Real life Skinny Bitch

I've been sitting on this post for months. It felt kind of self serving which is the reason behind the delay, but I keep being asked about it so here goes. I currently weight less than I did in grade nine. I can run longer, enthusiastically take on any physical challenge and look in the mirror with a "hellz yes"! Because most women want to feel great and look hot, I'm going to tell you how I got here so that you can too! (Disclaimer: Wherever you are at right now, you're flipping gorgeous. Size does not equal beauty or happiness. What does make someone feel good is when your insides smile back) Please take a few seconds to enjoy my succulent curves circa 2009.
The bad news first. It isn't a product you can buy. No strawberry milkshake that you drink instead of a meal. No point system that you add up. No pill that melts it away while making your heart race. It's just eating real food. Lots of it and with regularity. It means making the preparation and procuring of quality, healthy food a priority. I can't promise you it will always be easy. But I can promise you that the benefits are worth it.

The good news is that you will feel it right away! Your body will say "f*ck yes!" when you start feeding it yummy plant based whole foods. Think about how plants are all of the colours of the rainbow.  Colour is nature's way to entice us to eat things. Bright = healthy. Animal foods tend to have little colour at all. Each day you should eat something in every colour! By eating all these healthy foods, your body will also say thanks with protection from the most prevalent diseases that kill North Americans. Below is the trailer for the documentary "Forks over Knives". The message is food as medicine, and I'm in love! Nothing graphic, but it might just save your life.

Now for the second bit of bad news.You're going to have to sweat. A lot. This stuff just doesn't happen without exercise. I know, it can suck sometimes/all the time. I've spent my life being ridiculously out of shape so this is new for me too. I kind of walked into the perfect job at a gym and by default I've seen changes in my body. Now you don't have to work at the gym to have this ass, so don't write it off just yet. You will need a commitment to finding something you love and to sticking with it until you see results. I started off with zumba and branched out to love all kinds of other classes (if you have Body Pump, Body Flow, Body Combat, Body Jam or Body Attack anywhere near you-GO! I love them all so much it's hard to choose). Make sure to include weight training-muscle use twice as many calories as fat and check out the visual appeal!

Try not to quit before payday- you can expect to see results in about six weeks. You'll be even more successful if you have an accountability buddy to meet you there or develop an obsessive crush on someone who works out where you do.

Finally, what exactly do you get to eat if you follow a vegan diet like me? The good news is that you can have treats! I eat all kinds of decedent treats (in all honest *way* more than I should). As I write this I'm having a beer and a cupcake. At 11 pm. I'm such an inspiration LOL! The catch is that 9 out of 10 times if you want a treat, you're going to have to make it yourself. Cinnamon buns are a pain in the ass to make, so I only get to have them a few times a year. That's a good thing-they have two kinds of fats, three kinds of sugar and loads of carbs. You should only eat them a few time a year. You're also going to have to say no to food. Free, sweet and copious-and you'll have to turn it down in favor of delayed gratification. Take a minute to be sad about that. Now perk up because you'll look hot and feel amazing!  Plus, you're going to learn how to cook in a whole new way and you're going to own it!

Here is a picture of me today, two years from the pictures above. I am the laziest person in the world so if I can make this magic happen then so can you!

P.S.....check out these bad ass vegan muscles! "Where do you get your protein?" Pshhhh!