"Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"

So now I'm back blogging, you know I need to weigh in on this month's weightiest topic (you see what I did there - twice!) - The Biggest Loser. If you know me, you know I don't see anyone based on their size. I am in the fitness industry because I want to help people love movement and to be healthy. I could give a crap what their BMI's are. I want people to live long, healthy, productive and active lives, and to have absolutely no regrets. Let's be honest here, this is only possible at or within a healthy weight range (which differs for every individual). So please do not think any comments about weight in this blog are meant unkindly. I'm not that person.
I am going to make a confession here. Don't hate or judge.

I have NEVER watched the Biggest Loser. Nothing about watching people who need help get humiliated and set up for failure appeals to me. Now I understand that not all the contestants gain all their weight back - but I would love to find some statistics as to how many currently maintain a healthy lifestyle. For the record - I have no problem with people losing weight in a doctor supervised, personal trainer assisted, dietician approved environment (which the show is) but I have always thought the show needed more.
- a psychotherapist. Overeating to morbid obesity is a disease and must be treated from the inside out. The why of each individual circumstance should be addressed fully or the cycle will continue.
- a life coach. To take each contestant shopping for groceries, clothes, help them make meal plans, teach how to make healthy meals and snack by themselves, and how to schedule and organize their lives. THEN, in the final month of the show, they should go home with the contestant and help them implement these rituals when the added daily stresses of life are back. Help them identify their triggers and manage their emotions. ANYONE can lose weight, get fit and eat healthy when they are locked in a bubble. It's the real world that fouls everything up.

I know - these things cost more money and, let's be real, all reality TV is more about making money than actually helping people. I know it's cynical, and I'm being very general...but too bad, this is my blog.

So the big kerfuffle is as follows.

"Contestant on Diet Challenge Show Loses TOO MUCH WEIGHT"

Ummm..hmmm....duh! Sorry, I know that Rachel looked a little like a praying mantis, but SHE WANTED TO WIN! She had to lose a certain percentage to beat the other two finalists and she did just that.What would YOU do if $250,00 was on the line after you starved yourself and were verbally bashed into working out a gazillion hours per week until every joint ached, and your body wanted to collapse? Exercise while overweight or obese is extremely difficult. Every movement, sitting and standing even, can be painful. Amplify this by what these contestants put themselves through and I would want a HUGE reward at the end as well. This was the motivator for these contestants - to WIN. They wanted to be the Biggest Loser. Not the fittest Dad, not the hottest Mamasita, not the "health nut". They wanted to be the Biggest Loser. Unfortunately, the actual results become the byproduct.

Do I think she lost too much weight? See above. Results vary with individuals - what is a ridiculously low weight for one 5'4 woman is completely healthy for another. I pray that Rachel and her health care team can determine what that is for her.
Until the headlines read,
"Biggest Loser sends Home Contestant, Rejecting them Because They Failed to Meet Unrealistic Weight Loss Goals, and thus Perpetuating their Already Constant Cycle of Low Self Esteem and Emotional Issues"
I refuse to comment any further.
Find Your CORE!

"Black & White"

I have been incredibly negligent with my blog for just over a month. And I don't really care, so suck it, blog fans! You know I love all of you who take the time out of their busy day to read my ramblings, so a little abuse now and then will just help add to your need to read me, I hope. That and, "absence lets the heart grow fonder" and all that.
Why have I been away?
Because I have been in a funk. Been low, feeling blue/blah/blech. Although I have had one of the best month's ever, I can't quite shake the constant dark cloud over my head this last month or so. I mostly haven't let it affect me too much, but you know what they say...the blog is the first thing to go !
Also, writing is my rawest form of self expression, and although I can change my thoughts and patterns in the real world to reflect my inner happiness, it's the dark and twisty part that would take over here, my emotional state as translated by my fingertips.
I am in the business of loss/gain. People seek my services as a personal trainer for many reasons, but mostly because they seek one of those two things.
LOSS/GAIN
WIN/LOSE
CONQUER/FAIL
EMPTY/FULL

Lots of black and white in my industry, right? But don't all these things have relevance in our real lives - we generally tend to miss the grey and live at one extreme or another.

We don't remember the epic performance by a Canadian athlete who finishes 31st, do we?

We measure our successes, both Olympian and mundane, in extremes. WE WON! we lost. I LOST 10lbs!
i gained 10lbs. I RAN 10KM! i didn't do it fast enough. I'M HUNGRY! i ate too much.

But at the end of it all, aren't we the same person regardless? So why can't we sit somewhere in the middle and enjoy the whole experience a little bit?

I am dwelling on loss of late, and what it means to me, or indeed, the greater "us". I experienced in short succession, my father experiencing a health incident that led to him being in a permanent vegetative state. Through this situation, I also lost a relationship with my brother, and though we were never close, it stings nonetheless.
On February 19th, 2013 I lost my mother, Angela Faith Jones. Suddenly, as they say in obits, but not completely surprisingly.
I had already lost her in a way, but it didn't dull the ringing ache that took her place in my heart. You see, it was black and white thinking that led us to not be the mother/daughter duo that both of us so fervently desired. I love her with a daughter's love for her mother, and of all the loss I have experienced in my life, the loss of her left the biggest wound I have ever left untended.
Where is the grey area of loss if the opposing action is gain? What do we gain from losing people we love? As positive a person as I am, I'm not ready to contemplate that just yet..but maybe some grey.
If I sit in the moment and try to wrestle with the emotions of loss, I admit that there is some middle ground to be had. Memories to share with my children, funny sayings and mannerisms to giggle about, and lessons to be learned from my parents wisdom, triumphs and failures. Going to the cinema has become a chance to share a film with my Dad again, and watching Patrick Chan skate to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, a chance to cheer him on as my Mum would have. There is middle ground between the two extremes.
So for all that I have lost, I must realize that fundamently I am unchanged.What has physically left us remains in so many ways, whether the loss be person, pet, pound or pride. Nothing of importance fails to leave its mark, but we ourselves continue on, the same person, regardless.

I'm just figuring out this whole thing, so excuse my ramblings. Just a reminder that although life throws us some pretty big extremes - sometimes it's best to be content to sit in the valley and watch it all play out. There's lots to be learned from here.

Find Your CORE

Death is Nothing at All
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.


Henry Scott Holland

The Challenge - Part One!

Who's Up for a Challenge?

So - January 18th, 2014 @ 12pm should be written into your daytimer.

Come to the studio for the first meeting of our "Biggest Winner" Team Challenge.
Participants will need the following:

- weight and measurements (not to be shared with the group)
- Blood pressure and resting heart rate
- three goals (1 Tangible (ie/ lbs lost, inches lost, body fat % lower etc...) 1 soul challenge (read a book, visit a friend go for a massage) 1 accomplishment (20 full push ups, walk 10KM, etc.. )
- a large (ish) jar


All participants will be divided into teams. Each team will be a support system and motivation for each other, and a push for each other as well when things get tough.

The challenge is as follows:

- follow a "clean eating" diet - good whole food nutrition (see our blog post this Friday)
- follow (and hopefully exceed) CSEP's current standards of physical activity:
To achieve health benefits, adults aged 18-64 years should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.
It is also beneficial to add muscle and bone strengthening activities using major muscle groups, at least 2 days per week.
More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.

-satisfactorily achieve all their goals
- attend or have representation at monthly meetings
- complete each monthly challenge succesfully with their team

Winning team will split the original entry fees - half to the charity of their choice, the other half to a challenge end (June 2014) celebration of some kind. All participants will get awesome prize packages!

Sounds easy, right?
Well - maybe not at all easy - but small changes will make these above challenges do-able - we'll discuss how to implement at our first meeting!

Mindful Monday: Cleaning Out The Closet

Get Back on Track in 2014!

The New Year is upon us! Most of us have spent our holidays celebrating with our families while indulging in our favorite foods, drinks, treats and sweets! There is no reason to feel bad, since we should always allow ourselves to enjoy special times of the year with our family and friends. But, now it’s time to get our bodies back on track to where they were post-holidays (or where we wanted them to be). We want to improve our energy levels, fix our digestion, clean up our diets and flush out some of the “bad” chemicals we’ve accumulated and give our livers a little hand in doing this hefty job! I know that this time of year can be stressful. We have New Year’s resolutions and goals we hope to attain. But, it can be tricky jumping in right off the bat. So, there’s no problem starting small. Implementing a few easy, but effective changes that can give you a gentle push and help you get back on the right track and maybe lose those pesky 3 lbs that crept up on you, one step at a time.

So, here are some small, easy tips to getting you there.

1) Hydrate!
If there is anything our bodies need more of, it’s water, especially if we’ve been indulging in more alcoholic beverages than usual. Not only will water prevent dehydration, help with digestion, lubricate the body and assist in moving nutrients, it will also help with waste removal and give our liver and kidneys a hand in getting their jobs done. Although every person requires a different amount of water, a good average to aim for is 1.5 l to 2.0 l daily, with increases during exercise. Good rule of thumb: 33 ml of water per kg of body mass.

Annie's TipAdding lemon to your water will give you additional liver and digestive support. Try warm water with fresh lemon every morning before breakfast.

2) Fiber! Fiber! Fiber!
If we’re trying to get toxins out of our body, ensuring that we’re eliminating effectively is key! Otherwise we move chemicals from one place to the next without getting them out of our body. Fiber is a quick way to get your digestion back on track and help flush out unwanted toxins.

Annie's Tip: It’s as easy as starting your day with a bowl of steel cut oats or oatmeal, instead of a sugary cereal. Add a scoop of protein powder to it and/or throw in a few walnuts or almonds and you have a perfectly balanced meal with a healthy dose of fiber. If you want to sweeten it, try pure maple syrup, or mix in some berries or fruits.

3) Diet
We already know that we have to stop snacking on those holiday treats sitting in the cupboard. No more chocolate, gingerbread cookies or candy canes. On top of that, there are some easy foods we can incorporate that will actually help the liver function effectively after being stressed with things such as alcohol and chemicals from unhealthy foods.

Annie's Tip: add some of these foods into your meals:

Mushrooms: rich in fiber and vitamins and can assist the body in detoxification.

Seaweed (Kelp): Rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Can assist in detoxification and restore the acid/base balance in the body.

Turmeric (curcumin): A powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant spice. Can enhance the detoxification pathways in the body.

Green Tea: Another powerful antioxidant that can enhance the detoxification phases in the body.

Citrus Fruit (Grapefruit, Lemons): Rich in antioxidants and the bitterness of these fruits can help stimulate fat-burning mechanisms of the liver.


Annie's #1 Tip while you make these small lifestyle changes, don’t forget to get your beauty rest! Allow your body to repair and rejuvenate with adequate amounts of sleep, get back to routine with regular bedtimes and wake up calls.

Start your New Year off on the right track and the COREessentials way!

Find Your CORE!

"Get Lucky" New Year's Post

Trying to describe 2013 was tough, so I turned to the curator of pop culture itself, Rolling Stone Magazine. The magazine named "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell and Nile Rodgers as the song of the year.
It described the jam as:

What more could you possibly want in a summer jam? The French electro robots devise a stardust disco groove for the ages, getting a little space-oddity soul from Pharrell and a taste of le freak from Chic guitar god Nile Rodgers, who basically invented this music. "Get Lucky" sounds vintage and futuristic at the same time, yet it's full of twists. It was the kind of pop song the whole world could agree on. It topped song charts in 55 countries and went on to be covered by everyone from Florence Welch to Fall Out Boy to Wilco to a group of coaches on The Voice U.K. (including Tom Jones). Rodgers and Pharrell proved they're the Yoda and Obi-Wan of summer jams – between them, these guys must have scored 90 percent of them since the Nixon administration. They're both used to supporting roles, but sound energized by the spotlight here. And Daft Punk, the guys behind the robot masks, nail the all-too-human pop emotion they've been chasing for 15 years: It's a song about staying true to yourself, and a love letter to that lucky feeling you get when the mirror ball starts to spin.

Hmmm. Well, I guess it can be said that I'm grateful that it's not Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball".Even I would have a hard time connecting my year with that.


sounds vintage and futuristic at the same time, yet it's full of twists.

Yes, 2013 was an interesting blend of the old and the new. Technology continued to soar forward, but I see some hopeful trends that the human race will resist and move back towards quality connections and meaningful existences.
Also, these things happened:
- Rob Ford.
- Canadian's realise that politicians rob taxpayers money. (Hi Mike Duffy!)
- Miley Cyrus introduces cable TV viewers to "twerking". Granny's eyesight will never be the same again
- Chris Hadfield became Earth's greatest ambassador, and gave us a view of our remarkable planet unlike any we've seen before. Also, every little boy and girl wants to be an astronaut again. Reach for the stars, kids!
- Prince George and 16 year old songstress Lorde renew worlds interest in Royals
- middle East conflict threatens global balance. Not new, but always notable.
- Lance Armstrong exposed for drug use/stripped of all Tour De France titles. Lance's ego still swears he's innocent. I hear he and Alex Rodrigues are planning a joint biography based on their drug free victories. It'll be a short read.
- the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers by 34–31 to win Super Bowl XLVII.
- Pope Benedict resigns from the papalcy. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is elected as the new pope, taking the papal name Pope Francis
- Nelson Mandella passes away at age 95
- Syria engages chemical weapons on their own people.
- Peter Higgs and François Englert win the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the origin of the mass of subatomic particles. I don't know what this means, but it sounds astounding.
- The Boston Red Sox defeat the St Louis Cardinals in game 6 to win the MLB 2013 World Series
- some team from somewhere won the Stanley Cup. Who cares?? The Leaf's actually MADE THE PLAYOFFS!
- A partial United States federal government shutdown occurs as a result of political disagreements over operational spending. Is it wrong that this made me jealous? I wish our government would shut down once in a while.
- Canadian literary genius Alice Munro is awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize for literature. YAY!
- Phillipines hit by typhoon - thousands killed, uncountable tragedy.

So much happened this year - but that's the stuff I remember of the top of my head, which isn't too bad, because in 2013 I turned....old! Please add to this list the things you remember!

SO 2013 has been a year of the new, and of the old. I see that. Many people I know have felt a recurrence of old challenges in their life this year. A chance to revisit old struggles. For all of you for whom this is true, I wish for you a year where the hard work of recovering gets a little easier and more worthwhile.

It's a song about staying true to yourself, and a love letter to that lucky feeling you get when the mirror ball starts to spin.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Ring in 2014 with that sentiment and it should be a good one!

Happy New Year!
Find Your CORE

"Raising The Bar" Workout Wednesday

We've done it again! As usual, we seek to bring our clients the best in fitness, and with that comes new programs. SO without further ado, I introduce you to:

COREbarre!

I know it's exciting, but technically there is one small glitch in our plans. We, ahem, have no barre. But never fear, we are certain that you all have excellent imaginations and can roll with us until we, well, have one. I'm just SO excited about this I cannot wait until I have a bigger location, or until warmer weather comes so we can commandeer the local playground bars.
I took a barre program over the summer and thought at the time, "hmmm..this is fun" and then woke up the next morning thinking, "Please, someone lift me out of bed. My bum may never sit again".
Here's a little of what to expect:

What is COREbarre?
COREbarre is a 45 minute full body workout that fuses the best elements of ballet, pilates, sports conditioning and stretching for a truly unique and fun experience. The moves are low impact but high intensity intervals of strength training followed immediately by deep recovery stretching. This regimented routine will evenly sculpt and quickly transform the entire body, resulting in a toned, trim physique.

what do you do in a barre fitness class?
Every class is fun and empowering class set to a variety of musical stylings. Classes begin with a warm up focusing on postural strength and alignment, followed by a series of upper body exercises using light weights. The ballet barre is used to sculpt the lower body, abs and for flexibility training. Then it is down to the mat with a fitball for core work and a relaxing and invigorating final stretch.

what to wear?
Please wear comfortable, breathable workout wear. We suggest tight fitting clothing so that the instructor can easily see form and alignment. The workout is done in socks. Bring water and your imagination. (remember it's a barreless barre class)

Come out and check it out- most it's coming in 2014.

Find Your CORE!

"She Shoot', She SKOR's!" Fuel Up Fridays

So this recipe has no health value whatseover, but it's delish and Sean requests it every year for Christmas. Our friend Audrey shared it with us about 5 years ago, and it isn't Christmas without it. And it's ridiculously easy and travels well.

SKOR Bars

Ingredients:
1 Box of Ritz (or noname) Crackers, plain
1 tin of condensed milk
1 bag of Skor Chipits.

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly butter/grease a rectangular bar pan.
Leave the crackers in their plastic sleeve. With a rolling pin, crush the crackers to a fine - coarse breadbrumb consistency.
Mix the crumble in a large bowl with the condensed milk and Skor chipits.
Pour mixture into ban, pat to even out
Place into oven for 2-4 minutes until chipits are melty. Remove from oven, let cool and cut into squares/bars.

Enjoy!!

Find Your CORE.