You know when you come across an old friend’s profile and say, “OMG! She looks totally different!?” I did that the other day when I came across Anastasia Kritikos’ amazing weight loss transformation. We met three years ago when my (then) only child was just six months old! She came here from Hawaii with her former boyfriend (and my husband’s best man!). She is an example of a single, working mother who is more statuestuque and curvaceous than the other…
Will you gain 7-10lbs this December?
December 1, 2012Welcome December 1st. The month when the average American gains 7-10lbs during this holiday season. It makes a lot of sense of course…people are baking homemade cookies, cakes and muffins. People are gifting chocolate covered popcorn, see’s candies and food baskets. You’re invited to holiday luncheons, parties, happy hours and family events. Amongst all the celebrations, there’s the shopping…oh, the shopping! The shopping that makes you crave a Cinnabon or pretzel at the mall. The shopping that makes you want…
My Workout Video Evolution.
November 30, 2012You know when you can listen to a song and know how old you were, who you had a crush on and what grade you were in school? That’s how I feel about workout videos. I know how old I was based on the video I was obsessed with at the time. I love having workout videos because there’s literally ‘no excuse’ why I can’t pop in a DVD and follow the instructor for 30-60 minutes. I can train with…
Clean Eating: Vegan Pecan Bites
November 27, 2012I made this and it is sooo good! I portioned them out by placing them in cupcake liners in a muffin tin. I love the fact that the recipe calls for Dates and Chia Seeds! — Vegan Pecan Pie (Gluten Free) Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins Serves: 8 Ingredients Crust: 1 ½ cups Oats 6 tablespoons Cocoa Powder 3 tablespoons Margarine (or coconut oil) 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup Generous pinch Salt Filling: 1…
Personal Story: My REAL fear of childbirth…
November 27, 2012I remember a distinct conversation in my early twenties with one of my biggest fitness influencers (and former ex-boyfriend), Paul. We both became personal trainers around the same time and in our years together I would mention how scared I was to have kids one day. Why was I scared? It wasn’t the fact that my ‘privates’ would have to expand 10cm for a baby to come out, nor was it the sleepless nights or financial challenges of having children.…
Thanksgiving 2012: a year of thanks in pictures.
November 22, 2012It’s Thanksgiving 2012 and it’s been an incredible year. There are so many things I’m thankful for – here are some of them: I’m thankful for my family. In just 3 short years, David and I expanded very quickly. Some of it was planned, most of it wasn’t – but in any case, it has been a wonderful, crazy, stressful and fun ride. Watching these kids grow in curiosity, excitement, laughter and love is an amazing blessing. I’m thankful for…
Clean Eating: Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
November 20, 2012I made a super, delicious chicken and spinach lasagna last night. This is a weight watchers recipe and wasn’t too shabby. Here are my tips: – use whole wheat pasta – less sauce means less sugar – I used grounded chicken breast – purchase all nonfat or lowfat cheeses Ingredients: – 1 sprays cooking spray – 32 oz Marinara sauce, store-bought – 1 tbsp olive oil – 1 medium onions, chopped – 1 pound uncooked ground chicken breast – 30…
Miracles
November 20, 2012November 19, 2012 A few nights ago, I saw a prayer request on Facebook for a friend of a friend’s 18-month-old girl, who after swallowing a dry kidney bean, went into cardiac arrest and suffered brain damage. While the mother, Sarah, was cooking dinner, her daughter, Brooke, was playing with her favorite ‘toy’, dried kidney beans. All of a sudden, Brooke began coughing and her breathing became distressed. Her mother unsuccessfully performed the Heimlich maneuver trying to remove the obstruction…
Study: Children in daycare are 50% more likely to become overweight
November 19, 2012A recent study by the University of Montreal, young children in daycare are 50% more likely to be overweight than children who stay at home with their parents. “We found that children whose primary care arrangement between 1.5 and 4 years was in daycare-center or with an extended family member were around 50% more likely to be overweight or obese between the ages of 4-10 years compared to those cared for at home by their parents,” said Dr. Marie-Claude Geoffroy,…
Workouts: Arm training
November 16, 2012How do I get toned arms? That’s a BIG question (after getting abs) I get from many women. The answer always is: strength train, perform cardio and have a clean diet. Often times, if you strength train and fail on the other two, you are just building muscle underneath the fat and it looks like you are ‘bulking’. In many situations, women perform high level of repetitions without truly challenging their muscle fibers. Here is my general rule with training…