in season?

Being on a student budget, this question has to pop up. But even without a student budget, I think it is good to take advantage of the sales that are interesting to us. They allow you to try some new food or save on your regular items.

3. What are my plans this week?

If you are having friends over for dinner on the Tuesday night, you need to plan it ahead. Same for if you are going out to eat during your lunch break!

4. What do I want to eat?

This question is crucial. If you have tortillas,  tomatoes, onions and what not AND avocadoes are on sale but you hate them, don't get it! Don't be like : I hate guacamole but I'm going to eat it because  it's healthy and cheap. You probably will end up never finishing 1/10 of the homemade healthy guac recipe you looked up. Go for something that you will enjoy eating because a HAPPY you is a HEALTHY you!

Meal Plan!

So here was my meal plan.  I try to eat about 3 medium meals and 3 small snacks a day so that I always feel semi-full (I hate feeling hungry). This has worked well for me in the past and seems to be working well now as well!This does not include my coffee (black), tea (no frappucinos, that sh!t is full of empty calories) or water. I drink an average of 2.5L of water/tea a day and I tend to stay away from juice. This meal plan averages around 1500 to 1800 calories a day, depending on if I work out or not!

For that specific meal plan, I no longer have the grocery list but I do remember that bananas, frozen fruits, cucumber and heads of green lettuce were on sale! Gouda cheese was also 50% off! Zucchinis were nice and plump and ground veal was 30% starting the following flyer!

I also 

 
Grocery tips will be up for the next day with my new workout plan will be up tomorrow!
 
Good night y'all!
Russy
 

Oops I did it again...

Day number??? - Oops I did it again...

I fell of the blogging band wagon for a while. I got much more hours at work in the past week and add to that a trip to Ottawa for Canada Day. Sorry for not updating as often I should have! As an apology, I offer you this salivating shrimp taco wrap that was sent to me by my dear sister Amy along with her wise tip!

A good way to augment your vegetable intake is to transform your wraps/tacos into lettuce wraps! The  big and crispy leaves can replace the fried taco shells perfectly, adding fiber and vitamins to your meal!You can vary through the different kinds of lettuce but I usually go for Romaine for its sturdiness or the Boston for its flexibility! Lastly, as I mentionned in Day 6, lettuces are in season right now. This is the perfect summer lunch idea! Thanks Amy!

Shrimp Taco on Lettuce! Credits to Amy Evans!

Good news! Even thouugh I did not update the blog, I kept on the healthy habits! I have been going to the gym, eating various healthy foods on a regular basis while still having a good time! So props to that! Also, some co-workers that I haven't seen in a while have complimented me on a slimmer figure already and my biggest pair of jeans is falling off of me now! Also, my Green Smoothie game has totally be upgraded! #GetOnMyLevel #IknowYouCan 

Frozen grapes, strawberries & pinapples, fresh baby spinach and a squeek of lemon juice!
One of my favorite snack!

Now, let's pick up where we left off, shall we? 

xoxo

Russy

Day 6

Day 6 : Local Produce & Farmers Market

When I was in Ottawa, the one thing I loved the most was going to the Byward Market and buy fruits and vegetables from the local farmers! 

Here are my top 5 reasons to go to a farmer's market :

1. The freshness of the produce.

When farmers bring their produce to the market, it is a delight of freshness. This ensure that the food was picked at its peak and contains a maximum of nutrients and flavors!

1. You get to try new produce.

Before going to the farmers market, I would have never bought a spaghetti squash nor did I know of its existence. It was on sale at one of tables in the market and I asked about it! I got to discover one of my favorite fall veggie :)

3. The closeness you can form with the farmers.

It is truly a unique sensation. Like I mentioned earlier, I discovered new produce but also met new people who are experts when it comes to certain types of food. I got a lot of cooking tips from farmers. Added bonus : they sometimes offer discounts if you become a regular buyer!

4. It is cheaper than buying produce in a supermarket

Being on a student budget, I am always hunting for the best rebates I can get without stepping back on the quality of my food. Farmers markets helped me get the best bang for my buck when it came to produce. For less than 10$, I can usually get 2 weeks of seasonal veggies and fruits. 

5. It boosts the local economy and it is green!

By buying local products, you are helping local farmers to not only rely on the big food market chain, to live off their farms and, eventually, create new jobs! It is also greener to buy local food since there are much shorter distance to travel (less CO2 in the atmosphere)!

Some local seasonal produce to look for in July :
- Berries (strawberries, blackberries, rasberries, blueberries)
- Lettuce
- Peaches
- Peppers
- Watermelon
- Corn

That is it for Day 6! Day 7 shall be my food plan of the week! :)


Russy

Day 5

Day 5 : The Rice factor

Confession time. I love rice. I just really love rice! Short-grain, long grain, basmati or perfumed, I LOVE IT!

The culture around me created that rice addiction. Both of my parents are Haitians. We eat rice pretty much other day! Add to that my korean culture passion, you got yourself a rice expert! Rice and Beans, Jambalaya, Congee, my life revolves around that grain!

So, how does a rice addict transports this element into a healthy lifestyle? You switch it to whole grains, in this case, brown rice! Brown rice is just white rice with the bran still on. And, like many other foods, a lot of the nutrients are within the bran.

How do I integrate brown rice into my life?

While I don't mind brown rice, I understand that changing from white to brown is not always easily done. You can start by including 1/3 a cup of brown rice to 2/3 a cup white rice. Just be sure to soak the brown rice and adjust the water so that the brown rice isn't undercook or the white rice gets mushy!

And if one has an aversion to brown rice, there are other alternative to have a healthier rice by adding quinoa,  barley or other grains! I personally really enjoy a mix of white rice and quinoa (done with the same ratio as the brown rice mentionned earlier but without the soaking)! It gives a fluffy rice with a crunch and added protein :)

Enjoy the weekend!

Russy

Link time :

The first link explains why brown rice is healthier than white rice and might help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

http://www.fitsugar.com/Why-Brown-Rice-Better-You-Than-White-Rice-14663025

This one is one of my favorite one pot rice recipe. Everyday ingredients but delcious results! 

http://www.marthastewart.com/317950/one-pot-chicken-and-brown-rice

Day 4

Day 4 : The Little Steps

Late post (sorry sorry), but better late than never!

I was out all day, with some of my sorority sisters visiting Montreal! The day started quite early! After meeting up with my dear sister Amy, we went to Eggspectation. I ordered the Eggsuberant (2 eggs, 2 pancakes, bacon, fruits, maple syrup & lyonnaise potatoes, whoa)! That big breakfast was more than needed since we were going to walk all day long!

We then walked around Old Montreal, went shopping on St-Laurent and catch a nap on the McGill University campus :)

Throughout the rest of the day, we met up with other sisters (Julie, Sonia and Alyssa) and a friend and went to Cinko, a new restaurant that offers a fresh menu in which every item is $5! I chose the Portuguese chicken, served with grilled zucchinis and tomatoes and upgraded the side of fries for a poutine for an extra $2.50! What can I say, all that walking made me hungry!

Day 4 helped me realise that every little step counts. All thoses steps, no matter how big or small, count. I walked for a total of 16.54 km all day which is the equivalent of a bit over 1500 calories. This is pretty close to my daily food intake burned off. Did I let myself enjoy food yesterday? Yes! But I also managed to balance it out with walking it off instead of bussing, hopping on the subway or a cab.

Ain't no half stepping 

This lesson is also applicable to other things than burning calories. Every step counts when it comes to achieving a healthy lifestyle. Choosing the stairs instead of the elevetors. Walking outside during lunch instead of chatting while sitting down. 10 minutes of meditation to help relieve stress instead of smoking! Whatever the little step is, take it and see where it brings you!

Have a good Friday y'all!

Russy

Day 3

Day 3 : Workout Wednesday

So today is going to very brief! This will simply be a description of my hump day, also called Workout Wednesday!

Breakfast of champions :)

I had a big breaky composed of :

• scrambled egg whites
• 1 grilled Italian tomato
• 2 rice cakes
• 1/2 cup of blueberries
•  a banana
•  and 100g of probiotic organic yogourt! 

A grand total of 400 calories! This amazing breakfast kept me full and pumped for my workout!

 

And here is the breakdown of my first Workout Wednesday :

1. 10 minutes of cardio to warm up.
2. 2 sets of
• 20 dumbell squats with 85 lbs
• 20 barbell deadlifts (just bar, to perfect movement)
• 20 dumbell calf raises with 20lbs in each hand
• 20 dumbell bicep curls with 15 lbs
• 20 tricep extensions with dumbell with a 13.5 lbs
• 25 Clams on each side
• 60 seconds of elbow plank
• 25 Seated Trunk Twists
• 25 leg lifts
• 25 Side-to-Side crunches
3. 15 minutes of moderate-intense cardio
4. 5 minutes of streching


All in all, a very good sweat session, as you can see on my post-workout forehead :)





Shine bright like a *sweaty* diamond :)



Happy hump day :)
Russy

Day 2

Day 2 : Calorie Counting, Friend or Foe?

Today is a rainy day in Montreal even though it is la St-Jean, a very much celebrated holiday. My plans to hit the gym or stock up on greens was busted so I spend the day playing with my dog, cleaning and researching a good topic to post on today. I chose to post about calorie counting. 

1. What are calories? How many should I be eating

Calories are the measure unit of energy. To break it down very very simply, your body needs energy. This energy comes from food. You eat the food, transform it into energy and you spend the latter afterwards.

Different foods have different calories in them. In one cup of strawberries, there are about 57 Cal. A Big Mac sandwich contains 540 Cal. How do you read this? I will take in more energy from the Big Mac Sandwich than from the cup of strawberries.

The next step to understanding calories is to know how much you should be eating. In a Shape Magazine article, they give you a formula to find out how many calories you should consume. The link will be below.

2. Why should you count them?

Depending on your lifestyle, you might be eating too much OR too little calories. Eating too many calories everyday results in weight gain and vice-verse when eating too little. Depending on your goal, you can adjust your calorie intake to reach them.

Another good thing about calorie counting is that it raises awareness of what you are eating. To touch on the strawberries vs Big Mac battle from earlier, what you can also read is that you need to eat almost 10 cups of strawberries to get the same amount of calories from them.

3. Why you shouldn't counth them?

It is sometimes quite impossible to count calories and not always convenient. At a restaurant, you dont always know what type of oil is used, how much, you cant eyes ball properly the quantity of potatoes in front and just don't know the full list of ingredients.

Another reason not to count calories to that once you start, you can become quite obsess with it. During 2011 weight loss, all I did was calorie count. I would skip a meal if I had eating too much earlier in the day or I would eat a bit more not to have to low calories.

Lastly, calorie counting is just that. Calories. It doesn't tell you how much protein, carbs or fats you took in. So yeah, those  cups of strawberries might make you fuller, but they don't provide you the protein that comes from the Big Mac. You see the issue.

4. My 2 cents

I decided to calorie count for the 100 days of healthy. The reason behind this is to help realize what food in my plate translates into when it comes to my body. I will not obssess over it. Eating once over your calories just mean you have more energy to spend :)

To do my calorie counting, I chose the food diary app "My Fitness Pal". On top of calories, it gives hints when it comes to protein, sodium and fat content of the food you are eating. You can also change the settings to fit your diet needs.

That's a wrap for today!

Russy

Links :

Shape Magazine : http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/ask-diet-doctor-how-many-calories-should-i-eat-lose-weight
My Fitness Pal : http://www.myfitnesspal.com

Day 1

Day 1 : 100 days of healthy

Over the last couple of months, I have witnessed a bunch of my friends doing the "100 days of happy" challenge over facebook, twitter and instagram.

I've decided to do 100 days of something else and differently. My struggle has always been with my body.  When it comes to body image, body confidence and being healthy, I have always struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

March 2011. I decided to do something about it. It was very much needed as my obesity was becoming a barrier to daily activities. I took a gym membership, got a personnal trainer and a fool-proof diet and shed away. The whole process lasted 8 weeks. Results arose as I managed to lose 35 pounds. While I am proud of my accomplishment, the diet did not transform into a lifestyle change.

3 years later, I gained about 10 pounds back and I sometimes eat Mcdonalds instead of dinner. However, I can't say that all this was for nothing. I gained confidence with my body image and a lot of willpower. It is with that confidence and willpower that I have decided to do a 100 days of healthy. Rules are pretty simple.

1. Fast food shall not be part of my eating routine. While fast food are made from real food (no argument there), it is usually cooked with a lot of grease, drenched in salt and not always with the freshest ingredients. Most of the times, it is also high in calories.
2. Portion control and calorie counting are not your enemies. While I am a believer that one should eat if they are hungry, I strongly think that the portions served nowdays are huge and a contributing factor of the obesity polemic. Portion control comes in pretty handy to fight over consumption while calorie counting helps realize  what variety of food helps satiate one.
3. Exercice is mandatory. One needs to get out there and get moving. Run with your dog, play tennis with your friend, join an amateur sports team or get a gym membership. Do whatever suits your taste and just move!
4. Plan, plan plan! The same way businesses have business plans, you need to have a life plan :) Schedule your training sessions, plan your weekly meal plans, plan your indulgence as well!  Planning treats such as massages, a shopping spree or an evening with the  besties! For my case, I chose to not plan foodie treats for this challenge to help curb my sweet tooth.
5. Numbers can lie. There isn't one perfect way to measure your accomplishments. If  the scale isn't showing you a difference but you just ran your first 5k without stopping, F*ck the scale then! This does not mean to completely throw the scale or measuring out of the window. It just means to not obsess over it.
6. Lastly, this is not a diet. It is a lifestyle makeover. This means that it has to be sustainable in the long run, like marriage :)

At the end of all this, I am looking to gain more confidence, a healthier body and spirit and overall, a excellent lifestyle. I also hope to inspire other people to do the same :)