Tuesday Love

All of the delicious restaurant food we ate this weekend in Kalispell caught up with me last night and as usual... that horrible uncomfortable pain was not worth the splurge.  Darn! 

Today I tried to make it up to myself by making better food choices and taking some time to relax.  I am in love with Tuesdays because they're my extra day off from work!! 

My food from today:



• Warm water with juice of half a lemon
• 2 free run eggs with sweet potato hash (grapeseed oil, sea salt, and Mrs. Dash) and broccoli slaw topped with hummus
• Whole wheat wrap with a chicken breast, cucumber, red pepper, mushroom, dill pickle, and hummus
• 2 x gluten free dairy free "oreos"
• Mini carrots and hummus
• Peace Tea (tea & lemonade flavor)
• Noodle bowl of prawns, sweet onion, red pepper, mushroom, prawns, coconut cream, lime juice, and Ancient Grains noodles

NOTE: I will probably have a snack after I write this... a warm almond milk and Udi's toast or something like that.

Tuesdays allow me to imagine what it will be like to one day wake up and look forward to my day, every day, instead of dreading going to work like I do now.  I was able to finish off my first CSNN test and submit it, and am now waiting for results on how I did!  (Results can take up to 4 weeks to get back, oh the suspense!).  Each page I read or test I complete is another step closer to accomplishing something important to me, and it feels really great.

Cody and I finished the day off with a workout (my lead) that neither of us felt like doing.  It went like this:

30 jumping jacks

5 pushups

25 knee highs

7 burpees

10 crunches

7 squats

5 pushups

10 crunches

5 pushups

7 squats

30 jumping jacks

1 minute wall sit

5 pushups

25 knee highs

x1

followed by a walk around our neighborhood

 

I have this workout as a screen shot on my phone (it actually says to do this routine 3-5x through), but I think I found it on Facebook on the Get-Fit-Naturally page.  We did this workout in approx. 30 minutes and I forgot to turn my heart rate monitor on for the first few minutes but I logged burning 174 calories.

 

Like everyone always says, no one ever regrets a workout, and this of course rings true for me :)

 

XO - Michelle

Being Okay with Being Okay

I find it so interesting that every time I go "off the rails", when I level out again I'm sure that this is the time I'm going to find my path without having to look so hard.  Realistically that just isn't the case!  A healthy life is what we make it, and I tend to over analyze WAY too much.  I'm tired of being so hard on myself, so what I'm hoping for in the future is to make a decision and be ok with it.  Last night I ate almost a full row of Kinnikinnick oreo-ish cookies on my drive home.  And you know what, that is perfectly okay, as long as I think it is - hey, at least they were gluten and dairy free!!  I want to be able to look back at these posts and see my whole journey (which will be ever changing), not just the good parts.  Thus the title:  I need to be okay with being okay - instead of striving for the illusive perfection.  Alrighty, just had to get that out!

So, I have started my morning off bright and early with some warm water and the juice of half a lemon - loving the routine of this!  Now I plan on having some fajitas for breaky while I download workout tunes!  Cody made awesome fajitas last night - he makes the seasoning himself and everything, and I woke up knowing that I was going to eat one this morning!  Then I'm off for a workout with my pals which is so exciting because we haven't done a group workout in forever and I really miss it!  We're running stairs and I don't know how well I'm going to do because I haven't really been getting consistent exercise still, but I'm going to get my butt moving and do something at least!!  I also want to incorporate #sweataday into my life again so stay tuned on instagram @mfzohner for updates on that.

Enjoy your Saturday!

XO - Michelle  

Let's Get Physical

Have you ever checked out Fire Daughter Clothing on etsy.com?  Samya has these amazing tanks and shirts with awesome phrases, the Let's Get Physical tank is on my wishlist big time, I'm just waiting for a new colour to come out since my "sweat me free" tank is the same blue.  This clothing is amazingly comfortable and fits really well, great for a workout OR for just wearing every single day!  Must.  Have.  More.

Source

Source

I started the James Wilson Body Earned program on Monday alongside my best pal Danielle.  I am opting to follow more of a "Michelle recommended plan" by doing the program probably 3 days a week as opposed to the 4 and then 5 days per week that most people in the group do.  I won't complete his 12 week program in the outlined 12 weeks, but I feel that this plan will be more conducive to my overall goal of completing the whole program without burning out halfway through.

My heart has not been in weight lifting or circuit training since the spring, but I really want it to be.  In an effort to get back to enjoying this aspect of fitness, my plan is to do James Wilson's program Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while doing outdoor activities such as biking, walking, hiking, running, or kayaking on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Saturdays and Sundays will be my choice, I can add in an extra James Wilson, get outside, or take a rest day. 


After about a month and a half of little to no workouts, the term "Let's Get Physical" finally goes with my week so far and it feels just great to be back in the game.  As I said above, Monday I did Week 1 Day 1 of James Wilson's Body Earned program.  Tuesday Cody and I debated between kayaking and biking, and ultimately chose to go biking.

Rails to Trails - Source

We left from our house and took the rail trail to Kimberley.  It was a gradual uphill the whole way which we both complained about quite a bit; we haven't been on our bikes much lately and had instant sore butts to prove it.  My friend Sarah gave us a gift certificate to Pedal and Tap as a wedding present so we decided to head there for a late dinner.  We sat out on the patio so we could keep an eye on our beloved bikes and had a delicious dinner!  The Rails to Trails burger seemed fitting so that's what I chose, with no goat cheese; and the Camburger for Cody.  We both really enjoyed our choices, plus the awesome atmosphere that Pedal and Tap is known for.  With the increasingly fall-like weather it was definitely a chilly night to sit out on the patio and I wish I had thought to bring a sweater!  Our ride back was really quick with only one uphill section to get home.  A lovely evening!

I hope to stick with the plan I outlined above and see how my week unfolds and how easy/hard/enjoyable it is to make time for this new activity regime.  I would prefer to keep my activity happenings going on in the evenings as it's been increasingly harder and now pretty much impossible for me to wake up at 5 am to swing weights around.  It is close to hibernation season after all....

XO - Michelle

Seeing Myself In A New Light

A change in perspective is sometimes usually well needed for someone who has almost beat the battle of the bulge.

This thought crossed my mind yesterday after asking my friend Danielle to send some pictures from our recent events my way.

I've been talking a lot about how I didn't meet my goals of looking a certain way for the wedding and how I'm trying to be ok with it but looking at those pics I realized that maybe a change in perspective is all that I need.

Scrolling though and seeing myself with my friends I felt really really proud of how I looked and not at all critical.  For the first time in a very long time, I didn't look at myself and immediately see flaws because I couldn't get past the pure happiness radiating from those photos!  I look just how I've been wanting to look for so long, and I didn't even know it!

For a too long now I've been shying away from group gatherings, I haven't been looking people in the eye for fear of them seeing my broken out face, and living in a fog where I really don't even see myself (as mentioned in this post).  Gradually this has been stopping, and for some reason looking at these pictures really cemented in my mind that I don't want to go back there.

My change in perspective lies in understanding what I need, not what I think I need.  Pushing workouts on myself when I'm not feeling it does not result in results, it results in feeling like a failure.  Doing what I love in that moment, whether it be weights, hikes, bike rides, a simple walk... now that is what makes me feel like a success story and obviously shines through in my demeanor.  It's not something I plan on forgetting :)

9 days to go until wedding day, and tomorrow Cody is home which will make everything even more fun!

XO - Michelle

A Lesson Learned

Monday, August 5th was the last day of the James Wilson Body Earned 12 Week Summer Sizzle Challenge.

On first seeing a post about this competition I was really excited; it coincided perfectly for our wedding and the winner got to choose a gift card to their choice of store (HELLO, LULU LEMON).  I had seen that some of my favorite bloggers (Little B, Fit Foodies) had been using this program, plus it's affordability and amazing group support made it very appealing.  I started off my first weeks pretty strong, and was making great gains and seeing some results.  As per usual though, I lost focus, lost energy, lost the oomph to keep going, and quit around week 5.  Most people in the group say that they start to see their best results between week 6 and 9... I was SO close to being there!

I get why I stopped.  I just wasn't feeling great, and it was so hard to force myself to do a workout.  At the time I honestly felt I couldn't do it.  I would even feel teary eyed part way through, which is not something that happens to me during a workout usually!  Looking back though, I'm really disappointed that I didn't follow through.  I could be one of those people posting their before and afters, inspiring others, having those muscles that I really wanted.  It was all up to me and I'm the one who dropped the ball.

I'm letting my disappointment go because I just don't think it's healthy to hold on to, and I'm considering this an excellent lesson learned.  I now know that if a big event is coming up, that is not the time to start something intense, new, and challenging.  When I have a lot of stress going on, I think my body responds better to extra sleep and benefits from cardio over weights.

I am really looking forward to the wedding.  It's a day to celebrate finding love and marks us starting our lives together.  Once we have put this huge and special event behind us I plan on making an extra effort to put health and fitness above most other things, as a thanks to my body for putting up with me for the past few months.  Cody and I have this excellent chance to start as a team in our marriage and I am really excited to lay out some plans with him.  My goal is that starting in September we have a mutual plan and know what we're aiming for in all aspects of our life but specifically finances, health, and careers.

Enough of looking back and regretting that workout I missed or that chocolate I've been nibbling away at (it's now hidden in our basement).  I am ready to let go of that and of the stress that comes with wedding planning.  I'm going to enjoy these next 10 days to their fullest, rock our wedding day, and look forward to starting clean slate in September with shiny new goals to attain and achieve.

XO - Michelle

Calming Down & Back in the Kitchen!

Wedding countdown is at 18 freaking days today.  In some ways that feels really short, and in other ways really long.

To say I am feeling pretty amped up would be an understatement.  I stayed up past midnight on Sunday night searching the internet for the *perfect* colour of baker's twine for the s'more kits...  I'm not good with being wired and busy all the time, so I decided I really need to practice a few daily routines to make sure I don't get rundown and wind up sick or sad.

I am going to make damn sure I get to bed and actually get to sleep before 10.  Chamomile tea or a warm almond milk, comfortable temperature room, bedtime routine, deep breathing.  This is SO important!

Next is to make sure I get in some sort of activity every day.  A walk, some stretching, an actual workout, a bike ride.  Something!  A time just for me, to clear my mind.  No thinking of anything except how pretty it is outside or how good the movement is for me.

Another thing I need to do for my sanity is to work on something wedding every day.  That sounds weird and obsessive but if I don't do some small task I think I'll feel like I'm falling behind.  The s'more wedding favors are a huge undertaking so they are something I'm going to chip away at daily, among other things.

Lastly is the obvious, stay hydrated and fed. 

I haven't been taking the time to prep cook but last night I finally cooked up a whole tray of chicken breasts, some sweet potatoes, and some gluten free macaroni.  This takes care of at least a portion of my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  I also baked a really delicious snack option, click here for recipe!!  Once I got cooking I felt so happy!!  Love being in the kitchen :) cooking and baking are two things I should not neglect. 

XO - Michelle

Stagette Recap

Good Morning!!!

Apologies for the break in posts!  Life has just been a little crazy and writing out my thoughts unfortunately took a backseat.

First order of business... Let's talk about my stagette!!!

Can I just say it was totally fabulous!?  I've always known I'm especially fortunate in having great friends, but a weekend like the one I just had really solidifies it.  These girls are so amazing!  Danielle planned a weekend that suited me to a T.  It had all the elements I had been thinking a cool stagette would have, and she really made that all possible for me.

Highlights of the trip:

• Heather brought me a texas mickey!!!  Don't worry, not much of it got drank, but it was pretty fun to pump vodka out of a huge bottle!  It's sitting in a visible place of honor at my house now and I take great pleasure in offering people a drink from it :)
• Wandering the streets of Banff.  Seriously the coolest place ever!!!
• Dinner at Bear Street Tavern.  Ummm YUM.  That is all.  I had a seriously amazing caeser and the Chicken Fajitas with no dairy.
• A night of moving and grooving at The Dancing Sasquatch.  Such a cool place!  There were trees inside, great music, and really awesome dancers that we befriended.  I unofficially quit the bar scene a couple years ago, but if we had places like this in Cranbrook I would probably go out more often.  Such a great vibe, and everyone was just there to have fun. 
• I avoided all possible hangovers!!!  Know your limit, stay within it ;)
• Hiking Johnson Canyon and the Ink Pots.  It was a little bit of a challenge but in a good way.  It made me realize how far I've come from the days of getting lightheaded and queasy from physical effort.  The views were absolutely magnificent and I would highly recommend all or part of this hike to anyone.  It starts out pretty high traffic, but mostly people are just going to see the falls.  If you continue on the the Ink Pots the crowd thins out and the majestic beauty of Banff National Park is all yours!!  
• An amazing, clean eating dinner planned by Danielle.  She cooked chicken foil packets on the fire for us!  I hadn't eaten much after our hike and then in a hungry whirlwind dove in to crackers and hummus, leaving little room for dinner which is possibly my only regret of the trip!
• Breaky at Touloulous.  Delicious.  I had my favorite caeser of the weekend (order the Cajun Caeser if you go there!) and the Breggfast Sandwich, highly recommend it.  They make everything fresh and to order so you can change around anything you need to in case of dietary restrictions.  Best.
• Shopping!!!  Obviously.  Highlights would be finding a pair of Lulu Lemon shorts on sale and sunscreen from Rocky Mountain Soap Company.

Other than these main points, things that stick out in my mind are the giggles and stories that we were never without, being outside all the time, treks to find empty shower stalls,  and an overall sense of feeling so loved.

Danielle has posted pics on her blog so please check them out by clicking here!!!

I've been smiling all week thinking back to how much fun we had.  I think we all miss each other because the group texts have been pretty legendary.  The random things that friends talk about...

XO - Michelle

One Month Countdown

ONE MONTH UNTIL WEDDING!!!

I am so excited!  And admittedly, stressed!  I finished all of the jar centerpiece projects last night which is fantastic, and now they are stacked in our basement which means I have counter space again!  Great news. 

So as previously mentioned, my wedding workout calendar was a bust after like 4 days.  Shoot!  So instead of being hard on myself, I've decided to adopt an attitude of no big deal.  Instead, I'm aiming for three things every day:  Dips, lunges, and squats.  For some reason, the two parts of me that I would really like to see developed are my triceps and thighs.  Additionally, I like to go for a walk or do some sort of workout.  I'm not a total lazy bum, I just like to decide what I'm going to do right before I'm going to do it!  I've been enjoying walks, workout videos, and plan to get a couple bike rides in.

A workout "tool" that I've really been appreciative of is an app on my phone called Skimble Workout Trainer.  I had the free version for the longest time, and a couple of months ago bought the full version.  It has a variety of workouts and you can choose the length of time, target area, and fitness level that you wish for that day.  It's been my go-to workout lately, so I'm really glad I found it!

Tonight I get to try on my dress with my friends and my ma, so I can't wait to get it on and see how it looks!  I just want it to be tomorrow evening because it means I'm done work for the week, Rookie Blue is on, and I can pack my bag for Banff!

XO - Michelle

Recap of Weekly Goals For June 30 - July 6

Good Morning!

 

My day has started off wonderfully, and I hope yours has too!  I woke up to sun streaming through my window, and nothing can beat that!  My girlfriends had mentioned they were all going to hit the college track this morning for a workout, so I decided to participate in that mindset from home! 

 

Since it was so nice out I obviously wanted some outside exercise!  I used the 5 K Runner app on my phone and went out to snoop the neighborhood!  It is so crazy quiet up here all the time!  I hardly ever see anyone on my morning jaunts, and am just really hoping that I don't run into a bear at some point.

 

 

 

My walk/run was successful and I am now at home enjoying some Maple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes topped with coconut manna and pure maple syrup, and a Vega Recovery Accelerator drink in Tropical.

 

 

My friend is hosting brunch for a group of us, so I must go and make myself presentable! 

 

Below is a recap of my goals from last week :)

RECAP OF WEEKLY GOALS FOR JUNE 30 - JULY 6

1. Clean clean clean eating as much as possible - I did decent on this but not full points.  Ate out for dinner one night, had an emergency Amy's pizza, but didn't have junk or fast food!  YAY!
2. Continue with apple cider vinegar nightly with dinner - I missed a couple of these doses and wish I hadn't.  My stomach definitely feels better when I'm drinking it... Good to know!
3. Daily exercise; no calorie burn goals for this week, just to be active in some way every day - Finally a YES!  Something active everyday, even if it was just a quick walk.
4. Be in bed at 9:30 pm ready for sleep on Tues, Wed, and Thurs night... and as early as I can manage for the others- Big fat fail.  But not for lack of trying!  It was just sooo hot.  I figured out the fan/window set up for optimum coolness so by the end of the week things were looking up.
5. Complete at least two chapters of school work - Not two chapters, but 1.  And I enjoyed every second of time I got to spend with my text books :)
6. Mail out my thank you cards - Ummm... I'll do it tomorrow?  Why is it such a big deal to stop at the mail box!?
7. Don't get a sunburn - Woohoo!  Check.  This is usually a huge issue but I've been applying sunscreen daily to avoid any mishaps!

XO - Michelle