Have you ever gone somewhere that you’ve never been to before- relying on someone else’s directions? Now I’m talking about really good directions! Not following Google Map or the GPS (mine likes to get me to turn as soon as possible- even if it’s faster to turn later). I’m talking about those really great directions that someone wrote out for you. That person has been where you are going like a million times- so they’ve thoughtfully included not only North/South/East/West directions and street names but they also gave you detailed descriptions of landmarks.  “If you see a blue church, you’ve gone too far”. Those directions are the best! I trust those directions completely- knowing that the person who wrote them has gone where I’m going. 

Even with those awesome directions, it always feels like it’s taking forever to get there. I remember the first time we drove to our cottage rental. It took so long to get there- or so it seemed. When we turned off the highway, on to the cottage road, we couldn’t see the lake. Every twist and turn of the road, I was sure after this turn the lake would appear. Turn after turn, twist after twist- no lake. The road began to get smaller, the trees crowding the small gravel road. It felt like an eternity that first time we drove to that cottage! Now, 6 years later,  when I drive to that cottage, it’s so fast! I know how many twists and turns there are. I know that even though I can’t see the lake, I know it is there- waiting for me to get there. 

its worth the drive when you get there!

I’m feeling a little impatient right now. I just want to get there- or at least I want to be confident I’m on the right road. About 2 months ago, a friend was not very nice to me. I was pretty devastated by the event and unfortunately instead of choosing happy I chose to spend about 6 weeks “eating my feelings”. I’ve gained some weight and I’m not feeling really great about myself.  Now I’m back on the journey of weight loss. 

My last blog post, I talked about how I was planning on getting back my body and my mojo. I’ve been following my plan, eating great and exercising. I’ve been very dedicated the last few weeks. I am proud of myself but weight loss is a funny thing- it takes a long time to see results! I’m not sure if this internet meme is true:

  
I’m on week 3. I feel more energetic and happier(endorphins are wonderful) but my favourite pants still don’t fit. It’s difficult not to get frustrated.

This is the part of the weight loss journey where I start to lose confidence in my “directions” or plan. All I’m seeing are the twists and turns in the road. I’m hoping and trusting that my road is leading to the lake! I have to TRUST THE PROCESS! I need to trust Tony Horton and his P90X3 workout DVDs. His workout programs get results- he has a proven and documented track record. I need to trust that the program will work for me. I need to trust my eating plan. Clean eating worked for me last time when I lost a significant amount of weight and I maintained a clean eating lifestyle for over a year until I started “eating my feelings” ugh. I’ve been on this road before- I just need to trust myself. 

Although I’m doing a new training plan (P90X3), I have gone back to my original  eating plans I used a year and a half ago. I have learned so much about Clean Eating this year, and I have built a huge arsenal of recipes, but I wanted to go back to the food that I have total confidence in because they  helped me lose weight last time. I also find comfort in some of these recipes because they bring back good memories and I haven’t eaten some of these meals in a while. One of my favourite recipes from last winter was this one for Veggie Quinoa Patties. I really love this recipe. It’s a great quinoa recipe (especially for newbie quinoa eaters). I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for quite sometime but my copy of the recipe was just a typed recipe with no author name or sources. I don’t like publishing recipes without giving proper credit to the author- especially for this great recipe! The author deserves major kudos for making quinoa so approachable and yummy! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, about 2 cups cooked

1 tsp grapeseed oil

1/2 pkg 227g ceremonies mushrooms, grated, about 1 cup

1 cup grated zucchini

3/4 cup grated carrot

1 small shallot, minces

1 garlic clove, minced

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

You can find the directions at Chatelaine.com 

 
These patties make a perfect lunch served with a green salad. 

I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m going to trust the process! 
Choose happy 😊