Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

I've come up with a great new (very personal) challenge for myself!  As most of you know I am training to compete at a fitness competition in April, but now I've decided to challenge myself further with this on my way to the competition!

At my studio, FIERCE Fitness, I teach fun, but totally gruelling and sweaty workout classes made up of plyometrics, agility training, HITT intervals, weights, and more as well as bellydance classes which can be a workout of their own.  I teach 11 group classes/week.  I also tend to workout on my own in the early morning just because I love gyms (I know, I'm weird) and I like to start my day that way to set the tone for the rest of it.  I also run a 12-week body transformation program at my studio.  Students and 12-weekers often tell me they enjoy my honesty about how much work it can take to look a certain way and whenever I have a really bad cheat I'll always come clean with it (my students know all to well about my weakness for butter tarts - lol) - I'm definitely not one of those people who say they eat anything they want and hardly workout and they magically look like a fitness model.  When I eat too many butter tarts (or holidays treats recently), you can tell!  Often people will say " you look fit, but you workout sooooo much - I don't have time for that"... True, I do workout a lot - but it's not usually so much to lose weight or gain more muscle - it's mainly becasue I LOVE WORKING OUT!!!  It's a hobby to me as well as my job, it is my life passion!  You really only need to do so much with working out to burn fat, get muscle tone, and rev your metabolism.  I know all too well that once you go past a point it can actually become detrimental to your progress! 

I am going to be super-busy (aren't we all?) over the next few months with moving, the student showcase, my 12-weekers who I always put my whole heart and soul into, the last issue of MID-BITS Magazine, and many other exciting goals I have set for myself, plus with moving to a house I won't have my super-convenient condo-gym for the morning workouts anymore. 

SOOOOOO... My new challenge is to really do the 12-week program with my 12-weekers this time - eat what they eat, do all the same workouts, before/mid-point/after pics and measurements, the whole nine yards!  I won't be working out all the time in the morning on my own anymore, I will just be teaching my classes and doing the super-efficient workouts that all my awesome students do, and that's it!  When you see me getting super-fit this winter and spring, you'll know it is do-able and if you put your mind to it you can do the same thing!  What great promo for my studio, my classes, and my 12-week program!  Of course I will keep you posted on the whole exciting process here.  Can't wait to get started tomorrow - woo-hoo!

Jan. 6, 2011

OK, I hadn't posted in the new year yet because I was still ironing out all my many new year's resolutions!  I believe in setting new goals all the time throughout the year and working towards them, but there's nothing like a new year to encourage all that good stuff! I try to look at things in a positive way no matter what, but looking back at 2010 - I did go through a few sets of difficulties (ie: it wasn't a banner year for me!)... I think I have learned many lessons and am ready to tackle 2011 with all my might and make it my best year yet!

So, here are a few of my resolutions/goals for 2011:

FITNESS:
- Workout hardcore (weights, cardio, intervals, craziness) on my own 5 days/week!
- Compete competitively at UFE Competition April 9, as well as a competition in the fall
- Once I reach my goal weight of 138 lbs (by April 9), maintain it year-round by eating clean consistently with just one or two cheat meals/week
- Be featured in a fitness magazine as a model by 2012
- Write more fitness articles & get published again

DANCE
- Practise my own bellydance technique/choreographies at least 3 hours/week
- Learn new styles of dance that I've been interested in forever
- Develop my dance troupes further and put on a big show in the spring
- Compete in a bellydance competiiton

STUDIO:
- Build more of a hardcore gym area at the studio with more equipment and stuff
- Pick up the phone/Call people back
- Work more on actually advertising and marketing my studio
- Teach at least one workshop/month at my studio or elsewhere


FINANCE:
- Act more like a responsible adult with money, rather than a ruthless teenager (ugh!)
- Stop eating out so much (addicted to Starbucks!)
- Start using my savings bank account again (need to determine how much I will promise myself to save every month)
- Plan the week's meals & do groceries once weekly (not every second day!)

APPEARANCE:
- Do my hair & make-up every morning after workout & shower
- Think more about what I wear (cuter workout wear since that's what I live in!)
- Wear only Victoria's Secret major push-up bras at all times! (ha ha)
- Wash, scrub, tone, moisturize, use all the anti-aging/purifying/rejuvenating skin products I have sitting in my cabinet that I never use every night before bed (I can be soooo lazy about this!)
- no more chipped nail polish!


HOME:
- Clean all dishes before going to sleep
- Pre-make all meals for the day for everyone the night before or in the early a.m
- Aim for minimalistic home (LESS CLUTTER!)

RELATIONSHIPS/ETC:
- Go to the library with Zak weekly
- Read a book/week (I have have fallen off the wagon with reading ever since having ZAk and feel disgusted about that.  There are so many books I wanna read...  mostly personal growth, fitness, and business related!)
- Take Zak to a fun outing at least once during the week (as well as weekend family fun)

- Date night with hubby twice/month
- Be nicer to people close to me (you know how we can often fall into too-comfortable-mode and treat strangers nicer than our closest of close? That sucks!)
- Be more organized with everything I do!
- LISTEN!


Oh boy, I think there are even more, but I won't bore you all here with them.  I'm glad they're out there now and I feel accountable!  I will be having a vision board-making get-together at the studio on Jan. 22 - everyone is invited to come make vision boards with all our dreams and goals for 2011 on them - they are great visual reminders of what you're striving towards.  Check out the event calendar on http://www.fiercefit.ca for deets!  Until then, share your goals and dreams for 2011 with me here!  Here we go!

Dec. 15, 2010

Last week was really great - I lost 4 pounds... but haven't lost anything else since! I know I just have to take my own advice that I always give my students - be patient and keep being clean, but it's sooooo hard! I have eaten totally clean for 2 weeks now (except for one cheat meal for each week) and I don't feel there has been enough change compared to other times I've shaped up. I keep thinking I should maybe get even stricter (like less peanut butter, cheese, honey, etc.), but when I do that I tend to fall off the wagon more frequently with bigger badder cheats. I will keep going like this and see if it will pay off in the end (I'm sure it will!) I have upper my workouts lately (as I was feeling a little slack throughout the time I had that bad cough) and yesterday I think I did the hardest workout in my life!!! Me and my gym pals did a Crossfit inspired 50-rep workout and I can barely move anything today! It feels good. Because of this I am taking today as a rest day.

Here's the workout if any of you guys wanna try it out:

50 of each:
- box jump
- jump pull-ups
- kettlebell swings
- walking lunges
- hanging knees-to-elbows
- medicine ball throw with squat
- skipping (double unders)
- burpees
- sit-ups
- back extensions

try it - you'll like it

Dec. 8, 2010

So, I had a goal to lose 5 pounds this past week as it was my first week of really cleaning up my eating for the whole week and weekend (not just the week, then go crazy all weekend which is what I've been doing lately)... I ended up losing 4 pounds which is close enough for me to be happy.  I really feel terrific for doing this and already notice my body tightening up a bit more because of my consistent clean eating for just a week and a bit now!  I have marked what goal weight I want to be each week on my calendar to keep me on point to reach my various goals.  I also write down everything I eat, input it into fitday.com, then record my calories, carbs, fat, protein grams & percents, plus what workout(s) I do on each day on my calendar.  Speaking of workouts... I have been missing my early morning workouts a lot lately because my schedule has been different and I've been up later lately as we look for a house.  But, I have been teaching lots of workout classes and actually trying to push myself to take part through the whole workout and not just watch my students when I get tired.  It has been an eye-opener for me to feel how very sore I make people (ha ha - evil laugh!) - let me tell you after Pure Sweat on Monday and my noon-time workout class yesterday, this morning I could barely get outta bed!  I'm so sore and in so many great places like my butt and my abs! yay!  I always walk to work and all over pushing my son in a stroller, but lately I've been trying to push myself to walk faster so it's a real workout for me!

Dec. 1, 2010

Been really healthy this week so far - yay!  I have made the commitment to have a bare belly in every bellydance class I teach from now on... many reasons... main one being it forces me to stay clean with the eating as I don't want to expose my belly if it's all fat.  Right now it is a little chubby, but the fact that I'll stay accountable and make a change to it every week is what is keeping it bare and helping me through this uncomfortable phase!  Also, of course when teaching belly rolls, pops, etc. it's much easier to demonstrate things when students can actually see what your belly is doing!  So, I came out last night and told all my students that's how it would be from now on to keep me strict with my healthy eating!

November 29, 2010

When people get busy and stressed out, clean eating often goes out the door.  I am almost always busy and/or stressed, so I thought I'd share one of my secrets for eating clean on the run!  Eating clean takes lots of prep and planning, right?  Well, usually yes, but if you're in a bind and you haven't packed your whole day of healthy meals and snacks, it can be as quick and easy as popping into Starbucks and getting a bunch of good stuff!  People generally don't think Starbucks could possibly be the answer - they're thinking about all the creamy fatty drinks, muffins, and my weakness- butter tarts (they are awesome there!)... but if you look past that, you'll find pretty good choices for meals at Starbucks!  Almost every Saturday (my very busiest day) I rely on them for my meals... let me break it down for y'all...

8am - Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon with Egg Whites on English Muffin & Green Tea

Calories 320, Fat 7g, Carbs 43g, Protein 18g


11am - Strawberry & Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Calories 300, Fat 3.5g, Carbs 60g, Protein 7g

2pm - Egg White, Spinach & Feta Wrap
Calories 280, Fat 10g, Carbs 33g, Protein 18g

5pm - Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate
Calories 250, Fat 9g, Carbs 27g, Protein 17g

TOTAL 1110 calories, Fat 29.5g, Carbs 159g, Protein 55g

I would normally try to have a good dinner of mostly veggies and protein at home around 8pm after a day like this so I could boost my protein up and keep the fat and carbs lower.  There are many other healthy options at Starbucks - these are just my faves!  Check out http://www.starbucks.com and click on menu at the top for more nutritional info on their stuff!  So, no excuses!  Don't choose the donut and creamy coffee concoction - go for the egg white/spinach. feta wrap with a refresh tea instead!  NO EXCUSES!

 

 

 

 

Nov. 24, 2010

Hello!

I haven't posted for a while here!  I've been really busy trying to find a house, working hard, and spending time with my son.  I am re-committing to consistently eating clean (no slacking on the weekends) and hardcore workouts!  I have a cold right now so I am taking some rest time today, but still eating totally clean to try to replenish my body with the best fuel!  Tomorrow I hope to be back 100% to the gym!  I have decided I will be competing in April at UFE, so I will be focusing on that NOW!  Talk soon!