Weekend checkin

Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing! I have been guilty of knowing but not doing and sometimes admittedly I still am, but I strive each and every day to practice what I preach. Weekends are always a little more difficult for me as for most people. The schedule generally isn't the same and we tend to be more lax in terms of our workouts as well as our nutrition. So this week, I will loosely plan as I do during the week and I will enjoy my weekly treat meal (typically on Saturday night with a movie) but will fill out the rest of my meals with lots of fruits and vegetables and healthy fats!

Gratitude

Such an incredible feeling to see the sheer joy on my daughter's face when she got her new bike. Pure excitement, love and appreciation.

Some Planned Meals and Snacks.....

ww toast, muffin cup quiche, grapefruit

shake

yogurt and nuts

apple and light mozza

banana, PB

tuna melt

grilled chicken salad

Workouts

Today is a weight workout:

snatch grip deadlift supersetted with side planks

good morning supersetted with forward lunge

single leg stability ball hamstring curl supersetted with single leg hip extension

If the wind stays down a trip to the beach to run some stairs might is in the plans as well!

Tomorrow (Sunday) is an off day but probably an easy walk or some foam rolling.

Friday, April 8th, 2011

I love this passage from scripture! It is one of my favourites and although I do not profess to know many by heart that is certainly one that has had a profound affect on the way that I view my life. As a stay at home mom it is so easy to fall into the rut and routine and lose sight of why you do what you do. It is easy to forget and lose focus on the INTENTION behind the seemingly insignificant duties that we go through each and every day. But ultimately if you do what you do out of love for God and in appreciation for the blessings that you have been given then all is right in your world. Take the focus off of yourself and go about your daily activities, duties and obligations with love, gratitude and a desire to please God and spread His love to others and to make others feel loved and appreciated - if you do that, then at the end of the day you can call it a success in my humble opinion.

For me this translates into my family, and home as well as my work. In terms of my business it is my desire to use my health, fitness and wellness to so appreciation and gratitude for the beautiful, able body that I was blessed with. Being open about my own issues with scheduling, family, nutrition, workouts etc is my attempt to hopefully help you! And I can only pray that my intentions are recognized for what they are - although I am sure people will always question.

Gratitude

Today I am so grateful to wake up to another glorious sunshiney morning! (I know, it isn't a real word). Isn't it just incredible how seeing that sun beaming in  through the window creates a warmth that goes beyond words! And yes some people might scoff and say "all it does is highlight all of the dust on your furniture" but I choose to feel the warmth and enjoy the dusting that is to come :)

Nutrition

Banana (6am)

Protein (golden) pancakes (8am)

yogurt, pecans

santa fe chicken salad

broccoli quiche, grapefruit

supper is unplanned and undecided at this point.....thinking baked cod though.....

Workout (total 35 mins)

Underhand seated cable row supersetted with Incline DB press

DB row supersetted with Standing DB shoulder press

Followed with a Kettlebell Metabolic Workout (15 mins)

30:15

KB Deadlifts

KB high pulls

KB Romanian Deadlifts

KB swings

To compete or not to compete....that is the question...

I learned a few years back that I really am a very goal driven person. I didn't really know that about myself to be honest, but the past few years it has become painfully evident.

When my son was 6 months old I started to have recurring thoughts of an old promise that I had made myself a few years prior. A friend of mine competed in bodybuilding and although I admired her tremendously for her crazy regime I thought that it was too restrictive and unhealthy for me. The new class of "figure" was evolving and I stated that if "figure" ever came to Newfoundland that I would like to do it. In my mind it wasn't nearly as dangerous as bodybuilding.

Fast Forward about 4 years from then and low and behold here I am with a toddler, a new born and a body that I did not recognize. So I declared that I was going to compete in this still fairly new category of figure at one of the local provincial shows in November, just 2 months after my son would turn a year old.

A friend who had competed before (not the same one as previously mentioned) helped me prepare for this show and I slowly dieted down and trained for 6 months. Looking back I am still not sure how I did it with everything else going on but I am so proud that I did. I knew when I started that I would not be "competitive" with the other ladies but in the end, for me, it was about setting out to accomplish something that I said I was going to do. And I did. I walked on stage that show and placed 4th (out of 4) in the tall category. Not a great showing but I really didn't care! I was thrilled!

Then came the months of rebound. I was gaining and gaining back all of my weight even though I was eating good food. Truth be known I had done some serious damage to my metabolism by training and dieting on too much cardio and too few carbs. So as the weight crept back up I really struggled mentally with finding balance in my diet and workouts. (You might recall me telling you about the day that I wouldn't eat an apple because it had too many carbs? Well that was the result of this rebound).

Since that time and through all of that struggle a part of me has remained determined to prove that I can still get the physique that I know I am capable of by eating a healthy, balanced, real food diet and exercising a reasonable amount of time. I had not been able to find that up until now but I am finally at the point that I can see the changes and in the end it was the result of changing my mindset! Surprise, surprise!

So every so often the thoughts of competing re-emerge, and lately the sparkly bikinis have been calling my name again. This time the new category of "figure model" is even more appealing than any other has been in the past. It is the look of fit and lean but not overly muscular, but with a definite notable level of muscle but still very feminine - think "magazine cover" look.

So I still sit on the fence with a variety of back and forth thoughts on the competition thing...

For the past year I have debated over one main issue; that being my business. My business it to promote healthy balance in all aspects of life. Some argue that the fitness and competition lifestyle is a selfish one and not at all balanced or healthy. And to some point I have agreed and to be honest that is what has kept me away up until now. But the other side of that equation is that I also promote personal growth and goal setting so for me to set and achieve the goal of competing could potentially be a great source of inspiration for my friends, family and clients.

I think I have had a great fear of becoming obsessed with thoughts of shows and diets and workouts and bikinis....to the point that the fear has stopped me. I have also been holding myself back for fear of people misinterpreting my intentions for walking on stage. You see, I am a Christian and some see the sport as being very shallow and going against all that my faith teaches. (That is another blog right there*). It is something that I have had issues with.

But ultimately I think for me it is about setting a goal, following through, being transparent and accountable and inspiring others ~ the actual walking on stage is just the icing on the cake (pardon the pun). I have been so blessed to have a healthy, able body and I see it as my God given responsibility to treat it with the utmost respect as well as to use my life to lift up and inspire others.

So again, I still have no answer to the question that I get asked so frequently as to whether I will walk the stage again or not. I have a long way to go to get to that level in terms of my physique but I do have a plan. There are just over 12 weeks left until summer holidays from school and then camping begins. I have a wedding the first weekend of September so 2 goal dates in mind - and before pictures are taken. So what happens after that is any body's guess.....

Daily checkin - April 7th, 2011

Thought for today
I LOVE this one! It really resounded with me because over the past few years I have really worked to create the life that I desire. Do not be a victim of your circumstances, only YOU have the power to change YOUR life!

Gratitude
Today I am especially grateful for my two healthy children. They sometimes annoy the poop out of me - like when they come into bed at 6:40 am ready to rip and roar for the day - but in the end, they are healthy and have the ability to drive me nuts, for that I can not even express how grateful that I am!


Nutrition (todays planned and not so planned meals...)
Golden Pancakes (recipe from Eating for Life by Bill Phillips)
yogurt and crushed pecans
tuna quesadilla and angel food cake with some cool whip (that was the unplanned part)
apple, cheese
grapefuit, muffin cup quiche
chicken breast, salad, baked potato

Workout
Today was supposed to be a day off but it was so beautiful to see the sunshine that I decided to go for a short intervals workout and soak up some vitamin D. It was great to take advantage of hubby working later today!

5 minute warm up
30 : 90 intervals X 6 rounds
5 minute cool down

It felt so awesome to get outside but in all honesty I am just not a runner. I did start to enjoy it a bit there a couple of years back but a hip problem resulted in me going back to walking. Doing the body weight cardio intervals is definitely my preferred method of metabolic training these days and of course my punching bag - that beats all other (pardon the pun).

So those are my thoughts and plans for today. I will be back tomorrow with an  update and hopefully daily, at least until camping starts then I can't make any promises!

Wishing you balanced living!
Lesley

More frequent Blogging....my committment to you!

So life has been crazy busy as always with two young children and a growing business, not to mention husband, house, church and other volunteer commitment....but not busy in a bad way (most days anyway). But seeing as how I am focusing more on my lifestyle coaching business and boot camp these days I think that it is high time that I come clean about my own everyday life and how I find balance ~ some days are more successful than others but I strive to do just a little better every day than the day before and that is all we can ask for. Striving for excellence is not about being perfect - we all know that there is not such thing - to me excellence is being a little better than yesterday and if I do that then I call it a successful day.

So today I am committing to blogging to share my own struggles as well as my own nutrition and workouts and stress management tips; because the truth be told, I am my business. I am the person who works with you to help you find strategies to manage your own health, fitness and wellness. I hope that my transparency will leave you feeling empowered and encouraged that you are not alone in your challenges.

Health and happiness!
Lesley

Disordered Eating in "Normal" People (yes, I consider myself normal)

This is something that I shared with a friend recently and she suggested that it would be great to share here as well....

I had always had a good relationship with food and a fascination with nutrition. I ate well, I was a grazer and of I wanted a treat I had it, with no guilt. I exercised for the health benefits although I never LOVED working out, I did always appreciate how it made me feel and I believed that it would set me up for a healthy future.

I even watched a good friend and co-worker compete in a bodybuilding show and at the time secretly was VERY worried for her because i thought it was terribly unhealthy - but I also said at that time how much I admired her and if they ever brought figure to my province I would love to do it. In my mind it wasn't as unhealthy as Bodybuilding since the levels of body fat weren't as low etc. This may have been my first step in flawed thinking now that I look back.

Fast forward to post natal period of child #2...I was at my heaviest. I had lost almost all of my pregnancy weight but I was miserable. I was insecure about my body and eating anything and everything (in addition to my healthy foods) to cope with the colic and the toddler (older sister). Two colickly kids born 22 months apart took its toll on me mentally, no doubt.

I decided to take control of something, anything in my life and get in the best shape I had ever been in - vehicle of choice being a figure competition 7 months later (my son would be 14 months old at the time of the show).

I had a friend "train" me - knowing now it was too much cardio and too few carbs. I walked on stage at 103 lbs! But I was so proud that I had accomplished my goal. And to this day that accomplishment has continued to hold a lot of weight in my psyche knowing that I can do anything that I set my mind to. And although I do still feel that was a positive effect of it all, the negative has lead to an obsession with food, eating, dieting (although I never called it that) and self esteem issues.

I rebounded badly. I was eating 6 times a day, moderate portions of healthy foods and still gained weight. I couldn't understand it! I didn't have a post show plan and the weight came on quickly. A few months later I was almost back to me starting weight although I felt that I looked better than I had a year before at the same weight. But my issues with food were anything but the way that they had been. The day that I would not eat an apple because it had too many carbs, I knew I had some serious food issues.

I binge on sugar - candy mainly, gummy candy being my main weakness. Ice cream is my vice and over the past few years chocolate. I eat alone, when my husband is at work or gone out. I eat in the kitchen hiding from the kids (often so I don't have to share!) What kind of mother am I?!?!? Then I preach to my clients and family and friends about healthy, clean eating. And they see me eat well so to them it is all above board.

Here's the reality, I am a control freak! I also am a perfectionist. So when I lose control with food and I do these things I label myself as bad and a hypocrit. You can only imagine what that does to my self esteem! I often feel out of control with my aspects of my life so I control my food. It makes me feel good when I eat "good" and set a good example. Food is good and bad so if you eat good food you are good and if you eat bad food you are bad. Yet I would NEVER label or judge anyone else the same way?!?! So why do I do it to myself?

As a child I ate constantly, but I did always love healthy foods. My mother often worried that I had a tape worm, or that I was diabetic. I really did eat and drink all the time! I grew up never worrying about my weight.

The past few days I have been reading a lot about mindful and intuitive eating and it struck a chord with me that helped me uncover a lot of this. I also had braces put on back in november and eating 6 times a day, every couple of hours is simple a pain in the butt!!! I started eating bigger meals, brushing after and then not eating again until I am hungry - low and behold I dropped a few pounds and I feel great! I don't think about what it coming up to eat and I even have started to enjoy my workouts again - after only a few days really!

I still emotionally eat - and I am aware of it. Last night I ate becauser I was reading and bored. But I also came across something that is  great tool that I will use time and time again. When you think you might be hungry and want to eat ask ...

"Am I hungry enough to eat an apple?"Your response will tell you then and there if you want that chocolate bar for physical hunger or emotional feeding. Sometimes you will eat the apple, sometimes you will eat nothing and yes soemtimes you will eat the chocolate bar. The real control over food comes when you can eat that bar and enjoy every bite - then MOVE ON!!!!

I was feeding my emotions and my control issues, of that I have NO doubt.

So today, I eat when my body tells me that I am hungry. I eat healthy foods, as fuel, most of the time, and when I eat things that I once labelled as "bad", I enjoy every single last bite, taking the time to savour it. The funny thing is that when I do that, I eat a lot less of those things!

Funny how brilliant our bodies are?!?!

Being True to Myself

It was recently said to me to be honest with my clients and be true to myself, to be authentic. This has been something that I have always had issue with to be honest. I have always been very open with my feelings and my struggles and it has, in the past, resulted in me feeling very "exposed" and open to ridicule - which sadly, I often experienced. But despite that, it is truly who I am to share my thoughts, feelings, successes and failures so here I am. Open. Honest. Raw.

You see, I truly do care about people. I am a people person, which is what lead me to practice massage therapy as a healing art in the first place. But those who know me also know that I have had issues with being a talker and some clients don't like that. I like to share and chat and get to know my clients, but this often if frowned upon in the massage therapy profession. But the way that I have always felt about it was, if a person if taking off their clothes and spending upwards of an hour of their time with you it is only natural to speak to them on a more personal level. In particular if a client is dealing with pain issues, they already feel isolated and in many cases just want to come and feel free to relax and be something other than their injury.

But getting back to my original point....this person who spoke to me about being authentic was speaking in the context of business. My being true to myself, I truly believe that I will find success in business and in life, as will you.

Establish your priorities; what you value most in your life and then spend time doing THAT! Why waste hours of your day doing something that doesn't serve you at a core level. Now if it is your job, and you are thinking right now "well I hate my job, but I have to work", take a moment to sit back and look at what it is you do and how you can find something in that that speaks to you. You value your family, your children, you want to provide for them. You are good at what you do, you bring happiness to others, you help others in some way...when you begin focusing on the good, the other stuff just melts into the background.

It is all about perspective and what you choose to focus on!

So in my blog posts, although they are about health and wellness, fitness and nutrition, you will also often find posts about me and my life and my own struggles in these very areas. I am not perfect by any means, nor have I got it all figured out. I simply live my life and work each and everyday to help people learn how to help themselves and find balnce in their lives while being happy and healthy in the process.

Health and Happiness,
Lesley-Anne