Boot Camp Registration: www.myclasspro.com/Tanisfit

 

Weight: 159 lbs (12.7% Body Fat)

 

I feel so inspired and so motivated after Martha's Seminar, I am confident about taking my competing to the next level. I love being surrounded by people that have so much to offer, Martha (my trainer) and Karma (fellow competitor and also a trainer) really conveyed the 'competition lifestyle' as well as the challenges to everyone today. What I like best about my relationship with Martha is even though we are both highly competitive people, she has taught me when to bring it and be in full competition mode and when to leave my 'competitive side' at the door and take in advice and information without ego. It sounds stupid, but I think I have had a lot of practice this year with letting go of the ego in my yoga practice. It's important. When we put our walls up we don't take in nearly everything we have the ability to.

 

I am blessed to have a 'career' that I do out of love and passion. I do not do anything I do for the money. If I can make money along the way then I follow that up without guilt. I want things that I do to be accessible but at the same time I put a lot of heart, knowledge, education, experience, and passion into everything I do. I am always learning and I have a lot to offer people in my own realm of interests. I recognize when someone is more suited to go elsewhere or work with someone else for something and that's why I refer people to Martha all the time. As trainers we are not in competition with each other. In reality, if every trainer took the route of their training according to what they love to do and got the word out to people about what they are all about so many more people could find their 'fitness groove' and every trainer would be happy and inspired by who they were working with. And in my opinion, every trainer needs a trainer. I have Martha, Martha has IFBB Pro trainer Mike Davies... and as we funnel down we share our knowledge and feed off of each other. How can you endorse the value of personal training as a trainer when you don't even have one? Nobody knows everything!

 

So in summary, I got everything and more out of the workshop today. Thank-you Martha and Karma - you have inspired me yet again! www.nycfitnesse.com And it was great to meet more 'competitive' girls. I learn something from everyone I meet and I wish everyone the very best in their fitness journeys. I feel like my journey that brought me to where I am today is still ongoing and still fascinating! I have been awkward and uncomfortable, I have cheated on diets, overdieted, came in too soft, came in too big... I have made mistake after mistake but I have also gotten better and better. Experience is cruel and relentless teacher! But I love where I am and I am excited about what is ahead for me. No doubt there is a lot of work to be done, but I am pumped to do it! And I am willing to cadidly share everything I have done with anyone who cares! I also had a nice chat with an independent photographer Tim Rollans who had a really well-informed and interesting take on the modelling industry. I found his approach refreshing when I talked to him, I love people that are up front and non-pretentious. Visit his site he does a lot of great work www.trollans.ca

 

Am I missing anything? Oh - and I am 27 today... maybe it's about time I start acting like a grown-up! And my 'baby' is already 13 months old today too! Last year I had my first 'evening' away from him to go for dinner! The year before that I was in Columbus Ohio getting ready to compete! Time goes by way too fast sometimes, better enjoy every moment!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Ghandi

After years of observing weight loss patterns amongst ordinary people, successful and unsuccessful, I have observed differences in behavioral patterns between those who were ultimately successful and those who were not. The differences weren’t physiological in nature but rather social and psychological. Everybody seems to start out with that passionate desire to make positive changes and do what it takes to feel better and live better, but some of us get stopped in our tracks along the way. So with our best intentions, WHY is it so hard for some of us to do this? Why can’t we lose this weight? I have compiled 10 common patterns of behavior that may help to explain it:

 

10. We Are Not Honest With Ourselves…

 

It takes consistent effort to lose weight and sometimes that involves making big changes over time. We tend to give ourselves too much credit for inconsistent changes – like the one time we had a salad instead of fries with our Super Combo… or that day a month back when we had to park far away from the store and walk two blocks… it’s not enough and it’s not often enough. Generally, we eat too much and don’t move enough. Keep a food and activity diary for a week. Include all of the snacks, all of the little things that you didn’t mean to eat… and honestly evaluate where you can make changes. You’ll find the record-keeping act itself is powerful in deterring unnecessary snacking!

 

9. We Don’t Know What We Are Doing…

 

Fear of the unknown is common and universal. Maybe you want to work out but have never set foot in a gym and even if you did, you have no idea what you would do when you got there. Start small. Walking is great exercise, start by scheduling a time to walk into your schedule. Once you get into a groove ask a friend to join you, or maybe try jogging a bit. The trick is to start moving. From there, it just becomes a matter of moving on and broadening your fitness horizons. Do your research and find a class nearby that you might like to try, or hire a qualified trainer to get you on the right track. Ask around, people love to talk about what they do or where they go to ‘better’ themselves. Who knows? You may find a new workout buddy!   

 

8. We Can’t End Our Love Affairs…

 

Sugar, cheese, bread… we love them, we may even be physically addicted to them, and we just can’t stop! Some of us find it unimaginable to think about a day without a couple of cans of pop… or a meal without bread. So ask yourself: How badly do you want to lose weight and feel better? Does the body and lifestyle you long to lead mean more to you than that daily dessert? That doesn’t mean you give up all of your vices in one day, but start with one – give up something for a full three weeks. This doesn’t mean you can never ever have it again, but if you depend on it on a regular basis then you need to physically remove it from your system and your lifestyle. Deal without it and bring it back only as a treat. 

 

7. We Have People to Enable Our Unhealthy Lifestyles…

 

The people that love us don’t want us to be too hard on ourselves. They forgive us for carrying a few extra pounds, and don’t want to see us deprive ourselves of our favorite dessert, or have to put ourselves through a tough workout when we are having a bad day. And on those days when our motivation is weaning, we listen to them. We forget what we truly want for ourselves and our lives and we break that commitment we made to lead a better lifestyle.

 

6. We Are Caught Up With ‘Buzz Words’…

 

Marketing gurus in the food industry are geniuses and play on our best intentions and lack of information. That’s why our intention to eat better has us buying a multigrain bagel with lite cream cheese that packs 500 calories and 12 grams of fat to avoid that chocolate glazed donut with 230 calories and 11 grams of fat. Our love for ‘lite’ and ‘low fat’ foods has fuelled our sugar addictions and leave us consuming the same number of calories in the end. The foods that are best for you are no secret or gimmick. Natural unrefined foods – fruits, vegetables, oats, brown rice, lean meats… this is the type of diet we need to be consuming at least 80% of the time, not just for weight loss but for overall health and longevity.

 

5. We Haven’t Integrated Ourselves Socially…

 

If we only surround ourselves with people who continuously make bad food choices and don’t make activity a priority, it is a safe bet that our efforts to make a change will be short-lived. This doesn’t mean you have to give up your life long friends, but if you are serious about making changes you need to seek out and identify people who will be positive catalysts for change. Talk to that neighbor who’s always out jogging about their fitness routine. Ask the group exercise instructor at your gym how long they have been teaching – by expressing an interest in people who live active lifestyles you will be setting yourself up closer to achieving your goals. It takes time, but be consistent. Those couch potato friends will undoubtedly be inspired and asking you for your advice in no time!

 

4. We Set Unrealistic Goals…

 

The body is a magnificent, resilient, and powerful machine. It is also an honest reflection of how we live and what decisions we make. A body that reflects years of neglect and bad decisions won’t change overnight. Rather than setting off to achieve your ‘ultimate’ goal right off the bat and judging yourself on only that, try starting with smaller goals. Those 50 lbs you want to get rid of came on a pound at a time, see what kind of changes you can make to see 5 of those pounds go away. See how much better you feel after small successes. You might be surprised what a difference 5 lbs actually makes!

 

3. We Make Excuses…

 

Life is tough sometimes - we get tired, we get busy, money is tight, there’s always a reason to eat poorly or sit on the couch. But there are so many more reasons to get out there and make better choices! We always find a way to do what we want to do, we have to stop and listen to ourselves every time we are about to give ourselves an ‘out’. Treat activity like a high-paying job that you usually love! The payoff is a strong, healthy body that will serve you better and longer. And it’s no more expensive or time consuming to order a grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side than it is to order that cheesy stuffed pasta when you are out for dinner. Excuses only serve to maintain where you already are, if you want to move beyond that, then you have to give up making excuses.

 

2. We Think We Have to Be Perfect…

 

We wake up Monday morning feeling completely motivated and ready to eat perfectly and hit the gym every day for 2 hours. And we do great… until Thursday. We get caught up at work and don’t make it to the gym. Then Friday comes, we beat ourselves up for missing that workout yesterday, we order dessert with our lunch, and end up parked in front of the TV with a pint of ice cream come 9 pm. Saturday morning we tell ourselves that this is impossible; we just don’t have the discipline, we just don’t have the motivation, we just can’t do it. And so we quit. People that have achieved long-term weight loss success are not superhuman. They are far from perfect. What makes them different from those who don’t achieve long-term weight loss is that they are adaptable and committed. When the day doesn’t go as planned, they don’t dwell. When they screw up and eat something bad, they move on. As time goes on your body will become a cumulative result of your consistent efforts. That means that when the dessert becomes an exception to the rule rather than the rule, it is minimal damage. Not just for a week, but week after week and month after month. Those are long term habits.

 

1. We Don’t Put Ourselves First…

 

Forget the notion that ‘selfish’ is always a bad thing. In order to give the best of ourselves to others, we have to take care of ourselves. By putting the proper foods into our bodies, staying active, and getting enough rest we will have the energy and state of mind to efficiently complete tasks and take care of those around us. It is a worthwhile cause to invest in our body, it is the one thing we have with us for our entire life. Let’s start treating it better and not feeling guilty about it.

 

 

 

  

GYMFUSION Boot Camp Registration: http://www.myclasspro.com/Tanisfit

 

Weight: 157 lbs

 

Ow, ow, ow, ow... My legs are tender and I am slow-moving today... thanks Martha! Oh yeah, and I can barely get my arms over my head... bonus! Yes, that's right I am back training with Martha - and she took it 'easy' on me yesterday! I love it though! She gives me so much energy... and ideas - watch out!

 

Martha is holding a seminar this weekend at World's Gym in the NE on Saturday Feb. 28 from 9am - 1pm. Let me know if you are interested, it is geared towards competitors and Martha has so much knowledge and experience in the world of fitness. The coast is $85, come prepared for a workout and shoot me a message if you are interested. I will be there. Check out her site as well http://www.nycfitnesse.com

 

My article is finished as well, I will post it after this blog.

 

My quote of the day:

 

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Weight: 158 lbs

 

Don't miss out on Gymfusion Boot Camps! Tuesday and Thursday mornings 5:30am, 6:30am, or 7:30am, 4 Weeks starting March 10 - $120 http://www.myclasspro.com/Tanisfit

 

And thank-you to everyone who came out last night to my Adult Gymnastic Class, some new faces, you did awesome and it was wonderful to meet you. It was a great energy within the group and I hope to see everyone again. And new boys! I always have a couple of boys but we had almost half and half last night which was fun!

 

And as for Michael's gymnastic class - inevitably I have the 'terror' child of the class. Just my luck! All the years I have spent teaching, disciplining, yelling... now my kid is the one who doesn't listen! I hold him down like I am physically restraining him while the coach shows the circuit. I keep repeating, "Listen to the coach, listen to the coach..." Meanwhile he is thrashing and grunting, and as soon as I let him go when the coach is done he takes off running and tries to destruct the whole circuit - throwing hoops, biting pilons, trying to eat foam off the floor. And the kid is fast! Sometimes I am in a full sprint to catch him. Don't let his chub fool you, he can move! It's fun though, and the kids are all 12 - 24 months so it's really just 'organized chaos' for a class! The coach is great and sweet with the kids and Michael loves her but that might be because he loves blondes in general!

 

I am almost done writing an article for a company I am working with in South America called '10 Reasons We Can't Lose Weight!' It's about common patterns of behavior that I see when people are struggling to achieve weight loss. I will share it with you when I am done.

 

Also, along the lines of weight loss I am currently offering Nutrition Assessments and plans for $60, this includes 6 weeks of follow up by e-mail. E-mail tanisfit@shaw.ca if this interests you. It can be done entirely on-line so contact me if you are outside of the Calgary Area.

 

I have a jam-packed day today! i see my trainer Martha later on and should be brutally sore tomorrow... and the next day! We'll see!

Weight: 159 lbs

 

Less than 2 weeks to register for Boot Camps! http://www.myclasspro.com/TanisFit

 

I just came off of a very strict three days and my weight stayed the same. It's disheartening, but it's also the point where it's easiest to give up. Frustrated despite my best efforts... and there's nothing I can do but let it play out. My body has changed, no doubt about it, but I need to be getting smaller now and I am anticipating a change. I see my trainer tomorrow and my naturopath next week, we'll see what they have to say.

 

I'm excited about my clients' progress though! Lots of different body types and different shows to look forward to! April - July will be a busy competitive season!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart - that's true strength."

Weight: 158 lbs

 

Only 2 Weeks left until Gymfusion Boot Camps begin! Tuesday and Thursday mornings for 4 Weeks starting March 10. There are still spots left in the 5:30am, 6:30am, and 7:30am classes! Register online at http://www.myclasspro.com/TanisFit or e-mail me if you have any issues or questions about signing up. It'll be a great session and I am excited about those of you who have already expressed an interest or have signed up!

 

Along with the launch of Boot Camp classes, my clients for upcoming Fitness and Figure shows are doing amazingly well! I started with some girls quite far out from the shows but there is still more than 16 weeks left until the Provincial Figure show and I can still take on more clients for that. It's not too late! Contact me right away and we can get started today! I will be offering General Eating and Training Plans for Weight Loss on my site soon when all of my clients are well under way, I will also be holding a Women's Weight loss clinic in early Spring. Stay tuned!

 

And as always, my quote of the day:

 

"Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." - Oprah Winfrey

Weight: 159 lbs

 

Can I do this without being so frustrated about the numbers? We will see... I'm trying not to get hung up, but that is sort of part and parcel with who I am!

 

Monday night conditioning tonight! The program is ready to go... and it's fun - as usual! Also, remember there are only two weeks left before my early morning Boot Camps start! You do not have to be a gymnast! All of my exercises are adopted from gymnastics but are not acrobatic or complcated - they are simple, effective, and efficient! Link here to register on-line http://www.myclasspro.com/TanisFit Tuesday and thursday mornings for 4 weeks at Stampede City Gymnastic Club in NE Calgary starting March 10. Your choice of 5:30 am, 6:30 am, or 7:30 am - a great start to the day!

 

Enough plugging, I'm off for a workout now. I am trying to get as much sleep as I can right now, today was until 9 am! I am lucky to have a little man that sleeps in and entertains himself for a good 20 minutes before deciding to get up and out of bed!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling. but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela

Weight: 160 lbs

 

A big cheat day last night, and I am feeling bloated, tired, and out of it today. My house is clean, my workout is done, I think after my steak tonight i am going to crash early and hopefully wake up more energized... and lighter! 

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

Today marks 16 Weeks Out for me from Fitness Provincials. I like to take an inventory every 4 weeks beginning with today to see how my progress is coming along. For those of you who actually read this I have photos in an album I created for my progress. It's not my 'display' album, but they are public and accessible. Since I relaunched my site I have averaged over 300 hits a day to this blog page so these photos are actually more public than I think they are but i am not going to do something so 'out there' like put them on Facebook! I am not brave enough for that!

 

Today's photos were taken first thing this morning, no make-up, no hair and a $10 Black bikini. Visually what I see is: On the positive I have a great shape to lean out with, I am fairly balanced, and I don't have any major deficits that can't be taken care of if my diet stays clean and consistent. This is a combination of good genetics, years of experience with training and contest prep, and a year of trying to achieve balance and weight loss after the baby. What needs work? Well let me be brutally honest and point out some things that are obvious to me! My quads are still overpowering to my physique. I have short legs and long arms so I need to make my legs smaller and keep extra size on my shoulders and arms. I definitely need to lean out my legs more as well as my abs. My abs will take care of themselves if I can get my legs to come in, there is a point in the diet where this will happen if i am consistent. My back pose needs to be wider and I need to be conscious of my definition in the back of my shoulders. My glute shape is the best it has ever been, but I need to lean out the back of my legs to show it and make sure the cut of my suit is perfect. I will have my suit by 12 Weeks Out so we will see the difference then. Overall I am happy with what i look like - not satisfied, but definitely happy with where things are at and what is to come.

 

My measurements today: 37.5 - 25.5 - 36, Arm: 12 Mid Thigh: 20.5

Weight: 158 lbs

 

So I don't like that weight too much for a Saturday weigh in, but my diet is under control and I am continuously challenging myself with my workouts. It's a matter of time, I see the changes, I feel the changes, but my body needs to balance out it's weight loss on it's own time. And I trust my body to do what it needs to do. I'm the leanest I have been 16 weeks out and am more prepared at this point for a show than ever before.

 

I'm taking my cheat meal today but just going for Vietnamese, I don't have much desire for anything else. I also have a to do list to get done by the end of the day of random things I put off. It'll be a good feeling to be all caught up by the end of today. This upcoming week is looking busy and good and then the following week I am off to Montreal for gymnastics. VERY excited about that! Some really early mornings and busy days, but there is a gym in our hotel and maybe I will actually use it instead of what I usually do with my free time at meets which is sit in the hotel lounge and drink wine! (that's fun too though!)

 

My quote of the day:

 

"What is easy is seldom excellent." Samuel Johnson

Weight: 159 lbs

 

So my dilemma last week about my weight being up on Friday was not alleviated today by me not having soy sauce. Next week, it's no rice, just sashimi. I am so sore and I hate seeing the numbers up when I know I have been putting in this much work at the gym!

 

And I just ordered my suit! So excited! Also looking into a competition in Vegas in the Fall... basically my mind said 'hmmmm I would like to do a show in the Fall and go to Vegas at some point...' I found an NPC show which is the US division of my federation and they have a local show called the Las Vegas classic on November 7. Could be fun!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"When you are not practicing, remember that someone, somewhere is practicing... and when you meet him, he will win."

Weight: 156 lbs

 

I am so sore! I didn't think I would be too bad after starting running, but I am! My body is ready for it though, it is just muscle soreness not shin and joint soreness which it always was before. I think being heavier than this is too hard on my joints to run and it would always be too frustrating to continue. So in a way I am optimistic - but I will never be someone who LOVES running. I admire people who have the tenacity and endurance to be 'runners' though!

 

I start up training with Martha next week for the next 16 weeks... and beyond hopefully! My suits and costume are in the works and as soon as I have my routine DVD from the Jen Hendershott team (so excited!) I am going to feel so ready to go!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Tough times never last, tough people do." - Robert Schuller

Weight: 157 lbs (PS - when I weigh myself on the scale at the gym I am 2.5 lbs lighter! Just saying...)

 

I am in a groove wishing those numbers were dropping a bit faster, but I am feeling good and seeing the results on my body with new separations and lines coming in all the time. Today I made a 6 am Hot Yoga class at my gym - I woke up at 5:30, left at 5:45 and was even early for the class! Fantastic! The class itself was great, a wonderful instructor led us through an Ashtanga series and with a small group she was able to help everyone out which made it that much better. The studio is not as hot as the specialy hot yoga studios and there was some background noise from the gym area that was hard to block out, but overall it was a good class and so so close by. Another bonus? At 7:30 when the class was done I did 3 exercises in the weight room and then hopped on the treadmill for 20 minutes. I was home by 8:10 just as my son was waking up. It was awesome.

 

My quote of the day:

 

"It's wonderful what we can do if we're always doing." - George Washington

Weight: 156 lbs

 

I'm feeling good, I ran today for 15 minutes in a row without my shins killing me! Small successes! I am 16 weeks out on Saturday which is the typical start of a diet for me and I am already at a weight that I have competed at! I know this weight that I have left to drop is going to go slower than what I would like but I am going to see just how far I can push my body. I am constantly excited when I think about this year and next year I want to take full advantage of every opportunity that comes my way!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is." - Vincent Lombardi

Weight: 157 lbs

 

This is a wee bit late in the day to be blogging but I had a jam packed day out of town to see family. I stuck to my diet mostly, it was a homemade dinner but I stuck to salad and protein. Michael ate mashed potatoes and cake... because he can! He was such a good boy today, I'm very lucky to have such a fun and interesting kid. He always makes me smile!

 

I didn't get my workouts in today, but this week is jam-packed at my new gym in terms of 'workout plans'! Lots of classes and lots of cardio - super motivated for it though! Should be a great week!

 

My quote of the day:

 

Weight: 159 lbs

 

Not a bad weight considering my cheat meal yesterday... I thought I was going to wake up and be 210! Ha ha. It was good...

 

Getting excited about an upcoming meet in Montreal! Travel and dieting can be a challenge but it is always do-able. Usually I am resentful towards food but now I am just prepared to make good choices - Chicken and Salad - my restaurant staples while away!

 

This week is going to be a good one, I am super pumped about the novelty of my new gym so that should help!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones." - Tim McCarven

Weight: 156 lbs

 

My weight didn't come down this week! My plan is adjusted next week to have no soy or gluten so we will see how that plays out! I am still taking a full cheat meal tonight - it's Valentine's Day! I am having some wine! My measurements are tightening up 36.5 - 25 - 36 today. I'd like to take another 2 inches off of both my waist and hips for show time! Here's a fun fact - on Feb. 1, 2008 5 days after Michael was born my measurements were 47.5 - 43 - 48.5!!! 230 lbs! Glad that's done. I am ahead of the usual game for approaching 16 weeks out. Usually I am about 178 lbs and measure around 41 - 30 - 41. Typically. And those are the numbers!

 

I joined a new gym yesterday and I am pretty excited about it. I will be spending a lot of time there this week trying out their classes and getting a feel for when the best times to go are. I consider it 'fitness research' - I love classes and I love the experience of different instructors, different ideas... it makes us all better in the end!

 

And I am excited about my up and coming Boot Camps in March - I already have people signing up online! Reserve your spot today! It'll be a great start to your day. Sign up here: http://www.myclasspro.com/TanisFit

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs - ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" - Harold Thurman Whitman

Weight: 157 lbs

 

I think my body doesn't react well with white rice or soy sauce. I had sushi in my diet yesterday, not a whole lot but every time... especially lately, when I have sushi I get a horrible stitch under my rib. I can't sleep that night and I wake up feeling congested and bloated. I think I have a few food sensitivities that I have already eliminated such as dairy, sugar, and most wheat so when something aggravates my system I feel it that much more. I eat rice cakes all of the time and they don't bother me so it may be the soy sauce. I was trying to convince myself it wasn't because it was such a small amount, but soy sauce has both wheat and soybeans in it and my naturopath said I have a sensitivity to soy. Next week I am keeping the sushi in with no soy sauce and seeing what happens. Taso uses hot sauce on his because he eats no wheat whatsoever so maybe I will try that.

 

On another note, I am looking at joining a new gym today and if it's what I think I want I will be very excited about it! We'll see... I know what I want and I usually hate 'sales' presentations but I think I will be pretty comfortable in a gym situation!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Think you can, think you can't; Either way, you'll be right!" - Henry Ford 

Weight: 155.5 lbs

 

2 more pounds by Saturday! Come on bod, let's do this! Twenty days down already - can I do this 7 more times? Sure I can, it's not that hard and when I organize myself properly my days go smoothly and flawlessly... for the most part! In order for me to have a full-on cheat meal I have to be down these two pounds... and I really want that cheat meal on Saturday with no restrictions! Off to the elliptical I go!

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Luck is where preparation meets opportunity." - Oprah Winfrey

Weight: 157 lbs

 

I don't like when my weight is up from my last weigh in halfway through the week! A pound a day until Saturday now... it has to happen. After this entry I am feeding Michael and then letting him play downstairs in his playard while I pound out an extra couple of hours on the elliptical. I have the energy, I have the time, so why not?

 

My quote of the day:

 

"Fear keeps you ordinary."