WE LOVE VEGA!            

The challengers were so fortunate to get the opportunity to taste

and take home samples of the VEGA COMPLETE WHOLE
FOOD OPTIMIZER and THE ANTIOXIDANT EFA OIL BLEND 
during the TPD Diet Workshop #2.  They Loved it! 
For more information on Vega products visit http://www.myvega.com/

Special guest Susan St.James (Garden Health Foods - owner)
said it was the best VEGA smoothie she'd ever tasted.  It was
very generous of Susan to give each challenger Emergen C,
Nutracleanse and lots of support.  Visit Susan at 1204 Davie street Downtown Vancouver (604-688-4325) 

Suzy Szokendi (Soul Reflexions - Massage and Spa Therapy) dropped by to also support the challengers and was impressed by everyone's dedication.  http://www.soulreflexions.com/ The evening ended with a prize draw and Tina took home the latest version of Rick Gallops "GI Diet" 2010.

                              



NATURAL STEVIA LEAF
ZERO CALORIES

Hello, Everyone!                                             
So, I had hit that "plateau" in my "losing" journey -- particularly as I increased exercise, I found that the scale did not budge for about 10 days there -- however, clothes were fitting a little better, and I had more energy so I know something was working! This morning, I did get on the scale and, lo and behold, a 2 lb drop! Finally! For me it also represented a loss into the next "decade" (I won't reveal which) ....perhaps you can see what I mean by that!

This felt really good as it has been a long time since I have weighed in that "decade"!  With 2 young children, a business and going to school part time, I am finding it very challenging to get to events with TPD -- but, I am so happy to blog!

Hope all of you are well. Drinking lots of water and tea sweetened with Stevia is helping, as well as ensuring that every meal I eat (including snacks) is comprised of 80% non starchy veg! Also, a food of the gods called "Young Coconut Kefir" and cultured veggies such as unpasterized saurkraut is helping to eliminate all sugar cravings. I am following The Body Ecology Diet, and it has been wonderful for me.

Best wishes to you all!
Fiona

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER!

What an absolutely fun way to spend a Saturday night doing aerobics to the old disco tunes.

Remember this one.."everybody was kung fu fighting.. they were
as fast as lightning"....I love that old stuff! And did we sweat away the calories. 

It was wonderful to see so many     come out and shake their booty. 

                          

LOW GI TREAT WITH HEALTH BENEFITS!
Most chocolate contains large quantities of saturated fat and sugar, making it quite fattening. However, chocolate with a high cocoa content (70%) delivers more chocolate satisfaction per once. So, a square or two of rich, dark, bittersweet chocolate, nibbed slowly or, better yet, dissolved in the mouth, gives you just the fix you need ( Rick Gallop - The GI Diet )

Dark Chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa mass "supplies the body with important amounts of polyphenols that are potentially capable of exercising beneficial effects on some chronic illnesses, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases" ( Foods to Fight Cancer, Richard Beliveau,PhD and Denis Gingras,PhD )

Chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural hormones produced by the brain, that generates feelings of pleasure and promotes a sense of well being. One of the ingredients in chocolate is tryptophan, an essential amino acid needed by the brain to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a mood-modulating neurotransmitter that can give rise to feelings of happiness ( The Effects of Nutrients on Mood - Benton D, Donohoe RT )

Cocoa Camino, a Canadian company, brings to us a fair trade,certified organic and kosher, bittersweet treat. This Panamanian, smooth, intense dark chocolate contains a minimum of 85% cocoa. For more information about this wonderful tasting chocolate visit  http://www.cocoacamino.com/

YOU GOTTA MOVE IT MOVE IT!

Can you believe the sun actually came out to play with us!  We had a blast with Alistair Browne (NSGSC Head Coach) who set up drills for the high impact group and myself who lead another group through a gentle fit program.  Again "Bravo" for coming out on what started off as such a nasty morning. 

Our next group class will be Hi/Lo Aerobics on Saturday Sept 25th at 6pm, for an hour only and indoors, so I hope to see a packed gymnasium.  The class will not be complicated, but should challenge your fitness and I've selected some "fun" disco music for us. 

We are moving into the 1/2 way point of this challenge and you are all doing great!  There are still a few Friday night (7-8pm) weight room orientations left so take advantage of them while you can.

THE PLANK AND SIDE PLANK

Dear Fellow  TPDers,                                           

This week I did increase my activity, which felt good --
although the scales haven't moved much (understandably
-- water retention, I think). I renewed my fitness pass, did
a few weights, went on a run or two, rode my bike to my
one class I am taking at UBC, and started to do a PLANK
again after every workout -- quite challenging, particularly
looking down at my post 2 children belly :-( !

That being said, I continue to feel well, am keeping the sugar at
bay and am continuing to follow my nutritional plan (The Body
Ecology Diet/GAPS) which has helped me tremendously.

I will be back for another weigh in tomorrow -- and I hope to see you all on Sunday for boot camp!

Warmest wishes,

Fiona

Portabella Pizzas                    
Ingredients:
• 1 large (3-oz) portabella (portabella) mushroom cap
• 1/4 cup pasta sauce *
• 1/4 cup soya or part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Garlic (fresh or powder), to taste
• Dried basil, to taste
• fat-free cooking spray (olive oil flavor is best)
* Points were calculated using Ragu Sundried Tomato and Sweet Basil sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wipe the cap clean of any dirt. Trim mushroom stem even with cap. (Or sometimes you can just pluck the stem right out!) Place mushroom cap on foil and bake for 5-10 minutes before you proceed with the toppings. Remove from oven. If you find juice on the top of the mushroom cap after you take it out of the oven, just pat it dry with a paper towel. (If you are using fresh garlic, you can either dice it very small or roast it till soft.) Spray both sides of the mushroom cap with cooking oil. Place on a baking dish, gill side up. Cover generously with the garlic and sauce, and then top with the cheese and dried basil. Place in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cheese is well melted. Broil for the last minute or two if you want your cheese browned on top. Serve immediately. (Most people prefer to eat this pizza with a knife and fork)

Yields: 1 pizza (3 points per serving)

Nutritional Info: (per serving): 160 calories, 7.5 g. fat, 4 g. fiber (3 points) *

ODE TO THE POWER WALKERS

It was a very rainy early Sunday morning on the edge of fall.  Though many felt the urge to roll back into bed and pull the covers up tight, a few determined put on their rain gear, laced up their runners and made their way  through the down pour focused on their goals.  May their commitment inspire many as we all continue on this six week journey together.   "BRAVO!"

 

                           

WEIGHT ROOM ORIENTATIONS

Every Friday Night (7-8pm)
Take advantage of a free weight room intro session.  Learn proper weight training techniques , balance ball exercises and what exercises to avoid if you have any injuries.  The session is about an hour long and will focus on the program found in your folders.
10 Challenger max so e-mail me if you want to join us next Friday night.  Don't be shy if you'd also like to learn a few different exercises.    Contact:
Michelle at tenpounddown@gmail.com

Nigel and Wendy were a ton of fun!    

Hi everyone,

I’m following up on the equation for daily grams of protein 
consumption relative to your body weight in kilograms. The
ratio is that you should consume about .8 grams of protein
daily for every kilogram you weigh. If you’re like me, you’re
thinking in pounds so you’ll need to do a conversion.
This online conversion tool will take care of that:
http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/pounds-to-kilograms.htm
So, I weigh about 160 pounds which translates into roughly 72 kg.
Multiplying by .8, I arrive at about 57 grams of protein.
Hey Michelle, does that sound right?
Cheers,
Kris Klaasen


Hey Kris
That sounds about right for your weight.  If you were weight lifting alot and building more muscle you could boost your protein intake to 1.2 - 1.4gm per kg of your total body weight.  An easy way to convert pounds into kilograms is to take your weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2 and you'll get your weight in kilograms.
Then times that by .8 and you'll have your protein intake for the day.  We really don't need as much protein as most think.  It's best to have it with every meal but small portions of it.  Health Canada recommends
2 1/2 oz (75g) per serving, most restaurants serve 6 ozs per meal.  One thing to note is that there is a fat and water content in that serving so it will not be pure protein.

Michelle

Hello, fellow TPD-ers!

I have made it through my first week with some significant

dietary and lifestyle changes, and I feel so much better - -

I have more energy, and some of the bloatedness and

"water weight" has dropped off... I am keeping sugar

cravings at bay, and am so inspired. My 2 boys are 3 3/4 years and nearly 13 months -- so, I feel that it is time that I got down to dropping much of that baby weight and started to take a little better care of myself. I cannot attend all the events due to critical family commitments, but I will participate in the blog and look forward to reading all your different journeys! I am preparing for my first post weigh-in "weigh-in" this Saturday or Sunday morning at the fitness centre -- wish me luck!

Hugs,   

Fiona

 

Hi Fiona sounds like your already getting results. Attend as many activities as you can and if you

miss some not a problem.  Don't forget to put those stickers up as you lose those pounds, that's the fun part!

Michelle

                                                  

WE LOVE THE CAPERS WHOLE FOODS MARKET ON 4TH AVE

What an excellent turn out for the first diet

workshop. A very special thank you to Capers Whole Foods Market for making the fantastic
"Raw Berry Crisp". The next diet workshop will be Sept 29th (7-9pm). I will be bringing the handouts and can recap some of the talk during the power-walk Sunday Sept 12th (9-10am) at Kits C.C. There is still space for the weight room orientation this Friday Sept 10th (6-7pm) so e-mail me to sign up. Michelle at tenpounddown@gmail.com

"Capers Raw Berry Crisp"     C                                                       Ingredients:                                                                                                   
*6 cups mixed berries, such as blackberries,                
blueberries,raspberries and sliced strawberries        
*1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, more or less               
to taste depending on sweetness of berries                     
*1 cup raw pecans                                                                    
*1/2 cup raw walnuts                                                             
*1/2 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped                         
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:
In a 7 x 11 inch dish, toss berries with maple syrup. Mix the raw nuts, dates and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.  Scatter nut mixture over berries and serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.  (serves 8)

For more great "healthy choice" recipes visit http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/                                                                                                                                                

CONGRATULATIONS!
To all those who have just joined the
TPD Challenge and what an event it is
going to be.

Tomorrow (Wed Sept 8th, 7-9pm) is our first diet workshop and Capers Whole Foods will be there to demo "healthy meal planning ideas".  Our focus is to get you started on shaping your weight loss diet to boost your chances of success.

Don't forget to sign up for a weight room
orientation if your interested. 
Just e-mail Michelle at tenpounddown@gmail.com
Now Every Friday at (7-8pm)  Max 10 Challengers