Ideally, wouldn't we all like to get up early to get a great workout in, start the day with a healthy fulfilling meal, go to work to a job that we love, eat great throughout the rest of the day, have some time touching base with friends and family, have a bit of time for ourselves, and get a good night's sleep - every day? Sounds awesome doesn't it?

 

I really aim for this every day, but when life gets in the way - it really gets in the way! And often it has to take over!

 

Yesterday, I had a great day planned and was going to spend my evening catching up on meal plans and my business month-end. Instead at around 8pm Michael and I were playing around before his bed time and all of a sudden - projectile vomiting - everywhere! Sorry for the visual! I don't do too well with this stuff either and it is heartbreaking to watch your little guy just get so sick so suddenly and not be able to do anything about it.

 

The night turned into a comedy of errors of sorts that I sure wasn't laughing about last night, Michael wasn't done getting sick after the first incident. It continued... as I carried him down the hall... then again in the bathtub. Then after a second bath when we were hanging out in the rocking chair and I thought we were good, so I put him down in his crib. Ten miuntes later I heard a 'splash' - are you kidding me? He had gotten sick in his room! The poor little guy! We did another bath and because I seriously didn't know where to put him as I cleaned up his bedding, crib, and floor, I put him to lay down in our bed.... bad idea!

 

So now it's 3 am. I am onto my third load of laundry, my poor kid has nothing left in his little body and I am scrambling and sweating around the house to clean almost every room. Taso came home after that from work and took over until about 6am. Needless to say, this was my priority last night and my whole family is zombie-eyed today!

 

Michael is just fine today. No fever, good spirits, and he's eating and drinking with no problems. I think he may have eaten something off just by how fast it came on and the fact that there were no other symptoms. With all of the H1N1 hype, you have to keep that in the back of your mind, but I am certain we would have seen more come out of that had it been the concern.

 

My family will be getting vaccinated this week. Every body has to make a decision for themselves and I do not think anyone has the right to push or criticize anyone else for the decision that they make. Be responsible and get your own VALID information regarding your risk and take charge. There are arguments for and against - but what I don't like is the hype and hysteria on either side that use scare tactics. I work with a large group of youth, my husband comes into contact with hundreds of people in a night, and my son is two years old and has activities with many different kids. I have ALWAYS felt that the body is capable of taking amazing care of itself and that it's our first priority to fuel it properly and take care of it so it can be efficient at preventing and recovering from illness. But with the combination of exposures in our family, this vaccination is an extra step that we are choosing for ourselves to reduce our risk and that of those around us.

 

I see the other side too, so please don't hit me up with your messages on why vaccinations are 'bad', vaccinations save lives and are not a single answer but rather a choice to make in your health portfolio. My Dad, for instance, won't be getting vaccinated. And I think this is the best decision for him. He was born before 1957 which greatly reduces his risk, and he comes into contact with a group of less than 10 people on a daily basis due to the nature of his office job. Plus he hates needles, so it's his choice and I see the reasoning for not taking the risk of the vaccination.

 

So that's my vaccination stance! And having people close to me this week who were diagnosed with H1N1 or had family members diagnosed and are in the hospital, my heart goes out to you. Thankfully nothing has become too serious at this time. I also have to really give a great appreciation for the nurses and health care workers who are seeing thousands of people a day. A lot of these workers are putting in crazy amounts of busy overtime and are likely dealing with angry and disgruntled people on the front lines. So please, if you get vaccinated, be nice to your nurse!

 

What else can we extract from the health files??? Well, my own issues will be sorted out this week regarding a hernia and a back problem I have given some extra time to. They both appear to not be healing on their own as I would have liked and both may be potential surgeries, so I am seeing specialists next week and leaving my competitive plans for this year up in the air until I know more about my situation.

 

ANYWAYS - NOW I should try to get some work done! Being behind sucks and I will pull an all-nighter if I have to tonight! I can't stand this feeling of being behind!

A quick update to let anyone who might be waiting on me for meal plans or workout plans know - THEY ARE COMING! I have designated time set out Friday and Saturday where I am hopefully going to be COMPLETELY caught up on life!

 

Right now things are insane! It's awesome and I certainly can't complain, but I hate the feeling of being anything but efficient when it comes to creating my plans, so even though my turn around time is higher than usual, you will still be receiving your plans from me in due time!

 

Is it really Halloween already this weekend? Crazy! Vegas in a month, Christmas in 8 weeks!!! There needs to be more hours in the day!

 

Special mention of this weekend where our Head Coaches at Stampede City Gymnastic Club - Dave and Judy Holmes were awarded the Coach of the Year award by Alberta Gymnastics Federation. Extremely well-deserved, they have done an amazing job with our entire competitive program and Judy is heading to the Pan-American Games tomorrow with one of our club's top athletes Anysia Unick - one of four members of Junior Team Canada for this event. Awesome! The event is in Brazil which will be a great travel experience.

 

Off to bed! I have an early day tomorrow with Boot Camps! All of my ladies are already looking stronger and fitter, and it's only Week 2! I'm excited for what is to come! And it was an awesome night tonight at Adult Gymnastics! First class in my three years of doing it where the boys outnumbered the girls! 8 boys tonight, I believe! I love that it's a completely different dynamic every week depending who makes it out to class!

 

Anyways - my bed is calling my name!

Everybody has to find their way. Through their own experiences, their own mistakes, their own motivations...

 

I'm not here to judge anyone for anything. I know what i know, I know what I have seen and experienced, and I know firsthand that you can't MAKE anybody change. You can inspire, inform, and empower people to various degrees, but to truly make a change one needs to find it within themselves to do what is necessary.

 

I find it interesting to follow what others are doing and seeing how other people find their way and continue their journeys despite setbacks and unexpected turns. The great thing about our journeys in fitness and with our bodies is that - It's not over till it's over - truly. No matter where we are at, we ALWAYS have the power to make decisions for better or for worse. You can be at rock bottom, at your fattest, most unhealthiest place - and you have the power to choose your next meal. Are you going to feed into who you are or are you going to feed who you want to be? On the other hand, you can be on top of the world at your fittest and healthiest and decide that you want to feel 'normal' (ha!) and not have to live your life planning out your meals and workouts. So you create an illusion of achieving balance and instead you create chaos. You lose the control of the one thing most of us need to work to even attain the control of. We only get one body - shouldn't we be placing a higher priority on the time and resources we spend on it? I'll spend an hour a day working out and another hour a day preparing food to eat healthy to save an entire weekend of unproductivity because I am too sick or too tired or too depressed to leave my house. I've been on both sides of that and I prefer the healthier one. Even though it can appear to be more work sometimes.

 

Take a look at your own life and your own choices and embrace the power you have to make good choices. Start with one and work your way up. Don't do nothing and don't think anything is inevitable. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they believe in themselves.

 

Please check out a few people doing some amazing things in their own journeys. Starting with my best friend who is taking on a huge six month challenge and getting others involved to support a larger cause.

 

 

If you are looking for some other good reads about this whole journey, check some of these amazing ladies out whom I am lucky to know:

 

Karma Schopp -  http://wbffshows.com/author/karma-schopp/

Cara Fullerton - www.fitandfierceat40.blogspot.com

Meghan McCurdy - http://fatloss-exercisetips.blogspot.com

 

Bootcamps start Tuesday! Secure your spot! Go to www.tanisfit.com

 

Awesome show yesterday in Calgary, the FAME Alberta Provincials welcomed a fantastic group of men and women and offered an array of categories for all ages and experiences. I love watching shows, because i love seeing people who have travelled their own journeys and accomplsihed their special goals. I've always said that everyone has a story and regardless of placings and judgment, it is fascinating and inspirational to watch Physique athletes take to the stage.

 

My main girl Michelle who I worked with in all aspects - diet, training, and routine took second place in her Fitness category. She looked amazing she dropped 30 something pounds and she showed confidence and preparation on stage. So so proud of her, she really worked hard and I never heard a complaint or an excuse from her. I hope to see her do many more shows!!!

 

I have also mentioned an amazing woman named Gloria, who was self-trained for this show, but whom i had the pleasure of working with for her gymnastics and her routine. Gloria is such a leader and has such a big heart you can't help but smile when she is around. She won her first fitness competition at 43 years old! AND to top that off she also won the other categories she entered for Figure and Muscle Model. And not to mention, a special award at the end given by the judges for 'Most Impressive Physique'. Awesome!

 

It was also great to see and run into lots of familiar faces and names in the audience. I still feel 'new' in some ways in this industry sometimes when I see people who have been around for such a long time. I feel I still have a lot to learn. On the other hand though, I see how many people I have met and worked alongside with over the years and I realize what an amazing group of people are in this city supporting each other and working towards a common goal.

 

 

Tomorrow is a jam-packed day! It's the FAME federation show in Calgary and my training client Michelle, my routine client Gloria, and Lindsay, another lady who has joined us for posing are all competing in FITNESS!!! Yes, the really hard category with the cool routine! They also have a bikini round where they need to look tight and lean which is a fine balancing act to get the diet and training just right!

 

These girls have worked really hard for months and months. Gloria is such an inspiration doing her first Fitness show in her 40s and spending hours at my gymnastic club repeating skills and jumps over and over. She has been a great example and an inspirational leader for my prospective competitive girls. Michelle and Linday are both doing their first shows EVER!!! So exciting and scary all at the same time! I have worked most closely with little Michelle and have seen her body transform dramatically. What i love most about her is her undying commitment to fit EVERYTHING I have asked her to do in between working two full time jobs!

 

Thank-you to everyone who takes part in my classes for your positive energy and encouragement for these girls. It means a lot to have people on your side in this crazy world when your life temporarily becomes all about chicken, asparagus, and one-arm push-ups! Special thanks to Shellene at Bikini Lounge for her awesome contest spray tan services, Candice Ricketson for her make-up artist services, and as always to Stampede City Gymnastic Club for allowing me the use of space to do what I do!

 

Anybody who would like to come watch, the show is in Calgary at the Quality Inn on McKnight and Edmonton Trail. Morning show starts at 10am, Night show starts at 7pm.

 

I hope this is a great experience for all of the athletes involved. The completion of the training process for a show is such an accomplishment and you should all be incredibly proud!

Still room in all 4 Ladies Bootcamps starting next week! Stop 'thinking about it!' I want this session to be the best one yet! The more positive energy the better!

 

 

Holiday Monday today - there are very few days in the year where my husband and I both don't work! Very few! Last night we had a big family Turkey dinner at my Grandma's before Taso went to work. Michael was our entertainment for the night. He once again ate more than I did, and then ran around, danced, and kissed everyone. It was awesome!

 

One of my best friends growing up, whose Mom is one of my Mom's best friends - they live in LA and Michael and I flew down and visited them over a year ago when he was 5 months old. They haven't seen him since, and they have just booked their flights here for Chirstmas and are so excited to see him. When you think about it, he really is a completely different person than he was at this time last year! Last Thanksgiving, he wasn't standing or walking and I gave him baby food at dinner time with a few tastes of mashed potatoes only. This year I couldn't keep up with him running around, slamming doors, and he sat through dinner with his own adult sized fork eating like a little man. So funny.

 

Today was a Family Day for us, we hung out all morning in our pajamas and played around the house. Michael read us lots of books and took numerous turns climbing on whatever he could find and jumping off like a stuntman. We went to Boston Pizza for dinner, we rarely go out for dinners with the three of us, but it was almost empty and Michael had fun smiling at the waitresses and eating everything in sight.

 

On a happy note - my friend just gave birth to triplets a few days ago. Everyone is doing well. They had done their homework beforehand and are now busy, busy, busy! I couldn't imagine! On top of that, they also have a little girl who is the same age as Michael! She was his first little girlfriend at mom and Baby fitness classes! The Mom and I both started when the kids were only 6 weeks old, so we had the youngest babies there and Michael and Rachel became fast friends!

 

And we are 5 days away from the Fame show in Calgary!!! Enjoy that water ladies! I'm so proud of these girls, they all look great and it should be an awesome experience!

People never cease to amaze me.

 

Don't expect 'motivation' to fall into your lap and lead the way for you to change your habits.

 

Your habits are your habits because you have practiced them and conditioned them to be that way. You have allowed for these habits to form by deeming your actions acceptable. You are a result of your habits and if you are happy with the way things are then that is awesome...

 

HOWEVER - when you enlist my help to assist you in changing your habits and I put in the time to set you up for success with an effort on your part, don't take what I say, blatently ignore it, and then complain that you are frustrated with your weight and that my plan didn't work.

 

My plans work. Not because they are 'special', they are simply calorie rationed, nutritious food choices set out for you so you don't have to think about it. They are only foods you regularly eat, foods that you like, and foods that can be found in any grocery store. I will even give you a free meal or two so you can indulge occasionally and realize that no foods are 'off limits' but some foods should not be consumed on a daily basis.

 

To me - that's 'normal'.

 

Unfortunately what sounds easy is often not, we have to consciously work to change our habits, we have to make occasional sacrifices, and sometimes we screw up. My point is not that we can never screw up, my point is that when you screw up make the connection that this is something you really have to put the effort into. You won't be perfect, it won't be easy, but consistency over time will put us where we need to be. You can still 'live life' and 'be normal' without eating a diet full of crap that doesn't fuel your body properly.

 

The lying and the blatent disregard of my effort and knowledge is the frustrating part. I have awesome ladies who sometimes screw up every week and email me about it on Friday with their weight. That doesn't bother me. Life happens, we are striving for improvement, not perfection. I encourage effort and I think anyone trying to be better and use my plan as a guide for that deserves my unconditional support. But DO NOT ignore emailing me for weeks on end - claim to be following my plan to a 'T' and then publicly complain that you gained weight on my plan. You did not gain weight on my plan - you gained weight on your plan.

 

Seriously.

 

Venting complete.

 

On a positive note, I am super excited for how the registrations for Boot Camps are looking! Almost all of the regulars are returning along with some awesome new ladies I am excited to work with. There is still room in all 4 time slots - 5:30am, 6:30am, 7:30am, and 8:30am. I also really want anybody intimidated by group programs to know that 6:30am is specifically for a beginner fitness level. It will start from the absolute basics and I really want to encourage anyone thinking about this class to contact me if you have any questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think we get so overloaded with all of our electronics... I couldn't do it today!

 

Working online, Facebook, blogging, e-mail, my blackberry, Twitter, PVR... it's all great, but it adds up to too much stimulation! I took a break, turned off my blackberry, along with my TV and computer. It was eerie. I felt a bit empty, like I was missing something at first, but Michael and i made a day out of it and now here I am at midnight catching up on all that I missed!

 

Day 10 of my new plan tomorrow, three careless cheats - 1/2 a package of Sharkies that were expired and free, a Double Double (I think) that was accidently given to me at the Tim Horton's of geniuses. I didn't have to drink it, but I did. And a small cupcake for someone's birthday. Again - every cheat has been a lapse in memory, not necessarily judgement. I'm not 'taken over' by this diet, it's plenty of food so I forget about it at times. I was down a total of 7 lbs today and I weigh in on Sunday morning for my trainer. Should be good, no complaints. Next week is a restful week work wise, so i should keep moving forward without many problems.

 

Saw myself on TV today from last night. I taped an episode of the Weight Loss show X-Weighted on Slice and the show premiered last night. It is from the 2009 season and the episode is "amy" should it run in reruns. I got to work with the family on the show doing a gymnastic type workout which was fun. I am glad i don't see myself on Tv often though, it wasn't bad and it was super short, but I cringed just as you would hearing your own voice on a voicemail or something!

 

Still spots left in Boot Camps starting up on October 20th. Go to TanisFit.com for more details!

 

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! 

Last day of the current session of Boot Camps is Thursday! Which means everyone better be punctual and ready for their Post-fitness assessment! I want to see some good numbers!

 

It also means that the next session of Boot Camps is just around the corner. Next week will be a rest week and the next 6 week session begins on October 20. I have added an 8:30 am session and a special beginner 6:30 am session. Beginners are welcome in any of the four sessions but I wanted to make a special session for those who need a place where they can safely develop a base for fitness and not be intimidated by a multi-level group class. This could be women who have a significant amount of weight to lose, or have been inactive for a long period of time, or just need a place to start from where they don't feel overwhelmed or out of place. This hour is for you. Of course i will still be running the 5:30 am session and 7:30 am session as usual.

 

Great Gymnastics news today! Stampede City's Anysia Unick is on the Junior Canadian Team to go to Pan-American Games in Brazil in November. She was 1 of 4 gymnasts selected from across the country and we are really proud of her. They year has been off to a great start so far for these older girls, first Ashley's NCAA scholarship and then this... and it is only October! AND the girls right now have some of the most awesome floor routine choreography that I have seen in a long long time!

 

Travel plans are also coming together, another trip to Vegas in December. Chicago, Montreal, California, and Toronto in the New Year. I have been on a spending diet since we came home from out last trip to Vegas - I actually just splurged today (big time!) on shoes online! But it looks like I will have to tighten up once again if everything that is going to happen next year is REALLY going to happen!

 

And randomly - there is some great TV on right now! Dr Oz is an amazing show! Amazing! God bless the PVR because I am taking in a lot of shows which would not be possible if I had to watch them at full speed! Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, Biggest Loser, Cougar Town, are all awesome right now. Plus all of my morning talk shows! And also I believe the Calgary Families X-Weighted show featuring the family I worked with for a session is on the Slice network on Thursday night. I think. The little girls name was Amy which is what the name of the episode will be I believe.

 

Michelle, Gloria, and Lindsay.... 10 more days! You are all amazing and inspirational with your own stories and reasons for competing. Get through these days and shine on stage! The Fall Fame Show is in Calgary on October 17... check it out if you get the chance - especially the Fitness girls!

 

And two families that are close to me who are separately going through some really unfair and hard times right now, I am thinking about you and hoping that time can help to heal the pain. It's been a rough go for some wonderful people, but that's life and I see a lot of strength in those around me.

I love starting a new plan. For lots of reasons.

 

First, there is that sense of control you regain. It's so necessary to have and feel in control when you want to take control of your body. Plain and simple. Second, because I have not followed anything structured for a couple of months my responsiveness to the plan is almost immediate. After two days i can already see and feel the changes. And the third thing I like - I add to my own pool of knowledge and I get to experience something out of my comfort zone firsthand. It's exciting.

 

This plan is different from what i have done in the past, never 'drastically', we are all on the same page, but it's a lot of protein, no dairy, and for right now - NO CARDIO! I leave the gym with the feeling I am forgetting something! The training is cool and is stuff i like which is full body metabolic type training. Lots of jumping and mixing things up while keeping the heart rate up. The most efficient way to train for sure.

 

I am also taking some new supplements which feel great. I've upped my Vitamin C and Calcium, and made a great new discovery with Progressive Phytoberry. It's the fruit equivalent of Greens and it tastes awesome in a fruit flavored shake and is packed with vitmains and antioxidants. And i know a lot of people are trying to get me under them on different versions of Goji Berry juice and what not, but the selling aspect really turns me off so i am not all over the idea although i am sure the products are benficial if you use them on a regular basis.

 

And I just want to shout out a huge congrats to a large group of my online clients who really took control after summer and are doing amazing on their plans once again. I love the weekly e-mails and just want anyone who has gone off plan to know that you are always welcome to restart your weekly emails and I am always happy to hear from all of you.

 

2 Weeks until the Fame Show! My fitness girls are looking amazing! Can't wait!