Please forgive us…

It has been way too long since we last spilled the T. Renovations and Employment Search have taken up most of our time lately and we’ve been slacking! Grover will tell you, he’s been getting less walks and less play. The struggle is real for dogs with busy dads & auntie.

A few weeks ago, I caved to my lowest. I was invited to a beautiful wedding and my pants did not fit. 3 layers of bodyshapers would not solve this. So I decided to purchase these “Skinny Quick” drinks and bars. This would be my plan for the week. Did this work? No!

Taking nourishment out of the equation is an awful idea. All of my closest friends will tell you that I get “HANGRY”. I shut down, pout and quick to respond when I’m hungry. But I get worst when I’m malnourished. FEED ME GREENS… FEED ME VITAMINS…I NEED NUTRITION. I shared my secret with Lisa, my massage therapist (therapy is half her title right….) and told her how unhappy I was, and how food should not make my urine smell life a coffee house. Yes, my stomach was (kinda) full from these frankenfoods, but my body was just in beast mode! Then at night, when I could have my sensible meal, I went to town.. and then went to visit the next town over lol. Each night I said “I’ll do better tomorrow.” But I just couldn’t resist the junk food.

What should I call this malnourished response? ECS (Empty Calorie Syndome)? I know you can do better than that. Please leave your comments below.

At the wedding, the pants did not fit. So Andy had to get me to lie on the bed to tie them. I never again want to be the guy who needs his husband to tie his pants.

The wedding was lovely, and having been so malnourished all week, I was happy for real food.

Last night, our bathroom renovations were finally complete. We are so thankful to our contractors Kyle and Chris. A bathroom should look nice, since people spend so much time in there (any other toilet texters here?) Bathroom Blog to come shortly.

As I said above, our life has changed. 2 out of the three of us are now working various hours. Before, everyone was home by six in the evening. And since both Anie and Andy worked overnights, my morning routine has changed.

Yes… Now I have to make my own breakfast and lunch… And today, I decided I would treat myself to a healthy lunch.

Recently, I’ve been reminded of the importance of probiotics. So I went to the natural food store and picked some up. When I go to the natural food store, I always pick the brains of Laura who works there. She’s a bundle of wisdom. I asked her what she knew of a “Shake Program” I’ve recently learned of. I’m not convinced yet if I want to try it since it is kind of expensive and we are adjusting to post-renovation and new-job financial responsibilities.

Laura, unknowingly of my love of VEGA, asked if I’d like a free sample of their French Vanilla flavour. Free Lunch!!! 20g of Protein, 6 servings of greens, 10g of carbs (including 6g of fibre), 6g of fat and pure deliciousness.

I’m still on the fence about Shake Programs (Shakeology or Isengenix). It would be so awesome if anyone could provide their experience with these. This would help me make a decision.

I am back on tract, back on my way. Speed can vary, but forward is forward baby!

Yours in wellness, moving forward one step at a time!

G

Mom-spiration!

Hello Everyone

Firstly, I would like to wish all of the Moms out there a wonderful Mother’s Day.  You do one of the most important job there is and deserve to be spoiled with lots of love for it. Children and partners: see the DIY Kiki post for ideas on how to spoil the special women in your life.

Today’s blog has a Mother’s Day focus to it.  I lost my Mom to cancer in November 1999, after finding out she was sick in July.  It became her mission to fit as much parenting as she could in her time left. I am so thankful that I was old enough to remember many of the conversations that we had.

At twelve years old, I was overweight and this concerned my mother. She told me her wish for me was that I did not grow up to experience the physical and social challenges of being overweight. This conversation came from a very loving place.

After she passed, I ate a lot and got even bigger than I was.  I grew to be the largest I had ever been at 235lbs.  A few years later, I lost 60 lbs. with the help from my father and some inspiration from my mom’s words, I was able to maintain this weight loss for years.

As my age increased, my metabolism changed but I still held my habit of stress eating. I also fell in love in 2011 and we were soon engaged. Doesn’t love make the heart grow (and everything else for that matter). I was able to lose some weight for the wedding by restricting calories. This made me miserable. After our wedding, we decided to move.  We were in a new city setting up our home and I was looking for a job. Stress eating and fast food returned to my life. Thus, the scale began to rise.  In September 2015, I stood on the scale and it told me 214lbs.  This was the closest I had been to that 235 number in a long time.

I can happily say that today the scale says 195lbs.  It is the slowest that I have ever lost weight, but I feel like I am doing it in the healthiest way, without compromising my happiness.  Today the two guys and our friends went for an hour and a half hike that I dedicate to my mom. I am thankful for how my mother approached my weight struggles and how I am able to think of her when reviewing my sparkplugs (the whys that support our tries).

Families are a “WE” unit, and we here at our headquarters trust in the powers of “WE”  Twoguysagirlandahealthylifestyle wish all mothers and their loved ones a beautiful day filled with wellness.

Andy

Virtual Sit Down with … Steph!

We were hanging out this past weekend, when Anie’s cousin Steph posted a new picture on facebook.  We were all instantly captivated.  Steph was glowing in this picture and she looked amazing.  We thought that she would be an amazing person for our first guest interview about her recent transformation.  We had a virtual sit down interview with Steph earlier this week.  Check it out below!

What are the guidelines you have followed to achieve this success?

I try to work out at least 10 minutes every morning, then I walk to and from work everyday. In the evening I go for walks, hikes, or try to work out at home.

I eat a fruit in the morning, vegetable for snack, lunch (usually left overs from the night before), another fruit or vegetable for snack, dinner then home made popcorn, fruits or veggies for an evening snack.

What are your sparkplugs?

Several months ago I weighed myself and was shocked and disappointed with myself at the number I saw below me. I know weight it just a number and I’m happy with myself, however, I knew that my weight was not healthy, so I decided to start making some changes. I started making changes but found it difficult to be motivated. Then, a month or so later, I visited my Doctor and received some news that gave me the extra kick in the butt i really needed. She told me that I am diabetic. With fear and determination I realized I needed to push through the challenges maintain motivation.

What advice would you give a reader who wants to transform?

I have a few words of advise to share because for me everyday is different.

1.  Find the time. If you’re sitting on the couch watching TV, playing on your phone or surfing the net tell yourself “I can sit here for the next 3 hours and be lazy doing the same old thing OR I can go work out for an hour THEN sit here and be lazy for 2 hours…”
2. Sometimes 10 minutes is all you need to get yourself started. In the morning I give myself 10-20 minutes to do a quick work out, nothing too sweaty (as I usually shower at night and never leave myself enough time in the morning to both work out and shower) this usually helps me get motivated and I won’t feel as guilty if my day happens to pass me by.
3. Find things that you actually enjoy. If you hate doing squats find an alternative. If you like to hike do that instead of going on the treadmill.
4. If you really really don’t feel like working out today, go workout. If you can power through on the days you really don’t want to workout, it will make all of the other days sooo much easier.

What are you enjoying most about your new healthy lifestyle?

I enjoy feeling better about myself, feeling more energetic, shopping for clothes and admittedly looking at myself in the mirror, I can see the progress and it feels great!

Have you had any challenges since beginning and how did you overcome them?

Sometimes I feel like everyday is a challenge. I don’t always have the time to eat multiple times a day, or prepare the best meals. I try to get things ready the night before. If I end up eating out I choose, or try to choose, the healthier options (remember you have the right to indulge just don’t go overboard). I fall off of the wagon from time to time but the most important part for me is not to beat myself up. I just pick myself up and move on the next time around. You only fail if you stop trying.

I make myself weekly menus and do my grocery shopping based on that so that nothing goes to waste, and so that I can make everything from scratch with fresh ingredients. It doesn’t hurt that I enjoy cooking. My favorite cook book right now is “Best-Ever Vegetarian”. There are so many delicious meals in there. Some of my favorite recipes in this book include: ‘Tomato and Fresh Basil Soup’, ‘Vegetable Korma’, ‘Fusilli with Peppers and Onions’ and ‘Spicy Potatoes and Cauliflower’. These are all vegetarian dishes but if you want some protein in there, you can add some meat to go with it, as i do when I’m in the mood.

We would like to thank Steph for taking the time to sit down on our virtual couch and discuss her new Healthy Lifestyle with us.

We would love to talk to any of you about your journeys.  Please email us at Hlthy_Lfstyle@outlook.com  if you would be interested in being a featured guest!

Enjoy your weekend! We hope it is a Healthy and Happy one!

Andy

P.S.

If you are interested in the cookbook Steph Mentioned:  Check it out at the following Link:

https://www.amazon.ca/Best-Ever-Vegetarian-Fefinitive-Cooks-Collection/dp/1859677460