May 30th...Dear Hard work...

This picture says it all...                        

                  

So next time you think "you got it tough" or life's "just not fare" I hope you remember this picture and stop feeling sorry for yourself.  I hope this picture and video below inspire you to dig deep, and push yourself just a little bit more today, step out of that comfort zone and look forward to that day when you crave HARD WORK!

http://cutandjacked.com/Video-Training-Motivation-Dear-Hardwork

May 29...Aftermath of the Filthy 50 WOD!

OMG that was amazing to watch...you all ROCK OUT the "Filthy 50" WOD today.  It was so exciting to witness the craziness of it all.  You have all had a huge increase in your strength and endurance and it was awesome to see and feel that improvement today.  You can now start reaping the rewards of your hard work and consistency in training.  Months ago if I told you this is the kind of stuff we'd be doing, you probably would have laughed at me and said "no way, your nuts" or not come back to another class!  Well look at ya now!

Above is a description of the "Filthy 50" WOD.

 Here are the trusting Boot Campers, getting their 5min. AMRAP on before I give them a little "treat" before their BIG work out...this is my idea of a warm up!...

 We all jumped in the car, them laughing and giggling, me laughing to myself as they have no idea as to what's about to happen.  I drive to the bottom of Fulton Hill and say, "get out, see ya at the top"...not sure why their giggles stopped...mine sure carried on!

 It doesn't look that steep, does it?

Here's the AM class rock'n out, I know their thinking, wow we sure are glad Mel got us nice and warmed up with that hill run...

 PM class going full out!  

 50 Burpees is a lot...even I have to agree to that one!  I know their smiling...

 Mind over matter baby, you can do this!

 And see just like that, it's all over with...

 Til next month's WOD!

OK...yes this was a brutal work out, I did it a couple days earlier and realized why I hadn't done it in almost a year. By the end you have 50 Burpees and 50 Double Unders left, not sure what was worse.  By the time I got half way through the Burpees, I though my arms were going to fall off, my shoulders were fried from the 50 Knees to Elbows.  Then to try to do 50 Double Unders(1 skip with two rope rotations) right after...you are hyper ventilating and trying to have some kind of coordination but your body is like a wet noodle.  Fi did it best tonight, she went to grab the rope handle in her hand and we both watched as it fell to the ground.  She didn't even have the strength left to hold the rope in her hand let alone skip with it.  Job well done everyone, I knew you could do it!

May 26...chocolate fudgsicles!

OK so Lara sent me this recipe for a healthier version of chocolate fudgsicles via http://www.damyhealth.com I have to say I was quite excited, so I got busy in the kitchen...here's the ingredients. I didn't have Pumpkin puree so I used apple sauce instead and I didn't have any Stevia so added a wee bit more honey.

 The recipe also called for 1 banana but I ate the last one while reading the recipe...opps!  But I dug deep in the back of the freezer and found 1/2 a frozen banana.

 It finishes up nice and thick, I watered it down with some fresh coffee instead of powdered instant coffee...hmmm I seem to be getting further and further away from the original recipe.

 Chase was excited for the official taste testing...Warren not so much, I think he's still finding spinach in his teeth!

 I had lots left over, could of filled half another container.

 Chase pumped and ready for the frozen treat...

Here he goes...3 bites in and he said, "Mom you have to make better fudgsicles" and gave it back to me.  I tried to finish it only because I didn't want to waste it.  OK even I couldn't finish it.  There's something to be said for following the recipe exactly...Overall, they were not too bad, I was hoping they would be more chocolaty.  For the cost of the ingredients I think I will have to pass on this one and stick to the "Skinny Cow" frozen treats.  If you find a way to make it tastier, let me know!

Ingredients:

• 4 Avocados (Pitted and Peeled)
• 1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/3 Cup Natural Nut Butter
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Cup Spinach
• 1-2 Tsp Instant Coffee (Optional)
• 1 Banana
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• Dash of Salt
• 6 Packets of Stevia
• 3 Tbsp Agave (or Maple Syrup/Honey)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Scoop mixture with a spoon into popsicle molds.
3. Place in the freezer for 5 hours – overnight.

May 25th...Failure leads to greatness!

Well it's Friday, yes the weekend will soon be here and you can take a moment to catch your breath.  I know we tend to want to relax on the weekend and eat a little more or eat a lot more.  Why not change things up but, do a family hike or get up a little earlier, yes I said earlier and go for a walk or run by yourself.  Take in the peace and quiet while everyone else is sleeping.  One the the top excuses for not exercising has to be, I don't have enough time!  Well if your not willing to change things up a bit or try something new, you'll always be stuck in your rut!  Why not get up early on a Saturday morning and go work out... really! You can sleep when your dead.  Change can be so hard for people, the unknown can be very intimidating, and yes I understand this.  We have to start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, let go of the fear of failure!  Failure is awesome because it means you tried your best, and that's all anyone ever asked for from you.  Monday is going to be our month end WOD (work out of the day)This is a big one. If you thought Barb was bad ass...This is going to hit you where you least expect it.  So I'm not trying to psych you out, I want you to mentally get yourself ready.  I'm giving you this challenge cause I know if you dig deep enough you can do. How you finish it, doesn't matter, what matters is that you finish it!

Above left to right is, Bev, Trellia, Christine, me and Angela.  This was their first 10km run, the Times Colonist Victoria Run.  Doesn't matter, whether they walked it or ran it, each was up for the challenge, pushed their hardest and finished!  What an amazing group of women, so proud to be their Trainer!

May 23... Lara's commitment!

Ok so I'm sitting here eating a small piece of chocolate with my afternoon coffee, my thoughts are that I shouldn't be eating it, but it just tastes so good! Am I lacking commitment because I'm indulging in one little piece of heavenly chocolate? This is a daily mental struggle with me, some days I'm strong, fully committed to my work out routine and goals, other days I just don't have the motivation, no matter how many cups of coffee I drink!  I know for me, when I start down this path that it's time to mix my work outs up, my mind and body are telling me they're bored.  And when I'm board I roam the kitchen looking for something to eat, so, got to get busy!  Just coming off the May long weekend, summer is fast approaching.  Need to get it together, like yesterday!  That means, organizing my meals for the week , including snacks, make a list and then go shopping.  For myself, I schedual in my work outs at a time no one can bug me, and write out exactly what I'm going to do.  If I don't, I'll go down to the gym and wonder around uninspired and get nothing done.  I love it when people ask me where do I get the time to work out, seems they have no time to work out...it's not that I have more time than you, the difference is I make it a priority to work out, so I find the time...simple as that. Your goals can't happen over night, but if you take small steps towards them everyday, you are getting closer to that goal and before you know it, you'll be there.  

 For example, my sister-in-law, Lara (above pic), has 4 kids and over the last year she has been fully committed to loosing over 80lbs.!  Yes some days she eats clean, others has a cookie, but she does a little bit everyday.  She works out at home with her Jillian DVD's or stays on track with Weight Watcher meetings.  She is constantly looking for healthy recipes and ideas on healthy living.  If Lara can find time to work out with 3 little ones running around, then so can you! I have a quote on the door in my gym...you can have results or excuses, but not both.  Which one are you going to choose?

May 21...Mt.Work hike

Ahhh the long weekend is over, the weather was great, got to relax and go for a little hiking adventure!  My brother is in town, so we decided to go on a hike to a local mountain, Mount Work.  I'd give you directions but we got lost too!  We started out, by my brother NOT bringing the directions...going to be a long day!  We found a park, got our gear on and off we went!

 Started out great, beautiful lake, lots of families out fishing, perfect day for a hike!

 All morning my brother was teasing me, calling me a "Princess" saying I won't be able to handle the hike...this comes from the same guy who won't even try one of my Crossfit classes...who's a Princess?  Anyway, this is what HE calls a hike, this is a dog walking path!

 We hit a dead end, 5 minutes into the hike...I'm already hungry and have to pee, going to be a long day...

 One option was to use the emergency phone for direction, nope instead we choose the little old lady with 2 dogs and her handy umbrella to draw directions in the dirt.  As we left I asked my brother if he got that, "Oh ya" he says.

 Finally after driving in a loop, using the map in the car and asking a lady walking down the road where Mt.Work was, we found it!

 Uh ya this was no cake walk, straight up right away, kinda reminded me of the Grouse Grind, a smaller version.  There were some areas that flattened out, but lots of climbing up rock and over roots.

 Almost at the top, perfect day for a hike...

 We stopped here, I think you can keep going around a bit further but the trail drops down so you'd loose the view.   Took us 55 min. to get to the top.

 What a view, downtown Victoria one way and here is Finlayson Arm the other.

 Took a rest break, with Mom's homemade banana bread! We decided to run back down to the bottom, took half the time, but watch out for the roots, I almost face planted!

Then of course I deserved a pig out meal!  We went to My Chosen Cafe for the "beef sandwhich"...it's all about the gravy!  Thanks for the great day, we'll have to see who's the "Princess" in the morning!

May 17th...How bad do you want it?

I saw this picture on FB...it says it all! This is what my old Trainer, from back in the day, followed the quote with,"one half of knowing what you want, is knowing what you must give up, before you get it"...perfectly said Dawn.  One day in the late 90's, I was "trying" to work out.  In the ladies only area, OMG that's so bad, and like many people, a magazine on the floor, trying to figure out how to do what the girl in the perfect outfit was doing...a Deadlift.  Dawn, one of the Personal Trainers there, walk by and I summed up the courage to asked her for help, that was the beginning of my future career!  Dawn was/is a great mentor, she practices what she preaches, doesn't care what people think and dreams bigger than big.  This is the best advise that I can give anyone.  When you open a fitness magazine, and see a beautiful model, what do you think?   She was born that way? Do you look at the picture and think, hey I eat pretty good, and I work out alot, how come I don't look like her...because your only giving it 60-70% effort, the model gives it 100%, that's the difference.  She doesn't eat clean "sort of" everyday she passes up on temptations because she has her eye on the prize.  And her work outs, are hard...real hard, like 5am and knowing she's exhausted but finishing the work out anyway.   Not sitting on a bike or running on a treadmill reading a book, or dancing around in a gym chit chatting.  Oh I could go on!  So next time you see a fit person with envious eyes, check yourself, and ask are you willing to work that hard.  If your first thought is a " CAN'T" or an "EXCUSE", welcome to the hamster wheel of negativity, cause that's all your going to get.  If your first thought was a "HOW CAN I", you are on your way to greatness because in that moment you believed in yourself, and once you start doing that your world can open up to any possibility YOU CHOOSE!

May 16th...how fun is your work out?

I know some days it takes everything you have to get your butt to the gym, trust me I know this, and I have a gym in my house!  Some days it just takes more...more energy, more desire, more confindence and more self discipline.  This affects EVERYONE, we get the "work out blues" or get stuck in rut doing the same old thing.  How do we change it?  Try something new...

Mix up your work out.  Last week I went to the dollar store, got some dice, and wrote 6 different exercises on each.  Then the Boot Camp "Newbies" had to roll them, no pressure, and that was our 5 minute warm up. 

 I know I've come up with some crazy exercise's for the Boot Camper's to do, but by giving them the unexpected, keeps it fun and challenging at the same time.  Nobody gets board in my classes!

And at the end of the day, you have to have fun, because if you don't look forward to your work outs, you won't stay committed.  Find some fun it, and you will see your consistency increase.  Which means you'll be that much closer to reaching your goals!

May 15th...better than ice cream!

Ok, so I think I've found the "Holy Grail" of an ice cream substitute.  I'm allergic to milk, and summer is coming so that equals ice cream cone time but none for me.  Here's the deal, I made my version of ice cream out of plain Greek 0% yogurt, protein powder and fresh berries. 

 First I mixed 3/4 cup yogurt with 1/2 scoop protein powder, blended it up.  I added a Tbsp of water just so that the mixture wouldn't be so thick. ( you may need to add more)  Poured mixture into an ice-cube tray, only half way full, added berries, covered with mixture.  Put in freezer for a couple of hours.  

Then having my mid afternoon craving, pulled frozen treat out, ran hot water under bottom of tray to loosen up.  Pop out each cube, and enjoyed them!

These are seriously awesome, WHY!  Because each cube contains 4 grams of protein and, only 20 calories.  I love having guilt free treats!

May 14th...Salad dressings!

So I'm thinking we have skipped spring and gone straight to summer!  Fine by me, time to get my garden growing with veggies and herbs.  I thought it might be a good idea now that you will probably be eating more salads, to find some low calorie recipes, that are big on taste. I love Cilantro, mixed with lime, equals big taste and easy on your waist line.  Here's one of my fav's...
Lime-Cilantro Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

If you can't handle the heat of the Cayenne pepper, see alternative recipe below.

Ingredients

1 cup packed cilantro
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of minced garlic

Directions

Puree all of the ingredients in a food processor. Chill until ready to serve.

Asian inspired...Asian-inspired ingredients lend a lot of flavor, without adding calories.  This simple salad dressing
 has only 5 calories per tablespoon.

• One bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp bottled, minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp chile paste
• 4 lime wedges

May 9th...The wonders of Cauliflower!

Well I have been playing around with Califlower for a bit now, adding it to soups, subbing it here and there instead of rice or potatoes and I even tried to use it, as a pizza crust.  Tonight I was going to make a curry stir fry and use the sherred Califlower instead of rice.  I happened to cruise across one of my favorite Blogs, Snack-Girl.com and guess what she had a similar thought...If you're not familiar with Snack-Girl.com, get on it!  Lots of great low-cal recieps, that are yummy and if you do Weight Watchers, the points are usually listed.  Here's a picture of today's Blog, enjoy!

Healthy Snack RecipesHealthy Packaged SnacksWorst Snacks

Love Rice But Want To Cut Calories? Try This

20  | Posted on May 9, 2012

 

Snack Girl did something different the other day to her favorite "rice and bean" bowl. 

She substituted a vegetable in the bowl above.

Which one you ask? Well, that is a photo of my rice bowl with cauliflower now renamed:

 "Cauliflower and Bean Bowl".

Continue reading Love Rice But Want To Cut Calories? Try This

May 8th...this vs. that...pancakes, that is!

So I thought it would be a cool idea to do, "this vs. that", take a favorite food and find the healthier version of it.  So I thought I'd start with a weekend favorite, pancakes.  At our house there ends up being chocolate chips in them and lots of syrup.  I stand and drool over them, but I have come up with a Protein Power Pancakes that are just as tasty but healthier.  So you can have this...
  

Ingredients

6 egg whites, beaten until fluffy
1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Place all ingredients except egg whites in a food processor and pulse or blend until mixture is uniform.

Pour blended ingredients into a bowl and fold in the egg whites

Prepare a griddle with cooking spray. Ladle pancake mixture onto griddle and cook until both sides are browned.

Number of Servings: 3Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 303.1

• Total Fat: 12.1 g
• Cholesterol: 13.2 mg
• Sodium: 424.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 22.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 7.3 g
• Protein: 30.2 g

Or you can have that...

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray
• 230 calories / 8.2g fat

OK so I know the pancakes above look really yummy with all that syrup and if you compare a serving of 3 pancakes the stats are close.  My point is that there are 300 calories of nutrition in the healthier version and 300 empty calories in the syrup covered ones.  So pick your food choices wisely, not all calories are created equal.  Your body will store the "crap" calories, and yes you guessed it, right on you butt, belly and thighs!  The nutritional calories, will give you energy and be burned as fuel.  So, next time you grab that pre-packaged snack, think about whats in it and where it's going to land on your body! 

May 5th...Smiles and Tires!

When I see this picture, all your quotes from your t-shirts come to mind..."Greatness lies within me!", "Rock'n my work out", " Sexy is the NEW strong".  I hope you all realize just how far you have come in the past few months.  You are all getting stronger, not only on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside!  I have seen your self confidence grow in each and everyone of you.  In every class you do, I see you push a little harder, move a little faster, and complain a lot less!  So proud to be your Trainer!

Just another Saturday morning, well spent with friends, getting our butts kicked!

May 4...

OK, usually when I do my blog, I like to be inspired by something happening through out the day in a work out, talking to a client or just in life.  But I saw this, this morning and well, all I have to say is that the quote below is putting allot nicer than I would!

Trust me people when I say I have heard it all, do you really think I believe you when you throw-out some lame excuse why you "can't fit in" your work out...that's funny because I know many people who are busy, Mom's or Dad's, working full time, going to school, have a family and still get in there work out! So next time your not organized, or just not feeling "up to it", OWN IT, and don't lie to me or yourself...You know what, some days you just have to dig a little deeper, stop thinking and just get your trainers on and start moving.  Were all in the same boat, you have to find something each day to motivate you, challenge you and want you, to aspire to be just a bit better each day...when you find it, you'll know because at that point " YOU WILL BE STRONGER THAN YOUR EXCUSES"...go find your shoes and get moving!

May 2...Spare Tire!

OK, OK, enough with the tires already!  I just can't help myself, there are so many fun things one can do with with tires...look below!

 Sam looking fabulous, even while working out!

 Look at the determination on Berenice and Danielle's faces...love it!

 My 2 "newbies" Racheal and Tina on the home stretch...I'm pretty sure their thinking " what the frick did I sign up for...this chick is nuts".

Angela, always a smile on her face...even with 20lbs. over her head!

Tina and Christine rock'n their "spare tires!"  Awesome job today, your arms will be looking "hot" for the summer!