Curvy Expo- The Embodiment of the Body Positivity Movement

I wanted to share with you a wonderful event I attended over the weekend.  The first ever Canadian Curvy Expo (http://curvyexpo.com/). I brought my beautiful curvy daughter who was so excited to participate in this incredible body positive event.

I am SO pleased to live in a decade where this body positive movement is now part of the vocabulary, where super models like Ashley Graham grace the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and People’s most beautiful women. Where actresses like Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson are so busy making movie after movie and in such high demand. We need more of this!!!!

This is so different from the way I grew up in the 80's. I used to hide the stores my clothes came from for fear of being embarrassed and shy away from any body discussions with friends or family.  As I was mentioning to Meghan Bradley, the show director and former model (pictured below), in my day there was nothing like this. No celebration of who we were but just body shame really. I mentioned that I was so happy that my little girl could be part of this amazingly positive shift in our society – the body positive movement- and I how I was so grateful for this show, this venue and the community of support that is around us curvy girls because of people like her.

The energy was positively electric! It was a sisterhood of love and support for the curvy woman.

Seminars and an amazing fashion show kept us interested all day. Curvy Bloggers everywhere, from my daughter meeting some amazing younger bloggers who totally reflect the cool, urban vibe in their shirt designs, Flaws of Couture (http://focapparel.storenvy.com/), to me meeting my own curvy fashion superstar, Assa Cisse of My Curves and Curls, (http://www.mycurvesandcurls.com/).

How awesome is it that my daughter feels so confident in celebrating her curves?  Just look at her shirt….  Thanks Addition Elle for your cool fashion-forward clothes. #iamsizesexy , she got so many great compliments about it all day. Perfect shirt to reflect the perfection of this event!

The entire tone of the event was just so supportive and celebratory. From the seminars on loving yourself inside and out, body positivity, fashion and makeup tips from curvy TV personalities. Oh and not to mention…. the great coupons and free bras. Thanks Penningtons!

The loving your curves and body positivity movement does not mean I'm giving up on my healthy living focus. It is in fact loving who you are now, with your curves, with your amazing heart, mind and soul. A remarkable ‘a-ha’ moment for me was when one of the seminar leaders,  Liis  Windischmann (http://www.liisonlife.com/)  mentioned that we need to focus on LOVE, and I know that… I just forgot about it for a while… If you negative body thoughts in your mind like – I hate my flabby arms (sounds like me), you need to refocus that hate into love. Instead, think of a way to love your arms. Instead, say to yourself, 'I love my arms because they allow me to hug the ones I love and make delicious meals for my family'… now THAT’S LOVE!  

Liis was displaying a page from an online adult colouring book (so popular these days), it really caught my attention as I saw a plus size woman on the front of the cover running. I later went home and checked out this totally mind-shifting, body loving website.

Bold Strokes, a colouring book for plus size athletes can be found at the Born to Reign Atheltics website (http://www.borntoreignathletics.com/)  
I immediately logged on and subscribed to receive the link to the printable pages.  Krista Henderson, the website’s creator, is a plus size athlete in triathlon who “…started to train like an athlete in response to her commitment of living an active and healthy lifestyle’. This part is amazing and resonates so much with me- “…she constantly felt the need to ‘fix’ herself by solely focusing on losing weight”. “…the foundation of the athletic lifestyle is rooted in properly fueling your body, working out with a purpose and getting plenty of rest”. Ok sign me up!

So you ask me, am I giving up on my journey….Oh no, I am still a healthy living warrior, in fact, it's completely motivated me to be a super athlete, a super fashionista and continue being a delicious food creator and blogger. I just now see that I need to love myself and my curves every step of the way.

I can’t wait to go back next year and get even more involved in the Curvy Expo! Thank you to Meghan Bradley and all the amazing curvy women who helped make this day so memorable.

Amazing Adventure- Rattlesnake Point and Soupy Sunday Finish

Today I want to share how awesome my Sunday was. It was actually much more than our hiking adventure and delicious soup. It started with a great power workout in the morning, followed by a delicious brunch with my parents. Love them so!  Then the 'serious' stuff started.

Before my daughter and I left for our hike, I put all the ingredients for this incredibly delicious Stuffed Pepper soup in my crockpot and ran to the hills. (recipe at bottom).

My daughter wanted to go for a hike to a place she'd never been...in the snow... in winter, Sigh!

So I say, 'anything to support my daughter's healthy living efforts', and we headed off to Milton to Rattlesnake Point. I remember this place way back in high school when my friend Janice and I would hike through the hills with our headbands, lip smackers and leg warmers... this time though, my daughter and I had the right equipment and spirit.



See, there was lots of snow, but it was patted down and fairly easy to hike on.

Look below this incredible selfie (LOL), we are up high on the mountain (ok, escarpment).

We read that this park was established in 1964 and the proof is carved into the rock.

Look at the gorgeous Melanie just looking out over the escarpment. The sun was amazing with just a little wind blowing. I captured the essence of her joy and excitement at trying something new and exploring the world around her. I LOVE this picture!

Interesting wooden tee pees.

Looking over the escarpment...

... and looking up at the cliffs, we saw some people climbing with their mountain climbing gear- just like my brother used to do.  I am so grateful for my beautiful daughter. I would not have gone out again after a big, sweaty gym workout in the morning, but she pushed me to try something new and it was amazing!

And now the Soupy Sunday part of this post.

Crockpot cooking is the best! After our hike, we came home and our dinner was ready!

I love sharing my Soupy Sunday recipes with you - especially when it's so effortless and really delicious. 

Here's the recipe.

Stuffed Pepper Soup (adapted from www.recipesthatcrock.com/slow-cooker-stuffed-pepper-soup/)

INGREDIENTS

1lb lean ground beef

1 diced onion

1 diced clove garlic

28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice  

2 chopped green peppers

1 chopped red pepper

4 cups low-sodium beef broth

½ T dried basil

½ T dried oregano

½ t paprika

½ t dried chili flakes

Salt and Pepper

2 cups cooked rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Brown beef with onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Drain fat from beef and place in crockpot. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Meanwhile cook some rice. When ready to serve, put some cooked rice at the bottom of the bowl and spoon soup over.

Healthy Living Transformation

So some of you are probably wondering...'Hey Chantal, how come you haven't posted any healthy lifestyle updates lately?' Well, you can lay your concerns to rest, 'cause here it is!
Since I started this reshaping of my life, if you will, I have been so eager and excited to share with you my monthly progress, however, over the past 9 months or so, it's been hard for me. I went through a lot of changes in my career and had to shift my focus away from my health to finding, getting, starting, learning and thriving in a whole new place with a whole new culture.
Funny enough, as I became comfortable in my new role, I also had the right frame of mind to drill down into what was important to me, my health, my family and refocus the energy back into healthy living.
I went back to the Wharton Clinic a month ago to face the facts. Yes, I had gained 17 lbs since my last check in January... but I went back to the clinic this past weekend and was down 2.2 lbs. So I am back on track. Having lost 70lbs to date, I have ABSOLUTELY seen the effects of what paying attention to yourself makes. Check out the photos that prove it!

I like to do this... when I need to be reminded of where I started from and the progress I have achieved, I make a collage. Where I started, large, unhappy, unhealthy... and now- blond, healthy, focus and in charge of my life.

I know what I need to do: record everything I eat in myfitnesspal.com, exercise- and I mean, 2 really good 'sweats' at least 3-4 times per week, drink, drink, drink, drink water. Make fruits and veggies at least half of the total food I eat a day, and I know it will be so rewarding. More than words can ever express. And the best part of this whole thing is that now my husband and daughter are totally into this with me. Absolute family commitment!

Amazing Adventure- How to enjoy this Winter Wonderland!

That's right, winter isn't all bad!

You just need to dress properly when you do venture out on your Amazing Adventures. Just look at my daughter... in her penguin hat and neon-green shades!

...and me, her mom with her matching scarf and hat ensemble!

 

...and lots of hugs... and an arm to grab onto so that you don't fall down the big hills.

being cute and careful on the snow-covered bridge...

 ...some trick photography- no that's not a drop of water- it's an icicle, frozen in time dripping into Melanie's mitten.

Gorgeous trees, covered in ice, but still shining with their bright red tips.

Some advanced photography skills here... look at the sharply frozen drips from this branch.

Gorgeous scene.

Flowing Credit River, wild with little rapids, we even saw ducks paddling through. Brave little birds!

More fun facts on how to supercharge fat loss... more Dr. Oz facts

Okay, so you can tell from last week's post, I have become a super fan of Dr. Oz's advice on how to work the mind, body and food combinations to achieve the greatest fat loss.

So, I thought I would share another great bit of advice that I picked up from his show that aired last week. I love all this new found knowledge. I am so 'thirsty' for it, I just can't get enough, I feel like I am a student, taking notes and sharing the 'gospel' with everyone I come across. I just love this stuff!

His guest was Dr. Natasha Turner, a renowned Doctor in the field of nutrition and health whose focus is all about the fact that the reason we can't lose fat is that many of us suffer from a hormone imbalance.

Want to find out how this gorgeous red pomegranate can melt your fat off??? Read on!

So here are the tips on how to restore hormone balance to super charge fat loss. Again, these are my 'paraphrased' notes. Here's the link to the actual episode. http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/melt-your-fat-fast

Secrets to Melt your Fat Fast:

- You need to detox your digestive tract. So mix 1/2 lemon's juice, grate a 1 inch of fresh ginger, a pinch of cayenne in 4 cups of water. Drink this many times a day.

-  Where your fat is mostly stored on your body actually points to what type of hormone imbalance you have. So if you carry your fat mostly:

--On your stomach: You have too much cortisol. To balance that hormone, you should take a supplement called Holy Basil. Take 2 gel caps per day.

--On your butt and hips (that would be me): You have too much toxic estrogen. To balance that hormone, you should take Indole 3-Carbinol, 200mg twice a day with fibre. Here's a great link that describes the benefits of this vegetable based supplement including fighting all types of cancers. http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1027-INDOLE-3-CARBINOL.aspx?activeIngredientId=1027&activeIngredientName=INDOLE-3-CARBINOL

--On your back (back fat): You have too much insulin. Take a supplement called CLA, 1500mg twice a day.

Here are some details on the ways in which to combine your food for maximum hormone balancing/fat burning effeciency:
-Eat twice as much protein and fat than carbs during meals and snacks
-Never eat carbs alone. Always eat protein as well.

Here are some Hot Hormone Foods:
-Whey Protein Isolate Powder- it's the most bio-available form of protein. So add to smoothies to add 30 g of protein for breakfast. She repeated that it's very important that your breakfast be full of protein.

-Pomegranate- it lowers estrogen levels, it's anti-inflammatory and lowers risks of all types of cancers

-Buckwheat- it's the richest source of protein from a starchy carb. A good way to include this in your diet it so buy buckwheat pasta.

-Drink red wine. A cabernet sauvignon is a good type. 3 glasses a week, reason is they contain flavenoids and if you have it after your meal, it helps with digestion.

-Soy nuts. It combats age-related weight gain. Have a serving a day, it helps to increase metabolism. I bought some and added them to my salad. It adds a great crunch in place of croutons.

Finally, some great tips to manage blood sugar and insulin levels;
-Add 1-2 tsp of cinnamon to your morning meal - oatmeal-cereal-yogurt.
-Drink 1 tsp of white vinegar before a high carb meal (pasta). It slows down body's desire to use sugar.
-Soluble Fibre such as Metamucil (Psyllium Fibre). The Phyllium fibre gels and traps carbs and sugars in the digestive track. Mix 1 serving of Metamucil with 8oz of water and drink before meals.

That's all for now folks, take this information and run with it.You just might see the fat melt away!

Cinderella and Dr. Oz and his amazing advice

When I started on this healthy living journey, I read the Dr. Oz book- You on a diet- there, I found amazing advice on health and nutrition. Ideas that would later shift the way I would eat, live and breath... and still do to this day. I would say to friends and family, that I would make such an epic change in my life, loosing over 200 lbs and completely changing the way I would live my life that, one day, Dr. Oz would invite me on his show to share my success story so that his millions of viewers could see how following his amazing advice could change their world, as it has mine, kinda like a modern day Cinderella story. Well, a few weeks ago, I got an email from the Wharton Medical Clinic with details of one of their patients who would actually appear on the Dr. Oz show and share her own story, a story so similar to mine. I felt like I was thrown a major fast forward into my future. I decided to share her story here below.  The best thing is that when I watched the show, I got so much amazing new advice- I actually watched the show 3 times and made notes to share with you. Advice that may just change your life, as it has mine... just see below for details.

The Wharton Medical Clinic  Patient Kerry Rommens was on  The DR. OZ SHOW  for her amazing weight loss journey! Show airs tomorrow November 7th.

My Journey at  The Wharton Medical Clinic and My Appearance on The DR. OZ SHOW!     My name is Kerry Rommens and I have an adventure to share with you.     At 48 years old, I decided that I would not be "fat and fifty".  I had been fat my whole adult life.  185 lbs, when I married, and up from there with each of my two children   After a few months of silly dieting and deprivation, I had lost only 10 lbs. On the verge of giving up, I heard about the Wharton Medical Clinic.   During the assessment appointments, Dr. Wharton stated that I was a "disorganized eater".  Wow, that resounded with me! I really was!  I ate all of my calories, everyday, between 1 pm and 7 pm.   I followed the program religiously.  Eating real food, planning meals and putting thought into every bite for a change.    I travel in from Kitchener and always made appointment day "my day".  Once a month, I got out of my work boots (I manage a horse farm), dressed up, made up and hair done.  Appointments became a reward for working on my self improvement the previous month.   The weight came off!  In 18 months I had lost an additional 75 lbs!   I kept that off for 18 months.  Another little nugget of wisdom Dr. Wharton imparted was that "fat has a memory".  Once you have that fat cell, it waits to be filled again.  That scared me straight.  Maintenance is a serious business.  I found that if I followed the plan 5 days a week, it gave me a little wiggle room on the two remaining days.   I wanted to share my success with everyone and even sent praises of the Wharton Clinic to the Dr. Oz Show!   My 50th Birthday was a joyous occasion.  I felt amazing and wore a lovely form fitting cocktail dress.  The first ever!   This year, I decided to aim for the healthy BMI.  Another 15 lbs.  I started following my original plan and off it came.   I did it!  Last week was my appointment and I weighed in at 150 lbs.  A grand total of 100 lbs lost.  I think I surprised myself, really!   And then came the surprise!  Right out of the blue, The Dr. Oz Show called. They were looking for women who lost weight after 40. After a whirlwind of before and after pics and lot's of emails, they asked me to go to New York for the show.   New York was all I imagined it to be.  Noisy, bustling and exciting.  I made sure to see all the sites as I had never been before.   Arriving at the studio, I met 9 other women who had lost weight and our common histories instantly bonded us.  Not to mention being nervous.  Hair and make up, wow!  I had two brief moments on stage and one sentence but the whole experience was wonderful.  Dr. Oz was warm and genuine.  We all had to wear sports bras and yoga pants.  I never would have imagined, 3 years ago, I would have worn such a thing on national tv!   Who would have believed this would happen to me!   A bit like Cinderella, I am back in my work boots now and feeling pretty proud of myself.   Thanks to Dr. Wharton and all of the wonderful staff of the clinic for guiding me through this transformation. I still come to my appointments every 8 weeks. It keeps me honest and on program and I can still enjoy my "me days".   THE SHOW WILL AIR ON  THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7th (check your local station for details)

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Here's Dr. Oz's advice for Blasting Belly Fat after 40


These are actually my 'paraphrased' notes, The show actually aired on November 7, 2013 and you can watch it on his website doctoroz.com.


TO LOSE BELLY FAT:

-Eat 1 once of cheese at every meal. The reason is the calcium. Swiss cheese has the highest amount of calcium. The reason this works is because the calcium in the cheese blocks the fat from being stored.


-Do not eat 'low fat' foods. They add sugar to those foods and the sugar in those foods turns on the fat cells. What you need to do is eat good fats, if you eat monounsaturated fats instead - the right kind of fat- the fat will disappear. You are fighting fat with fat. So things like olive oil, safflower oil. He suggest eating  1/2 avocado or a 1/2 cup of olives.


-Drink 2 cups of green tea a day. He says that doing situps alone will not get rid of belly fat, you cannot spot reduce belly fat. You actually build a six back, but under the layers of fat on your tummy. So drinking 2 cups of green tea - which contains catechins- a fat fighting component of green tea- actually changes your metabolism to burn fat. Here's a link to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/122.full which backs up Dr. Oz opinion.... WOW, I am buying green tea like crazy now- but only the fruit flavoured ones- the plain ones taste like grass to me.


TO FIRE UP YOUR METABOLISM TO BURN FAT:


- Eat Sriracha hot sauce. It contains 15 fat fighting proteins.


-Take L-Arginine supplements. It naturally stimulates growth hormone and builds muscle. You should take 2000 mg per day with meals.


-Take Acacia powder. It makes you feel like you are full and makes you eat less. Add 1 tbsp to water or juice in the morning.


-Take morning breaths. Before you get out of bed in the morning. Inhale and exhale sharply through your nose ( 10-15 seconds to start and then work up to a minute)


WHEN YOU HIT A PLATEAU, EAT THIS WAY FOR A WEEK:


- Eat only these fruits and vegetable for your snacks 3 times a day. These are examples of high water content foods. Melons, celery, cucumber, zucchini, grapefruit, strawberries. These fruits and veg are filled with water and therefore contain less sugar.


- Replace carbs with sweet potato. No whole grains, eat a whole sweet potato for lunch and dinner.


-Too many of us take little bites and tastes. What he calls BLT's, bites, licks and tastes. That could amount to 200 calories a  day. So no BLT's for the week.