Day 49, 50, 51, 52 - Oct. 27, 28, 29, 30

Happy Halloween Everyone.

It has been one hell of a week and I did not stop. I had fund raising for the United Way, Vendor events, and working out with a bum knee. Tired just does not discribe how I was feeling. But that week is past now and I had a good aquatic workout this morning with my sister. Her friend, Oscar, was our instructor this morning and boy did he work us out. But I always feel great after a workout, I feel energized.

We had a chili lunch yesterday at work and my committee came up with 5 different types of chili to sell to raise money for United Way. I made a 5 bean chili and I am going to give you that recipe today in my recipe column.

My good friend Nancy quit smoking over 3 weeks ago and all of her friends are very proud of her. When we were speaking last week I said now that you have quit you need to replace the bad habit with a good habit. And that is so true. I work out everyday and I have cut out all the garbage food. With Nancy we talked about her going to her community centre and walking the track with her friend Susan. Nancy is retired now so she really needs to get the good habit going now so that she will not be thinking about smoking. It will also help her with her sleeping habits.

That is a great seguey into my subject today. Schedule your fitness. I train with Joseph every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I workout on my gazelle on Tuesday and Thursdays and I do aquatics with my sister on Saturdays. Sunday I sleep until I wake up. That is my schedule.

Schedule your fitness activities like any other important, high-profile appointment. Then make sure it happens just as you would with your doctor or dentis. In order for you to achieve your fitness goals you need to workout at least 3 times a week consistently. Consistency is absolutely necessary for success. If you do not take the time to plan your schedule, and follow it, you won't get the results in the time period you want. Approach workouts and fitness as you would any other important priority in your life and it won't be long before it becomes part of your lifestyle.

As we all know, occasionally things disrupt our schedules. Have a plan "B" as a substitute if your first plan falls through. Don't let the normal course of life's little roadblocks and obstacles get in the way of one of your highest priorities - your health and personal fitness. The main point is to do something regularly. Injure a leg? Work around it. Just because you're injured doesn't mean you can not exercise the rest of your body (like me this last week with my knee). You will have to modify the program you set out for yourself but still have a good workout. Try smimming, walking, or biking around your neighborhood. I go to GoodLife and I have a trainer but you need to set your schedule now. Get your calender for November and schedule 3 days a week (or more) with at least 30-45 minutes of exuberant exercise.

Next we will talk about creating fun in your workout. I have fun with Joseph. He works me out hard but we laugh and have fun as well. I don't think I could workout with a monotone, humdrum person. Joseph is more suited to my personality. That is what you need to find. A friend who thinks the same way that you do and if you go the training route do not be afraid to to say something if the person training you does not suit your personality. You are the customer.

That's all for now.

Take care

Betty.

ps..take a look at my pictures of me at the wedding...I felt great.

Day 46, 47, 48 - Oct. 24, 25, 26

On Saturday my sister and I went to aquatics and my friend Cynthia joined us. Patty and I were going to a family wedding so we wanted to make sure that we had a good workout so that we could enjoy the dinner. We danced and had a reaaly good time with my aunts, uncles and cousins. Everybody enjoyed themselves and it was nice to see everyone in a social setting. I did wrench my knee trying to get into my brother-in-laws minivan. High heels and a tight dress and a high climb up got the best of me and I turned my knee. Yesterday I iced it and today I put a tenser bandage on the knee and I went to work out with Joseph. We worked mostly the upper body until the knee heals. There was a time when I would have said I'm hurt and would not have gone. But now I have Joseph in my head and all I heard was you can still exercise. But now my whole upper body is feeling pretty sore but I know it will go away.

Topday I want to discuss a fitness vision.
What do you want to accomplish?

What is the reason to start a fitness journey? You need to think about your own "personal fitness vision". This may be as simple as wanting to feel or look better. Maybe you want to shape-up or trim down.

Limit your "personal fitness vision" to one major idea and simply state it in a single short sentence. An example might be, "I have 3 kids and want to be active with them as they grow up" or "I want to be around to enjoy my grandkids". It might be as simple as "I need to be in shape for skiing next year" or " exercise helps keep my diabetes under control". Whatever the idea, make it your personal vision.

State your #1 priority and list your specific goals.Consider things like increasing energy, reducing stress, trimming inches, losing weight and sleeping better.

My personal fitness vision is to gain strength, flexability, get toned and get rid of the pooch.

My fitness goal is to get rid of the flab, get muscle and definition and improve my balance.

Next posting we will talk about scheduling you fitness.

That's all for tonight.

Betty

Day 44 & 45 - Oct. 22 & 23

I was not feeling very well yesterday so I stayed in bed. I thought about cancelling my workout this morning but I wanted to get another training session in with Joseph before my family wedding tomorrow. My sister Patty and I are going to aquatics in the morning and we will be ready for dancing tomorrow night. I will be putting a picture of me in my cocktail dress on my blog this weekend. My pooch has gone down quite a bit and the dress looks great.

I was going to talk about fitness accomplishments today but I will leave that for my next blog. I was at Goodlife and I saw this memo on one of the bulletin boards. I know that I feel like this sometimes so I thought that I would share with you.

Jose's Tip of the Month - Cut out grains for 2 weeks.

Many people today are finding out that they are sensitive to grains, wheat and wheat-based products. However, it may not be the grains that are causing the problem; it is likely to be something in grain called gluten. Gluten is the general name for prolamins, a protein fraction found in grains. The prolamins that are often harmful include gliadin (in wheat), secalin (in rye) and hordein (barley).

Should you eat grains?

Based on how are human digestion systems developed, it could be argued that we are not designed to eat grains at all. Regardless of this, grains have been a staple in many peoples diets. The problem today is that we are eating highly-processed grains and lot of them. Many people are finding that they feel much better when they eliminate, or at least decrease, wheat and other grains from their diet.

Should everyone give up wheat and other grains containing gluten?

Not everyone is sensitive to gluten, but many people are and don't know it. If you do consume grains, consider avopiding highly processed grains and stick to whole grains.

How do you know if you can eat gluten?

You may not think that you are intolerant because you eat wheat and grains all the time and feel "FINE". This doesn't mean that you are not being affected at some level. You can find out if you are sensitive to gluten through a variety of blood tests, but the easiest way is to completely eliminate grains except quinoa, teff and amaranth from your diet for two weeks. If you feel better when you are not eating it, you most likely have an intolerance.

If you don't feel a difference aftr eliminating grains, reintroduce grains to your diet and understand and listen to how you feel after a meal with grains. You may find a difference in vitality after reintroducing them, meaning if you start reintroducing and you feel for example bloated and lethargic then that is an indication that you are intolerant to grains.

Try cutting out grains for 2 weeks to see the following:

* Decrease or eliminate lower abdominal bloating ( I get this sometimes )
* Increase abdominal function
* Decrease back pain
* Decrease body fat
* Increase mental clarity
* Increase energy

You can follow Jose on:

www.twitter.com/holisticjose
facebook - search: Jose Villablanca - Holistic Jose
YouTube - www.youtube.com/user/holisticjose

Next post I will discuss what you want to accomplish for your fitness vision.

I will not post tomorrow as we will be having fun at Chris and Jennifers wedding. Lots of good food so we will have to dance it off. It will be nice to spend time with all my cousins and aunts and uncles.

That's it for tonight.

Betty

Day 42 & 43 - Oct. 20 & 21

I forgot to mention that on Monday when I was working out with Joseph he was trying to add more weights to the machine I was working on. The weight sits on top and he seems pretty pleased with himself. However, after about the 3rd pulldown the weight popped right off. It was hysterical and I laughed out loud. Joseph stopped me from working the machine because I was laughing so hard I could not move. Joseph was cracking up to. Just one of those moments where you had to be there.

Yesterday I worked out on my gazelle and used my new heart rate monitor. I was pleased that my resting heart rate went from 99 to 80 which was my first goal. I need to get my heart rate up though as it was only 115 average for 20.47 minutes and it should be between 141-155. I am going to get it up and will try again tomorrow morning on my gazelle.

I worked out this morning with Joseph and I did bring my lettle pillow and of course we did do crunches. I was good with the reverse crunched but got a little dizzy with the regular crunches. I was a little nauseaus for a few hours but it passed and I knw that it will get better the more I do.

I officially lost 14 pounds as of yesterday. That is 2 pounds per week since Sept. 8. My friend and colleague Mary, who I haven't seen for over a week, was walking behind me today as we left a function and she said Barb, how much weight have you lost, it really shows. I have to say that hearing that really made me feel good.

Here are the final practical weight loss tips:

14) Carry your favorite low calorie salad dressings and toppings with you.
15) Eat smaller portions, or share with a friend, when dining out.
16) Don't be afraid to ask for special orders when dining in a restaurant. Most places are "quick to please" in today's world.
17) Be patient - don't try to lose too much weight too soon. A few pounds per month is the medically advised quota.
18) The way your clothes "feel" and hang on your body is an excellent way to gauge your weight loss progress.

Tomorrow we will start to discuss what you want to accomplish in your fitness vision.

Have a good evening.

Betty

Day 41 - Oct. 19

I really got put through my paces today. But I forgot my little pillow so I think it could be worse next workout with regards to the crunches. Joseph does read my blog and he told me that I made a mistake regarding my resting heart rate. I said I should be at 99 but that was when I first began the program the week of Sept. 8. I should be targeting 70-72 for a healthy range. My goal for the first 12 weeks is to get to 80 or below. I will find out where I sit tomorrow when I put on my heart rate monitor to work on my gazelle.

Here are a few more practical weight loss tips:

9) Keep coffee and caffeine drinks at a minimum. These throw your body into a high/low sugar syndrome.
10) Do not skip meals. Getting "too hungry" tells your body to slow its metabolism down.
11) Don't go to the supermarket or restaurant "starved". This will make you buy or order the wrong things. Try drinking some water or eating some vegetables before you go.
12) Rather than eating a whole piece of chocolate cake...just take a bite or two and you will have satisfied your craving.
13) Order your salad dressing on the side.

That's it for tonight.

Betty

Day 38, 39, 40 - Oct. 16, 17, 18

On Friday's workout Joseph had be do 55 bicep curls. 55 is what I think was the number as he kept going 53, 53 and 1/2, etc. etc. I could not believe that I really did that many but I was pretty proud of myself. I did get my heart rate monitor and I will start using it on Tuesday when I do my next workout on my Gazelle. My training heart reate should be between 141-155 and my resting heart rate should be 99. Joseph figured this out based on my height and weight.

Saturday I did Aquafit with my sister and the instructor, Sophia, was really working out the abs. Both my sister Patty and I were really feeling it at the end. We then had a nice sit in the whirlpool for our weary muscles. I went with my friends Nancy and Liz to the movies last night and we saw " The Invention of Lying" and it was pretty funny. We then went to our favorite restaurant Thyme 4 and had a nice dinner and good conversations.

I saw Joseph on Saturday while I was waiting for my sister and he asked me to bring in my little pillow. I need this to do crunches and situps as I get dizzy when my head is flat to the ground. So I do know that tomorrow will be crunch day. I should be pretty sore tomorrow night.

I am going to continue with practical weight loss tips:

5) Stay away from diet pills. They rob your body of important nutriends, water and carbohydrates.
6) Try to eat several smaller meals throughout the day. Consider it "grazing".
7) Avoid late night eating. ( I do not eat after 8pm )
8) Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water keeps your kidneys and bowels working efficiently. ( I drink 2 litres per day )

That's it for the night.

Betty

DAY 37 - Oct. 15

Did I tell you that I am sleeping better. Well last night I went to lie down and watch a little TV in my bedroom at about 830am and that is all I remember until I woke up at 600am this morning. These early morning workouts and just being very busy at work just plain tucker me out.

This morning I got up and I did 20 minutes on my Gazelle. I really worked up a sweat and next time I will have my heart monitor per Joseph's suggestions. I have my niece and nephew for date night tomorrow and I am going to drag them to Sportscheck with me to get the monitor. I will have to promise them a toy (under $10) so that they behave and wait for me to pick up my purchase. Fun...WOW!

We will go as usual to Jack Astors, remember, they can crayon on the table and I can get a steak and steamed brocoli. WISH ME LUCK!

Tonight I am going to start to list pratical weight liss tips.
There are quite a few so I will list a few each blog.

1)Think of food as nourishment for your body and a way to improve your overall health.
2) Eat slowly. You will enjoy your food more and feel satisfied sooner than when you eat fast.
3) Do some form of evercise daily. Even a little activity sends your body the correct weight loss messages.
4) Make healthy eating part of your healthy lifestyle. Diets and crash weight loss programs are dangerous and ineffective as a long term solution.

That's it for tonight.

Betty

Day 36 - Oct. 14

Today I worked out with Joseph and he really worked out my arms. My back was hurting a bit more this afternoon but I have been doing some stretches that I learnt from Joseph and it is helping. Joseph wants me to work on my cardiovascular system to increase my heart rate. I will start using my Gazelle again and I was told to buy a heart monitor to track my heart rate. Joseph said not to spend anymore that $35.00-40.00. I will also take aquatics with my sister on saturdays.

I am starting to feel stronger and I am getting muscles. It is nice to see my bicep pointing up instead of drooping down. And it is so true, no pain, no gain. I can not believe how I hurt when I am working out but then the streching comes, aawww the stretching. Seriously, it is my favorite part of the whole workout. Just kidding....Joseph reads this so I have to be careful what I say. lol.

Here are the final 4 points of the major benefits of fitness and exercise:

26 Develops a strong back for straight posture. (I can attest to this)
27 Reduces "sick days".
28 May increase the length of your life.
29 Overall - improves the quality of life.

Tomorrow I will start to discuss practical weight loss tips.

Have a good night.

Betty

DAY 32, 33, 34, 35 - October 10 to 13

Sorry it has been a few days since my last post but with the long weekend and then being sick for a couple of days I was not into blogging. I seemed to get some type of bug and everything ached. I did get up and go to workout with Joseph this morning and my lower back was killing me. seemed to be part and parcel of my feeling achy. We Joseph was great. He made be do a bunch of exercises that help to stretch out my muscles. I felt about 75% better and I had more mobility. I think that our workout tomorrow should get me the rest of the way there.

I worked at the Daily Bread Food Bank on Saturday and they are not taking as many volunteers as they usually do as they do not have a much food to sort. We did a couple of hours of work and they sent us home.

My friend Cynthia and I went to see the movie "The Informant" on Saturday and I just have to say "DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY". OMG, it was putting me to sleep and a few other people as well from what I heard as patrons were leaving the theatre. We had a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant called "Thyme 4" and I has pasta for the first time in 5 weeks, what a treat.

Let's continue with the major benefits of fitness and exercise:

21 Heightens self esteem and self image.
22 Improves the digestion system.
23 Reduces the chance of a fatal heart attack.
24 Keeps your body more flexible.
25 Improves skin tone.

Thats all for tonight.

Betty

Day 31 & 32 - Oct. 8 & 9

It has been a particularity stressful couple of days and work has taken over my life. But the long weekend is here and I am going to relax before I have to dive back into it first thing Tuesday morning. I am volunteering at the daily bread food bank tomorrow with a group of coworkers. This is a charity that is close to my heart. I work hard to raise food and funds for the DBFB each Easter and Thanksgiving and I donate money to them every pay cheque. This year in particular they are struggling because people that used to donate are now getting assistance from the DBFB. So if you have not already please give food to the food bank nearest you. My offices raised food and funds that works out to about 400lbs. of food for Thanksgiving.

I am going to workout with Joseph tomorrow morning and boy do I need it. I know that I will get rid of my stress, that`s for sure.

We will continue the major benefits of fitness and exercise:

16) Improves respiratory functions.
17) Increases body`s ability to ward off certain cancers
18) Reduces the chance of premature death.
19) Increases mental alertness (I need this for sure)
20) Enhances ability to relax.

I may not post for a couple of days so have a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Betty

Day 30 - Oct. 7

I was on the road today but I brought my lunch with me. I used to go across the street and grab a sandwich or a piece of lasagna or something just as undesirable for my nutrition. That is not to say that you can not have a bought lunch now and then but you have to watch what you buy. If you are going to have a hamburger do not have the fries and the pop. Everything in moderation.

A quick tip for mashed potatoes. I you want the same consistency use boiled cauliflower with a little milk and margarine. If you want to use potatoes I like to put mustard in my mashed potatoes with a little milk to kick up the taste. Another way is to mash up beets and potatoes together.

I worked out with Joseph this morning and did I|ever get to sweating. I still feel the some pain every evening after a workout session with Joseph but the pain is not as bad as it used to be. Today Joseph had me on the 1/2 moon where I had to keep myself balanced. I have to say that I have come a long way with that particular exercise. I used to fall off almost immediately but now I can stay on pretty long. Joseph says he is working my core and balance with the 1/2 moon and I can see the difference.

Lets continue on with the major benefits of fitness and exercise:

11) Reduces triglyceride level.
12) Helps regulate and improve blood pressure levels.
13) Improves coordination and balance.
14) Improves sexual desire and performance. (my favorite reason)
15) Increases bone density and wards off osteoporosis.

Thats all for tonight.

Betty

Day 28 & 29 - Oct. 5 & 6

Sorry I missed out on yesterday but I had one super busy day and got home late and was pretty tired. Tomorrow I will be working out with Joseph and I have not worked out in 3 days so I am afraid, very afraid.

A lot of friends have been getting on and looking at the blog and I have been getting great comments. AS I said at the beginning I am not a professional but I have been in the weight loss game a long time and have gathered mucho information. There is an amazing amount of dieting and weight loss information on the internet - Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, South BeachDiet, Low Fat, Low Carb, Atkins, Liquid Diet - I'm not going to go into and discuss the merits of these but this blog is about the choices I am making and will document how well everything is working and where I have struggled. I hope this information is helpful to everyone who reads it and any wisdom or words of encouragement or recipes will always be appreciated.

Here are the next 5 major benefits of fitness and exercise:

6) Helps reduce and prevent lower back pain.
7) Gives you energy for meeting life's emergency.
8) Reduces some menstrual symptons.
9) Increases (HDL) good cholesterol.
10) Helps reduce depression.

Wish me luck at 6am tomorrow morning.

Betty

DAY 26 & 27 - Oct. 3 & 4

I can not believe that I have been on my journey almost 4 weeks. I am totally back into the swing of things with exercising and eating right.

I make sure that I have the right foods in the house and I prepare some dishes ahead of time so that I am not tempted to eat out and eat bad.

Yesterday I went to Aquafit at Goodlife and boy did the instructor give us a really good work out. She tended to work the lower half more than the upper half of the body and I know because I could really feel it later in the day and today when I woke up.

I had to move my workout with Joseph from tomorrow morning to Saturday due to business. It works out well for me because I was not going to be able to go to auqufit on Saturday because I am volunteering at the daily bread food bank from 10am to 1pm.

I received a booklet from Goodlife and there is some really good information in it. One section talks about the "major benefits of fitness and exercise". There are really good points and I am going to share about 5 per posting with you.

1) Improves and strengthens the immune system.
2) Gives you the energy to carry out your daily life.
3) Reduces stress and tension
4) Helps relieve pain, especially from headaches.
5) Reduces the sympton of jet lag. (this really works for me because I love to travel and many of my trips are long haul)

That's all for tonight.

Keep well

Betty

Day 25 - Oct. 2

Started my day at 515am this morning and met Joseph to start my training session. We worked out like we usually do but today Joseph concentrated on some different stretching exercises. Joseph says that when we work out our muscles contract and when we stretch the muscles ellongate and blood flow is easier. Today Joseph had me pushing back during the streching and when I did we could push the arm or leg even further into the stretch. And you know what...I can really feel it tonight. Also, he has had me using the elipticle going forward and now he is throwing backwards into the mix. I don't know if I am coming or going...and that's the truth.

I am not going to go on to much tonight but will be discussing the benefits of exercise in my next blog and believe me there are plenty of benefits.

Tomorrow I am going to an aquafit class at 900am. I love the water and it is gentle on my knees.

Have a great evening.

Betty

Day 23 & 24 - Sept. 30 & Oct. 1

Can you believe that it is October already? Less than 3 months and it is Christmas. OMG. Yesterday was a very busy day and with meetings up to 600pm. I was wiped when I got home and ate some dinner and then headed to bed very early. Tomorrow is an early day as I will be training with Joseph at 6am. I was asking Joseph a little about himself and he told me that he has been involved in athletics since he was quite young and has been a personal trainer for almost 5 years. All I can say is that he really knows his stuff. This morning I weighed myself and I have lost 12 pounds since I started my journey on September 8. I can feel it in my cloths and I am starting to get my girlish figure back. Well it is the early stages but I can see and feel it.

I like to eat out sometimes and you can too but you have to be careful. Avoid carbs like pasta because you know in a restaurant that they always give you huge portions and you know if it is in front of you, you will eat it. As I reported earlier I like Jack Astor's for the kids but I like it for myself as well. When I go I order a steak and steamed broccoli and some mushrooms. You can ask to have the veggies steamed with no butter...a little lemon on the broccoli. Have a salad with the dressing on the side and ask for a vinagarette dressing and not a cream based dressing. You can always order fish or chicken as well.

The following restaurants have good options when you are watching your weight:

Applebee’s
Arby's
Boston Pizza
Burger King
Dairy Queen
Denny's
Harvey's
Houston's
The Keg
Kelsey's
KFC
McDonalds
Montana's
Mr.Sub
Olive Garden
Outback Steakhouse
Pizza Hut
Quiznos
Red Lobster
Subway
Swiss Chalet
Taco Bell
Tim Horton's
Wendy's

Remember when you go to these restaurants that you should be leaving out all the fixings. Keep the food simple and basic.

That's all for now.

Betty