Smoothies!

One of the things I really enjoy while being off Whole30 is smoothies! I've gotten super tired of eggs, salsa, and spinach in the mornings for breakfast, to the point where I didn't even want to eat. The past two weeks have been great with a smoothie on my way to work! It doesn't keep me as full as physically chewing and swallowing my food, and it also has less protein, but it's tasty and quick.

I do my best to keep the ingredients in my smoothies as Whole30 as possible. I've never liked milk, so I don't put yogurt or milk in. I was just using water until I came across my favourite pineapple coconut water from Vita Coco! Pictured here is: Banana, almond butter, pineapple coconut water, spinach, frozen strawberries. Not pictured: cinnamon and unsweetened coconut (generally used as a garnish, but sometimes I'll blend it in).

It usually turns out a weird brown colour, but don't let that fool you! The smoothie pictured above has more strawberries than spinach. I found I wasn't getting enough spinach in the Magic Bullet cup if I blended the fruit first, so now I shove spinach in first with the almond butter, coconut water, and strawberries before I add the bananas (yes, plural). As you can see in the right hand picture below, I put the spinach in first and it's more green than brown!

I'm probably going to start venturing into eggs for breakfast again, but I need new recipes! The quiche that I make is really yummy, but it's over stayed it's welcome here. I've seen some recipes for n'oatmeal (it's not actually oatmeal, so it's gluten free and the recipes are generally Whole30 ingredient friendly), and I think they'd be great to try out. 

What are your favourite breakfast recipes? Even if they aren't exactly Whole30 friendly, I can alter some ingredients so don't be afraid to share! 

xo. Nicole

My Winter Running Essentials

Happy Valentine's Day! I can't believe it's already February, sheesh. The weeks are going by so quickly, but I find the days are long. We just finished swimming lessons with the kiddos at work, so I'm thankful for this Family Day long weekend. The snow almost disappeared completely, but then we got another huge dump overnight. We're in Alberta, and I'm ashamed to say I forgot about second Winter (haha)!

Anywho, I finished my first half marathon on February 7th! My friend and I started training in October for this, and my only goal was to finish the race. I finished 21.1 KM in 3:00:24! Our next marathon is on August 21, the Edmonton Half Marathon, and training starts in May. Winter running is actually a lot harder than I expected, despite having a mild Winter this year. The motivation to get outside when it's -10*C and lower, or going to the gym to run on those dreaded treadmills - it's hard. We did it, though! I wanted to share with you some of my Winter running essentials, minus a few things, like shoe spikes (I just never got around to buying any, though I will for next year). 

What I took with me for my half marathon:

• Gloves - I just use the $3 Wal-Mart gloves because my hands get way too sweaty and warm after about 4km to wear anything thicker. I can still switch my music and check things on my phone if needed with these gloves. They're thin enough to do that!
• Toque - Your ears will hurt if you're not wearing something to cover them in the cold, and I like having all my hair covered, too. The toque in the picture above is the one we got in our race package, but it was too small with my hair being in a bun, so it's now Rob's work toque, haha! I just use a blue knit one that I bought from Ardene's a couple years ago. Works great!
• Arm Band + Headphones - I always, always have my phone in the arm band on my arm while Running to get a more accurate reading for the Nike Running app, and some hands-free music. 
• Gum - While not Whole30, I use gum during my run. It gives me something else to focus on if I'm having a hard time continuing my run, and it helps keep my mouth moist, so I don't feel so dehydrated.
• Water Belt - I got this for Christmas from my friend! It's awesome! For the long runs, I wear it and I have some Advil, gum, and a LaraBar or two in the zipper pouch. One bottle is usually filled with Gatorade and the other with water. I found it's important to stay hydrated during your Winter runs, even if you don't feel you need to. They're definitely different than Summer runs, where you can feel the dehydration kicking in.

• Pants - I learned the hard way that it's important to have proper Winter running pants, and undershirts. So I splurged and bought some Nike pants - they're amazing! My thighs and bum hurt really bad after a 16km run with some regular running leggings, and they were definitely red for rest of the day. 
• Thermal, long sleeve top - It was pretty cheap, and I really like this one because it's got a lot of stretch, but stays where you stretch it to. I pull the sleeves to cover my hands until they warm up (with the gloves on) after 4km. 
• Hoodie - I am in love with Healthy is The New Skinny's hoodies and tank tops. I bought a hoodie and unfortunately shrunk it in the dryer (so I bought another one, a size up just in case) and now use it for my runs outside. 
• Sports Bra - This one is from Victoria's Secret! Don't forget some good socks, too. I only wear one pair because I've noticed that my feet swell up during the long runs, and my toes are only really cold for about 3-4km before they're perfectly fine.

This week, I'll also share my favourite apps for motivation and exercising!

I hope your Valentine's or Galentine's Day is wonderful! <3

xo. Nicole

A Fresh Start

I officially went back to work last Thursday, but it was just prep work and staff meetings. Today marks the first day the kids are in school, and my first real day of work for this school year. I'm a little anxious, but I'm also excited! I enjoyed having my Summer off, but I'm looking forward to being in a routine again, and obviously the paychecks ;)

I totally had no idea what to do with myself yesterday. I wanted to be productive, but I also wanted to just sleep in and relax. Sleeping in didn't really go as planned and I tried to force myself to go back to sleep, so I was just even more tired. I cleaned the house just the other day, so I only had 2 loads of laundry to get through. Usually cleaning the house makes me feel productive and accomplished, but not yesterday. Both dogs and Koshka laid around all day. It was hard to get Gunner up, but Spencer was his usual energetic, puppy self, haha!

Today and tomorrow, September 1st, will be the beginning of a fresh start for me. I'm on day 22 of my 4th round of Whole30, but I plan to continue clean eating until at least Rob's birthday in October. I find it a lot harder to say no to certain foods (and wine) when I'm on day 31 or above because technically Whole30 was "over". I could do a Whole45 or Whole60, but I find it doesn't help with finding that balance. We also have a few events coming up that I won't have meals prepared for, like Thanksgiving in October.

My fresh start will include me actually going to 30 Minute Hit and having a generally more positive attitude towards work and other things in general. It was exhausting to have a negative attitude waking up for work, so that is definitely going to change. 

I've also been getting very bored with the regular foods I've eaten on Whole30, so I decided to stir things up a bit and actually try some of the recipes in their new book. Above is a breakfast, egg-free hash and it is SO good! My cousin and her boyfriend are starting their first round on September 10th and I am so excited! I really wish everyone would do a full round to feel how amazing they can actually feel. I made them dinner on Saturday night and made the sausage patties from the Whole30 book - they were actually really good! I didn't mix the ingredients well enough so we'd get mouthfuls of sage and garlic powder, but you live and learn, hahaha! 

I've put so many tabs in the book, and I'm determined to make each recipe in there. I'm looking forward to Fall and when the weather cools down for those yummy crock pot dinners. It's just not the same in the Summer, for me. My first crockpot meal is going to be those pulled pork carnitas *heart eyes for days*. I've heard such good things about them, they can only be delicious.

My new favourite thing is to infuse water. Pictured above is the water I've been addicted to for the past 4 days. It has frozen raspberries and torn, fresh mint leaves. So, so good!

Do you have any big plans for Fall? 

xo. Nicole

MFJ v0.6 || Summer

It has been so nice to have the Summer off where I can focus on my eating and exercising. I don't have an excuse for not finding time to exercise, nor to be unprepared for Whole30. I've used my time off to my advantage, except for one full weekend and the odd day here and there. I haven't started another full round of Whole30, but I generally eat compliant. I spent 4 days in Banff and Canmore, Alberta for a bachelorette party which didn't involve any compliant meals or drinks. I also let myself have some wine and chips for my birthday party. Now that both of those events are over, I have longer periods of time between big events to focus on eating clean. 

There's a full 18 days in between the bachelorette party and the wedding, with a camping trip in between. It's easier to stay compliant during the camping trip because I could just bring my own Whole30 approved hot dogs, and bring some vegetables to roast over the fire...but I probably won't. I'm making the conscious decision to drink wine, eat s'mores, and eat whatever anyone else is bringing for the whole group. I'm not going to go overboard, because I know how I'll feel physically and mentally. I beat myself up for a while after my birthday party because I gained 9 pounds of bloat that took a whole week to go down completely. I went overboard and suffered the consequences. 

My friend, Allison, and I have made an agreement. We have to hold each other accountable by sending each other pictures of our meals and photo evidence that we exercised. Yesterday and today have gone well, though yesterday I overdid it. I ate 3 meals like usual, but I exercised in the morning and in the evening. I ended up dehydrating myself pretty badly and woke up Tuesday morning at 4am with a blinding headache and extreme thirst that I almost woke Rob up to take me to the hospital. It was agony, and even after Advil and lots of water and some food, my headache lingered until 11am. I've been eating clean, drinking tons of water, and sipping on coconut water to help me rehydrate. So far, so good. 

All of our Summer events are over as of August 9. We drive home from Canmore, Alberta that day so I still won't have any compliant food with me. August 10 I'm officially starting my 4th full round of Whole30. I hope to go longer than 30 days, but you never know what will pop up.

I shared some of my meals above. I have a whole head of iceberg lettuce and I'm finding good use for it before it goes bad. Tried to make lettuce wraps that ended up just being a gluten free version of sloppy joes. I've been putting my eggs (fried with EVOO and seasoning salt) on the lettuce too, and adding Frank's Red Hot Sauce on top. So good! Whole30 meals were daunting at first, trying to make sure everything was compliant and that I had enough food, but now it's easy and second nature of what to throw together.

Have you done Whole30? 

xo. Nicole

Colour Me Rad 5K

This past Saturday, July 4, I participated in the 2015 Colour Me Rad 5K. I didn't get to run the entire 5, but we did some sprints. Next year I'm planning to run the whole thing, but this year was still fun! I have a 10K that I signed up for with a friend for October, so lots of training to do until then.

This time last year, I totally would have never done this...and if I did, it would have been straight walking and out of breath if I did decide to run. Sometimes it's crazy and overwhelming to think of my progress.All I follow on Instagram now are people who are also doing Whole30 and who work out. I need the motivation! While on Summer vacation, before I go for a run in the mornings, I browse Instagram and The Berry's Daily Motivation while I have a quick bite to eat and some coffee. Works like a charm ;)

What is motivation for you? 

xo. Nicole

MFJ V.05 || An Update

Since January 2, I've been on and off doing Whole30 rounds. You probably already knew that if you've read my previous posts, or follow me on Instagram. To date, I've completed 3 full rounds and am currently doing my 4th. It's crazy sometimes to think of how far I've come! I remember being so anxious before I started round 1. I also remember thinking I'd for sure mess it up and not complete a full round, but look at me now! 

My life has changed for the better, and everything is coming together. Whole30 honestly makes me feel amazing, and I'm definitely working hard to make this a lifestyle change. It can be tough some days to distinguish the difference between a diet and an actual lifestyle change, especially when there's donuts and candy at work. 

I started to incorporate exercise in April. I started with a spin class, but that's over now. As of last month, I now do stairs, hills, running, and 30MinuteHit. My secret is having a workout partner, haha! It holds me accountable, it helps me to encourage her and myself, and it makes it a lot more fun. My goals for myself include:

• Drinking at least one of my giant green jugs of water, every day. (I have yet to measure how much water is actually in it...)
• Exercising in some form at least 4 times a week.
• Finding balance with Whole30 and regular day-to-day life. I'm not sure what balance means for me, but I'm figuring it out.

A huge motivator for me was when Healthy is The New Skinny reposted and shared my photo. I treated myself to one of their tank tops and wore it the day after it arrived. I always get "wow I love your shirt!" when I'm wearing it while at work and when I'm working out. I used their hashtag, #healthyisthenewskinny in my photo and then they reposted it on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! It has over 1,000 likes and the comments are amazing. I never thought that I could be someone else's motivation or inspiration. It's...motivating! 

I am excited for what the future holds. In just 5/6 months, I've lost 35 pounds and I've become more active than I've never been. I constantly think about where I'll be next January and I get so excited every time!

Seriously, if I can do it, you can do it. Just get rid of your excuses. I MAKE the time for exercise and meal prepping now. If you want something, you make it happen. 

I love the quote, 

"If you think you can or can't, you're right."

It is SO true.

xo. Nicole

Mmmm || Roasted Broccoli

K, I totally realize that I keep saying I won't just be posting Whole30 stuff, but I just want to keep sharing the yummy recipes and my victories! Today I'm sharing with you an exceptionally easy side for any meal of the day. It's totally my favourite!

All you'll need is:

• Broccoli (however much you'll need for dinner, or for several meals. I usually fill the mixing bowl!)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Salt (or any seasoning of your choice)

Now, all you'll need to do is preheat your oven to 400*F then throw all your ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix, mx, mix and then lay on a baking sheet.

Cook for roughly 10-15 minutes and then let cool for 2 minutes. It's such a tasty and filling side dish, you could even add slivered almonds if you wanted to make it fancy. It's completely Whole30 compliant/Paleo!

You can serve with any meal, and almost any food that that meal is made of. The two pictures above are two different kinds of broccoli and both served with apple pork chops (2 different styles, too)! I hope you enjoy!

xo. Nicole

Whole30 Essentials

After posting a status update on Facebook about how from the period of January 2 to March 2, I've lost 20 lbs (!!!), I'm always being asked by random people, friends, and family, how to get started on Whole30. I HIGHLY suggest reading the book, It Starts With Food. It explains everything about why we don't eat legumes, and why you cut off the fat from the meat if you don't buy organic, etc.. I have a lot to post and share with you on the subject, but right now I'll share what I always keep on hand at home!

Ah, meat and protein. It's essential because it keeps you full and energized until your next meal! There's a lot of debate going on about pork. They say it's one of the dirtiest meats and to only buy organic if you do want to eat it. Seriously, easier said than done. I haven't eaten, nor purchased, any organic/grass-fed meat during my entire experience on Whole30. I'm sure I would feel a little better without the extra toxins and whatnot, but so far this is working for me and our budget.

Eggs are a must, unless of course you're allergic. There's plenty of eggless breakfast recipes, but I prefer my eggs. I usually fry two up (yolk cracked..I hate runny yolk!) in some EVOO + garlic powder, then plop them on a plate of spinach. It's a filling and tasty breakfast!

I cut up a banana with almost every meal and if not, then I add some berries. Sometimes I'm just not hungry enough for fruit (which is the last thing I eat). Almost all the vegetables are so delicious when you toss them in the oven. My signature side is a vegetable all chopped up, EVOO, and some salt or garlic powder. So, so delicious. Part of Whole30 is also trying new vegetables. I had never had spaghetti squash before and I'll never give it up! I forgot to add yams to my veggie list - add it :)

If you're following my social media accounts, you'll often see me mention that I've added EVOO in to my meal, and now you know what it is! It's pretty much 100% an essential in my cooking. I used to use cooking spray or butter in the frying pan, but now I only use EVOO. There's something called Ghee but I haven't been able to find one that is at a decent price. I'd rather sample it before spending that much on a tiny jar. Oh, also, add cinnamon to this list!!

The above Extras are totally what get me through. The salsa is amazing on eggs or on some vegetables. I use the almond butter after I workout with a banana or an apple, sometimes even with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I broke down this week (Day 20 of round 2) and purchased some almonds and pitted dates to make some home made LaraBars! They're a great emergency food, but per the Whole30 guidelines, are not to be a snack or a meal substitute.

I hope my lists help you on your journey! You'll figure out what works for you and what doesn't. For me, white potatoes make me crash too hard so I opt for yams. Things like that are just part of the journey!

xo. Nicole

MFJ v.04 || Whole30

If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, you'll have seen and read that I'm participating in the Whole30 challenge. During the holidays, a few pictures were taken (ugh family photos) and I really just realized that my relationship with food needs to stop. It needs to go from unhealthy to healthy. I'm tired of how I look and feel all the time. I want more energy during the day, I don't want my brain to be so foggy...

I'm sure at one point you've come across the Whole30 challenge, and if you haven't I encourage you to check out the website! The 30 day challenge is essentially a nutritional reset for your body. For many, many people it's curbed unhealthy food cravings, cleared their skin, brought their energy up, and many have even lost weight. I'm not just doing this to lose weight, but to improve myself. 

I owed it to myself to complete a full round, and I did just that! My mood has significantly improved, my energy levels are up (except when I forget to drink water), and as of March 2, 2015, I'm down 20 pounds! I have my two sisters texting and messaging me asking for help and what I did and blah blah, because they want to try it now!

It's way easier than you think. My anxiety was up before I officially started, for fear of finding myself absolutely starving and having nothing to eat. Boy, was I wrong! Just remember the template of a crap ton of veggies, a palm or two of protein, a thumb of healthy fats (like extra virgin olive oil), and maybe some fruit if you're still hungry. When in doubt, put more vegetables on your plate, but if you're starving between meals, it means you didn't have enough protein or fats for YOUR body. The template can only go so far.

I had a 2 week hiatus from Whole30 while we moved in to our home and I definitely felt the effects of not eating the way a person should. I kinda went crazy with the take-out and crappy food. I am NOT making that mistake again! One big thing I noticed though, is that while eating terrible, I was more hungry more often. So I started my second round on February 16, and I was more hungry more often for the first couple days and then it got better, I'm eating less during the day, and sometimes I'm not even hungry and have to force myself to eat dinner.

The point of Whole30 is to be a nutritional reset. It is not a weight less system! Many people have the benefit of weight loss, but it's only an added bonus. I'm continuing to eat Whole30 compliant and will move on to Paleo after March 17, because I love how I feel. My biggest success is getting rid of my negative body image and feelings, and finally being confident about how I feel and look. I even rocked some pink/red lipstick this week for the first time EVER! Now I want to buy all the lipstick! hahaha!

Next week, I'm sharing my Whole30 essentials and other NSV (non-scale victories)! While I do have more time for blogging, I'm also using up my free time to cook and to unwind from the day so my posting won't be every day, but hopefully 2-3 posts a week.

xo. Nicole

Mmmm, mornings

Since completing a whole round of #Whole30 (seriously, I DO have a post coming up all about my experience..), breakfast has easily become my favourite meal of the day. The mornings are also one of my favourite times of the day. Up until this week though, I've spent my morning getting ready for work and putting effort in to fry up some eggs, throw them on spinach, and cut up a banana. 

I used to love it when my mornings were low-key. I would skip breakfast entirely (ha, totally never doing that again), sip on a cup of coffee, and browse some of your lovely blogs. It got me going for the day and I've noticed that I've really been needing that again.

I decided on Sunday to finally just do some serious meal prep so that I can do just that. I came across a recipe for some Paleo Quiche, or breakfast casserole, in the Facebook support group for those doing Whole30, called CleanWhole30. Laura shared her recipe on her Instagram and in the group's recipe files. Sold!

I used a yam instead of a white potato because I noticed that I crash too hard otherwise. I also used some Country Naturals Gluten Free pork hot dogs (not pictured there) as the breakfast meat. I also may or may not have missed the onion while chopping and went right for my finger :( I has just painted my nails, too. 

After it was done baking, I let it cool then cut it in to 6 large pieces. I put them all in a container, so now I have 6 breakfasts waiting for me in my fridge. Serve it up with some veggies and/or fruit and you're good to go!

I really hope you get to try this, it's suuuper tasty and even easier to make :)

xo. Nicole

MFJ v.03 || Self Love

A part of my fitness journey is self love. It's one of the most important things, in my opinion, to love yourself first. As I've read before, we should be exercising and eating better because we love our bodies, not because we hate them. 

I came across Crystal's guest post on Kenzie's blog, and realized that I need to take more time out of my day to think about what I love about myself and my life. She wrote an amazing post, and gave a list of questions to prompt me/us to get started on our self love. Today, I'm going to do my best to answer those questions. Will you?

1|| What about yourself makes you feel the most confident? 

This is a difficult question, but I'm going to say opening up my wardrobe. I'm becoming more "out there" when picking new clothing to buy, and finding items that are better suited to my body type now. Before, I felt comfortable to wear tank tops without a cardigan, but now I feel comfortable in a cardigan and a scarf.

2|| What 3 things do you like about your personality?

I'm empathetic, I don't put up with crap from other people, and I'm occasionally outgoing. I like that I'm comfortable spending time alone, but that I can be outgoing with people when I need to be.

3|| What's one moment that you saved the day for someone else?

I'm not sure it would be considered "saving" the day, but I've made people's days better by paying for their drinks at Starbucks. They're usually complete strangers, but it always gives me a warm feeling inside that wasn't from my latte.

4|| What are at least 2 physical attributes that you love and wouldn't change a thing about?

My eyes and my nose. My eyes are a really nice green, and my husband loves them. They're also the same as my mom and sisters, so that's a plus! My nose because, it's me. I don't think any other nose would look good.

5|| What's one skill that you've mastered enough to be able to teach it to someone?
I've come to get the hang of blogging, and using Blogger, enough to help out some fellow bloggers who have just started. I remember how lost I felt when I first started out, and I don't want others to feel as lost. I don't know much and haven't mastered it, but I know enough to help!

Will you answer these questions?

xo. Nicole

MFJ v. 02 || My Favourite Blogs

A huge part of my fitness journey has been finding inspiration and motivation. There are a lot of places nowadays to find those things, but it's hard finding what's right for you, or for me! I notice a lot of people using Pinterest to repin quotes and such, but that never really did anything for me. I like blogging, but I love reading blogs more. 

When I began my journey, which you can read about here, I came across a few blogs that helped get me started. They contributed to pushing me to go to those work outs that my friend offered me, and continue to push me through this month (August) while I can't afford the personal training. 

Pictures are c/o Glisten Fit and Livy Love

There are countless fitness blogs that offer a lot of inspiration, but these two really stuck out for me! 

1|| The picture on the left is Jessica! She blogs over at Glisten Fit and it's her own personal training business! She knocks it out of the park with how wonderful and helpful her and her blog really are. She posts monthly calendars, recipes, Fit Friday workouts, I friggin' love it!

2|| The picture on the right is Diana. She blogs at Livy Loves to Run! She has lost a considerable amount of weight just from exercising and changing her diet. She's just over 100lbs lost, looks SO good, and her face just glows! She is definitely a huge inspiration for my weight loss. 

By me sharing my favourite motivational blogs, I hope that you find some energy and drive in to helping yourself if you need it, too!

Source (the only source I could find for it!)

xo. Nicole

MFJ || v.01

Being happy and confident with my body image was a daily, almost hourly struggle. I have a loving family and a wonderful husband who tell me I'm beautiful all the time, but something still tugged in the back of my mind every time someone uttered those words to me. I know that I wasn't alone with those feelings, as many of us women and men feel it, too. My confidence is slowly growing, and I'm beginning to love how I look. 

2011, when Rob and I moved back to BC and had our own apartment.

If I think about it enough, my self esteem went downhill around Grade 6/7. My mom, my sisters, and I all lived with a man who didn't treat us the way someone who loves you, should treat you. I pretty much ate my emotions. It didn't help that we took the bus to school, would eat pizza and other fried foods a couple times a week. When we finally left that house in 2006 (grade 9), my mom did the best thing she could have done for us! We cut out white bread and fried foods, ate multigrain and vegetables, and started walking to school! I lost weight quickly, let myself out of my shell, made more friends, and even got a boyfriend! That relationship lasted from Grade 10 to Grade 12, and after we broke up, I lost more weight. It wasn't a healthy way of losing the pounds, as it was from staying up all night drinking and eating McDonald's in the morning. From there, it was hard to keep myself at that weight and I struggled with other aspects of my life. I moved to Alberta, Canada for the change in scenery, and that's when I met my now-husband.

2012, Wedding dress shopping and college graduation. Almost two years of dating Rob!

Rob and I moved in together pretty quickly and were SO happy! We ate out a lot and made "gourmet" dinners together. Our eating habits both went from relatively healthy to utter crap. The pounds started piling on! When we bought my wedding dress in 2012, I told myself I wanted to get rid of that "shadow" under my belly and also told myself that I would eat better and work out. Wedding planning got super stressful, and on top of it all, I was told that I was allergic to dairy, eggs, wheat, and sesame seeds. Instead of going the logical route of eating more vegetables and protein, I ate a LOT of bacon and hash browns. I did that for 4 months. I caved and ate regular foods again, and the pounds kept piling on. I was also so focused on planning the wedding and working 4 jobs, that I neglected my body. During the last few months of wedding planning, I started to notice how much weight I had put on. With the stress of how I looked, my coping method was apparently to just not think about it. I regret it to this day.

2013, self esteem at an all time low, regardless of it being one of the happiest times of my life

My wedding day was a turning point for me. I look at the photos and I see that the dress fit tighter than it did when we purchased it. I see the smile that never left my face, but the chins to accompany it. I see the gorgeous hair colour and style that took time to perfect for the day, but that it could have looked better on a thinner face. It won't always be like this for me, as one day I will look at the pictures everyone took and will tell myself that I worked hard and don't look like that anymore.

2014, moved to Alberta and got my dream job

After our wedding, Rob was offered a job back in Alberta, so we packed everything in our tiny apartment and moved provinces. Our stuff is currently in storage and we're living at my dad's house until we're on our feet. It'll be a year in September since we moved here, and it has not been without stress. Our vehicles kept crapping out and we had almost no money to fix them or for an alternative vehicle. I was working at a job I didn't like, until January 2014, when I landed my dream job! That's where I met my friend Hailey. Her boyfriend is a personal trainer and she mentioned that she had lost almost 60 pounds. She invited me along for a workout session after work one day, and I've been hooked ever since. We started in March, and at the beginning of April, it was my first assessment. It was terrible. I hadn't stepped on a scale since my high school graduation 5 years ago, and found that I had gained more than 50 pounds since then. 

Since that assessment, I've been working out with Hailey 2-4 times a week, and I'm slowly changing my eating habits. We've also become amazing friends! My lunches at work had more vegetables, less carbs and sodium, and more protein. I've seen small changes, and so has Rob. I can't even begin to describe how much it helps me and how amazing it makes me feel when out of nowhere, Rob says, "I'm really proud of you for doing what you're doing." It gives me more confidence and a bigger push to continue on the path that I'm on now. 

I've got a long journey ahead of me, but I'm positive that my self-love will sky rocket along the way. I'm not going to stop when I reach a certain weight, as this is a lifestyle change. I will share my journey with you, and I hope that this can help someone else with their self confidence and love. I'll be sharing all sorts of things with you about my journey, including recipes and motivators. I hope that documenting my journey on here will also help someone else! 

xo. Nicole