Smitten Life

 THESE PANTS! I am obsessed with them, I got them from Red Ribbon the moment my shopping ban was over and knew I had to have them. Not only are they striped but they're comfy as hell. Darcy said they looked like clown pants, so obviously I had to get them. I tend to love clothing he thinks is bananas, which is perfectly fine by me.

 This soft turtleneck is perfect with these pants, which I can't wait to dress up and down and transition them into warmer months. Also a splash of colour goes a long way with the all black and white outfit. That tends to be my go-to combo!


Outfit: Top-Miss Boss (Brand: Jackson Rowe), Pants-Red Ribbon, Coat-second hand from friend, Shoes-Aldo, Purse-Value Village, Sunnies-Red Ribbon. 

Exercise is so important, we all know that. Time and time again we've had the benefits of exercise touted out to us, lot's of studies proving that we need more activity in our day. Vast majority of people sit all day, and aren't getting nearly enough movement in their daily lives. It's been shown even those of us exercising 60 minutes a day still aren't getting enough movement if the rest of the day is spent sedentary. So how do we fix that? Here are some tips to add in a bit more movement through your day:

1. Take the Stairs:
Any chance you can get, take the stairs instead of the elevator. When you go to take a pee break use a bathroom on a different floor, it won't take that much longer but it'll get you more steps and get the heart rate up a bit.

2. A Morning Stretch Routine:
15 minutes in the morning, just 15 minutes earlier to get a good stretch routine in. Get the blood flowing, open up the area's that are tight, you will absolutely feel more alert and your body will thank you.

3. Lunch time workouts:
Most people get at least an hour for lunch everyday, that means you can easily fit in 30-45 minutes of exercise during that time (gotta leave time to actually eat). This doesn't have to be high intensity so you're going back to work super sweaty, it can be something simple like a bike ride, a yoga class, a run or even doing a strength workout.

4. Make it a Group Thing:
Find some friends who are interested in the same thing you are and do it together. I love going rock climbing with friends, it feels like a social outing more than a workout and you're more likely to not bail if people are there. It's also been really fun to start doing kickboxing with some friends!!

5. Walk to Work:
If you can obviously, or bike, or even park a bit further away. I know we don't like doing that when it's -30, I get that but on those nicer days try it out! I love walking or biking to work in the spring/summer and fall months.



6. Get a Doggo:
They need their exercise or they go bananas, so you'll have to walk more! My guy loves the park so on nice days we try to go for at least one hour, he runs, I run, we walk a bunch and have a lot of fun. Besides being couped up indoors in the winter can be depressing, so it's nice to get outside!

1. Don't stay on the same program for too long.
It's important to switch up your programs after about 4-6 weeks, you'll stop seeing strength gains, power gains etc after that. It's important to give your body progressive overload specific to your goals.


2. No structure in your program
If your program has no structure, and you're just doing whatever you feel like at the moment at the gym, you definitely won't see progress. Performing specific exercises for a period of time is important, structuring it out so you're not hitting the same body part a few days in a row etc. There are many programs online that can help you reach your goals or contact a personal trainer to get a program specific for what you're looking for.
3. Neglecting your Nutrition
Putting in the effort in the gym isn't going to do anything if you're eating like garbage. You can't out train a bad diet. We've all heard that saying a bunch of times but it's true. Now that does not mean that you can't indulge every now and then, having a few things to look forward to can help you stay on track throughout the week.

4. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Another reason why you're not seeing results is not getting enough sleep, if you don't sleep enough your body will never recover from the exercise you've done. Your muscles tear everytime you work out, small micro tears, and they require rest to recover.
5. Not Managing your Stress
If you're body is constantly fighting stress you won't be able to recover from your workouts. You also won't be able to perform as well, if you're very fatigued you won't be able to lift as much, run as fast etc. Taking some time to decompress and relax will help you perform at your best.

It's that time of the year again....The time where everyone tries to convince us that are bodies are problematic and we need to do something extreme to "fix" them. Obviously I see nothing wrong with having goals, they keep us motivated and moving in the right direction. But the dialogue and discussion around fitness goals in the new year is almost exclusively weight loss related/changing your body shape. There are so many fitness posts directed at women aimed to get them in the gym this new year. I love fitness, being healthy is important for everyone and working out is a key to that but shaming someone into working out is stupid.
Some of these posts/ads/marketing schemes come veiled as empowering women. This is frustrating because there is nothing empowering about telling a woman she will be worthy after she looses "x lbs" or if she works out "x amount a week" suddenly she's worthwhile. Empowering women would be telling them they are worthy and beautiful as is. Working out should be something we enjoy, or tolerate for health related reasons, it's gunna help you live longer and you'll have a better quality of life. Exercise should not be viewed as punishment for eating "unhealthy" foods or because we don't fit inside a certain box.
As a health professional I try to steer my clients away from weight based goals and try to get them to shift their attention to strength, endurance etc. This is a hard switch to make since we've been told from a young age how important being slender or perceivable fit. The main assumption when someone sees a larger individual in the gym is that they're there for weightloss, that doesn't have to be the case and to treat someone like that is shitty. We all need to leave our assumptions about bodies (our own and others) at the door.

1. No Body Shaming

Obviously no body shaming ourselves or others! I personally would ask people not comment on anyone's body in general (unless your opinion is asked for), because no matter how good intention your "have you lost weight? you look great" comment is, its going to reinforce the perception of slim = good. You can just simply tell someone "You look great, you look healthy, and happy" easy fix!

2. Stop Living By the Scale

I swear the week after Christmas I heard 5 different individuals in the span of 10 minutes complain they gained weight over the holidays. Anywhere between 1-7lbs. Guess what? Your weight fluctuates 5 lbs every damn day, if you think you gained 2 lbs, try taking a poop because it might be that. Also 5 lbs does not define your self worth, end of story.

3. Redefine Fit

Having a 6 pack does not equal being super fit. We have to wrap our minds around the fact that many people who may not look stereo typically fit actually can be quite fit. Someone said to me they wouldn't trust a fat trainer....but what does that mean. How do you know they're not fit? You don't know what their training protocol looks like, what their goals are...Take a step back.

4. Health & Wellness goals

Training for vanity and training for overall health can look very different, and they leave you feeling different as well. Training for vanity can leave you filled with anxiety if you miss a session or your self confidence becomes tied up in your perceived level of fitness. Long term it's pretty obvious that this is no good for your mental health. Training for overall health and wellness is meant to make you feel good mentally and physically. Having a strength based goal, wanting to get more endurance to climb a mountain etc. All great goals

5. Step Back from Social Media 

I, like a lot of other people am competitive. Therefore when I see someone doing something more than me, better than me, faster than me something inside goes "I need to do that too". This can be a great tool to help me train harder, it can also be a bad tool when my body needs a rest day. It's also super shitty to compare yourself to others. Social media is awful for this, so any accounts that I find myself doing this with I unfollow, I refuse to let instagram make me feel shitty. Unless something brings me joy or inspiration, it's not useful.

 Darcy got me this jacket for Christmas, although I picked it out. I have been on the lookout for a simple black leather jacket to add to my wardrobe for quite some time now. This one isn't real leather but the quality is really great and I think it'll last a long time. It's a piece that looks great with jeans and a sweater, over a cute cocktail dress, with almost anything really and I'm so glad to have added it to my wardrobe.

1. More Muay Thai!

2. Preventative Exercise

3. Work/Life Balance

4. Less Spending

5. Take Care of my Mental Health

Since it's now a new year and everyone likes to go bananas and make resolutions that they end up failing on within the first 3 weeks, lets talk about goal setting! Having goals is great and wonderful but don't set yourself up for failure right from the start:

1. Keep It Simple 

2. Check ins

3. Don't Give Up 

4. Accountability

5. Don't Overload