There are so many delicious and healthy meals out there but here are some of my favs!!

Snacks:

Avocado stuffed with light  tuna topped with light cheddar cheese baked for 5-10 min

Oatmeal energy balls http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/

Quinoa bread with peanut butter and banana open faced sandwich

Glutino pretzels

Light cottage cheese topped with either avocado, bananas or apples

Naval oranges

Banana ice cream http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/06/peanut-butter-chocolate-banana-soft-serve.html

Fav suppers

Spaghetti squash chowmein seriously you HAVE to try this soooo good

http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2015/02/spaghetti-squash-chow-mein.html?m=1

Lazy cabbage rolls! So yummy http://ifoodreal.com/lazy-cabbage-rolls-skillet/

Healthy chicken chowmein Devine!!!

https://foodgawker.com/post/2014/04/04/333609/

Best porkchops hands down!! https://www.skinnymom.com/skinny-seasoned-pork-chops/

I ❤️❤️ fish tacos http://hostthetoast.com/blackened-fish-tacos-avocado-cilantro-sauce/

So simple and delicious!! http://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-taco-lettuce-wraps-3-pts/

This recipe is life changing!! Seriously try it! http://www.galonamission.com/buffalo-chicken-spaghetti-squash/

This is such a deadly combination!! http://arismenu.com/bbq-chicken-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/

This salad is to die for!! http://damndelicious.net/2014/01/03/bbq-chicken-salad/

Turkey burgers are one of my fav things to make!! This is one of my fav recipes but there are so many good ones I always ditch the bun and wrap mine in lettuce! http://wearychef.com/buffalo-turkey-burgers/

The best salmon I've ever tasted http://bitzngiggles.com/brown-sugar-salmon/

These are some of my fav go to family friendly meals!! I hope you enjoy them as much as us Smiths do!! Xoxo

Has it really been a year?

       I used to think a year was a very long time. They say the older you get the quicker time passes by. That is quite terrifying to me because this past year seemed to fly by.

      Has it really been a year? I still remember that day the very early morning being woken up by a very concerned husband, rushing to the ER and then following an ambulance to Lethbridge with my one year old in the back seat fighting the tears and trying to focus on the road ahead of me.

         I will never forget that day but I will forever be thankful for it. Thankful that it instilled in me that I never want to live without him. For showing me how important and valuable he is to me and to our family. It reminded me that life is so very precious and to never take it or him for granted.

     I'm thankful that because of that health scare I found a passion for health and fitness. I knew that I never wanted to feel that way again so it was time to improve my families health and to further prevent any illness. Since our drastic lifestyle change we are both happier and healthier than ever before. We feel so amazing and are so thankful for our health! I love helping others find there passion for health and fitness and I love to share my journey to hopefully inspire others to do the same. We only get one body, we should treat it with love and respect and always be working on being our very best selves!

     This experience taught me to live in the moment and to love with my whole heart and to live fearlessly. I have learned to appreciate my surroundings and to be thankful for the beautiful life Matt and I have created together. I learned to slow down and reevaluate. To chase my dreams and to love my life. I always want to be the best version of myself and to find beauty in all things.

     I'm so thankful for my amazing husband. He keeps me grounded and loves me no matter what. He is always there to support me and to build me up. We truly are a perfect match. We even each other out and compliment one another. He is my forever and I will never stop loving him and taking care of him. Xoxo

Who do you want to be?

have you ever just sat down and thought about who you want to be? I am here  to tell you, you can be and do whatever you want! You have the power, you just have to set the goal, make the plan and start working towards it! Stop wishing for the "perfect life" and start creating it! I used to wish I liked to workout and eat healthy, and wish that I was happy and confident in my own skin. I used to make excuses like "I have no time" "I am not a morning person" "I am curvy" "I am big boned" I pretended this was ok and that I didn't care and I secretly HATED all those skinny healthy b*tches! But you know what I was just unhappy with me!

When I finally decided to make this lifestyle change I was scared, scared I would fail, that I could never be "one of those girls" I was scared but I promised myself I had to try! And I am so glad that I did I am 100% a different person! I am happy, healthy, confident, strong and I am so excited about my life and my future!

 Life is about being present, living each day to the fullest! One of the things that has absolutely changed my life is something called "The Miracle Morning" before I explain what this is I have to tell you I was always that person who snoozed her alarm clock, slept till the last possible minute and hated mornings!! But I promised myself I would give it a real honest try, and it changed my life!! No word of a lie people I wake up happy and I am so productive and happy! I challenge you all to try this and really truely give it your all, for a week! If it doesn't help then forget about it but if you let it, it will change your life for the better! What time do you usually wake up in the morning? And what time do you go to bed at night? Start setting your alarm one hour earlier and crawling into bed one hour earlier! While you lay in bed think positively about waking up the next morning, think of how great it will feel to get up and be productive and take some time for YOU in the morning. When your alarm goes off get up! Do not snooze your alarm clock go brush your teeth walk downstairs pour yourself a big glass of water and head to your living room. Now take time to sit in silence, meditate and pray. Next write down and recite out loud your affirmations! DO THIS!! Then visualize your affirmations and how you want your day to go! Think positive thoughts. Then exercise! JUST DO IT it doesn't have to be long, or crazy but get your heart going and your blood pumping! Next take 10 min to read a great book (my favs are The Desire Map, You Are A Bad Ass, Strong Looks Bettet Naked) then take time to journal! I promise you this will change your every day life! You will become a happier healthy person and your life will be so much more beautiful and enjoyable! Stop snoozing through your life! Start enjoying it and living with purpose! Have a fabulous Tuesday my loves!

Xoxo Ashylla

FOREVER

the word forever can be very daunting and overwhelming! It can scare people. The biggest mistake I made in the past was being on a fad diet, doing 1 workout program and counting down the days until I was done! You need to find a balance in your health and fitness something that works for you that you can do forever!! It needs to be a forever change!

I am not on a diet. I simply cook cleaner healthier meals and snack healthier. I do occasionally treat myself but for the most part I eat to fuel and nourish my body! I workout 6 days a week! I found an at home workout program that I absolutely love and I do it religiously!! You need to find something you enjoy doing, exercise should never be a punishment it should be liberating and rewarding!

I have also made time for personal development! I take 15-20 min of my day to read a great book. I meditate and pray and I thank god for my beautiful family, our health and for this beautiful life I get to live. You need to take time out of your day to truly see how blessed you are! You will be a much happier, focused person if you do!

This is your life! Are you happy with where your life is at right now? If yes then keep at it!! Happiness is the key to life!! If you aren't start today!! Change your life take the steps towards happiness you, and only you hold the keys to your happiness!!

Happy new year all you beautiful people!! 2016 is going to rock your socks 😘

        Xo Ashylla

"how did you do it?"

Blog

I'm often asked "how did you do it?!" If your wondering this I have two simple questions for you! Do you believe in yourself? And do you love yourself? 

To be able to make a lifestyle change the most important step is believing that you can! Your mind is your most powerful weight loss weapon! Believe you can and you will! I don't mean dreaming about it I mean believing it and doing it!! You have to plan! Sit down on Saturday or Sunday and plan out your week! Plan your healthy meals, and grocery shop accordingly! (Do not buy junk!! Not even for your kids! Don't you want them to eat healthy too?) also throw away all the junk in your house! Once you've done that go through your schedule for the week plan around your daily routine and make time for your workout everyday! (Except your rest day) you have to believe you can do this and then follow through with the process if you do this every week you will succeed! 

You need to love yourself! You need to workout because you love your body and want to take care of it! We only get one body! Why not nourish it and take care of it! Let's stop just getting through life day by day and start loving every moment of your life! It's not easy to change your life but it's the most important and amazing thing you can do for yourself! We all have down days so it's so important to surround yourself with positive, supportive and loving people! Be selective!! Also I find it is so important to read a good book! Personal development and spiritual development are also extremely important!! I try to read 10 pages of my book every day! I also set time aside to meditate and pray! If you don't believe in God then just take time to be silent and be thankful for all of the amazing things in your life! If your ever struggling or need some tips and tricks please don't hesitate to message me! ardell23@hotmail.com or personal message me on Facebook! Have a great Thursday! Xo 

              Ashylla

The dreaded scale

Hello beautiful people today I am dedicating my post to the "dreaded scale". Through my fitness journey I have learned many important lessons, but this one is one of the biggest lessons I had to learn.

 In the beginning of my journey the weight was coming off pretty quickly on a consistent basis and I became very obsessed with the number on the scale! Eventually of course I hit a plateau and then I decided to push myself harder to see just how little I could weigh. To my dismay I started gaining weight!! I was so upset! I was working out even harder, pushing myself farther and eating the best that I ever had! I felt so lost, what was I doing wrong?

I completely stopped weighing myself!! I did some research and was so relieved to here that this is very common. That muscle weighs more than fat, and that I should not soul focus on the number on the scale but instead, to focus on the non scale victories!! How my clothes fit, how many inches I'm loosing and how great I feel!

 I've learned to be proud of my accomplishments and that I do not need to weight 120 lbs to be happy healthy and strong! If you've hit that plateau and are feeling discouraged you are not alone! The worst thing you can do is give up! Just avoid the scale and go by how your clothes fit, and how you feel because that is the most important part! Keep up the great work and always feel free to reach out to me for any tips, and knowledge I have learned along the way!!

 Xoxo.       Ashylla

Snacking, the art of snacking smart!

Hello all you beautiful people!

So lately I have been struggling with snacking! I know what I should snack on, I know that snacking is important but its so easy to get sick of a certain snack and to start craving something different!

I have come up with some snacking tips!!

1. don't buy snack you THINK you should eat, that you don't actually like, that's a waist of your hard earned cash! Because chances are you are not going to eat it! You need to enjoy your food!

2. switch your snacks up every once in a while so your not tempted to cheat on something that is NOT healthy!

3. Buy healthy snacks and snack in moderation! Don't over indulge. Do not buy the junk! keep it out of your house! Or you will eat it and you will feel awful about it.

4. Experiment with your snacks, try new things! Get on pinterest and find out what everyone is snacking on!

5. Make sure you buy things that are gong to fuel your body, not things that are empty calories and are going to leave you feeling awful and more hungry!

It is important to snack! You do not want to leave your body feeling empty! We need to find a balance in our meals! Practise portion control in your meals and snacks! Do not over indulge! I always eat 3 meals a day and have 2-3 snacks a day! its important to fuel our work, workouts, and daily activities! If we learn to eat healthy and meaningful calories we are going to feel amazing and have the energy we need to complete our days!

Some of my favourite snacks right now are;

roasted chickpeas, I LOVE chips and anything salty so this helps fill that void and is a healthy alternative to chips!

half of a grapefruit sprinkled with stevia: this helps stop your craving for sweets and is oh so good and good for you!

Oatmeal energy balls! These are my fav go to snack they are loaded with healthy ingredients and are super easy to make. They taste like a delicious no bake cookie!

Sugar snap peas! They are so Delicious and crunchy!

bananas and cottage cheese! This helps with the sweet and salty and cravings and is such a delicious combo!

Yogurt sprinkled with shredded coconut and handful of almonds! Dessert!!

What are you some of your favourite snacks?! Be sure to have healthy snacks on hand!! It is so important to eat enough calories in your day! Comment with your favourite snacks! I am always looking for yummy healthy snacks! Have a great weekend xo     Ashylla