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How to become an exercise ADDICT

LADIES…

I know the struggle. The struggle is so real.

I know the feeling of feeling hopeless that you will never have a regular exercise routine, constantly feeling like a failure because you can never meet your goals, and feeling like working out is the huge scary monster that is just going to be so hard to tackle.

HOW do other people do it? And make it look so EASY?

It’s easy to feel like it’s unfair…like they have some sort of superhero advantage…that they have more willpower than you do.

The thing is, the person you know who works out on the regular no matter what is NO different than you are.

Everyone has a life, everyone has an endless to-do list, a crazy house to take care of, floors to sweep, jobs to get to, children to tend to…

BUT the real difference between one who works out regularly and one who doesn’t is a matter of CHOICE.
We have are making choices every moment of every day…and they are either getting you closer to your goals, or they’re not.

If you want to tone up, feel more energized, and just feel healthier and happier day to day…eating a danish for breakfast and blaming your kids and husband for your lack of fitness is NOT going to get you to where you want to be, amiright?

So now you might be annoyed reading this, thinking…

“Yeah okay Hanan…but if you knew what I have on my plate….it would be a different story…”

“Yeah but my situation is DIFFERENT…it’s not as EASY as you’re making it sound…”

And you’re right. I don’t know your situation.

But what I do know is that having goals to workout and get “fit” need commitment.
Your workouts need to be made a priority. You need to make a CHOICE to make it a priority.

Make a choice to eat eggs in the morning instead of a danish.
Make a choice to not blame your hectic lifestyle for that extra 15 pounds you’re carrying around.

If you aren’t making it a priority, it’s NOT going to happen, plain and simple.

Life is not going to get any easier or any less busy, let’s be honest here.

So let me ask you this…what EXACTLY are you waiting for???

START NOW.

Every time you are about to do something, I want you to ask yourself:

Is this serving me?

So, if you’re trying to lose 15 pounds and you wake up one morning about to eat a danish for breakfast, stop and ask yourself this question.

Then ask yourself:

What will be serving me?

And find the answer to that question.

To become “addicted” to working out, it takes time and patience. You need to build the habit of working out, and slowly, over time, it will start to be something you enjoy and something that is apart of your daily routine.

Here are my top 5 rules to build the habit of working out:

1) The early bird gets fit.

The morning is by far the BEST time to workout because life is 99.9% less likely to get in the way. You’re less likely to be thrown a curveball that changes the course of your day before everyone wakes up, amiright?

2) Start small.

When you are first building the habit of working out, it honestly DOES NOT matter what you do for your workouts. Do whatever you like. Go for a run, a hike, a swim, lift some weights…whatever is your jam. And if you don’t have a “jam,” try out different things until you find what you like.
The reason I say it doesn’t matter what you do in the beginning is because a) any movement is better than no movement and b) we are building the habit of consistent exercise.
Once the habit it formed, we can focus on the “what” aspect of the workout.

3) Hold yourself accountable.

Find a friend to workout with, to keep you accountable. Hire a personal trainer. Get your husband to keep you on track by checking in with you every day. Having accountability is a great way to keep you motivated and focused.

4) Be adaptable.

Perfection kills progress. I need you to take imperfect action. If you’re plans to go to the gym and workout get ruined, do a bodyweight workout at home. If your plan to go hiking and it rains, do an indoor workout and walk on the treadmill instead.
I need you to crush the idea that your workouts have to be “perfect.” Make a commitment to incorporate movement into your life no matter what the circumstances. Get creative!

5) Focus on ONE thing at a time.

I know you want to start exercising, eating better, waking up earlier, quit eating sugar, and the list goes on…
The thing is, we don’t have enough willpower to develop ALL those habits at once.
We can get there eventually, but one step at a time.
Pick ONE thing you want to change, and commit to working on it daily until it becomes second nature.

So ladies! I don’t want to just leave you hanging after giving you all that information. I want to give you an ACTION PLAN.

Action plan for becoming an exercise ADDICT:

1) Pick one exercise that you want to start doing, whether that’s squats, lunges, pushups, jumping jacks, etc.
2) Commit to doing FIVE repetitions a day. (so if you chose jumping jacks, I want you to do 5 jumping jacks a day)
3) Do your exercise in the morning as soon as you wake up (well…post coffee obviously…).
4) Do 5 reps of 1 exercise for 30 days straight.
5) Tell one other person who can hold you accountable, and get them to check in with you every day.

If you’re thinking, “Hanan…OBVIOUSLY I can do 5 reps a day. That’s way too easy!”
That was my intention. To develop the habit of working out, we need to start very small. Don’t worry…it won’t be this easy forever ;).

I’m SO excited you are taking *imperfect* action and starting your fitness journey with me.

Let me know what exercise you choose and keep me updated on your progress by tagging me on Facebook or Instagram. Or if you have more questions, contact me at hi@hanafadel.com.

Family Hiking Trip & Tabbouleh Recipe

Healthy and delicious Tabbouleh recipe you don’t want to miss!

I have been ITCHING to go hiking lately. The last time I went was a few months before I got pregnant. My husband and I drove to Shenandoah National Park. We spent the whole day hiking and we might have gotten lost…obviously not my fault hehe. It was so relaxing and exhilarating and after wearing ourselves out we went out for (gluten-free) pizza and brownies…YUM.

Since having a baby I haven’t gotten the chance to go hiking again, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to plan a (serious hiking) trip with Aleena when she gets a little older.

We were in Canada visiting for a week and we wanted to do something fun and different, so we decided to drive up to Hamilton, Ontario for a short, easy hike. We were going to try to hike Chedoke Falls. It was a pretty easy hike–we were mostly just walking on a straight trail the whole time. Once it got closer to the falls it got a bit challenging and honestly–it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to be doing with Aleena in the baby carrier (I’ll be getting a baby carrier specific for hiking next time).
But we did it, and it was so refreshing just to get out of the house and get some sun! The fresh air, the relaxing walk, enjoying the company of being around my family was all so nice.
Since having Aleena, for some reason I have become obsessed with walking outside. It is the most relaxing thing for me! It feels like the only time my brain just shuts off and I’m able to relax…

So once we got home we were seriously STARVING and I was cravingggg tabbouleh!
Now, I’m kind of a farab (a fake Arab) because in my family, we didn’t grow up very cultural, and to be completely honest, I don’t really like Tabbouleh (gasp!).
Also, I have been gluten-free for about 5 years, and so eating Tabbouleh wasn’t even an option for me anyway because it requires cracked wheat in the recipe. BUT, my mom is a master recipe queen and she created a gluten-free Tabbouleh recipe with quinoa. And it is seriously AMAZING. In my opinion, it is WAY better than traditional Tabbouleh. The quinoa absorbs the lemony-minty juice in a magical way and it is oh so delicious.
So, I wanted to share the recipe with you guys because it’s just too good and too easy not to share!

GLUTEN-FREE TABBOULEH RECIPE

Ingredients:
3 bunches of parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, diced
1.5 cups cherry/grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups quinoa, cooked
Dried mint, 1 tbsp
Salt, 1.5 tsp
Pepper, 0.25 tsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ¾ cup
Juice of 2 lemons

Instructions:
1. Start by cooking your quinoa. I like to rinse it first before I cook it. For every one cup of uncooked quinoa, I use 2 cups water. 1 cup dry quinoa makes about 3 cups cooked quinoa, so I usually make about one cup quinoa just incase I need a little extra. Once quinoa is rinsed, put it in a pot with water, and put the stove on high. When the quinoa is boiling, turn heat down to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the water, and is nice and fluffy.

2. Once the quinoa is done, put it in a bowl and set aside until completely cool. If you want it to cool quicker, place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes.

3. Finely chop the parsley OR put it in the food processor.

4. Next chop the bunch of green onions, and tomatoes.

5. Add the cooled quinoa to the parsley, green onion, and tomatoes.

6. Add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried mint.

7. Mix all together and let sit for 10 minutes for the quinoa to absorb all the flavor of the juice and spices.

8. Enjoy!!!
*Note: I like my Tabbouleh really lemony, so feel free to increase or decrease the amount of certain ingredients to your liking.

9 Uncomfortable Truths About Health & Fitness

1. Quick results almost never last.

Quick!

Gimme the low-down.
Get to the point.
I want it now.

We now live in a society that is so ruled by instant gratification that we are losing the ability to actually work HARD for things. Working out and eating healthy is not easy. It’s much easier to go through the drive thru at Chick-fil-A on your way home than it is to cook yourself some chicken breast and broccoli. And the media knows this.

The media and gimmicky gurus try to sell you on a “flat tummy tea,” quick “7 day fix” or “28 day bikini body,” because they KNOW that we want a perfect body and we want it now. These “quick fixes” are oh so easy to fall for, but it is also very disappointing because these results never last.

And ladies….flat tummy tea? REALLY? Puhhh-leaseeee…a tea is NOT going to give you a flat tummy for the rest of your life…let’s get real!

So next time you see something that promises “instant” or “effortless” weight loss, hold onto your Kate Spade wallet and run in the opposite direction. Nothing worth having comes easy. Living a CONSISTENT healthy lifestyle is the ONLY way to achieve healthy and lasting results.

2. What works for your friend may not work for you.

Everyone is unique. What foods work for your friend to lose weight, might not work for you. There are MANY factors that affect our ability to lose weight & be healthy, some of which include: genetics, physical environment, social environment, food sensitivities, sleep, stress levels, and psychosocial health.

Experiment with different types of exercise (although I almost always recommend some type of resistance training), see what foods work for you by doing an elimination diet, work on becoming aware of your thoughts & emotions and then work towards practicing self-love.

3. Your fixation on being happy if you were just “X” amount of weight is based off of something deeper going on.

The reason I talk about self-love and self-forgiveness is not just because I’m a hippie–it also has to do with the fact that it plays a real role in achieving your goals and being CONTENT with them.

If you workout and restrict your food intake out of punishment and hate for yourself, you will never be happy with your results no matter how much weight you lose or how many inches melt off. You will always be in a state of wanting MORE. I know this, because I have lived it.

When you can learn to LET GO and work out and eat right out of love & nourishment for yourself, not only will you be more content day-to-day, but you will also find that you’ll achieve your goals with ease.

4. You will never be able to achieve the results you deserve if they are only ever a “wish.”

Wishing won’t get you anywhere. Set yourself a specific goal, and COMMIT to achieving it no matter what. Failure is not an option. Make your goal as specific as possible, then write it down somewhere you can see on a daily basis. You can even put your goal as a reminder on your phone. For example:

“I will exercise for [X] minutes on [DAY(S)] in [PLACE] at [TIME].”

Setting goals in this manner and writing them down will make you 3 times more likely to achieve them.

5. The level of your health & fitness affects every area of your life.

Your health affects your happiness, energy levels, mood, attitude, relationships, your job, and the list goes on.

The healthier you are, the more able you are to move with ease, think with ease, and do (anything) with ease.

6. By neglecting your body & mind, you are actively choosing not to be your highest self.

We are our highest selves when we are giving to others. You cannot give value to others if you are not in a state of optimal health. It really is as simple as that. Your health is a measure of your wealth. I’m not talking about money–I’m referring to your mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical wealth. Start to become aware of yourself. Notice yourself on days you feel healthy and energetic–it is much easier to help others and serve than it is on days you feel lethargic and sick.
Make a commitment to yourself to become a person who SERVES others. Do you want to live a life of true value? Then you must serve. And to do that, means making the health of your body and mind a priority.

7. There is a difference between being consistent, and being obsessed.

I posted recently on Instagram about how exercise and eating healthy should make you feel healthy and happy NOT stressed and obsessed.
It’s great to be consistent with your workouts and nutrition, but you want to avoid letting it become an unhealthy obsession. So how do we avoid this? Again, it comes back to self-love and self-forgiveness. Doing things out of self-love and with the intention to be your best self (NOT out of self-hate) will help you avoid developing an obsession.

8. It’s OK to feel uncomfortable at the thought of working out.

If working out is something that makes you feel very uncomfortable because it seems so new and foreign (in addition to painful), I want you to know–it’s OK to feel that way!

Feeling uncomfortable may not be the best feeling in the world, but it is a good sign. It means you’re moving in the right direction. It means you are growing. It means you are challenging the old and facing the new. So embrace the discomfort, and know that it’s along for the ride, but don’t let it control your decisions.

9. Slip-ups, failures, and bad-days are inevitable.

There is no such thing as failure–there is only feedback. For example, the days that I “save” my workout to the end of the day almost always never get done. I’ve learned this after years of telling myself it was going to happen…but at the end of the day, life tends to throw curveballs at you and working out just doesn’t end up happening.
So this is a type of feedback. Now I almost always workout in the morning because life tends to not get in the way then. But bad days and “failures” are inevitable, especially if you’re a mom. So ditch perfectionism and super high expectations because both those things are the enemy of progress.
Set realistic expectations for yourself, try to get things done in the morning (wake up earlier if you have to), and be forgiving and patient with yourself if things don’t go as planned.

Recipe: Healthy to Die for Waffles

So…you guys might already know, but my husband and I seem to be obsessed with WAFFLES.

We love eating them as a post-workout breakfast treat. I thought I would share a couple of our recipes with you guys so that you can join us in our waffle obsession.

I adapted this recipe from Cookie & Kate. They have a delish gluten-free oat waffle recipe. Now, I don’t have time to make waffles EVERY morning, c’mon guys, I’m not a superhero. So, I usually double or triple the recipe and end up snacking on them the rest of the day freeze them to use for the rest of the week.

I tweaked it a bit and came up with TWO different waffle recipes that you guys are gonna LOVE.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Waffles and Mexican Chocolate Cake Waffles (both gluten-free). My husband and I are gluten free, so we use certified gluten-free oats, but feel free to use regular oats if gluten-free isn’t your jam ;).

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE WAFFLES (GLUTEN-FREE)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: 3-4 waffles

INGREDIENTS:

1½ cups certified gluten free oat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup coconut/almond/cashew milk
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey will also work)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) If you don’t already have oat flour, grind oats in a food processor until fine (about 1-2 minutes).

2) Once you have your oats ground, mix oat flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

3) Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl (milk, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract).

4) Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Next, add the chocolate chips. The batter should be slightly lumpy (try not to mix too much–although if you do, it’s not a big deal). Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to thicken. Warm up your waffle maker to medium-high heat.

5) Once the waffle iron is hot, let the waffle making process begin!

6) Avoid stacking the waffles so that they stay nice and crispy. To keep them warm, place on a baking sheet and keep in the oven at 200 degrees.

7) Serve waffles with butter, maple syrup, nut butter, fruit, or whatever toppings you like (I really like to eat mine with honey and nut butter on top).

8) Avoid leaving waffles on the counter as to avoid eating waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WAFFLES (GLUTEN-FREE)