Coming into the New Year, I found it fitting to share this story with you............
Tuesday evening my client came into my studio as she does every Tuesday evening with her folder in hand to show me that she had completed all of her workouts for the past week.  I asked her if she completed her outdoor stair running (part of her program is to run stairs twice a week).  She answered with the following, which inspired me to share her story...........
It was the second day of stair training when my client began to get ready to brave our Barrie winter weather.  It had snowed that day and she was sure that the stairs would be snow covered.  Now many of us would have taken this as a reason to stay indoors and skip the workout.  Not this lady!!!  She layered up in her winter wear and proceeded to put a shovel in her car.  She was not going to let this snow take her workout away from her!  When she got to the set of stairs she quickly began to shovel.  After a few steps, she realized that much of the snow could not be cleared.  With that, she put the shovel down and began to run her 10 sets of stairs.  By the 9th round my client was feeling as though the footing was becoming a little unsafe.  However, bound and determined she decided to push through her last set!  Well, she was right, the footing had become unsafe and she slipped.  She went to grab the railing and felt her arm pull. (I thought I would take this opportunity to note that she did not get injured, as she has been strength training for the past 3 years!  She had enough muscle built up around her shoulder to protect her from injury.  She was very grateful for all of the time and effort she has put into taking care of her body.)
Getting back to the story............
She had to admit that at that point she was feeling a little defeated, but mostly that her ego took a big hit!   She loved her stair workout and realized at this point that she needed to find another way to get it in.  The next day when she was at work she realized that at the back of her building was an amazing set of indoor stairs to run!  The next day, she brought her workout gear to work and decided to get her stair training in during lunch.  Not only did she get a challenging and energizing workout in.......she also inspired another co-worker to join her.   I expect next week to hear that more of her workplace friends have decided to take part!
Her “No Excuses” approach to this situation helped her to find a new way to stay committed to getting her workouts in.  I thought of how many people so often choose to come up with reasons as to why it is not possible to get a little exercise in a few times a week.  There will always be obstacles in life.........but, we have the power to decide to let it remain an obstacle or turn it into a new opportunity.
As Winston Churchill once said, “Never, Never, Never Give Up.”

Thanks to my wonderful husband who LOVES winter, and my energetic girls who love to be outside regardless of the season, I am learning to love winter through its sports! We recently started skating and we are all having a fantastic time! It is a great inexpensive way to have fun and get an amazing workout outside. What I have noticed however, after only being out a couple of times, my muscles are tight as a result of not stretching. After a day of having low back discomfort I decided to nip this in the bud. With a few key Yoga stretches I was able to alleviate any and all pain. It's important to look at the muscles that are being used when engaging in a particular sport. Skating uses mainly muscles in the lower body, for example, hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors. The bent knee, upper torso forward position,also puts the hamstrings and hip flexors in constant flexion. When left unstretched, the tightening of these areas can lead to back pain.........some may ask......How is this all related to the back?......everything is conected my friends!  In closing, if you practice 3 basic Yoga stretches after skating, you will lessen the chance of having unnecessary pain the next day.            

#1 Dancer Pose for the Quadriceps,
#2 Warrior 1 Pose for your Hip flexors,
#3 Pyramid Pose for your Hamstrings.

I have recommended these poses in particular because they can all be practiced standing directly after you have taked off your skates.  Enjoy the winter, get outside, get active and stretch!!!

In order to lose weight and keep it off, it is important to first bring awareness to what type of eater you are..........


Let’s face it, diets only work for so long and then before you know it you are back to your old habits. Do you want to finally keep off the weight that you keep losing once or twice a year?  It is important to first look at how you typically like to structure your food in your day.  For example, do you enjoy eating 3 square meals a day or are you a “grazer”? 



If you are someone who enjoys having your 3 square meals you need to look at exactly what you are eating at those times.  Are your meals balanced or are they one sided?  A balanced meal with lots and fruits or veggies along with a healthy protein topped off with a little good fat will help to keep you full and satisfied. You will also not feel the need to snack in the evening.........and let’s face it.......this is usually when useless calories get consumed.  If you are a 3 meal a dayer you will have to be sure to plan your meals in advance, as this
will not work for you if you look into your fridge 10 minutes before you are out the door.  You will also be more
likely to eat out which is a recipe for weight gain!  Remember, “fail to plan.....plan to fail”.  Your best bet is to
take 30 minutes per week to plan your meals in advance.  This type of eating is great for someone who doesn’t get bored easily.  This way you could plan the same meals each week for each day.


If you are a “grazer”, you can get away with a little less planning, as long as you have an array of healthy snacky options in the house.  For example, you can begin your day with a quick protein shake, in another few hours have a handful of almonds, for lunch cut veggies and sliced cheese, another snack being an apple and finally for dinner a small bowl of chilli with some brown rice.  The key to this type of eating is portion control.  When
you are eating this many times in your day, you must be very honest about the amount you are consuming.


In my experience, both ways of eating can help promote sustained weight loss. You must however first decide which style of eating works best for you and your lifestyle and stick with it!  Remember, veggies and fruits are your friends when you are looking to lose weight, and they work for both eating types.

So how many of you get eight hours of solid sleep per night????  I’m guessing maybe 20% of you?  You may think you are sleeping for eight hours.  However, if you do not move into your REM sleep you will not receive the full benefits of your night’s rest.  You will know you have gone into your REM phase of sleep when you are
dreaming.


If you are not entering your REM phase of sleep for a prolonged period of time, you are not able to allow the body to produce the proper hormones to regulate your metabolism. Beyond that, if you are waking up in the
middle of the night thinking about your next day or the day before, and you are
feeling anxious or stressed, you are unknowingly producing cortisol. I think most of us are familiar with that name as it is so related to an inability to lose weight.  If your cortisol is up you will store fat and you will crave refined
carbohydrates.  Remember this, if you are prone to waking up at night and getting out of bed to finish work on
your computer, or if you wake up only to feel your heart race as you think of your day to come, you are not promoting an environment which will encourage weight loss.  Try to counter these behaviours by taking 20 deep belly breaths, before you begin thinking of your day or decide to get up to get a start on tomorrows project. 
Remember........there will always be stress in your life, it is important to learn how to manage it!


In addition to the creation of cortisol, lack of proper sleep leads to foggy thinking which most often leads to poor food choices.  Do you ever go through your day as though in a fog thinking that a cafe mocha filled with sugar will help to clear your thinking?  Or maybe that chocolate bar will help to give you a new perspective? 
Of course none of this is true. You will receive the opposite effect is you decide to indulge in these
food choices.  Not to mention, at the end of the month you will notice that you are up 5 to 10 pounds........and
yes, weight gain does happen that quickly!  If you notice that you are using sugary food to bring you extra energy or clarity, bring awareness to this.  Simply taking a minute out of your day to close your eyes and breathe
deeply while saying, “ At this moment I feel calm and tonight I will enjoy a full night’s rest”, you will bring your mind away from needing to eat your sugary snack.  You will also begin to prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep.  If you want to continue to feel tired and groggy, continue with your current behaviour.


Remember .........everything is a choice.


Peace.

There are so many reasons to drink Green Tea every day!  For example,  it is high in polyphenal catechins which help to reduce your risk of developing cancer and heart disease.  Many studies have also shown that the compounds found in Green Tea also help to aid in the loss of abdominal fat.  When I lived in Japan Green Tea could be found everywhere both hot and cold, making it a soothing and refreshing drink!!!  There are many different types of green tea which help to keep the drinking experience fresh.  Macha green tea is one of my favorite!  It is used in Japanese tea ceremonies.  It comes in a powder form and when mixed well gives you a warm and frothy drink!  There are also many other blends of green tea which come from both china and Japan.  Two of my favorite are;  the Uncle Lee's Organic Green tea which combines Chinese leaves, as well as the Stash Organic Premium Green Tea which uses both Japanese and Chinese leaves.  If you are new to Green Tea and not sure of the taste......you can start with flavoured tea's such as Green and Citrus.  I promise that when you find a Green Tea that you enjoy you will be hooked!  I have converted so many of my coffee drinking clients to green tea and on average, they have lost about 5 pounds in one month!  Do something good for you today and have a lovely cup of green tea while you read this blog!  In health and happiness:)

For anyone who might be interested, or if you know of anyone who could benifit.......I will be hosting a live Q & A on "Weight Loss After 30" on Sunday, April 28th at 8pm on Powhow.com.  If you use the promo code...Blog-energy-balance, you can log on for FREE!  Once you get to Powhow, click on Fitness classes, then go to Sunday evening classes, you will find my name (Christina Beaudin).  Let me know if you would like to join or if you have any questions.
In Health.

Yes it is true.......if you take in fewer calories though out
your day, and you exercise more you will most likely lose weight. There are
  however other factors which often complicate this very simply equation. Two of
  these factors are having too much bad stress and getting too little sleep. When
  you are dealing with a lot of stress everyday whether it be personal or work
  related your body goes into fight or flight mode. While in this state your body
  naturally produces cortisol. This is a hormone which helps to store belly fat.
  This was a good thing back when we were hunting for our food and we didn't know
  when we would get to eat again........obviously we don't have that problem now!
  If your body is constantly producing cortisol you will continue to store fat
  (not a good thing if you are trying to lose weight). One way to help lower
  cortisol levels before you eat is to simply take a few deep breaths while
  preparing your food. Try it. You will notice a difference in how you feel
  before you even sit down to eat. Another way is to engage in some type of
  exercise every day even if it is only for ten minutes! Humans are meant to
  move, we are not designed to sit all day going from car to office. Try even a
  ten minute walk around the block after you get home from work or do intervals
  of running on the spot combined with marching for one minute increments for ten
  minutes. I promise that you will notice a difference in how you feel as well as
  how you eat your meal to follow. Let's face it, there will always be stress in
  this money driven, faster is better world. If you want to be successful with
  your weight loss as well as your weight maintenance, you need to look at how
  you are managing your stress. I invite you to begin with these two simple
  tools.
Stay tuned for my next blog on sleep and weight loss.