Here We Go, One More Time

So my DVD has arrived! 30 Day Shred has begun and my muscles (mainly my arms) are screaming. So from what I have gathered, this program should last for 30 days and it consists of 3 levels. Each level is to be done for 10 Days.

In keeping with my impatient nature I have also decided to add Hip Hop Abs to my 30 day program. I have bought the Lose It app and have started logging what I eat. I got my hubby to take my measurements, and I got straight to exercising.

Well Day 1 down, talk to you at the end of 7 days.

"Guess who's back, back again.."

So I have returned. I hope everyone had a great Christmas. One filled with heart-warming memories, sleep-inducing foods that slaps your current diet in the face, and loved ones that you love to hate and hate to love.

May the new year bring with it all its uncertainties and pleasant surprises. May it bring you closer to establishing or re-establishing relationships: personal and religious.

Sadly I have not exercised in quite a while. I think my last injury scared me more than I thought. However, I have purchased a new dvd and am quite excited to try it. It is called The 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I have gotten myself completely excited by looking at before and after pictures.

A few things come to mind:

1. Will I stick to it. Can I do 30 days? Will I have the level of stick-to-it-ness that it requires?
2. Will it work? Will my weight loss be dramatic?
3. Will I lose too much weight? *gasp ( I currently weigh 120-123, and it took me years to get to that mark)   I just want my tummy gone and to tone up.
4. Will I injure myself yet again (that klutz gene is so dominant)
5. I need to find a functional tape measure so I can have an accurate before and after
6. What outfit will I take my before and after pics in?  (I really hope there is a difference)
7. How many calories do I take per day
8. I may incorporate my Insanity Abs with 30 Day Shred
9. Oh yeah, the dvd has not arrived yet. 

Well that's it for now folks. Talk to you once the dvd arrives.

"Oh the weather outside is frightful...let it snow"

Ah I love snow!!! The warm, fuzzy, happy  and giddy feelings that builds up inside me always results in a little dance of some sort. I have been warned that my Jamaican citizenship could be revoked for comments such as these but my feelings will not be swayed.

I played in the snow with my LO for the first time and she loved it. Her laughter was contagious and she tried so hard to eat the snow.(Also got a warning to look out for yellow snow- ahh! Canadians).

Due to the fact that I have been getting amazing responses to my attempts at Christmas decor, I decided to play around with making the home smell like Christmas. I have come up with 2 concoctions.

1. Cranberry Cinnamon

Take a small sauce pot, add water, cinnamon sticks (3) and some cranberries

Bring to boil then place at simmer and simply enjoy the smell

2. Apple Cinnamon

Take a small sauce pot, add water, cinnamon sticks (3) and apple skin

Bring to boil then place at simmer and simply enjoy the smell

That's all folks

INSANITY is back!!! Insanity update

The ankle and knees are feeling great!!! What does that mean????? INSANITY can be resumed. Who knew that I could miss exercise? Clearly I will not meet my deadline for my birthday but nevertheless, I will be doing it for ME!!!

After speaking with my coach, I have to start from Day 1 of Insanity. But I refuse to feel deflated, instead I can simply come back stronger, harder and more focused. Motivation can be quite addicting.. that tummy needs to go...this body needs to be healthy.

Well that's all for now folks.

Update on 6 Day Slim Down

Regrettably (ecstatically) I have stopped the 6 Day Slim Down.
One reason (and the main reason) is that I was STARVING!!! I have to respect those females who starve themselves to get to their ideal weight. Respect and also worry. It's definitely not healthy to be eating just a carrot or one random vegetable or fruit per day.
The good news is that my ankles feel strong enough for me to resume Insanity.

That's all for now folks!!

"Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.."

As promised I, of little or no decorating talent, tried to make Christmas decor with things that I could find around the home.

This is what I conjured up:

 What I used : 5 glasses (gift),  wine glass (gift), cranberries (they float in water), 2 floating candles, 3 green Christmas balls. Total cost: $2.03 ($1 for 12 green Christmas balls, $1.03 for cranberries on sale)


That's all folks!!!

"Relax, don't do it..." Frankie Goes to Hollywood

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that I will be taking it easy with my Insanity workouts.

The reason being that I did a move incorrectly and hurt my ankle and knee. Keep in mind I am not stopping, I am simply not pushing my knees and ankles in order for them to recover.

In addition, I am going to be trying the 6 Day Slim Down challenge and I will be posting pictures (eek!). According to Shaun T, you can jump start your fitness program and lose up to 3 inches off your waist in a week. We shall see Shaun T, we shall see.

On another note, I shall be attempting Christmas decor with things around my home.So far I have gathered floating candles, christmas balls, tinsel and some glass cups. 

Stay tuned!!!!

"I'm bringing sexy back, yeah..." Justin Timberlake

Whoo!! Today marks Day 15 and my second fitness test. I must admit, I actually thought I would be getting lower results due to the fact that my knees and ankles are screaming from Day 13 Pure Cardio and Abs. Shame on me for doubting. I had an average of 76% improvement. WHOO HOO!!!!!

I am starting to see a little definition in my arms (how about those push ups?) and squats and I are slowly developing into a love-hate relationship. Sadly I could hardly get one set of the abs exercise in courtesy of weak abdominal muscles. Its a price I gladly pay because those muscles held and kept my little one safe for 10 months.  Due to my impatience to see faster results I shall be taking extra measures.

1. No carbs after 7pm which sadly means I cannot eat dinner at any hour of the night
2.Eat fruits as snacks past 7pm
3. Force myself to eat on time every time (something I am still struggling with)
4. Might attempt the 30 Day ab challenge  (hopefully I can convince hubby to do it with me)

I am quite proud of my self for drinking far more water than juice. Milk seems to be going pretty fast in our house. We actually love eating salad with out dinners now and we no longer have white rice..its all brown. White bread no longer has a place here...hello whole wheat and whole grain.

I do have to thank hubby for accepting the changes so willingly and making my transition to being healthier that much easier. I am so thankful that God tailor made him for me.

Well folks, I am off.
Later.

"Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out, till my legs give out, cant shut my mouth..."

I have proudly made it to Day 10 with Shaun T. Whoo. I am still getting my butt kicked but I AM FIGHTING THROUGH IT. I will not just drop and give up easily. Hence Eminem's song Till I Collapse is my new motivational song ( there is a clean version for the record).

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out
Till my legs give out, cant shut my mouth.

...I will not fall, I will stand tall

What have I learnt so far?


 My body is a machine that just needs to be tuned and retuned. I guess my Daddy was right after all (He said that my body needed an overhaul). I did drills that I never thought I could handle. Pushups: V-pushups, any pushups...I can safely do 4 straight and I DO NOT MEAN GIRLY HALF PUSHUPS. Mountain Climbers and Power Squats...bring it.

I drink my protein shake about an hour before exercising to get me through. Water never tasted better... forget juice. Learning about the things that I put in my body (sayonara white bread) and warm ups and stretches.

I cannot eat 4-5 times a day because it is simply too hard.  However I do eat to meet my calorie count. (My goal is to maintain my weight - I do not want to lose a single pound...it took me years to pass 99lbs so I am hanging on to my 120 lbs.)

If I actually schedule my exercise I get it done. 30-45 minutes is not as impossible as I thought. I simply exercise when my l.o. is taking her second nap.

I am genuinely enjoying exercising...even if it's Insanity. I love the fact that my body is getting a workout and the fact that I am making an effort to nurture it.

Well that's it for now folks. Looking forward to my second fitness test to see how I have improved.

"...now that that don't kill me, can only make me stronger..." Kanye

Today marks Day 6 of my Insanity program...48 Days left to go not including rest days. Did my Fitness Test on Day 1 and I am officially unfit. Then again I figured I was unfit to begin with hence I chose one of the hardest exercise programs to start with. Pure cardio (had my butt handed to me) and today's exercise Plyometric Cardio Circuit, I am just surprised that I could make it to the computer desk to type this.

My motivation for doing said exercise? Having the satisfaction of my 29.5" waist whittle down to say 27.5 (I won't be unrealistic,my birthday is only 2 months away), along with the fact that I actually stuck with something from beginning to end.

How am I feeling? My thighs are a little sore and I am peeing as often as I did when I was pregnant but that's what happens when you keep your body hydrated. I feel the muscles in my back saying,"Hey I am being used again." Power squats...those are simply evil...but a necessary evil nonetheless.

Stay tuned...

"Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend...I would have stayed up with you all night, had I known how to save a life"

Its amazing how we take everything for granted. I woke up expecting it to be a typical Monday morning: Mark would be home, I would be able to sleep in and the day would just merrily count down until Tuesday.

I checked my Facebook page ( it can be so addicting especially when you sleep with your phone near you) and saw a status that literally left me dumb-founded. A friend of mine went through quite an ordeal last night. Her kid tried to kill herself as a result of Facebook bullying and bullying at school. Because of this, my blog is dedicated to her and her family and the effects of bullying.

Like any curious individual, I started researching statistics of bullying in Canada and the results were astounding. Suicide is the 2nd highest cause of death of children between the ages of 15-19 and the 3rd highest cause of death among 10-14 year olds.

Maybe it's my Jamaican culture or maybe I live in a bubble, but at the age of 10-14 I never thought of anything remotely close to suicide. I was too busy wondering when my period was going to start and if my breasts would ever start growing. Then again, I was never bullied. All I can think is that my friend's daughter  must have felt incredibly trapped to believe that suicide was the only way to get relief. For the record, my friend's daughter is in grade 8.  I won't go into details about her attempt as that really is not the main issue. The issue is that bullying needs to stop, and the only way that it is going to end is if extreme measures are taken by the necessary authority.  The police should go to the schools when they receive a report about bullying and scare the dickens out of these children. Put them in handcuffs and let them realize how serious the offense is. Unlike what some people think, bullying does not promote character building, and " kids being kids" is not an excuse. Surviving the Holocaust built character but it does not mean that we should put people in that situation or say that it was a good thing. It also destroyed people and families- physically,emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Children should not have to worry about a way out, they should not feel all alone in the world and they definitely should not feel as if suicide is the only way to solve their problems.

Below are a few links giving tips on how to handle bullying.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1274882--amanda-todd-suicide-tips-to-handle-bullying-from-a-kids-help-phone-expert

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cp/bully_4211-eng.aspx

At the end of the day, all I can think is that our technology is developing at such a rapid pace that we are yet to catch up with it and to educate ourselves and our children to use it. Not only that, parents need to step up and pay attention to their children (this is a general statement, not necessarily the case with my friend or with every parent that has to go through this). If you generally have an outgoing kid that all of a sudden seems withdrawn... talk to them. Don't just brush it aside. Thank goodness my friend's daughter told her she was not feeling well, giving her enough time to realize that she had taken pills to kill herself.

"Eggs and Sausage" by Tom Waits

Eggs... the numerous possibilities one can do with them. Not to sound like Bubba in Forest Gump, but you can bake it, fry it, boil it, scramble it and what I found out recently...make a breakfast casserole!!!!
As you can probably tell, I love eggs and breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day. The first meal I ever learnt to cook was a Western Omelette, a recipe that I found in my mother's cookbook.

My love for eggs is so great that whenever I was traveling on Air Jamaica (now Caribbean Airlines) as a child, I hoped and prayed that it was the morning flight so I could get an omelette with a baked tomato. Yea,I had it bad.

So in true egg-loving spirit, I found it only logical that I share some of the egg recipes I have loved and tried recently. All of which you can freeze and reheat for later.


Breakfast Casserole 1

6 - 8 eggs
Hash browns or bread slices
Ham chopped up
Tomatoes
Onions
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a casserole dish, layer the base with hash browns, then add eggs (previously beaten and other ingredients added)
Place in oven at 350 degrees for roughly 20 minutes or until baked.


Egg McMuffin Knockoff- the lazy version

2 eggs ( 1 egg per person, per meal)
English Muffin
Cheese
Ham Slices
Butter

Fry eggs and place on English Muffin (previously buttered) along with cheese and ham.
Place in oven for 10 minutes.
Once cool, wrap them individually and place in freezer.


Bacon and Egg Cups

8 eggs
Shredded cheese
12 bacon strips (depending on the amount of cups in your muffin tray)
Cupcake paper (so that you save yourself the stress of scrubbing the tray later)

Beat eggs in a bowl.
Place paper in tray and then wrap bacon on the inside of the paper
Pour egg mixture in each cup up to roughly 3/4 of each cup.
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees
Once cool, wrap individually and place in freezer


"eggs and sausage and a side of toast
coffee and a roll, hash browns over easy" 

"A New Day Has Come" Celine Dion

I remember listening to this song while relaxing in a nice warm bubble bath while pregnant with my little one last year. Indeed, in January, a new day did come whether or not we were fully prepared.
Sure you can have the nursery ready, the layette all put away (being nervous I had it done by 7 months), as well as reading What To Expect When You Are Expecting a million times, but NOTHING PREPARES YOU. That first moment that you hear that little cry ( I thought she sounded like a doll crying) so perfect, music to my ears, you sigh and say "Finally the wait is over and you can enjoy your bundle."

Fast forward 8 months to the things I have learnt and what has helped.

I am pretty sure most mothers go through this stage, it's called READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FIND ON THE SUBJECT AND HOPE ITS APPLICABLE TO YOU. I bought countless e-books, went on numerous websites only to find my one ideal book which saved me. The Sleep Easy Solution was a godsend (for more details you can message me). I love my sleep - ask my parents and anyone that knows me. Now don't get me wrong, I loved having my little one in the room with us at first (so that both hubby and I could test throughout the night to see if she was breathing - we were scared out of our minds about SIDS). However, there comes a time when you long to not sneak into your room to go to sleep or just to be lying in bed and talking to hubby before falling asleep.

At 3 months we started sleep training our little one. It was a bit bumpy at first. The first night it took her 30 minutes to fall asleep in her crib without assistance and without a pacifier. Second night, 15 minutes and by the third night, she was out. It was so great to know that by 7:00/7:30 every night, hubby and I could just relax and watch TV or whatever else we decided. It was also a plus knowing that at 6:30/ 7:00 the next morning, her little smile would be there to greet us when she awoke.

Another thing that has helped immensely is a sound machine. We no longer have to worry if the TV is too loud or if vacuuming might wake her. Turn the machine to "rain" (her favorite setting) and let it play.  Another thing about the sound machine is that it adds an extra step to her bedtime routine so that she knows that it's time to sleep.  Just turn on the sound machine and she starts to rub her eyes and fall asleep.

Keeping busy with different projects has also helped. Sure, I miss curling up on the sofa and simply devouring a book in a day but you come to appreciate the little breaks that you do get in the day. I have picked up my calligraphy (granted I bought the kit about 2 years ago and had no time to focus on it), designed a website, started leading a bible study for the first time, worked on the audio/visual team for our church, oh yeah and try to document my little one's life all while keeping the house relatively clean.  I almost forgot my current project: blogging. Never would have I have fathomed even the remote possibility that I would embark on this adventure but that is how life is. If you knew everything that laid ahead it would simply be boring.

Ooh, seriously considering digital scrap-booking. Hope it works out.

"...apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur,the whole club was looking at her..."

Yesterday marked the bravest thing fashion-wise that I have ever done. I, being of relatively sound mind and body, wore coloured jeans. Not just any coloured jean but green jeans.
To this day I am not sure why I like them, let alone the colour green, but unlike my sister I played it safe and got green as opposed to red.

I was feeling quite confident in my outfit choice until I stepped out the door and went grocery shopping. I wasn't sure if persons were looking at me in horror (what was she thinking?) or if they were simply saying, "Interesting combo, I never would have thought of that."

Let's recap: I live in a town with 3500 persons, 1 supermarket, and people with a lot less fashion sense than I have (women wear pajamas and unshapely sweat pants outside not to mention scrubs... Wasn't there a song by TLC about that? Granted I am taking it out of context) so clearly green skinny jeans might be way out there for them.

How did I wear it you may ask?

1 green skinny jean+ 1 semi loose white top ( mine was a Henley tee) + black motor jacket + blue flats.

"Now I become myself. It's taken time, many years and places..." by May Sarton

Ever imagine what life would be like on a deserted island, or being in your own bubble or even better… being able to hear yourself think? Welcome to Elemeno... population 3500. We have 1 supermarket, our downtown area consists of 15 shops/stores. It pretty much boils down to this…when driving through our town DON’T BLINK OR YOU WILL MISS US!

 We (my little unit of 3) moved to this lovely town from a bustling area in the GTA. Prior to that my family moved from the land of Usain Bolt and the ever famous Bob Marley. No we don’t all watch Cool Runnings, we don’t sit on the beach all day drinking coconut water and ENGLISH is our first language.

Sure I miss eating fried fish and festival on the occasion that we did go to the beach back home and the fantastic food not to mention the smell of sugar cane on your way home but Canada has its perks. For instance: I was able to shoot my first gun a 12 gauge legally, I met my husband  when I moved to Canada and I don’t have to hear the constant cries of creepy old men trying to chase me.

Well enough about me (yea right) let’s kick off with…