• Lower back pain
• Tension headaches
• Aches and pains in various parts of the body
• Hunched over posture
• Other physical discomforts

If you answered YES to one or more of these conditions, this flexibility program is for YOU!

By participating in this program you will:

• Receive a comprehensive flexibility assessment
• Enjoy an assisted stretching session designed specifically for you
• Learn stretches that you can include in your working out sessions

Your Investment: $20

For more information and/or to register,
please talk to the front desk, call us at (905) 471-5433
or emal at info@whytefitness.ca

Many emergency room visits each summer could have been prevented by simply maintaining a base level of fitness and mobility over the course of the winter.   It’s one of those things that might not be in your conscious mind until it’s too late.   So if you need a bit of motivation, or even a bit of help, great news: there’s still plenty of time to not end up like Chet here….

Presenter: Julia Schneider, HLC, CK ,PTS FIS

In this 2 hours seminar you will:

• Get clear on common reasons for insomnia
• Learn how your environment and lifestyle might be contributing to sleep loss
• Learn techniques to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep

Your Investment:
Members: $5
Non-members: $10

Date & Time:
May 21st, 2012
10am-2pm

To register please contact us at:
(905) 471-5433 or
Email: info@whytefitness.com

Take a little notepad (think something a waitress would write her orders on) and keep a note of everything you eat this weekend.   If you have time and are so inclined, be sure to note the things you choose NOT to eat as well since this will be useful for you when you are reflecting on these notes later.   It is not news to most of us that as North Americans we are not always eating out of hunger; sometimes it is merely reflexive.   For example, I personally don’t go out and buy candy and chocolates for myself, but if my children receive peanut butter-filled Easter eggs, I become a menace to their collection.

So that’s the exercise: make some notes and while doing so, think about what makes YOU tick.   It is sure to give you valuable insight and, as such, further control over the health choices you make for yourself.   Oh, and eat the fish, NOT the chocolate. 

Recommended Reading:

I highly recommend The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy for its immediately useful, immediately actionable methodology to significantly improve your life with super simple and barely noticeable steps.

For me, I happened to be driving to Florida with my family and wasn’t just forced to eat Southern-style food on the way down and back, but actually was looking forward to it. You see I like to eat healthily, but I love to eat tasty things, so on the way down it was fried catfish, deep fried okra, turnip greens cooked with country ham (not so bad, I guess), buttered biscuits and of course: Waffle House hash browns, scattered, smothered and covered. You know what? It was awesome.

Big, delicious mess.

So now it’s time to get back into the swing of things. It’s really no big deal, especially if it was just an interlude in a months-long (probably since New Year’s Day, am I right?) regimen of healthy choices.

Life is meant for living, no question about that so here’s the deal: part of living life is enjoying delicious food. Like so many other actions we take in life though, it is about being conscious of every action you take and weighing it against your broader goals for yourself (see my previous post on this: here)

In conclusion, simply get back with the program; your treats haven’t ruined your efforts as long as you re-commit to yourself and your best life.

Let’s extract the principle at work here:  taking things in your life that don’t serve you and swapping them out for things that DO serve you.   We’ll break it into 3 categories: Food Habits, Physical Habits and Psychic Habits.   Here’s a useful exercise: for the next two weeks, try analyzing all of your habits in each of these categories.  Be conscious of those that improve your health and overall life.   Be conscious of those that do not.    See what simple day-to-day substitutions you can make to improve your life in ways that don’t even require any more of your time.   Don’t look with a crictical eye; just look with the eye of someone who knows there is a way to improve everything they choose to improve. Then simply go live in a more awesome way.

Food Habits: The above-mentioned columns touched a bit upon how easy it can be to still enjoy your favourite foods by simply swapping out the unhealthy bits for healthier choices.   Examples on this blog so far include lettuce leaves for taco shells or grated cauliflower in place of rice but a bit of Google-ing reveals loads of other choices: burgers served on Portobello mushrooms, mashed cauliflower and celeriac in lieu of mashed potatoes, and baked goods made with flours that have a more beneficial nutrional profile than traditional wheat flours.

Physical Habits: When you are parking, do you look for the spot that is closest to where you are going?   Give yourself a few extra minutes and park far away; enjoy a little walk.    Do you see people lined up for the elevator to only go up a floor or two and you instinctively just join them in waiting when the stairwell is only a few steps away?   Be conscious of this, then take the stairs.  You are not looking for things you are necessarily doing wrong, you are just looking for opportunities to do more right.

Psychic Habits: Are you always late?   Do you often find yourself making excuses for things you know you could well have done differently?    Do you agree to things that you don’t want to agree to and then find yourself resenting the party you are doing those things for?   It is already a stressful life out there, folks and when you create more stress for yourself, you are effectively drinking poison and hurting your physical body in a very real way.   So please; look for ways to be in control of your time and your schedule and feel a greater sense of personal wellbeing by doing so.

Recommended Reading:

I highly recommend The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy for its immediately useful, immediately actionable methodology to significantly improve your life with super simple and barely noticeable steps.

Here’s the deal, there is no secret to weight loss.  It has been more than a year since I planked and jogged more than 60 unwanted pounds off my body and I am still running into people asking me the same question, “What’s you’re secret?”  You know exactly what you need to do if you are serious about losing weight this year: eat healthy, reduce portions, drink plenty of water and exercise, exercise, exercise.  What it really comes down to is committing to a healthy lifestyle.  I wrote this on December 30, 2011 right when we were about to be inundated by news articles about “sticking with your resolutions” and “miracle weight loss stories” and thought I’d like to share some of the tips and tools that really worked in making my big lifestyle change.  These are the practices I continue to use each and every day, as I strive to be the best I can be – with cupcake in hand.

2010: Baby time in Kensington Park, Toronto at 192 pounds. Exactly 1 year later, 2011: Enjoying some backyard gardening at 130 pounds. I honestly never thought I would be in the best shape of my life after having kids.

The first thing that you lose on a diet is brain mass.” -Margaret Cho

No pressure! Set realistic goals.  To start, 1 pound a week is a healthy goal.  Consider anything you lose above that a bonus.

Give yourself a 3 week start. Weight-loss is a lifestyle, you have to give yourself some time to get into the groove of it all.  The first few weeks are brutal.  Your stomach is shrinking, you will feel hungry and cranky.  Your muscles and joints will ache.  Get over it, after about 3 weeks your body will adapt and you will feel SO much better.

Count your calories. Some will recommend you watch the percentage of fat or carbohydrates, whichever works for you. The important thing is that you acknowledge the nutritional facts of the food you are eating.  Calorie counting worked best for me.

Download MyFitnessPal (or any other effective tracking app). There may be no “secret” to weight loss but I consider this app my “secret weapon” for the process.  MyFitnessPal is the application I installed on my phone to track all of my calories in and out.  A piece of cheese pizza at 240 calories will require about 30 minutes of running to burn off.  The sooner you start appreciating calorie and fat values of your food, the easier it becomes to make smart food choices.

Portion sizes. From now on have your measuring cups handy.  Follow the nutritional guidelines on all your products and track your calories accurately.  Pay attention to the recommended portion size stated in the nutrition facts on the packaging.

Limit processed foods. If there are more than 5 ingredients listed, it will likely be high in fat and calories.  Enjoy as much real meat, real grains, real fruits, real vegetable as possible.  Just keep it real, man.

Cardio! Stretching is vital, strength building is great but if you’re about shedding the pounds, cardio is your only solution.  Speed walking, bike riding, jogging, whatever works best for you.  Give it your all at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Ignore the scale. Your body is a miraculous machine.  If you consume a meal heavy in salt, your body will retain water to fight dehydration and the scale will actually add a couple of pounds.  It is incredible how many factors go into your weight; a pound more here, a pound less there.  You cannot put too much pressure on the scale.  If you insist on using it, make sure it’s at the same time of day each time (preferably morning) and don’t be upset if it’s higher than you expected.

Cut corners everywhere. No more cheese on your burgers, cut out mayonnaise, drink your coffee black.  These spoonfuls of 40 calories here and 80 calorie slices there add up.  You don’t need them.  If you don’t already, learn to love mustard.  Mustard is just crushed mustard seed and water and offers O calories, a tasty way to avoid a dry sandwich.

Water!! 8 glasses a day will change your life.

Don’t drink your calories. When you are thirsty, drink water.  Drink water as often as you can.  If weight loss is the goal, juice is not your friend.  Get your vitamin C boost directly from the delicious orange (about 65 calories), avoid giant glasses of orange juice (110 calories per 8oz, most people drink 16 oz in a glass of juice).  What about booze!?!  ALL alcohol offers calories, even a shot of straight vodka has about 70 calories in it.  When you’re out for drinks just make smarter choices.  i.e. vodka sodas, light beer and be sure to drink water between cocktails.

Take a class. Gym memberships scare the hell out of me: the commitment is intimidating, they cost a ton (regardless of the bargain you received by “just signing up”) and the contracts are a nightmare to get out of.  I recommend signing up for a class at your local community centre or privately owned studio.  Affordable, good people at similar fitness levels and a class once a week is easy to stick with.  I always like to register for something on a Monday or Tuesday evening to motivate me for the rest of the week.

Pilates. I fully credit that first Pilates class I took at a local community centre to saving my life.  It made me believe that I could change my life and launched me into my own fitness routine.

Set a routine. Wake up, stretch, 20 mins. cardio, eat a large breakfast, work, lunch, dinner, play, stretch, bed.  However you fit your exercise routine into your schedule, make it a routine for every day so it is easy to accept as just part of your day.

Enjoy a large breakfast. This old saying has stuck with me, “Feast like a King in the morning and pick like a peasant in the evening.”  When you eat full, hearty meals full of protein and fiber early in the day you have energy to sustain yourself for longer periods of time, you avoid snacking and it’s easier to burn those calories as you’re active through the day.  Come dinner time, stick to essential nutrients and lower fat content.

Oatmeal makes an awesome breakfast, especially the whole grain, unprocessed steel cut oats. Oats are full of soluble fiber which your body digests at a slow rate giving you the satisfied sense of fullness for many more hours than processed foods and/or refined sugars. Load up a serving of oatmeal with your favourite fruits and nuts for a boost in protein and vitamins.

Get the kids involved. It was easier to work out at home when the girls were babies and I could distract them with a vibrating chair and Baby Einstein videos.  Nowadays, at 2 and 4 years old, they think Mom planking is an invite for a horsie back ride.  I’ve learned to embrace their 30-some-pound bodies as my weights with “airplane lifts”  and “baby arm crunches” and they both like to practice a few yoga poses with me.  You should see how I gush when Edie, 4, shouts in a public place, “Look, Mom, tree pose” as she balances perfectly on one leg.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Practice Yoga. Yoga will benefit your life in greater ways than just weight loss.  A calm mind is a happy mind, the body will follow.

Be naked. Don’t be afraid to stand in front of the mirror naked.  You have to love yourself every step of the way.  The sooner you learn to accept every roll today, the easier it is to envision your realistic goals for tomorrow.

Donate the clothes that no longer fit. Only look ahead, don’t look back to those jeans that are now 4 sizes too big.  Get them out of your closet.

Set up a support team. This is the time of year that your friends and family are their most motivated, use it.  Walk together, sign yourself and friends up for a boxing class, go play touch football in the snow…  Make exercise a fun, social activity and you will be less likely to give it up.

Chill out! Diet doesn't translate to "sacrifice". Enjoy life with balance, that includes a cupcake or three every now and then.

Treat yourself! Healthy weight loss is all about finding a balance.  If you hit up Cousin Sue’s extravagant wedding and go to town on the gourmet buffet, don’t freak out and give up!  Just be prepared to work out a little harder leading up to it and afterwards. I am not a certified Dietician and by no means a fitness pro, I am just a woman who quit looking for the secret to weight loss, stopped making excuses and took control of her own body. I gained 80 pounds during my pregnancies and felt so lost as a new mom with a body that I resented.  Calorie counting lead me down this awesome path of food awareness and exercise has brought me more energy and happiness than I ever thought it could.  Most importantly, I’ve learned to love myself and all that I am – including the stretch marks and sexy muffin top. It feels great to like the way you look.  Feeling healthy and fit makes everything else in your life better, so don’t give up on yourself.  Enjoy the process and dream of the big picture.  It’s not easy but nothing worth while ever is.  Good luck and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! xo If you have any tips and tricks for healthier living, please share them in the comments section below.  These tips are just as much for you as they are reminders for me, it’s been a very festive holiday season and I have a not-so-jolly jiggle to be jogged off.  We’re in this together.

Check out more of Dana’s musings on food, family and fun on her blog Hot Pink Apron.com or join in the conversation on Twitter @HotPinkApron.

We have all been guilty at some point of postponing building our ideal life because we believe we have to wait ‘until this’ or ‘until that’ and one of the mainstays of this thinking is ‘until I have more time.’   Until I have my degree.  Until I have a better job.  Until my business takes off.   Until my business slows down. Until I can afford a gym membership.   Until the kids move out.   Until I retire.

Whoops!  Where did all the time go?

Perhaps you have had this discussion before, but recently I have been thinking a lot about what it means to live in the moment and live for today.   Don’t get me wrong: I love a good plan for the future as much as anyone, but that should not mean postponement of creating your life the way you want it to be.   However we got into this life, we must accept that we are the creative force of our own experience while we are here or else accept the determinations of what others have in store for us as we ping around like a pinball.

So here’s the thing: ask yourself what a perfect day looks like to you.   Do it.  Repeat.   As personal trainers, we are here to tell you what to do in one hour increments of course, but you are there because you have chosen how you want your body to function while you still have one.   That’s clever.   Now apply that same thinking to all areas of your life.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to pick up my kids from school a bit early, make everyone a nice dinner and enjoy my special bonus day.

So, today was Shrove Tuesday as well as Mardi Gras.   Figuring it was going to be easier to stick to my paleo regimen with some Cajun food as opposed to a big stack of flapjacks, I started searching for some appropriate recipes using ingredients I already had on hand.   Creole cooking was in no way conceived with weight maintenance in mind, but rather an enjoyment of life and enjoyment of great ingredients that could be expressed through the kitchen in this delicious cuisine.   So here’s what I came up with and my family loved it!   Give it a whirl and laissez les bon temps rouler!

Two things at once.

Creole Pork Chops With Cauliflower ‘Rice’

For the pork chops:

1Tbsp coconut oil

4 Pork Chops, around 1″ thick (I used loin chops)

1 540ml can chili-seasoned diced stewed tomatoes

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

salt, pepper & cayenne to taste

For the ‘rice’

1 head cauliflower

1 Tbsp coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 scallions, thinly sliced

Had these in the cupboard and they came in very handy for this dish.

To be fair, I would probably normally use unseasoned tomatoes but I just happened to have these chili-seasoned ones on hand.   Couple that with the fact that I was starving and had to get my wife fed well before her yoga class and you have a serendipitous triumph of flavour and ease.   (a little much?  ah, well…)

Okay, the most aggravation here is grating the cauliflower.   I used the grater blade on my food processor, but a box grater is fine.   Use the big holes; remember you’re going for an end product that resembles rice.   All done?   Okay, everything is going to happen quickly now, so stay focused and let’s roll:

Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high on one burner and a large, non-stick pan on another burner on medium.   Put the coconut oil in each one.

While the coconut oil melts, salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides.   Drop them in the cast iron skillet and brown on one side.   After you flip them once, add the rest of the pork chop ingredients to the skillet, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and put a lid on it.   Ignore until your ‘rice’ is ready.

Add the garlic to the non-stick pan…stir it a bit until you can smell it in the air and it is starting to soften, but don’t brown it.   Add the cauliflower and scallions….stir often until the whole mixture is hot and has the consistency of perfectly cooked, fluffily rice transfer to plates or a serving bowl.

Test the pork chops for doneness…they should be just fine by now.   Add them to the plates or a platter.  Make sure you spoon lots of that pan sauce over the chops and ‘rice.’   Enjoy!

Wikipedia defines Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) as “a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn year after year.”   In Canada, most of us find that this tends to manifest in our lives around this time of year and we casually refer to it as ‘The February Blahs.’  According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, only 2-3% of us in Ontario would be categorized as having full-on SAD and ‘another 15% have a less severe experience described as the “winter blues.”

The great news is that treatments for these less severe cases can often be as simple as getting up and getting yourself moving.  We are lucky in Ontario this year: the weather that might normally contribute more to this phenomenon has been unusually sunny and warm.   The opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy some sunshine and physical activity have never been more abundant than they have been this winter.

Get outside and get moving!

So here is the thing: if you notice yourself feeling a little bit out of sorts, maybe your sleep and appetite are not what they should be – take action!   How many other maladies in life can be treated with something so pleasureable as a hike in the woods, skating on a lake or even splitting some firewood?   It is your life, folks: get out and enjoy it!

How have YOU been taking advantage of this warm winter?   Let us know in the comments section below…