Don't put your HEALTH on HIATUS for the HOLIDAYS!

Hey all ... miss me? Well I was sort of a slacker last week. I didn't work out as much as I wanted to. But I made sure my food was clean during the week and most of the weekend (I have 2 cheat meals on the weekends ... and sometimes red wine!) And I made up for my lazy ways today! Especially since in less that 2 weeks I'll be in sunny Jamaica visiting my Mom and Dad! One of my favorite things about visiting Jam-rock is the FOOD! But I have to keep reminding myself "Don't put your HEALTH on HIATUS for the HOLIDAYS!". Yes, I'm going to enjoy all the delicious stuff that's not so good for me like rum cake, patties and cocoa bread, grater cake, drops, jerk chicken and festival ... and the list goes on! But ... everything in moderation. The good thing is that my parents have a garden in their back yard and they eat tons of veggies and fruits. And of course they're organic .. pesticide free! So my goal is to make sure I eat lots of fruits and veggies ... which taste better on the islands anyway ... and then pace myself with the sweet, sweet island food! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! And my parents have a treadmill, bike, and some mini weights, so there is no excuse for not working out. So what about you? Please share your tips and tricks on how you plan to keep your health a priority during the holidays.

Workout: chest and biceps circuit, 15 minutes sprint intervals on Tommy the treadmill ... I actually missed doing sprints ... it felt soooooo goooooood!

P.S. I must thank Tara for her words of inspiration! :)

Make it a priority

I often overbook myself. I start the week saying "I'm going to keep it simple." But it never fails ... tea with this friend, a meeting with that person, and an appointment with another important someone. Well today, I didn't make it to the gym. Why? Because I didn't make it a priority. I'm not sorry I met up with my friend after work. I'm just sorry I didn't book a different time ... like AFTER my workout. You see, I am more "in the zone" when I head to the gym immediately after work. And I KNOW that about myself. Most of the time I can get motivated enough to get my workout in, if I get sidetracked after work. But today was NOT one of those days. The meeting I had was GREAT! But when it was all done, I was tired, hungry, fighting traffic and I decided SCREW IT ... I'm going home to sit on the couch. And I did ... feeling a bit guilty ... but what I learned is I must remember that my workout is my first priority ... everything else can be scheduled around it. One thing I didn't ignore ... my eating .. I still had my clean meals! That took away some of my guilt!

Yesterday's Workout: Legs and shoulders circuit ... tough workout ... jelly-legs last night ... walking gingerly today!

Renaming Project 9X9. Any suggestions?

I had a sweet ass workout today after a week in sick bay. Oh endorphins! How I missed you!
Since I refuse to be a slave to my scale (for now*) I need to rename Project 9X9 (remember ... losing 9 pounds in 9 weeks). After my last post "Keepin' it Real" I discovered the stress associated with the scale wasn't helping me. There was something else I had to focus on ... like how I FEEL ... not necessarily how I LOOK. Well I got some great feedback from this post ... people who can relate to where I'm at. One person nailed it. A new friend Lisa Fayant LeJeune sent me a note that said what I was feeling so eloquently. Here is some of what she said:

"I think that sometimes we have a goal or idea set so firmly in our heads that we miss all the other great things that we've learn or experienced as a result of even attempting to reach a goal; those personal insights, the little learnings and lessons that we sometimes miss in the pursuit of the almighty (BIG) goal .... had you decided that your goal would be to inspire and reach out to people, then I would say that you have certainly achieved success."

I couldn't have said it better myself. And based on the feedback and comments I've received ... I think I've achieved my NEW goal of reaching out and inspiring people. So maybe we call it Project Inspiration? What do you think?

* I plan on training for a competition in the new year so I'll have to get over the scale issue. Oops! Now that it's in my blog, I guess I'm really going to have to do it!

Workout: chest and biceps circuit and some high intensity cardio on Stan the Stairmaster!!!

Keepin' it real ...

I'm striving to be my true authentic self, from head to toe. Just keepin' it real as best as I can ... from my hair (going natural) to my nails (removing these toxic talons this weekend) to what I put on my skin (buying more paraben-free products) ... from my heart to my words to the people I associate with. That also includes the people that read my blog ... I've got to be real to YOU too. I'm about halfway through my Project 9X9 and I've had many great updates. But I've also had many so-called "setbacks" (emotional stuff, fatigue, injuries, sickness ... call it LIFE) that have me wondering if this particular goal is the RIGHT goal for me. I love how I feel when I workout. I feel better when I eat clean ... but when that damn scale shows minimal change or no change I get frustrated ... which turns into comments to myself like "you're not working hard enough or eating clean enough" ... which turns into feeling bad about myself ... which turns into working even harder in the gym and cutting out certain foods ... which turns into physical and emotional stress ... which really defeats the purpose of living a healthy lifestyle. So I'm taking the stress out of it ... yes I'll continue to train hard but I'll also remember to have fun in the gym. And yes I'll continue to eat clean and make healthy food choices ... but I won't sacrifice my health by depriving myself or turn down a night out with good friends.

Now I just have to get over whether I've failed at my Project 9X9. That will be a tough one. Just keepin' it real.

Girls just wanna have fun ... maybe I had too much fun.

The last time I worked out was Thursday. (It was a great workout too!!!) Then I woke up the next day with a brutal cold. What a drag! Just when I was getting into my new workouts! I guess that's my body telling me to rest. And rest I did. But this just happened to be the weekend I had a couple friends from Edmonton come to visit me. And you know ... girls just wanna have fun ... but fun at 40-ish ... is not the same as fun at 20-ish or even 30-ish. We may have avoided the clubs, bars and drinks. But we didn't avoid the "not so good" food. I ate lots of "not good" stuff this weekend. It was like a comfort thing for me ... I had a bad cold, couldn't go out, couldn't go to the gym, got bored ... so I ate, I ate what my girlfriends ate. You want to know what I ate? Here goes: pizza, mini Crave cupcakes, Tim Horton's breakfast sandwich, Jugo Juice wrap with cheese, french toast with bacon and eggs ... and 1 glass of wine. That was between Friday night and Sunday morning. Okay ... so it's out there! I'm not making excuses ... just telling it like it is. And I'm about to throw my scale out the window. More on that, on my next post. Until then ... I will rest.

Cardio without music is like ...

Have you ever had one of those days where you head to the gym, pick your favorite cardio machine, plug in your iPod and there's silence? Well, that's what happened to me. I forgot to charge my little iPod shuffle overnight. Music is usually what gets me going if I'm dragging my butt. And I needed a kick in the butt today. Cardio without music is like a Crave cupcake without icing, french fries without ketchup, pizza without cheese, a great dinner without a glass of red wine. You enjoy it ... sort of ... but you can't help but feel like something is missing. Sort of like sex with no orgasm ... the foreplay is fun, the moans are mesmerizing, the groans are great, you're working up to something wonderful and ... it's over. Sigh. Oh well. I still did it. That's what counts!!!

Workout: legs and shoulders circuit courtesy of my BFF Afae Sonnenberg
Cardio: Simon the Stairmaster!!!

Flexing and Flopping in the Gym

We all do it. Admit it! We all check ourselves out in the mirror at the gym. We all flex and sometimes flop in front of the mirror. All too often I pick out my flaws. But today I decided ... forget it ... I'm going to focus on my HOT parts! :) So as I did my biceps curls I ooo'd and ahh'd at how round and developed they are. Nice! I did some burpees (which I hate by the way ... yes I said hate ... hate) and couldn't help but notice as I jumped in the air how defined my quads were looking. Sweet! I headed downstairs and glanced at my legs in the mirror as I took each step. There were some sexy striations on my hamstrings. Lovely! I slipped those sexy legs on Tommy the Treadmill and the way the mirrors were set up ... I could see myself at several angles ... and no one could tell that I was checking myself out. Heehee! Damn ... my deltoids look divine as I took strong strides. But ... wait a minute ... what's that flash of green? That bright apple green flash is a little distracting. What ... IS ... that? Well, I was wearing a nice apple green tank top ... and the "flash" was actually a flop. Man ... I need to get a decent sports bra. I'm flopping waaaaay too much! Ha! Thanks goodness I was in a good mood. I actually laughed at myself. By the way, can anyone recommend a GOOD sports bra?

Workout: chest and biceps circuit courtesy of my BFF Afae Sonnenberg,
Cardio: spurts of cardio between weight sets plus 15 minutes of sprint intervals on Tommy the treadmill

I didn't weigh in because ...

Things were going so well. It's been another one of those "life gets in the way" weeks. I was inspired by my workouts with my BFF Afae so I changed things up in the gym. I'm doing more of a circuit thing with spurts of cardio in between weights and I'm loving it! It was good ... for a couple days. Then I hurt my back and had to take a couple days off. Crap! But that's not why I didn't get on the scale. I didn't weigh in because it's that time of the month. I know. Yuck. So not only do us women have to deal with the bloating, water retention, and cramps ... we also see the number on the scale go up a few pounds. And instead of adding fuel to my PMS fire ... I decided not to. (Okay I actually got on the scale but I'm not counting this week ... I was 140 ... so ... BLAH to that!)

I stayed away from weights since Wednesday .. took 2 full rest days ... and continued with cardio on Friday. I hope to be back to circuits by Tuesday. I must make sure my back is better before going at it again. At 40+, the recovery is just not like it used to be. So instead of "playing through the pain" I'd rather adjust my workout until my back is healed. Remember, I took my cape off a while ago ... no need to be superwoman.

Workouts: Friday - 45 minutes on Bronson the Bike, Saturday - 30 minutes Sprint intervals on Tyson the Treadmill, Sunday - mixed it up for 45 minutes - Sonny the Spin Bike, Sanchez the Skipping Rope, Ted the Treadmill, and Travis the Track (did some explosive sprints!!) Playing with all those boys makes me tired ... ;)

Joy, Pain, and Cravings

Sometimes you have to feel a little pain ... to feel the joy. And I really needed to remember that today. That's a no brainer in the gym. How will you make any progress if you don't feel some "discomfort" when you're working out? Well I'm feeling a little "discomfort" in my personal life and man do I ever want to lash out, swear, get mad, throw insults, have a tantrum ... but I decided to take that energy and use it in the gym. I'm not going to lie. It was hard to do. I'm still fighting it. I still want to get pissed off and yell and scream. But I'm not going to go there. Wasted energy. I'll sleep on it and feel better in the morning. To add insult to injury, I'm having PMS cravings! Help!

Workout: Legs (which included walking lunges ... haven't done those in a while ... joy and pain!), skipped the cardio due to a bleeding nose ... that pissed me off too ... grrrrrr!

Deviating from my Diet

I know what you're saying. "What do you mean deviating from your diet? Are you abandoning your clean eating regime? Did you overload on halloween candy?" No ... I'm not eating ham and pineapple pizza and Crave cupcakes and drinking red wine as part of my "new" diet ... although wouldn't that be nice? Mmmm ... oops! Ok ... where was I? Oh yeah. :) I'm trying something new. It's kind of based on the Warrior diet ... basically you eat clean throughout the day but very light meals ... more like balanced snacks ... workout ... then eat your big meal as your last meal. I know ... it goes against everything we as fitness buffs have followed over the years. But the little bits I've read about it and have been told about it (my girlfriend Afae and her hubby are trying it with great results) ... it seems to make a lot of sense. I ordered the book and will read more details. But I thought I'd try it because I was having these energy crashes at about noon ... a couple hours after I ate my biggest meal. So how did I feel at noon today? Well, I had no energy crash. I didn't feel like I was starving myself. And my workout was great! Lots of energy! So far so good!

I'd also like to thank my good friend Maria Ellis (www.fitmumz.com) for reminding me to have fun with my workouts! We both got a little too carried away with the number on the scale and put too much pressure on ourselves. After all, we're not training for a competition ... YET!

Workout: Shoulder and back plus cardio circuit ... thanks to Simon the skipping rope, Tommy the treadmill, Benson the bike, and Steve the stepper ... and of course Winston the weight room ... gotta keep those muscles guessing what's next!

Learning to say NO

First of all I'd like to thank all those people who left very supportive messages regarding my "superwoman" blog entry. It brought tears to my eyes. You see, I'm a pleaser. I want everyone to be happy. I don't want to let anyone down. So it was difficult to write that. Something just as difficult? Learning to say NO. Sometimes I overbook myself. Tea with this friend, dinner with my girls, a walk with a BFF, a party with some pals ... you know how it is. It gets busy. I'm sooooo fortunate to have a lot of AWESOME friends. But it's not always easy to get together. In fact, I bailed on a few of them in the last couple of weeks. And I feel bad. If I would have just said NO in the first place instead of trying to please everyone. So why am I bailing? I'm trying to stay focused on my goal. I don't want to deviate from my fitness schedule. Also, I schedule my "treat" days and it doesn't always work with my friends' schedule. Now don't get me wrong. My friendships are more important to me than if I have six-pack abs. And I do want to spend time with them. However there is something that takes priority over everything. ME! I received strong messages from the universe this week that I need to honor CARA ... and be CARA's TRUE AUTHENTIC SELF. So I'm taking the time to get to know CARA again. And a lot of that happens in the gym. I love it! Yes, I will schedule time with my friends. It just may be a few weeks in advance.

Saturday's workout: My BFF Afae Sonnenberg put me through the paces in her basement gym. Cardio circuit for 30 minutes. Weights and cardio circuit for another 30 minutes. She rocks! (and is also a new personal trainer with a BIG heart and an amazing future!!!)

Sunday's workout: Cardio and abs! Tony the Tiger Treadmill worked me over this morning ... grrrrr!

Results of this week's weigh-in: 139 lbs. WOW!

Apparently, I'm not superwoman

Sorry people. I'm not sure how much inspiration you'll get from this one. But you will get the truth. This is what I do when life gets in the way. And I'll spare you the sad details. This week I realized (for the millionth time) that apparently I'm not superwoman. I had a setback in my Project 9X9. You see it's Friday and the last time I worked out was Wednesday. So that's 2 days in a row that I have not done any exercise. (Yes I'm beating myself up ... and yes I know I shouldn't). It started Thursday afternoon. The universe forced me to FEEL some emotions I kept bottled up inside. I didn't realize it was going to affect me so much. I just wanted to go home and be alone and cry a bit. And that's what I did. And as some of you may have seen on my FACEBOOK status, my energy levels have been very low energy at about noon everyday this week. Well the same happened today ... on top of my melancholy mood. Not a good combination. And while many of you would say "A good bout of exercise will get those endorphins going and you'll feel good again!" ... I just want to rest. Rest my body, my mind, and my heart for one more day. I'll put my cape and tights on tomorrow. The silver lining out of all of this? I continue to eat clean ... and get lean. (By the way, I'm re-adjusting my meal plan because I think that's why my energy levels are tanking. That and the fact that I get up at 3:00am ... I must get to bed earlier!)

Anyway, thanks for your support. I hope I didn't let you down. Just keeping it real. :)

Feeling Guilt

I took a rest day yesterday because I had the opportunity to go out for dinner with a friend and see the musical "A Chorus Line". It was great show! I think I was smiling through the whole thing! But I was also feeling guilt. Guilt that I didn't workout and that I ate something that was not exactly on my plan (even though it was still clean - grilled bison and asparagus). I even got on the scale this morning when weigh-in day is not until Friday. So here I am focusing on those damn NUMBERS again.

Fast forward a few hours. I'm having a conversation with fitness professional Stan Peake who is the general manager of Innovative Fitness here in Calgary (www.innovativehealthgroup.com) and we're talking about MOTIVATION. He basically said people need to STOP using numbers as a GOAL or MOTIVATION. People will be more successful with their weight loss or fitness plan if they have an EVENT or TANGIBLE goal to work towards. For example, a beach holiday or a family reunion or perhaps your wedding. And focus on how you FEEL instead of how you LOOK. I wholeheartedly agree!!!

Now am I contradicting myself by trying to lose 9 pounds in 9 weeks or even preparing for a figure competition? Maybe. But maybe I will step away from the scale ... get out of my comfort zone ... and CHANGE my goals from numbers to something with a better story.

Workout: full body circuit with intense cardio for 1 hour ... (double lovin' ... Benji the Bike and Trey the Treadmill)

Motivation X 3

Motivation comes in all forms. Here a few things that motivated me in the gym today:

Motivator #1: MY NEW GYM MEMBERSHIP
I realized that I'm a bit of a gym snob. So even though I already have a membership that I'm still paying for, I bought another because I didn't like my other gym ... not enough equipment and little variety. Plus, the location close to my temporary home is a women's only gym ... where's the motivation in that? I like to see hot male bodies working up a sweat. That is motivation! And when you have enough equipment to create a unique workout, it's never boring.

Motivator #2: CATRIONA'S LEGS
Catriona Le May-Doan was working out at my gym today. Just in case you don't know, she's a two time Olympic Gold medalist in speed skating. Have you seen her legs?! Freaking amazing! It happened to be my leg day, so I pumped it a little harder in honor of Catriona's legs. Her legs still look great to me!

Motivator #3: WELCOME TO JAMROCK
As I pushed myself on Billy the Bike my iPod was on SHUFFLE and a Damian Marley tune came on ... Welcome to Jamrock! And it reminded me of my end goal for Project 9X9 ... being lean and sexy for my trip to Jamaica! When I'm there I'm even going to buy one of those cheesy Jamaican flag bikinis ... ha!

That's what motivated me today. What motivates you to train hard?

Can I Really Do This?

I don't know why but earlier this week I started to get nervous as I started this Project 9X9. For a moment or two I thought ... can I really do this? All the comments and encouragement from so many people has been AMAZING ... I'm always shocked by the number of people who are following my progress. It's great because it really motivates me! I don't want to let anyone down but more importantly, I don't want to let myself down. Why am I thinking this, you ask? Well, let's go back to 2008 ... it was my second year of competing, and it was horrible. No matter how much cardio I did (some weekends I would walk a total of 7 hours), or how much I adjusted my diet, the weight was not coming off. I was not leaning out. One of my trainers kept telling me I was stressed. I didn't buy it. I wasn't about to stop and rest. I kept pushing. Anyway, to make a long story short ... I competed and didn't look the way I wanted to, in fact it was pretty embarrassing ... I didn't feel good at all ... my self-confidence was chewed up and spit out ... plus, I ended up with a pissed off endocrine system (aka Adrenal Fatigue. Google it.) So as I approached the scale this morning after all the work I did this week with weights, cardio, and clean eating ... I was afraid to look ... 140.5!!! I dropped 2.5 pounds in week 1 of Project 9X9! Woohoo! Yeah!
Okay ... the celebration is over ... stay focused!

Workout: Arms and Shoulders

Sugar Is Evil!!! (Unless it comes in vanilla or chocolate with a dollop of creamy goodness on top!)

Sigh. We all have weaknesses. Mine is sweet stuff. (Surprising, considering I'm so sweet myself ... heeheehee!). But SUGAR IS EVIL!!! Unless, of course, it comes in vanilla or chocolate with a dollop of creamy goodness on top ... aka Crave Cupcakes! Superman gets weak near kryptonite. Me? It's Crave Cupcakes. So what's my point? Well it all started when I was chatting with my co-worker and friend Heather Yourex. Heather is also about to start her own major fitness challenge with a twist.(PLEASE check out: www.heathershealthypromise.blogspot.com). Anyway, she was asking me how my first week of Project 9X9 was going. I said "Great! Training's going well. Food is awesome. I'm not super hungry. And no cravings!" Well ... I spoke too soon ... just saying the word CRAVINGS triggered something. Shortly after our conversation, I started to have visions of CHEAT food. So I reached for my tuna and veggies and started munching. Mmm ... tuna and veggies. Then I step away from my desk for just a moment and what do I see when I get back? A dozen mini Crave Cupcakes. No lie! Talk about being tested! So as soon as I got home ... they went straight into the freezer (as if I'm going to share them at work ... hahaha!) ... and I headed to the gym for a little PUMP and BURN! Yeah!

Workout: Chest and Back Blast
Cardio: Intervals, 30 minutes, Bobby the Bike :)

Making Love (not war) to Tyrone (the Treadmill)

I'm in LOVE! Hahaha! Well not really but it's better than hatin' cardio. I've decided that I'm going to LOVE cardio from now on. So to help me do that I've decided to name whatever treadmill I'm on. Today, I was making love to Tyrone the treadmill. I caressed his long handles and pushed his buttons until he couldn't help but move. I had to hang on tight. We started out slow at first ... a little foreplay ... but as I cranked him all the way up, it didn't take long to get hot and wet. Music definitely put us in the mood (music provided by Q-Tip - The Renaissance). As it got hotter and hotter, my legs started to burn ... my heart started to pound! Woo! This went on for an hour ... an hour of power ... an hour of good cardio LOVIN'! So ... you better call Tyrone (that's a reference to an Erykah Badu tune "Tyrone". Google it.) and make LOVE, not war, during you next cardio session.

Cardio day: 1 hour, fast walking, incline cranked all the way UP! Abs!

Kickin' it Old School!

Driving home from work today my eye lids felt like there were 10 pound weights on them. Despite my fatigue, I knew I'd get a boost from my work out today. But sometimes that's not enough. So the iPod was on shuffle ... unpredictable ... which is soooo fun ... 'cause I was kickin' it old school! I'm doing some cardio on the bike and this old school tune from 1987 by Tony Terry kicks in. Sing it with me: "She's fly -- You're fly -- And fresh -- And fresh -- Girl is truly def -- Girl won't you be mine." And I'm thinking "He's singing to me!". So I pump it up on the pedals a little more. Then he comes with these lyrics "Hey -- You got me jumping -- You're beautiful body sure is thumping." And I think : "He's DEFINITELY singing to ME!" So I pick up the pace! Sometimes all it takes to get that second wind is a good tune from back in the day. So if you're dragging your butt at the gym, throw on your favorite grooves and rock to the Rolling Stones, jam with James Brown, or bop to Bob Marley.

Workout: Legs and cardio

143: The Starting Point

Okay, okay ... I know I said it's not all about the number on the scale. But I do need a measurement of some sort. And I do need a starting point. And my starting point is 143 lbs. That's what the scale said when I weighed myself first thing this morning. This morning I also saw many of the encouraging comments on FB from many of my friends. Thank you so much! I will need all the encouragement I can get! I also have to say a big THANKS for those of you who said I look good just they way I am. :) Those comments really warmed my heart. I don't want anyone to think that I don't love the body I have. I do! But just like most things in life, once you've achieved one goal, you need to find another. I'm pretty sure Usain Bolt is training his ass off to beat his own record-breaking times on the track. And Donald Trump is probably still coming up with ways to make more money. And I would bet my life-savings that Talk Show Diva Oprah Winfrey has a long-term plan that will make her even more popular (if that's possible!). So as much as I appreciate the compliments, know that I'm not doing this because I'm not happy with myself and how I look. I'm doing this so that I will GROW as a person ... so that I don't get STUCK in a rut and bored ... so that I can prove to myself that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to. Yes!

Starting point: 143 lbs.
Goal: 134 lbs. in 9 weeks
How: Eating clean and working out 6 days a week

Project 9X9

First I'd like to thank one of my FACEBOOK friends for giving me a friendly kick in the butt. She reminded me that I hadn't written a blog in a month. At first I was embarrassed ... then flattered that she was reading it and patiently (very patiently) waiting for another entry. So here goes. I learned something about myself in regards to fitness. I've learned that I need a goal to motivate me. So that's where "Project 9X9" came along. First and foremost it's a challenge. A challenge offered to me by my dear friend Maria Ellis (www.fitmumz.com). The challenge: to "lean out" by the time I fly off to the Caribbean for Christmas. She's doing the same thing so we will support and motivate each other. But we're taking it one step further. We're posting pictures of our progress on FACEBOOK just to show how committed we are ... and hopefully we'll inspire a few people at the same time. And it will be harder to back out if we know others are watching. I'm calling it "Project 9X9" because my goal is to drop 9 lbs. in 9 weeks. Now, it's not all about the number on the scale. It's more about setting goals, discipline, perseverance, believing in myself ... and looking HOT in a bikini! :) So, please, join me in my journey.

My Feeble Comeback

I forgot how good it feels to have a good hard sweaty workout. That's because my feeble comeback to the workout world has been ... well ... just that ... feeble ...in my opinion anyway. Long leisurely walks, mini-circuits with baby-weights. Not the heart-hopping, muscle-making workouts I used to do. Well, I broke the feeble cycle. I got back to my fierce ways in the gym. It was difficult to get back into it though. You see, I'm going through some very challenging personal stuff. And all I wanted to do was hide in my unhappiness, lay low, shun my sistas, brush off my brothas, see no one, and do nothing. Speaking to a long time friend opened my eyes again. He reminded me that staying underground too long is never good ... and it's really not ME. He added that a good workout will wake up those happy-feeling endorphins.
And along with that, I'm going to need the (physical AND emotional) strength to get through this bump in the road of life.
Something else I need to remember: take care of ME first.

I confess. I didn't go to the gym today.

Ok! Ok! I confess. I didn’t go to the gym today. But before you start to judge me, hear me out. Sometimes it’s difficult to get motivated to go to the gym when the weather is so nice. And if you’re familiar with Calgary’s weather, you know you have to enjoy it while it lasts. So I decided to take my workout outside! I went for a brisk walk with a very good friend of mine. And it was more than just a walk in the park. We worked body parts from head to toe without even realizing it. Here was our workout for the day. We jumped as we came across the huge crickets on the pathway (plyometrics!). We didn’t stop talking the entire time (working our jaw muscles!). The mosquitoes were firece, so that kept our arms swinging as we swatted the blood suckers off of every body part (toned arms!). And when you workout with a good friend ... there’s always some really good belly laughs (tight abs!). We had so much fun we hardly noticed that two hours went by. So next time you just don’t want to be cooped up in a sweaty gym ... take it outside!

An apple a day does not always keep the doctor away ...

Really ... I'm trying to embrace ALL that comes with being 40-ish. It's not always easy. I consider myself healthier than the average person. I eat food that's good for me (lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies etc.) and I exercise regularly. And I also see my doctor regularly. But visits to the doc seem to be more frequent these days. Apparently an apple (OR chicken breast and veggies OR salmon and asparagus OR egg whites and oatmeal) a day does not always keep the doctor away.

One thing I'm learning is being 40-something comes with changes. Changes that make you paranoid. Changes that make you go to the doctor with questions ... lots and lots of questions. I had my regular physical the other day. I had a few issues that I've never had before that weren't going away. My doc ordered a couple of tests for me then said as I was leaving "You know much of this comes with age." Nice. Not exactly what I want to hear.

Even my recent trip to the dentist has changed. Now I have worry about gum recession and yellowing ... and you don't even get a cool toy any more ... all you get is a stupid brush and stupid floss when you leave ... no toy. (picture Cara pouting).

You know what I realized? Going to the dentist is kind of like working out. Some of us dread going when we know it's going to be a tough one ... especially leg day! At the dentist, you can't talk during your appointment because your mouth is stuck open and the doc is sticking sharp objects in there. At the gym, you can't talk during a workout because you're gasping for breath (if you're not, you're not working hard enough!) You may leave the dentist's chair a little achy .. maybe even bleeding a bit. No doubt, a good workout will leave you a little more than just "achy".(If no, you're not working hard enough!) But when it's all done ... and that suction machine has sucked out that last bit of nasty-tasting fluoride from your mouth ... you leave with squeaky clean teeth! And when the time on the treadmill reads 3 .... 2 .... 1 ... you can't help but feel good! Plus, wouldn't you rather workout everyday than go to the dentist everyday? :)

A Humbling Experience ...

Well I did it. I took a 5-week break from the gym. A little longer than I had planned. What a humbling experience. I needed the rest because I was getting no where fast when it came to progress in the gym. I was doing more harm than anything. And I felt like crap. Now my rest period has come and gone and I'm ready to GO HARD in the gym. Whoa! Wait a minute. Not so fast. I was advised to do a light and easy full body workout just to ease into it. That means picking up the 5 or 7 pound weights ... doing reps until it burns ... sometimes that was only 15. I can't begin to explain how difficult it is to start from scratch after being able to lift more weight than some of the guys in the gym (oh how I miss that ... heehee). I kind of felt wimpy. But if that's what I have to do to get back into it ... that's what I have to do. Thank goodness my diet was generally clean during this break so there was no excess weight gain. In fact, I lost weight! It felt good working out to maintain my physique... instead of working out to "get ripped". Right now just saying that stresses me out. I want to get back to working out for the love of it. If I happen to get ripped in the process, then GREAT! So the question is ... will I compete again? Hmmm ...

Where have you been Cara???

Sigh ... yes I've been kind of avoiding my blog lately ... as if you didn't notice. I only hope that y'all are saying "Where have you been Cara ???" The reason I've been absent? my journey to fierce fitness has hit a bit of a bump in the road. That bump? Fatigue. The remedy? rest ... and lots of it. I won't go into detail about my issues (I may have mentioned it before ... adrenal fatigue) but I will say it has knocked me on my ass. I don't have energy to do much. My workouts would knock me out. I had a hard time pushing myself in the gym. It's not only frustrating, but a bit depressing as well. So I've been advised by a fitness/nutrition/wellness professional to take 30 days of rest, do restorative yoga, rest, relax, rest, read good books, rest, watch funny movies, rest, eat clean, and rest. Did I mention rest? Any good fitness professional will tell you REST is just as important as a good workout. I guess you just gotta know when you've gone too far.

Don't let boredom make you eat ..

I'm baaaaaack! Back from my 10 day vacation in the T-dot!

But I have to admit ... I had a hard time staying on the path of being fit and fierce at 40 ... while on vacation. When I'm in my regular routine, I'm good! My goal on my trip, though, was to spend time with my family (who I see once a year if I'm lucky) and to not over schedule myself ... which I do at home. But don't let this happen to you ... don't let boredom make you eat! Let me tell you ... sitting around with nothing pressing to do makes me want to snack on something every 10 minutes ... and I'm not even watching TV! Thank goodness my sister (who I stayed with) just recently cleaned out her cupboards of most of her junk. Yes I said MOST ... not ALL. That's right ... I found the big bag of chocolate chips in the back ... hiding behind the oatmeal. (I threw a few in my oatmeal porridge one morning). I stumbled on the dark chocolate bar in the fridge underneath the bag of mini carrots (I'll have three carrots and 1 square of chocolate please!). And don't forget the jar of Kraft peanut butter. (I grew up on that stuff ... maybe if I have an apple with it, it won't be so bad.) I won't beat myself up too much though. I've worked out every other day I was there and ... hell ... I'm on vacation ... bring on the boredom! Because I know when I get back and Paul Anthony Neil (trainer with three names ... look out!) gets a hold of me ... I'm going to wish I never uttered the words "chocolate" ...

IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL JACKSON ...

The news shocked me, my family, and my friends. Michael Jackson, dead of a heart attack at 50. We'll all remember where we were and what we we were doing when we heard the sad news. We'll talk about our favorite MJ songs, albums .. and moments. In memory of Michael Jackson, I have two stand out moments I want to share with you.

The first, was when me and 3 of my friends (Laurel, Amber, and Marc) entered our annual air guitar competition in grade 9. I had a jheri curl ... so I wanted to do Michael Jackson's Beat It from the Thriller album (my all time fave!!!). I guess I had a slight advantage since I was the only black person in the school ... and then there was the jheri curl in my hair .... ha! We won hands down. We were the Air Guitar Champions that year. Did I mention we had a mini dance routine that included me doing the moon walk?

My second Michael Jackson moment happens regularly in the gym. My personal spin cycle workout is a THRILLER when Michael Jackson is playing in my ears. THE WAY HE MAKES ME FEEL on that last 20 minutes of my cardio is awesome. Even though Michael has done some OFF THE WALL things in the last few years of his life, I JUST CAN STOP LOVING YOU ... er, him. It's sad to know HE'S OUT OF MY LIFE. But by far these lyrics make me WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN' and gives me my second wind on the treadmill:

Lift Your Head Up High
And Scream Out To The World
I Know I Am Someone
And Let The Truth Unfurl
No One Can Hurt You Now
Because You Know What's True
Yes, I Believe In Me
So You Believe In You
Help Me Sing It ...

Rest in peace MJ ...

I WANT TO BE A SKINNY BITCH

I've been on a relaxing vacation visiting family in Ontario. And whenever I spend time else where it's always fun to people watch. I especially like checking out bodies ... of women! For example,I saw this woman in the airport who was probably about my age or even older ... she had beautiful ripped arms, sculpted shoulders and a small waist, and her bum was so tiny ... it was the size of my two fists put together! She had a great body and knew it. Wearing her sleeveless t-shirt and tight jeans. You go girl! I admit it ... I was jealous. Secretly I was thinking (as I sucked my stomach in) ... "bitch" ... in a nice way of course. You know what I mean? :)

I think that experience led me to this book called Skinny Bitch. I picked it up while here on vacation and read it pretty much cover to cover in less than 24 hours. Wow. What an eye opener! It talks about all the crap people are eating these days ... which is not such a big surprise. But it also gets real about meat and dairy. Let's just say if you're squeamish about stuff like that, don't read the book unless you are prepared to become a vegan. It gets pretty graphic. But it got me thinking. Thinking about how meat is affecting my organs. (I think I mentioned the "issues" I'm having with my liver and adrenals etc.) I'm actually thinking about experimenting with vegetarianism. I might try it for a week or two. What do you think? Who's with me?

Healthy Mall Food???

Ya'll know how I love a challenge. Well I've added one more challenge to my journey to fierce fitness! I'm in Toronto visiting my siblings. My goal is to stick to my program as close as possible while on vacation. And I started off with a bang. I already found the gym I was going to go to before I left Calgary. So all I had to do is find a bus route and get there ... which I did. And a bonus: the gym was in a mall! So I had a great leg workout and was feeling good! I realized I had to eat a meal soon after and didn't think I'd get home soon enough after my workout. So I decided to venture into the dreaded food court. Maybe if I was lucky I could find something that was close to a so-so healthy meal. Maybe some stirfry? Or I could get one of those lame-o salads from Subway with the iceberg lettuce (might as well just be drinking water), the flavourless tomatoes, and the limp cucumbers (I'm not a fan of limp anything ... especially cucumbers ... heeheehee!) with a bland chicken breast. But at least it would be something halfway healthy. Then I saw it. The bright colors and rows of bananas caught my eye first ... a shake bar called Freshly Squeezed. Now this was no ordinary shake bar. You know why? Because I got soy protein powder AND soy milk!! (I don't do cow dairy). Oh happy day! I bought one right away! So the hunt was on for something a little more substantial since I decided to hang out at the mall for a while. I came up to this really long line up that twisted around a corner ... hmmm, I thought, this must be a good place to eat. Whoa ... maybe not ... you see the line up from hell was to Tim Hortons or what I like to call the Carb Cafe. Keep looking Cara. Funny thing, the place right next to the Carb Cafe had no line up ... no one was even looking at the food there. It was called Crispy Greens. It was salad heaven!!! My eyes lit up at the possibilities!! Spinach! Mixed Greens! Romaine! Oooo ... the toppings! They even had chick peas! I was so excited. I think the lady serving me thought I was weird. She tossed some spicy chicken on top and I was clean eating in a mall food court! Who knew!

IT'S FUNNY ... BECAUSE IT'S TRUE.

Remember me? Well last week was a bitch ... and so was I. Here's a joke for you ... Why do they call PMS "PMS"? Because Mad Cow disease was taken. Ha! I thought it was funny when someone (a man) told me that joke ... because it's true! In my case anyway. Well PMS is no longer a joke in my world. It sucks the life out of me. My energy, my happiness, and my desire to socialize. If you are familiar with the Harry Potter series, there are these beasts called dementors. They guard the prison that holds evil wizards and witches. The dementors suck the happiness and soul out of a person and make them feel like they will never be happy again. That's what PMS is to me. It's a big deal when you get to be 40-ish. I've talked to other women around my age and we share the same horror stories ... very irritable, everything our significant others do drives us nuts, there's never enough bread or chocolate in the world, you puff up like the marshmallow and you want to cry every 15 minutes for no apparent reason. And it's like we can't control it! So imagine trying to stay focused on working out and eating clean when all you want to do is be left alone in a dark room with a pizza, a jar of peanut butter, and 5 of those family-sized fruit and nut bars.

It was a struggle this week. Yes I cheated (I had some chocolate and a butter tart). But I didn't go over board. But believe it or not ... working out saved me. In fact, on Monday I remember saying out loud in my final hour of work "I can't wait until I'm done so I can go to the gym." It's really the only thing that makes me feel better when I feel like crap. Even though it's sometimes hard getting to the gym or on that treadmill.

You just never know ...

When I was in grade school I tried almost every sport (minus the winter outdoor sports ... I don't like cold ... I was born in Canada but I still have Caribbean blood in me!) When you grow up in a small town and you're into sports you usually make every team. One sport I did a tiny bit of was gymnastics. I learned how to do a cartwheel at a very early age from a family friend who was into gymnastics, and I was a pretty good athlete. One day in high school ... grade 12 I think ... I was practicing gymnastics in the gym with some other students. A girl in grade 10 was having a tough time doing a cartwheel. So I helped her out. Gave her a few tips that worked for me. She thanked me and I went along my way. Fast forward about 3 or 4 years. I happen to be attending a NAIT graduation for a friend of mine in Edmonton. As we watched all the graduates enter the auditorium this one young woman in her cap and gown says "Hi Cara!" ... I said "Hi ...?" I had no idea who she was. She saw the look on my face and realized she had to identify herself. I'm sure you can guess where this is going. She said "My name is Lori (I think that was her name anyway). You taught me how to do a cartwheel in high school!" Wow! I was shocked she remembered ... and a little embarrassed that I forgot. Obviously I made an impact on her that day in the Parkland Composite high gym. It just goes to show, you just never know who you're going to inspire. The reason I bring this up is because I got the best response to one of my blogs today. When I read it I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It's from a Facebook friend named Julie who I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with last weekend. Her note was in response to my NO EXCUSES blog entry. Read what she wrote: 

"ok - so I was putting off my cardio, thinking of taking a rest day - then started thinking about what you wrote...decided to do at least 20 minutes...ended up 45 minute best cardio of the week!! Thanks for the inspiration Cara!!"

I'm kind of getting emotional reading it again  (ok so I'm PMSing too). You know, when someone suggested I write a blog I was thinking ... why would anyone care about what I have to say? Well ... at least one person does so I'm going to keep writing ... Thanks for all you support peeps!

NO EXCUSES!

I remember going to this step class a couple of years ago at the Talisman centre. A saturday morning class filled with some pretty dedicated people. The instructor was awesome! Very energetic and motivating. In fact, as we were doing our thing, she would weave motivational messages into her instructions .... praising us for making the choice to be there that day. One thing she used to say that really stuck with me though was "No excuses!" Meaning, there are no excuses for not taking care of your health and fitness. I went home and wrote that on a sticky note and put it on my bathroom mirror so I would see it everyday.

What I'm about to tell you about myself now is NOT an excuse. I just want you to know so that you understand that we all have challenges and what may seem easy for me ... is not always. Anyway, my energy levels have been super low for the last little while ... low, as in, almost falling asleep driving home on the Deerfoot. My naturopathic doctor says it has to do with my organs not working efficiently ... blah, blah, blah. I'm getting "treatment" but it's not something that changes overnight. Plus my working hours are not exactly helping the situation. (I get up at 3am, Monday to Friday) The reason I'm sharing this is so you know how difficult it can be to get to the gym and train hard ... especially near the end of the week. But I do it ... except this Thursday and Friday. I got home from work so wiped-out tired ... I had to sleep ... right away ... promising myself that I'd make up for it the next day. But Friday came and I was fighting to keep my eyes open while driving home. Not good. So I came home and crashed for a couple hours ... still felt groggy when I got up. Like I said ... this is not an excuse to not work out or eat clean food. My body was telling me something and I was listening. So I rested, kept up the good eating (although I'm sure my trainer would say I should be eating more) and I'm heading to the gym in the morning.  Some things are not always going to go as planned, and sometimes your body is going to tell you to rest but as far as I'm concerned there's no excuse for not exercising regularly. Not enough time? Whatever! Doing something for 20 minutes even 10 minutes is better than doing nothing at all. Can't afford a gym membership? Who says you have to join a gym? You must have a pair of shoes that you can wear to walk around the block a few times. How about adding a few situps or pushups in your living room.

Another inspiring co-worker who had been struggling with those last 10 pounds has figured it out. She couldn't get to her regular gym one day because of an appointment she had across town. So she did some research, found a gym close to where her appointment was, and dropped in there for a workout before her appointment. She totally gets it!

So quit whining about how you want to live a healthier lifestyle but you just can find the time or money or whatever excuse you have. Find something that's going to motivate you or inspire you and go for it. And by the way, no one said it was going to be easy. Even though I love working out and love how it makes me feel, I have my own challenges getting my butt in gear some days too. And other days (especially when I'm PMS'ing) all I want to eat is chocolate cake and pizza! But I also know I'll feel like poop if I eat that. 

You just have to figure out what works for YOU ... and get your ASS off the couch! Ha!

Looking for inspiration ...

Nothing exciting jumped out at me to write about on my new blog. However, just like working out, I NEED to be consistent with my entries, even if I think I can't do it. I've been looking for some inspiration. Sometimes when you try too hard you don't realize that it's right under your nose. For example, I had the great opportunity to be on the judging panel for the IDFA Calgary Classic bodybuilding and figure competition (www.idfa.ca). In the figure category there was a woman who won hands down. Not only did she have a nice lean body. But she had great presence and confidence on stage, a gorgeous face, and a beautiful smile. I automatically assumed she was the type who was always fit and always confident with herself. But maybe not. You see, about 2 years ago she weighed 200 lbs. So it's pretty inspiring to hear her story and see her on stage looking fiercely fit. And guess what she does for a living? She's a chef!  I'm also inspired by my co-worker who dropped 40 pounds and is getting ready for her first figure competition. I'm inspired by my sister who decided enough is enough, cleared all the junk out of her kitchen and started eating clean and exercising regularly.

So how am I doing in my journey? Well believe it or not, my last session with my trainer (before I'm on my own with his program) was probably my strongest. Which was pretty surprising since I was living on fumes. After a super busy week and less than 4 hours sleep the night before (I have to be at work at 5AM) I was on the verge of calling Paul Anthony and rescheduling so I could go home and sleep. But I didn't. I went as scheduled and I seemed to have mustered up the energy to pound out a strong workout! Hey! I think I just inspired myself! Ooo ... That feels gooooooood!

Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push ... Coast ...

Leg day = hell. To distract from the post-workout agony, I cranked up my stereo on my drive home from the gym. Who knew I'd find meaningful inspiration from a hip hop song. I love that song by Lupe Fiasco called "Kick Push". First, I fell in love with the beat ... then the chorus ... "Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push ... Coast." 

Then I actually listened to the rest of the lyrics. The song is about a kid who gets a skateboard at the age of six. First time he gets on it, he wipes out "Landed on his hip/ and bust his lip/For a week he had to talk with a lisp/Like thissss" Those are the actual lyrics. But what comes up next is how I feel about my journey to being fiercely fit. "Now we can end the story right here/But shorty didn't quit/ it was something in the air/Yea/He said it was somethin' so appealing/He couldn't fight the feelin'" Despite his spill ... he persevered. I could easily drive home everyday after work, make a peanut butter and jam sandwich, sit and watch the Young and Restless, nap on the couch before waking up, reaching for the phone and dialing 2-73-73-73 ... you know the rest of THOSE lyrics ... don't lie ... I know you do! Ha!  But instead, I go to the gym and get "the guy with three names who means business" to work me so hard my ears ring, then I pound back a vegan protein shake, and go home to a fresh spinach salad with chicken breast .... mmmmmm! As my boy Lupe says ... there's something so appealing ... and I can't fight the feeling of getting fiercely fit and eating clean ... even though I'd like to "kick, push" Paul Anthony (my trainer) some days. So I guess what I'm saying is that sometimes in life you really have to "kick and push" to get things going ... but when they do start moving, you can "coast" for a while ... but not forever. When it gets too easy or things slow down ... it's time to Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push ... Coast ......

THE "F" WORD

I admit it. I drop a few "F" bombs in the gym while I'm training. But the "F" word I'm talking about today is not rude, it's FOOD! Ha! I can't take credit for that little rhyme. Props go to one of Chef Gordon Ramsey's new shows on the Food Network called The "F" Word. I used to watch the Food Network religiously when I was training for a competition. Talk about torture ... I work my butt off in the gym ... eat oatmeal, egg whites, and chicken breasts everyday ... then I watch chefs making rich creamy, savoury, sweet, and sticky food. And all I'm thinking is "Oooo I'm going to make that when the competition's done!" Yeah right! If you want to lose weight and keep it off, I'm sure you've all heard that 70 to 80% of your effort comes from eating the right foods ... and more importantly watching your portion sizes. Trust me ... it works ... I've experimented both ways ... eating the right portions AND eating too much. Just because almonds are good for you it doesn't mean you can eat a bowl full in one sitting every day. Also, dropping the fat = doing cardio! It was cardio day on Tuesday. My trainer gave me a little routine that I thought ..." Ok, this will be challenging but no worries ... I can handle it ... a little break from the hell he put me through the other day." Not quite! It was an hour cardio session and 10 minutes in, I knew I was in trouble. Thank goodness I had my Ipod on so I couldn't hear myself heavy breathing (no, it was not the sexy kind) ... I was literally gasping for breath! I was struggling ... so I decided to focus on "running strong" ... and it was working ... until I looked up at the TV monitor in front of me ... guess what was on ... the Food Network ... "F-bomb"!

IT WAS MORE THAN AN ASS-KICKING. IT WAS AN AWAKENING!

The first day working out with a new trainer always makes me nervous. I’m always fearing an ass-kicking. I got one ... a thorough one. But  I got more this time. My journey to become fiercely fit started today ... and it was a bit of an awakening.  

My trainer, Paul Anthony Neil (3 names ... so you know he means business)  is full of positive energy. He’s very encouraging in his own unique and very refreshing way. And I appreciate that ... as I’m sweating and grunting and on the verge of purging all those clean meals I ate earlier in the day. Days before my first workout with Paul I was filled with self-doubt. I couldn’t stop feeling scared ... like I couldn’t do it ... like I couldn’t reach my goals. Can I really do this? Am I past my prime? Can I really get that ripped body back that I had at my best figure show in 2007? I couldn’t believe how progressively negative I was getting as I got closer to day one!!

So as I drove to the gym today ... I had butterflies (whatever ... I’ve worked out with several trainers, why am I so nervous) ... and even worse, too many negative thoughts in my head. Sigh. I did my best to put them aside as I went through each exercise.  1, 2, 3 ... oh I’m so out of shape ... 4, 5, 6 ... can anyone see my bulging belly ... 7, 8, 9 ... my abs are so weak ... 10, 11, 12 ... how did I let myself go! Then the pain took over and I had to concentrate on breathing. But I finished the workout .. without passing out or puking ... however there was nausea and my left ear was ringing ... ha!

The awakening happened when the intense workout was done. Paul took me through a meditation session for about 10 minutes. I focused on positive words and clearing my mind of the multitude of negative thoughts ... and creating space for me to “just be”.  And you know what ... that’s all I need to do ... in the gym ... and beyond ... just be! 

I felt light and positive as I left the gym. When I was about half a block away from my car and I saw a ticket flapping in the breeze on my windshield. Negative thought ... “why did you park there?!” And then I saw another car being towed away ... my positive thought ... “Whoa! At least I wasn’t towed!”

Welcome to my debut blog. My passion for fitness lead me to create this blog. I'll be documenting my journey to become FIERCELY fit at the age of 40. Being fit is one thing ... but being FIERCELY fit is quite a bit different ... especially for a woman. Can you say hormonal imbalance? Sluggish metabolism? My definition of fitness is feeling great ... physically and mentally ... and having a "head-turning" body. The reason I'm documenting this on a blog is so I can keep myself focused on my goal. 

My journey will start training with a new personal trainer Paul Anthony Neil (www.dreambodyguaranteed.com). I know quite a few personal trainers in Calgary, but I chose him because he has a comprehensive training program ... that focuses on the MIND and SPIRIT as well as the body. It's all good. He's got tons of experience and walks the talk. He also works his butt off for his business.

But the question is ... can I do it? Can I reach the goals I've set out for myself? What will the challenges be that I will encounter? What specific challenges will I have being a woman in her 40's? Plus, one day I want to get (back) on the competition stage. Yes, I've done 5 figure competitions. Two were great! The other 3 were disasters. I want to figure out the right combination of training, nutrition, and rest that will work for me to WIN on stage. I'll explore all of that and more in this blog. 

I start training with my new trainer on Monday May 25th. I'm still working out now ... in fact I did the stairs on Memorial ... I was really sucking wind ... and was slightly nauseous ... and I thought I was in shape. Since I'm not starting with my trainer for about a week, I've been coming up with all kinds of excuses to eat bad things like cake and cookies ... drink wine ... skip the gym ... because once I start this program ... there are no excuses. Hmmm ... do I really want to do this? Yes!

Join me on this journey to being Fiercely Fit ... maybe I'll inspire you ... or amuse you ...