I have to say something about something.

There is something I have to get off my chest.

I hate. HATE. I mean, DESPISE. the term 'clean eating'.

It seriously makes me want to punch people! I hate how smug it is. I hate how it implies that any other kind of eating is 'dirty'.

The thing is, I'm about 90% on board with the principles behind it. Yes, I agree that whole, natural foods are probably better for you. Yes, I think that over-processed foods probably do something a little weird to your body. But the moral superiority that seems implicit in calling it 'clean eating' just makes me gag. I honestly find it a bit offensive.

I guess I prefer how Kath refers to it as 'real food' on her awesome blog Kath Eats Real Food. At least calling it real is (somewhat) more objective. It IS more real -- it doesn't have so many fake man-made chemicals, or processing. It's in its more original, authentic (real) state. So that's kind of okay. But clean is just such a loaded word here. I'm genuinely uncomfortable with the comment it makes.

This post is not directed at anyone in particular! Actually, I don't even remember anyone talking about this much lately. It's more brought on by the fact that I picked up an issue of Clean Eating magazine the other day, and I really quite like it, but I'm totally embarrassed buying it or carrying around because I think I look some holier-than-thou wanker.

Anyway, that's all. I just had to say it. Clean eating = boo, for me.

hey, remember that time I went to vegas?

I finally got all our Vegas photos up onto Flickr if anyone is interested. You can check them out here!

*****

Speaking of photos, Chez Julie posted a question on her blog about how people manage posting a lot of photos to their blogs, and I'm curious too. Right now I upload a batch of photos with my USB cord, and then use Live Writer to post them onto my blog, but it feels quite tedious. Does anyone have a more streamlined process? Or, like, one of those fancy wireless SD cards?

WI results and a question about kickboxing.

Weigh in today and I was down 1 lb exactly, which I’m excited about because it takes me out of the 210s and into the 200s! (And into a new points range.) WOOHOO! It also brings my total loss to 48.2! I’m going to try really hard to make it to 50 lbs next week. That’s only 1.8 lbs – I can do it!

And now, a question!

My friend Abbie and I are considering taking a kickboxing class once boot camp is over, but I’ve been looking into and I’m not really sure what kind of class we should take.

Do we take something authentic like this Muay Thai kickboxing class, or should we take something more like the ‘cardio kickboxing’ or ‘fitness kickboxing’ classes offered at gyms? I don’t know much about kickboxing – the main we reason we decided to do this is that we both agreed that BY FAR the funnest part of boot camp is when Kelly comes around with the punching pads and we just go at them as hard and as fast as we can. It’s seriously so fun, and such a good stress reliever. And way better than punching the air! So I want a class that actually involves punching pads or bags. But I’m not ready for anything like sparring. So I don’t know!

I know some of you have taken kickboxing so I’m curious about your experience. Any input or thoughts welcome, I’m seriously at a loss here!

revolutionized.

Yesterday Was A Wonderful Day For Yesterday I Have Done Purchased A George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine.

Seriously, why I have never done this before?!?! I've been complaining for, oh, four years now about my lack of outside space and how much I miss grilling on the barbecue, but it never even OCCURED to me to get a counter-top grill. I mean, I know it's not the same but it's definitely better than nothing, and definitely gives me tonnes of new options for cooking healthy food.

Yesterday our inaugural meal was HAMBURGERS. I know, not the healthiest, but it's what we had on hand! Plus, uh, we were celebrating July 4th with you Americans! Yeah, that's it. :) Anyway, I was so excited I made Shaun take a picture. Here you can see our hideous kitchen featuring: the smallest amount of counter space known to man, and cupboard doors that never close! Also me, looking like a dork.

But anyway, the burgers turned out great! I even grilled the buns for a minute, which was such a nice switch from the normal microwave defrosting. I had mine with a bit of salsa and guacamole, and on the side I made a 'Fiesta Salad', (I don't know, I just made that name up!) with brown rice, black beans, mango, orange peppers, tomato, and carrots, plus a ton of chopped cilantro and a dressing of olive oil, lime juice, and chilli powder. 'Twas delish!

Do you have a counter-top grill? What's your favourite thing to cook on it? Any tips for a newbie like me?

to the water.

Guess where I'm going on Friday after work??

 

If you guessed "Body Blitz spa for a therapeutic water treatment", you're totally right! (And also totally psychic and a bit creepy!)

 

The therapeutic water treatment consists of alternating hot and cold:

- 10 minutes in a warm sea salt pool then

- 1 minute cold plunge

- 10 minutes in a hot green tea pool

- 1 minute cold plunge

- 10 minutes in an infrared sauna

- 1 minute cold plunge

- 10 minutes in an aromatherapy steam room

 

I might have mixed up the order a bit but you get the idea.

 

The pools are supposed to have all sorts of health benefits, everything from improving skin tone and elasticity to easing muscle soreness and inflammation. But mostly it's just a chance to relax and be a little pampered. And be in the water! Which I love. I'm going with the two girls I go to Boot Camp with, so I feel all three of us deserve a little love, don't you? We've been doing bootcamp for 12 weeks now! Oy vey!

 

Anyway, check out these gorgeous pictures of the pools:

 

 

 

 

I NEVER do stuff like this (I've never even gone for a massage!), so this should be a real treat. Yay!

WI results and a weird week.

Went to WI today and was down 1.6 lbs. Total loss now is 47.2 lbs. I'm inching up on 50 lbs!

This is a weird week, with Canada Day falling right in the middle. Work Monday and Tuesday, off Wednesday, work Thursday and Friday. Shaun and I don't really have any big plans for the holiday -- we're going to pick up some beer and have ourselves a major house-cleaning day. Our apartment is a disaster and ... shhh, don't tell anyone this but ... we still haven't even unpacked from our vacation. It is a saddddddddd state of affairs.

is it friday yet?

I am so hungry lately! I don’t know what’s going on, but I find myself starving every day! Especially in the mornings / early afternoons. I eat my breakfast around 9:30 and by 10:30 I’m ready for lunch. What is up with that? I had to skip my planned soup + crackers lunch, and instead go get a 6” sub from Subway, loaded up with veggies and roasted chicken. I even splurged on a Coke Zero and a bag of Baked Lays. This is one of my favourite indulgent meals. I never have pop or chips anymore so it always feels like such a treat.

I also popped into Indigo while I was in the area, and I ended up buying FOUR magazines. !!! I know. !!! I got Self (because it had my beloved Jillian Michaels on the cover), Women’s Health (dunno, just appealed to me), Clean Eating, and Cooking Light. I’m hoping the latter two will give me some meal ideas for the next couple of months. I’m sick of most of my current meals, but it’s so hot that I’m not motivated to try a lot of cooking right now. So in some ways magazines are better than cookbooks, because they’re much timelier. They actually take into account what season it is, what kind of produce is available, what holidays are coming up, etc. Both the mags look like they have lots of simple salad ideas, sandwiches, frozen desserts, etc. so here’s hoping.

Still no idea what to make for dinner tonight though. This is why I end up always eating wraps. This is why I’m sick of wraps. :)