Tag Archives: Weight Loss

Stop Blaming Your Genetics and Start Taking Control

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“It’s my genetics; it runs in our family, look at my parents.”

We have all heard this massively defeating belief when it comes to our bodies.  Seriously, can we give our folks a break! Their genes will NOT dictate us being overweight, and definitely not obese.  The truth is genetics plays only a MINOR role in your outcome with weight.  Even if every close relative of yours is overweight and has been for centuries, the most that could mean is that you have inherited a capacity through an unhealthy lifestyle for storing fat. This accounts for a tiny 11 percent of your overall ability to become overweight.

What you are more likely to have inherited from your parents that will contribute to weight gain are poor eating, cooking and lifestyle habits. Fortunately, all bad habits, while difficult, can be 100% unlearned. You can change the way you think and what you do. You are in the driver seat!

3 tips to gaining control of your weight forever:

  • Always eat protein at breakfast. Protein will keep you full and satisfied.  It does this in two ways: by slowing down the rise in blood sugar and by remaining in your stomach for longer, because it takes the body longer to digest it. 
  • Never skip meals. This will ensure you avoid blood sugar crashes and binge eating.
  • Exercise. Workout at a high intensity for 45 minutes 3-5 times per week and don’t be afraid to sweat.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle

Be consistent and keep your eye on the prize!

Much Love,

Olivia

Salad in a Jar

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If you are like most people, you don’t pack a healthy lunch because it takes too long or you’re bored with eating the same things everyday. Great news: a week’s worth of layered, beautiful bright salad jar lunches can be made in just minutes!

It’s time to dig up those old Mason jars as they are the key element to this awesome meal idea. Besides the fact that using Mason jars to transport food helps you to avoid dangerous plastics and toxins leaching into your food, these jars are extremely handy and effective with meal prepping.  So what’s the point of using a jar, as opposed to a normal bowl or lunch Tupperware you may be thinking? Well, using the jar allows you to easily layer the salad with the dressing on the bottom, firmer ingredients in the middle, until finally the lightest greens on the top.

You can get creative and use any mixture of salad ingredients as long as you follow this single, most important rule: keep the greens far away from the dressing. As long as the greens stay dry, you can make a week’s worth of salads that will last in the fridge without going soggy. When you’re ready to have your salad, just shake the jar several times to mix the dressing, pour ingredients into a big bowl and enjoy.  You can eat the salad out of the jar too, but throwing it into a bowl takes way less coordination.

This is one of my favorite quick and easy salad jar recipes:

Balsamic Grilled Chicken  

Dressing: 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup orange juice, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Layer it with: mushrooms, quinoa, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cut apples, roasted chicken, and mixed lettuce greens.

Enjoy,

Olivia

Quinoa Greek Salad

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Gluten free and simple to cook, quinoa is a must have superfood ingredient to have on hand. This nutrient dense, high protein recipe will help to curb cravings and sustain your energy levels throughout the day.

Ingredients:

1 cup                      Quinoa, rinsed
½ cup                     Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
2 sprigs                  Green Onion, chopped
¼ cup                     Red Onion, chopped
½ cup                     Green and/or Yellow Peppers, chopped
¼ cup                     Kalamta Olives (water cured), chopped
¼ cup                     Feta Cheese (Lactose Free: substitute with goat cheese), crumbled
2tbs                        Lemon Juice
2 tbs                       Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbs                       Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbs                       Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 tsp                       Basil, Oregano, and Black Pepper

Preparation:

  • Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water in a saucepan
  • Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer
  • Cook on low heat for 15 minutes
  • Fluff quinoa gently with a fork
  • Place in fridge to cool completely
  • Combine lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, and oregano. Whisk and set aside
  • Combine cooled quinoa, chopped vegetables, feta cheese
  • Drizzle with dressing
  • Season with parsley and black pepper

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Fit Tip:This salad stores great in the refrigerator for about 4-6 days. Be sure to prepare large portions of this recipe at one time and enjoy as a snack or meal when you are stuck for time.

Love,

Olivia :)

Guilt Free Delish Chocolate Pudding

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With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, chocolate and sugary snacks seem unavoidable; especially for us chocolate lovers. Curbing your sweet tooth and preventing energy crashes with proper nutrition is essential in keeping you on track with your health and fitness goals – especially during another holiday season.

To keep overindulgence at bay, try this super healthy and delicious pudding that’s jam packed with protein, good fat and complex carbohydrates. Enjoy all the goodness, 100% guilt free!

Ingredients:
1 tin pure pumpkin
¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup cocoa powder
2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
stevia or agave nectar to sweeten
sprinkle of cinnamon

Preparation:
Melt coconut oil on the stove. Mix all ingredients together. Feel free to top with fruit, nuts, or unsweetened coconut.

Fit Tip:
Enjoy this delicious, healthy treat as a snack or for dessert to curb those cravings and keep that body toned!

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 7 minutes

This is one of my all time favourite recipes:) Let me know how you make out.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers,

Olivia:)

10 ways to stay SUPER motivated

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Follow these 10 simple tips to help you get more of what you want:

1) Get excited! In terms of your goals, I cannot stress this enough. If your goal doesn’t sound exciting before you even begin, find a different one that does. For instance, if you hate going to the gym, don’t go. Find something that you would love to do for YOU.

2) Plan your attack. Have a plan with a deadline of exactly what you will do and when you will do it.

3) Post it. Whether you post your goal in big letters on your fridge, or declare it on your facebook wall, reminders will keep you accountable and focused.

4) Get Inspired. Spend time with like minded, motivated people who will support and encourage you along the way.

5) Think about the PERKS, not the difficulties. Instead of focusing on how much work is involved, fall in love with how you are going to look and feel instead.

6) Visualize it daily. See it as if it has already happened.

7) Track your progress. Pictures, measurements, writing in your journal, and workout challenges are all great ways to measure progress and keep you moving forward.

8)  Remove toxic thoughts and people. You are who you surround yourself with. Make sure to spend the least amount of time with negative, energy sucking thoughts and people.

9) Less is more. There will be days where you simply need to rest. Taking rest days will help your body recover and give you the energy you need to keep going.

10) Celebrate mini victories. There are unlimited things you can do to reward yourself along the way.  Go for lunch with a friend, get yourself a new workout outfit, or plan a fun trip! Whatever is exciting to YOU, go do it!

Keep your eye on the prize and take it one day at a time:)

Finally, one of my favourite quotes to sum this all up: “Wellness is too important to be pursued grimly. Whatever your choices, make sure you’re having fun.” – Donald Ardell

Enough said,

Olivia:)

The Quick and Easy

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Below are four super simple tips that you can incorporate RIGHT NOW into your lifestyle that will make a huge impact on your overall health and well being:

1) Drink Water First Thing in the Morning:

If there was only ONE thing I could recommend for people to do, it would be to drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning before they do anything else. Sounds underwhelming right? Yet, the reality is not a lot of people are doing this. Drinking water first thing in the morning is critical in order to hydrate the cells and cleanse the body to ensure proper regularity. If increased energy or weight loss is your goal, drinking more water is a must!

2) Eat, Eat, Eat:

The whole waiting to eat until we are virtually starving has got to STOP! Eating healthy mini meals throughout your day will not only ensure your blood sugar and energy levels stay stable, but will also work to prevent you from turning into an angry, moody version of yourself.

3) Get Up and Move:

Exercise does not have to be 60 minutes at the gym, nor does it have to be boring. Fitting in exercise whenever, wherever you can will ensure you build small habits that eventually turn into larger ones. Either way, you will be reaping the benefits! Get moving!

4) Sleep Away the Fat:

This ones tricky. I know. Your too busy and too stressed. However, the only way to truly stay balanced, mentally and physically, is to get your beauty sleep of 7-9 hours. Make this a priority and you will notice how much easier it is to lose weight and kick those sugar and salty food cravings to the curb!

Watch this video to see how quick and easy this really is:

Cheers,

Olivia

Juicing 101

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With so many things on the go, it can be virtually impossible to get enough fruits and vegetables into our diets. Watch below to see how juicing can be a fun, effective way to ensure your body is fueled with essential nutrients.

I love the constant energy I get from my green juice and know you will too! Leave me a comment with your favourite juice combo; I’d love to hear about it!

Get creative and happy juicing,

Olivia:)

The Playground Workout

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The playground isn’t just for kids, it can be a seriously hard workout for adults too! Whether you are runner or a parent taking your children out of the house, playground equipment can come in handy when trying to fit in a workout. Watch the video below for ideas on how to make this possible:

Leave me a comment with how you made out with this workout!

Cheers,

Olivia:)

Rolling in the Deep (Tissue)

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Have you ever seen someone at the gym rolling their body over a cylinder piece of foam (that looks like a large pool noodle) and thought “what in the world is that for?”

Well, this humble healing tool, aka the “foam roller,” is a cost effective, convenient way to increase your mobility, release tension, and address pain in the body. Put in simple terms, foam rolling is like giving yourself a deep tissue massage. Just think of a rolling pin that rolls out lumps in dough; a foam roller rolls out muscle knots in the body. By using your own body weight and the roller you can break up scar tissue and remove muscle tightness.

One of most common areas of tightness with most people is their Iliotibial Bands or “IT Bands” as they are used a lot in walking and running. The IT Bands are a strong group of tendons running along the side of the thigh.  When rolling out the IT Bands, you will want to place the roller under the side of your thigh while lying sideways.  Place the opposite leg and foot in front of you and roll between your knee and hip bone making sure to spend more time on the tenderest areas.  After a couple sessions, your IT Bands will loosen helping to lower or prevent any knee pain.  Rolling this area will also be beneficial to increase your range of motion, overall strength, flexibility, and posture.

Foam rolling can be done before or after a workout when your body is warm. You should spend approximately 30 to 60 seconds rolling with each exercise. It is important to note that rolling can be painful initially depending on the severity of your tightness.

Try to remember to breathe and relax (sometimes difficult) during the movements and from there, keep on rolling!

-Olivia

Eat Fat to Lose Fat

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Yes you heard it right folks! Healthy fats are an essential part of any nutrition or weight loss plan. Researchers have discovered that not all fats are to blame for the increased rates of obesity and heart disease – you actually need to eat fat to lose fat!

Did you know that eating good fats will help keep you full and feeling satisfied longer; reducing overeating and food cravings? Good fats provide some of the highest sources of energy; helping to maintain blood sugar levels and to avoid energy crashes. Also, healthy fats are essential in proper hormone, metabolism and muscle production. Thus, helping you burn more calories all day long for a leaner, more toned body!

The best sources of good fats to include are olive oil, fish oil, salmon, flax seed, nuts, nut butters, and avocados. The fats you want to avoid are trans fats, also known as hydrogenated oil, and most saturated fats; usually found in deep fried and processed foods.

When in doubt, read your labels and in the meantime, go eat some healthy fats. An all natural scoop of almond butter straight out of the jar will do just fine!

-Olivia