I have no excuses to NOT exercise and to not have these extra pounds come off. Ideally I’d love to drop the weight before My Guy and I go to the UK in September. That’s my goal and since it’s not a huge amount of weight, I feel it’s a realistic and attainable goal. You know, even when it’s not alot of weight, it’s enough that clothes don’t feel right on my body, my self esteem is lower and overall I don’t feel very positive. I try not to let it bother me and just let my mind settle on it late at night; usually when I’m in bed. I promise myself to be more comfortable in my own skin and to lose these extra pounds safely and intelligently. If you have a goal you can set, and join me in the journey, all the better! This is one task that’s better done with someone for sure…

Clockwise top left: Potato & Cauliflower Curry, Chana Masala, Mango Chutney, Roti, Vegetarian Tofu Chili and Rice with Cumin Seeds

Today My Guy dished up an amazing vegetarian meal before we headed to (how appropriate) VegFest!  He started this food last night because curries and chili get better with time and he wanted them to sit. This my readers, is how I eat. My Guy is a genius with East Indian food which is fabulous because it happens to be MY COMFORT FOOD. I find Indian food soothing, warming, satisfying and the fact it’s mostly vegetarian makes my soul happy. I know the chili isn’t Indian but it happens to be something Moops thoroughly enjoys (as do I of course) so it was a welcome addition. All this food was completely vegan and cruelty free- and how good does that taste! The curry was thickened with coconut milk if you’re wondering why it’s so light coloured. All I can say is WOW. I am one lucky girl.

Once we stuffed our bellies we wandered over 2 blocks to VegFest and the Car Free Days on Main Street. Now I love the idea of car free days and letting people take over the streets….what I don’t love however is how 4 neighborhoods have them ON THE SAME DAY. What if I, who live in Mount Pleasant, want to take in Car Free Days in Kitsilano and maybe explore a new side of my city? I can’t unless I rush from one event across town to the other! It’s Sunday…it’s a car free day, I don’t want to rush. I also don’t want to be deprived of checking out the other local neighborhoods and what they have to offer. I’m sure there is a valid reason why they all occur on the same day; probably city permits, logistics and public transit play a role in the decision, but I don’t like. Not one bit.

My Guy and one of his bands (he’s in a few), called The Singles, performed at the Main Street Car Free Days. They are a Motown/Swing/Funk/Rock cover band with My Guy on the drums. They had people grooving and tapping thier toes all the while munching on top-notch vegetarian fare. The only thing that would have made it even better was if the sun made an appearance, but we saw not even the slightest glimpse all day. (If the link for The Singles doesn’t work, please let me know- here is the MySpace link…)

Of course today was Fathers Day. Moops and I took out My Guy for breakfast at dinner time, and now we’re just chilling out. As My Guy sat down on the couch he sighed and said, “Ah this is what it’s all about. Just relaxing at home with the people I love…” I couldn’t agree more! They’re watching a movie on Netflix while I try to write something that may appeal to some readers out there…My father lives far away so while I can’t spend time with him on this day, we have the phone and the computer. Unfortunately due to the damn postal strike my lovely hand made card is sitting God-knows-where waiting to be delivered…

Sleep well tonight my friends, hug your loved ones and be thankful for all you DO have. Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers!

Keep me updated if you’re joining me on shedding a few unwanted pounds…

I got up today to the rain. I wanted to go right back to bed and sleep the day away. In fact, as I type this I’m watching a hail storm out my living room window; the hail stones are bouncing up as they hit the ground and pummeling the window. Ah Spring, how lovely you are…

Instead of going back to bed this morning though I decided to walk to work. No, I don’t work Saturdays but I told myself awhile back that if the gas ever goes to $1.40/litre or above, I have to think of an alternative method of getting to work. Since I moved off of the North Shore where I work, getting there isn’t as easy on transit…but of course it’s do-able. I don’t want to take transit though because is that going to save me any money, really? I drive a VERY economical car and the price of a transit pass in this city is pretty high…so no, transit wasn’t what I was thinking.

I thought I could always walk. I love walking. I knew the driving time and distance, but had never tried to walk it so today was a test run of sorts. I only planned to walk to Stanley Park, not actually walk across the bridge today, just to see how long it would take me. My house to the park is almost 6 km and I got there in just over 56 minutes and there is still a long way to go. Realistically, if I walk to work it COULD take me awhile. Once I timed myself, I needed to walk home of course…so I cut through the West End and took the Seawall home. The scenic route so to speak…now I’m dead-tired.

These ridiculous gas prices make me so mad. There is no reason for it and yet we will keep paying it…there will always be a group of people who can afford the higher prices and will keep buying. I’m seriously not sure how long I can justify the purchase though.

I can bike to work too. That’s a possibility. Something about cycling through downtown scares me though and it’s a silly fear. This city is COVERED IN BIKE STREETS. I have options.

That’s what is on my mind this rainy Saturday. I’m staring out the window thinking how lucky I am not to have been caught in that downpour earlier…and how schizophrenic the weather here is. Hours ago the sun was shining through the clouds and I was walking without my coat. Now it’s stop and start hail…

Sunshine where are you?

I can’t stop making it. I am on this serious mission to get the PERFECT texture and mouth-feel to my seitan. I have a batch in the oven now baking; wrapped tightly in foil at the suggestion of several others over at The Veggie Boards. I’m told this *may* provide the not-so-chewy, meatier texture My Guy is looking for. I’m totally having a blast experimenting with this and don’t care really how many times I have to keep making the stuff, cause I keep on eating it! As I put away groceries yesterday after my big shop, I realized we have some gardein products that are nearing their expiry date! With all the crazy seitan-making going on in this house, the gardein and tofu got neglected. *UPDATE: the recipe I use now is here.*

I had an awesome bike ride through my beautiful Mount Pleasant neighborhood the other night. It was so nice to just coast along the flat parts of Ontario Street and watch life go on around me. The green spaces were full, front yards had children playing, bikes were whizzing past me and runners out as well. Everyone was out and the feeling that Spring is finally here, was palpable. It’s been a great week for exercising for me; I ran farther than I’ve run before at the beginning of the week but I also paid for that act by a throbbing knee! No worries. I’m resting it up and using my bike until I’m ready to use it again…This is a perfect time to begin an exercise program or to get back out if you’ve gotten a little lazy over the winter. There is nothing better than a spring day, with the fresh smell of grass, earth and leaves upon a slightly brisk wind…you can feel the warmth of the sun and know that soon it will be summer and it’s full strength will blast down on us! I feel energized at this time of year and have no desire to visit the gym. I want to feel the air and see others out and about, moving and celebrating the moment.

Grab a friend and go for a walk. Or pull out your bike and do a little tune up. When was the last time you rode it? Is it road-ready? Spring is meant to be enjoyed and savoured. It’s a time for new growth and new beginnings. Maybe you slipped on your New Years Resolution…so what? Spring is re-birth so make a new resolution and jump right into it!

My spring day involves waiting on the seitan to bake…a bike ride…a stop at Michaels for some stuff…and who knows what else?

What does YOUR spring day involve? Oh and yes, for those inquiring minds emailing me about the sietan, I WILL post pics of the baked stuff once it’s done!

Can you believe NEXT WEEKEND we spring ahead and set our clocks forward ONE HOUR? That means, yes, it will be light after say 6 pm! This happens next week, so Spring really is close by- right? It’s been a long winter for me personally and I’m blessed with living somewhere that doesn’t traditionally get a ‘white winter’ or temperatures too cold. But this past winter seemed to stretch on especially long and we did get show and we did go below freezing!! So I’m ready for Spring to be sprung upon us; I don’t care what those pesky little groundhogs had to say. I say BRING SPRING ON.

While we wait though, this last little stretch can seem unbearable. It’s important to keep your spirits up during the colder months because it’s easy to let depression and the blues creep in. I’m my own worst enemy in this one, but you gotta exercise. It’s vital. I realize that, I know it, and I’m trying…I really do feel better when I leave the gym but it’s the getting there part that can be a challenge.

Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet. With fruit we can bring in a little ‘sunshine’- I saw whole pineapples on sale last week at a local grocer. When was the last time you bought a pineapple? And lets be honest, fresh pineapple tastes a world better than canned tidbits doesn’t it?

Have some quiet time. Just because you spend part of Saturday lounging in bed reading doesn’t mean your lazy…it means your giving your body a break and a little treat. If we’re not good to ourselves, who will be? Don’t be afraid to indulge and have a lazy day. It’s when those lazy days turn into weeks and months that a problem will arise…

Pull out your recipe books or ask friends/coworkers for some new dishes to try. I’ve got a few recipes from coworkers I’m excited about but haven’t yet tried…one is Low Fat Pumpkin Muffins and then I picked up on Facebook on the gardein page for ‘Chick’n Pot Pie’. I love experimenting in the kitchen and used to do it so much more. I’d like to get back to that as it always made me smile…

Take a walk. Or better yet, does your city have some botanical or tropical gardens under cover? My Guy, Moops and I went to some here in QE Park awhile back and the heady, wet smell of fresh earth mixed with the vibrant colours made my head spin. While it was cold outside, inside was warm….(the pics above at beginning of this post is from there…)

Embrace this time before Spring and try to keep your head up. It can be tough but we’re ALMOST THERE! Tell me your ideas at keeping the winter blues at bay…

I got a really cool follower today at my Twitter page: YoCrunch Yogurt. Now maybe I’m blind or maybe this isn’t available in Canada yet, but holy- it looks really delicious and fun! I’m loving the low calorie count because it means yet another sensible, but hopefully satisfying snack option. I honestly don’t spend too much time in the yogurt section these days because I can’t find a truly good one it seems. I’m not into 0% fat for my yogurt; I like there to be SOME fat because I find it adds a bit of richness. I think I’ll have to take another look though. If anyone out there has tried this stuff, let me know!

I dropped a line to the fine folks at Gardein explaining that while I sing their praises here on my blog, and WE LOVE the stuff at home…I simply can’t find it locally. I have to really shop around and that costs time and money. Precious commodities these days. It’s a shame it’s a Canadian company, a lower mainland company even, and I can find at the most 3 Gardein products! I browse the website daily and think if only…if only I could try those…or wouldn’t it be nice to have a supply of the ‘chik’n breasts’ in my freezer ready whenever I’m ready? I’ll keep you posted on the reply.

I think I might be battling a little ‘winter blues’ in the sense that I need the sunshine…I feel so damn tired all the time and my will to get to the gym is wavering. I love the results and never have I been so unhappy with my shape and size as I am now, but feel at times like I’m treading through water. I wanted to run tonight, but there is a thunder and lightening storm, and all I can think of is My Guys words “You’d be crazy to go out in that.”  I found his high-visibility vest in the closet so I can don that over top my coat…it’s not like I’m going to be struck by lightening or anything…is it?? Seriously how common is it? Truth be told I’ve been battling a headache since this morning and while it’s somewhat lessened, it feels like the top of my head is in a vise. A firm, tight and evenly pressured vise. Took Advil, drank a glass or two of water and am awaiting the moment the pain goes away. This is why I thought a run might help…

Someone emailed me the other day asking about my, err, um, how my you know, bowel troubles have been lately…since I haven’t been mentioning it! And do I regret stopping the Dr. Natura cleanse? So to answer that, no I don’t regret stopping it. I don’t think it’s a bad product. I believe it’s a good product but perhaps the time wasn’t RIGHT FOR ME. I can always try again…maybe I had too much going on, I don’t know. I will reiterate the Kleri tea worked great and occasionally have a cup in the evening. I can’t honestly say if I will give it another go. I just might because I’m definitely not opposed to the whole Cleanse thing…it just wasn’t working for me as I hoped and wanted. I’m thankful I tried it as I wanted desperately for it to help my symptoms of feeling bloated, gassy, extreme tummy pain and constipation.

Even though I may be having moments of self-doubt and days I procrastinate on the gym, I do take comfort in knowing my words and my blog are somehow reaching others. I appreciate each and every reader and you give me happiness. And My Guy gives me happiness too. He needs his own blog….

I’ve decided to stop the Cleanse. Today was the 1st day without the ‘stuff’…although I did have some Metamucil in my morning OJ this morning. I plan on starting up with Greens again…I figure this is probably the better route for me. Now. I’m not saying Colonix is a bad program but I don’t feel it’s the program for me, at this stage in my life. I felt clear-headed today, not as sluggish or tired and I can’t help but wonder if it has ANYTHING to do with no Colonix. This is my body, my mind and I have to do what’s right FOR ME. So here I go…

My Guy is making one of his amazing pizza’s loaded with mushrooms, feta, olives, red onion, tofurkey Italian sausage and red pepper….waiting for us to press play is the movie Sunshine Cleaning with cutie Amy Adams…went to the library today and filled up on new books- so life is good. Real good.

I’m planning on working my knee a bit harder this week; I can walk about 20 blocks without much pain. While I’m not setting as brisk a pace as I’d like, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. I will get moving and I will burning the cardio soon…..*sigh*

How are YOU getting active??

I’m not sure about this cleanse. I’m not experiencing any ‘miracles’ or even really *anything* to be honest. I realize it’s meant to be a gradual thing that happens to your body, slowly eliminating toxins and such…but I’m on Day 25. I really only experience relief if I drink the Kleri tea the night before…the longer I steep, the better the result. I feel as if the fiber powder I drink in the morning is just that- fiber….like say Metamucil or another brand name stir-into-juice type fiber. Sure I’ve read all the reviews- both positive and negative and have to wonder about the positive reviews. I’m honestly starting to feel like they are just a tad hyped up…but is this just the cynic in me?

I don’t feel like I have more energy AT ALL. In fact I feel I’m sleeping more poorly, I have more cramping and don’t feel like I’m any more “regular” than I was before I started this program. I feel like I’m literally dragging my ass. The folks at Dr. Natura have been nothing but nice to deal with though; telling me to be patient, each body reacts differently to the Colonix program.While I do appreciate that, I can’t help but wonder why I’m not seeing the results that so many others are? I know, be patient, right? Right. Gotcha.

I am pleased I didn’t spend money on this because I think any program you start like this, you should put some serious thought and research into. I did look into this company, and the product before I started, and felt confident the product was 100% natural and my doctor agreed it couldn’t hurt…it may not help, but probably couldn’t hurt…I do wish in my research however I hadn’t stumbled upon some of the vile pics Colonix users posted – OF THEIR STOOL! – because I think that’s just going a tad too far. I can’t get the images out of my head and frankly, it kind of grosses me out. Pushing that aside though, I wanted to be honest in my reviews of this program because I have readers asking me my thoughts.

It is Day 25 of what is a 90 day program I believe. I don’t feel rejuvenated, I don’t feel miraculous and I’m not super-regular…I’m being patient.

That’s all I have to say tonight Namaste All.

Love seeing kids putting their thoughts to video…great parody, loved every second of it! (I’m serious) Now this probably will only appeal to those who know the North Shore…

I’ve lived in quite a few cities…it’s not like I just moved from town to town…ok well maybe I did…but hey, I got to discover my country. I lived in several of our wonderful provinces, but I never for one moment, lost sight that British Columbia was my Home. I always knew deep down my travels would lead me back here, to the Island or the Mainland- that wasn’t the issue, it was just the ‘coming home’ part of it.

In all the cities I’ve lived in, I never hated any of them; they each had a certain charm…but there was this invisible string that somehow kept me connected to BC, to Vancouver in particular, so that I never felt far from home.

I can say with 100% honesty and clarity today, I love where I am and where I live. I wouldn’t trade living in Vancouver for anything….this city has the best of everything and, it’s unbelievably gorgeous to be in. It may rain alot, and our winters are often ‘green’, not white…but to any Vancouverite, that’s part the charm. If we want ‘white’, we can go up any of the many mountains and ski hills that are on the North Shore.

The cuisine is varied and eclectic, the neighborhoods diverse and the range of entertainment available- astounding. Vancouver truly is a world class city. I’ve moved to the suburbs and to the Valley over my years back home and never was I as happy and fulfilled, as I was when I lived IN the city itself. I’m relishing a move back now, into the trendy Main Street area and My Guy and I are lapping up all this funky neighborhood has to offer. Just walking down the the street awards us with endless heritage homes, one-of-a-kind cafes, fascinating characters and the tantalizing aromas of local patios offering up lunch…

I’m happy where I am. My Guy and I are about to begin an exercise regime that will take us both walking/running up into a local park…we have both made a promise to support one another in this…and just the simple act of walking through my new neighborhood brings a smile to my face. This is what I’ve talked about people; loving where you are NOW and making the most of it. Get up and move! Get out and see! What is outside your door, is literally there for you to walk into and discover.

If you don’t like where you are, or what you see when you look out the door- how can you change it? What steps can you take to get to where you need to be?

Answer me that. Wait, no…you owe yourself the answer to that…

Love CM