Guide to Owning It!

“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s a day you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.”
― Margaret Thatcher

When you’re feeling down, a great way to cheer yourself up is doing something that makes you feel productive.   I know that it’s a hard thing to do. When you are in a bad mood or pissed off, all you want to do is sit and sulk…but that’s the worst thing to do!  Sitting at home feeling mopey isn’t going to help you – so get up off your butt and do something that makes you feel good about yourself!

When I lost my job, I felt defeated (and bored).  Even though I was spending hours looking for jobs and networking, I never felt satisfied at the end of the day.  I didn’t feel like I had achieved anything as there were no immediate results, I didn’t learn anything new or do anything that made me feel like a better person.  I realized that it was important to find something that made me excited to get up in the morning and feel better about myself (without interfering with the job hunt, of course).

So…….I decided to learn how to cook.

I knew how to make basic stir-fry and pasta, but nothing I was excited, proud, or even comfortable making for others.  Cooking was the perfect thing to learn to help boost my spirits because it was something I could do every day, didn’t take too much time, was a great life skill to have, and gave me an instant sense of pride and accomplishment after completing each meal.

The only problem was that lots of cooking → lots of eating → weight gain / over eating…..cause let’s be honest, I love food!  So, I started looking for delicious, healthy, low-calorie recipes.  During my search, I discovered the show “Cook Yourself Thin”:

“Cook Yourself Thin” offers viewers the skills and the confidence to give their favorite indulgent meals a healthy makeover by cutting the calories and doubling the flavor! Based on the successful British series…. each half-hour episode follows one guest as she learns simple ways to transform her favorite high-calorie meals into delicious, healthier fare.”

I tried a couple of the recipes and was WOWed.  The food was delicious and easy to make.  Who knew that healthy low-cal food could be that yummy!  I enjoyed the recipes so much that I bought their two cook books, “Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny meals you can make in minutes” and “Cook Yourself Thin Faster: Have your cake and eat it too”.  I recommend them both!  Not only do the books include recipes but also the calorie counts,  meal plans, and suggested ingredient substitutions.

Deciding to learn how to cook was one of the best things I could have done for myself.  I gained confidence from learning a new skill, I felt more energized from eating healthier food, and I felt satisfied at the end of the day knowing I had accomplished something.   I’m very proud to say that I now know how to make delicious guilt-free food.   (I’ll admit that I still get a little nervous when cooking for other people BUT at least now I’m willing to try).

Learning a new skill is a fantastic way to boost your self confidence and make you feel great about yourself!

***Here are some of my favourite recipes: (click the name to link to the recipe):

Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries and White Chocolate Chips

Asian Beef Noodle Soup

Fettuccine con Funghi

Steak with Cauliflower “Mashed” Potatoes

Do you know of any delicious low-calorie recipes?  Post them in my comments section below. I’d love to try them out!

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