GET RESULTS AND STAY MOTIVATED!

It's not unusual for thosing working towards weight loss to put alot of effort into their goal, get some great results then start slipping back into bad habits sabotaging themselves. 

First  Congratulations if you are seeing the numbers on the scale go down ! So now think lifestyle change and start focusing not only on making physical activity a part of your routine but also on how you can change the way you feel about food.  Remember there is nothing rewarding about treating yourself to a bunch of junk food and gaining back all the weight you've worked so hard to lose.
 
Second  Patience as you see your efforts manifest themselves into a smaller you.  Some days you will feel like your getting nowhere and some days you will feel victorious!

Third  Sometimes the scale is not the measure of your success. Perhaps your clothes fit better or you have more energy or your able to climb more stairs.  When you choose a healthier lifestyle you become a better you!  A better you is a happier you!  And you derserve to be happy!!

BOOT CAMP BLAST!!!
What a fantastic work out this  early Sunday morning at the Kitsilano Community Center Park!  We ran drills, did calisthenics, aerobic moves, light jogging and even played tag.  It was a blast watching everyone scramble like kids so they wouldn't get tagged. What a great work out!
A lot of calories were burned during this session!  Bravo everyone!!!!!
Only three more weeks to go!

EATMORE MIXED BEAN SPROUTS!
One of my favorite salad toppings that's jammed packed with nutrition!
Containing mung beans, red & green lentils, green peas, garbanzos & adzuki – highly digestible protein makes mixed beans an ideal compliment to any grain-based dish. Sprouted beans have higher protein, vitamin and enzyme content than cooked or unsprouted beans.

Nutritional Highlights:
Vitamins: B complex, A, C, E Minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, iron
Other factors: amino acids, digestive and antioxidant enzymes, fibre, choline, protein.

Just place them in a strainer, give them a good rinse, toss them on your favorite salad and serve with your favorite salad dressing.  I love them with some feta cheese and Caper's Whole Foods house dressing. Yummy!

A VERY INSPIRING STORY
Once upon a time Ben Davis was morbidly odese so he started to run for his life and lost 120lbs.  And now look at him, he's a picture of health. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded that exercise is not only for weight loss but for a better quality of life!

To view Ben's very inspiring story click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU
Thank you Spring for sharing with us this beautiful story of true success.

SWEATING TO THE OLDIES
The gymnasium was packed tonight for our first disco aerobics class and we worked up a real sweat!  Two weeks into the challenge and already we are seeing 5-6 stickers up on the TPD weight loss challenge chart.  That means these participants have lost 6 pounds in only two weeks!   Fantastic!!!!!!

LOOK AT US GO!

WOW we had another fantastic night for our power walk #2.  
Only two weeks in and the pounds are just falling off.  If we keep training this way we are going to be unbelievably fit.

GO Challengers GO!

FAT BURNING ZONE?

Choosing the right training zone can be very confusing, so here as some facts to consider;
First, to determine what zone your training in, take a one minute heart beat count then look on the Zone Training chart, find your age and match it with your heart rate.

The Fat Burning Zone requests a lower heart rate (65% of your max heart rate MHR).  The reason is that in order to burn stored body fat you need oxygen. So, if you're breathing too much you're not getting enough O2 which means you're mostly using stored glycogen. The body replaces gylcogen once you ingest carbohydrates.  You would think working harder means burning more calories leading to more weight loss.  But there are consequences to working that hard, too often, and they are injuries, fatique, cravings, insomnia, frustration, dizziness and generally a shorter duration.

The Cardio Training Zone has it's benefits as well, if you progress slowly, and they are improved cardiovascular fitness, the runners high, skeletal adaptation and a sense of accomplishment. This zone requires you to train at 80% of your MHR.

Think long, slow and steady when planning activity for losing weight.  Your more likely to stick to it, enjoy the process and remain injury free.  But don't hesitate to challenge yourself once in a while cause we all need a healthy heart.

INDOOR BOOTCAMP WAS A BLAST!

The weather was rainy so we moved the

camp indoors and had a blast!  The room

was packed and did we work up a sweat

or what!  It was the perfect opportunity to learn the aerobics moves while still keeping the traditional bootcamp calisthenic activities.

This group is determined to reach their goals. BRAVO!

WELCOME TPD CHALLENGERS!


50 participants strong and what a fantastic turn out for the first power walk.  We had a group of speed walkers and a group that split off to do calisthenics then rejoin the walkers for an hour of sweat producing activity.  Keep up the good work everyone!

Sign up and pledge the challengers at the Kitsilano Community Center to raise money for the BC SPCA.

Hi Everyone,

I am one of the vegetarians in the group...and I love love LOVE dairy
which can be a problem. I have a couple suggestions- and would love to hear more if anyone has any.

1) Dessert tofu- few calories, not too much in the sugar realm, and you get a sweet that has some protein. Lots of flavours- coconut, mango, crème brulee...Here is the breakdown for coconut: 85 gr serving; 60 cal; fat 1gr; sodium 5mg; carbs 10 gr; protein 3gr. IGA and most stores stock these, T&T has a great selection.

2) Greek style yogurt- super creamy and still 0% fat. Good for breakfast and adding to smoothies to thicken and add a creamy taste. You can even sub it for sour cream. Breakdown: 175 gr serving; 110 cal; 0.4 gr fat; sodium 95gr; carbs 6gr; protein 20 gr. Costco has a good deal on these- it can be pretty expensive in regular stores.

Thanks for your enthusiasm Michelle!

eva

DIET STRATEGIES FOR WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS!

1 Think a balanced diet when planning your meals, remember we need our grains, proteins, dairy, fruits and vegetables.  And if you're a vegetarian or vegan, pay attention to you're complete proteins, supplemented calcium, B12 and iron intakes. The "closer to nature the better", so everyone avoid processed foods!

2 Try not to skip meals, especially breakfast.  Maintaining your energy levels throughout the day will boost your metabolism, burning more calories, reduce cravings and eliminate that late afternoon, early evening fatique.

3 Pay attention to portion sizes and use your lunch plates instead for smaller meals.  Split your plate into three sections and fill 1/3 with your meat, chicken or fish, 1/3 with a grain and the last 1/3 with vegetables.  Once you've filled your plate immediately put left overs into storage to prevent overeating.

4 Eliminate fruit juices and pops.  Drink plain or sparkling water instead. San Pellegrino is less biting then Perrier, making it a little more palatable, in my opinion.  Herbal Teas are another fantastic option.

5 Keep junk food out of the house to reduce temptation and get creative with treats like frozen berries blended with low fat milk or 100% cocoa added to low fat milk and heated with a touch of honey.

6 If you're always busy, try and prepare foods ahead of time to eliminate take out.  Cut up vegetables and precook chicken, put them in a container and store them in your fridge for future meals.

7 Choose low GI foods over high GI foods. (below for more info or visit http://www.glycemicindex.com/)

8 Be careful with artificial sweetners as they can sometimes elevate your sweet cravings.  Other more natural sweetners to consider are stevia, honey and agava syrup.

9 When choosing alcoholic beverages, think which type are you likely to sip and which are you likely to guzzle and avoid the later.  To avoid drinking too many, try and have sparkling water in between drinks.