Well first, the injury. It’s still there, but it’s a whole lot better than before. I just have to be careful. I also realize that, as one gets older, it takes that much longer to heal from injuries, so I have to keep these things in mind.

Having said that, I am back in the gym training. I have a new trainer (who is also my nutritionist), who I see 2x a week. It was hell for the first couple of weeks, but my body is adapting and I feel much stronger. I’ve been training since late June.

There is another option that I’m going to take as well – a 3 month weight-loss or muscle challenge. Why, you ask? I’ve come to the realization that I need more support; support from others who are going through the same types of challenges as me (older female, weight gain, physiological changes, etc.) I love my current trainer, but I think I need more than just “one on one” training.  I’ll still train with her, but will reduce it to 1x/week while doing the three month challenge. There’s a weight loss and muscle challenge offered with a well-known trainer, Lyzabeth Lopez – I just have to decide which one to do.

I will also be taking Pilates classes 1x/week on Sat. at Stott Pilates. They’re close to home as opposed to travelling all the way downtown, which will make me stick with it. Pilates, for those who may not know what it is, is similar to yoga, however the foundation is to train and stabilize the core muscles and to make your muscles lean, sleek and give your body an overall lean look. Flexibility is also involved and another result is standing straighter and being more aware of how your body works (like yoga).

I know, a lot in the last 3 months. But I need to adapt to how my body is operating. I’m still getting used to its transitions, and need to be aware of what it will and will not do. There were a lot of “will nots” that drove me crazy! lol

Am I still going to compete? I hope so. It may take another year; it may take only 6 months. But now I have to be really in tune with how my body operates, so that I don’t injure it again, or at least, be aware and take of any injuries before they flare into serious problems.

Char

I had joined a new gym in late January and was enjoying myself until I pulled a tendon in my arm, possibly from the weighted sled exercise. Anyhow, it still hurts and I’ve been going through a LOT of physio to get myself back on track.

I finally went back to the gym on Friday, after giving my arm about 6 weeks off. Unfortunately, I type for a living and that hasn’t really helped the situation either *sigh*.

My arm was ok, so long as I didn’t aggravate the injury.

I have tennis elbow. For those that haven’t experienced this type of injury, it involves the inflammation of tendons in the forearm, usually close to the elbow. It can be very painful if not taken care of, and make lifting things almost impossible. We tend to forget how much we need our bodies until a part of it is hurt. And tendons seem to be one of the worst, as they take FOREVER to heal, unlike a muscle.

So for those of you who workout; make sure you look after your bodies! It’s the only one you’ve got!

Well, it was a complete and total bust. I think I lasted for 4 days before Mr. and Mrs. Carb paid a visit. You’d think 2 weeks would be easy, but it wasn’t – in fact, I gave up after the first week. I’m still trying to figure out why.

I had my appt with my nutritionist, and she wasn’t pleased. But what was she expecting? That I change 30+ years of eating what I want, when I want, just like that? Maybe for some it’s a piece of cake, but as for me, I’d rather EAT that piece of cake!

Anyhow, we’re trying again starting Monday. My colleague, who’s following a similar diet with her doctor, has decided to support me with a challenge; she would follow my diet (with a couple of changes) and do the 2 week plan with me. Now how’s THAT for support? I’ll let you all know what the results are in 2 weeks’ time…

Char

Well, here it is – March (yippee!) and the days can only get better from here on. February was miserable, but that’s what we have to expect – it doesn’t mean I have to like it! Blech, I’m tired of winter!

I had the misfortune of injuring my arm at the beginning of February and I’m sure it was from pulling a sled during one of DCC’s bootcamp classes. I haven’t been to the gym for 3 weeks so that I could let it rest, but unfortunately, my job involves a LOT of typing which hasn’t helped. I’m going back to the gym starting Tues, and let the trainers know what’s happened. Needless to say, I don’t want to look at another sled for awhile! lol

I’m also on a new eating plan for the next week and I have to say it’s been difficult; no sugar, dairy, grains, soy, alcohol (booze isn’t a problem) and no fruit! I’m working on getting my insulin and cortisol levels balanced. They’re way out of whack, and my nutritionist wants to get the levels down to a normal level (let’s just say I’m 3 times over the limit).

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this temporary diet will help in achieving my weight loss goals. At times it’s been next to impossible to stick to the diet, I don’t care how temporary it is! But I hope the results are worth it. I’ll let you know in another week or so.

Stay warm! Char

DCC (or Dynamic Conditioning Centre). Based on what I’ve discovered, this gym will be the best choice for me.

Now before I start, I’m going to tell you; I’ll be buying a class package instead of the playground package and I’ll explain in a minute.

DCC offers different packages at different prices. While I had said that I wanted the playground package, I decided to take another look at the gym and realized something; if a class is going on, playground members have to give way; the gym isn’t separated into class and playground area, and I only found this out when I participated in a free class last week. This would put a damper on any playground training for me, because I can only work out in the evenings, the same time as the classes are going on.

So, having sat down and working out what I CAN do, I’ve decided to purchase the class option, along with their nutrition option (they have a holistic nutritionist, another big plus for me). And DCC has a lot of different classes; bootcamp, kettlebell, women’s only resistance and sculpting, core dynamics, dynamic conditioning, muay thai. There’s enough variety that should keep me happy for say, 4-5 months. After that, I’ll reconsider and see if I want the playground package. In the meantime, if I can get to my trainer’s gym, then I can use his playground area, which is another plus. And Nate, my trainer has given my decision his blessing (which is surprising as he’s not crazy about class workouts, but liked what I told him about the class and teacher).

The class I took was women’s sculpting and resistance, and boy was it hard! But fun too. The trainer was great; the ladies were very nice and the exercises where challenging enough that I was plenty sore the next day! lol

So I just have to get my buns down to the gym this week before their January special is over, and sign up!

Training with Nate has also become more intense, and you know what? My body has missed it. While last week was hell, this past week has been a lot better strength-wise. So, between him and the classes at DCC, plus a more thorough look at my nutrition with the specialist, the next couple of months should be all right!

Char

I haven’t been to my gym as much as I “should”, and I realized why; I’m bored. Bored of weights, bored with ellipticals, treadmills, bikes; bored of classes. It’s time to make a change.

My trainer, who opened up his own wellness centre, has a playground. What is this, you ask? It’s an area covered in turf, where obstacle courses are set up. He also has a rock climbing wall (!), ropes that you can climb, punching bags, medicine balls to throw against a wall, a sled that you strap into and run with and tires to flip! And I mean the BIG tires. And don’t let the word *playground* fool you either. It’s hard work – as in, you’re ready to puke every time you finish a circuit. But it IS fun and different too, and after experiencing this workout on Friday (I still hurt), I’m looking around in the downtown Toronto area for something similar.

There are 2 gyms that offer playground areas – DCC Fitness and Bang Fitness. I’m going to make appts for both to take a look around and see what they offer. Most importantly I’ll have to check on price. One gym offers an all-inclusive package, including nutrition and program designs. The other gym’s price, while lower, doesn’t seem to include everything. So I’ll have to check things out thoroughly.

As it stands I have gym burnout (lol), so I’m trying to find another way to keep myself active. I’ll post here later with what I’ve discovered and my final decision.

ttys Char

Food! Lots of glorious, fattening, sugary, doughy food! lol

How the hell is one supposed to keep their sanity when surrounded by family cooking and treats? Luckily, we don’t have a lot of treats at home during Xmas, but there will be a lot of food nonetheless.

So how do you stay sane during this time of year? Honestly, it’s hard; there’s “bad” food everywhere; at work; at home; in the malls; at friend’s houses, the list goes on.

I admit, my willpower sucks when it comes to chocolate, but I gotta stamp my foot down and say to myself; “If you want to try something, then only ONE piece!” You know how hard that is? lol

Then there’s the office Xmas party next Tues (yeah, a Tues). The good thing is, as it’s a weeknight, I won’t be drinking and staying out late (or maybe the bosses planned it that way – who knows?) Lots of fruits, veggies and if I’m not full, lean meat.

So, for those of you like me who want to watch what they eat, what do you do to keep yourself sane and your weight in check? Please share your ideas; I can use some! lol

Until next time, Char

I hope everyone is doing well! I’m working on getting back to doing regular workouts, but the problem with the left arm does flare up now and again, so I’ve got to be careful. That, and the stress at work has made going to the gym a challenge, but I will persevere. I use free weights with my trainer, but I’ve decided to also incorporate the machines. I haven’t used those in a while, and figure it might be a little easier on my arm. I did a workout last night, and crap, do I hurt! lol

The subject line is a fascinating topic; my trainer has had the opportunity to open his own wellness centre! It’s located in Mississauga (which is far from me), but I had the chance to take a day off and visit him and his co-worker. Man, this is going to be a great place! State of the art equipment, free weights, a playground (that’s right!) with turf and all kinds of toys that we used to play with as kids. But you’ll get a great workout as I had found out (I was the guinea pig for some of his toys).

Unfortunately, it’s only open to the tenants of the buildings connected to the gym, however this is great way of getting employees to use the facilities. I am of the belief that all companies should have gyms for tenants’ use; it keeps them fit, healthy and productive as proven time and again. And Nate’s a great trainer to start the ball rolling on this idea!

I’m still training with him, but he’s going to be one busy boy! Congratulations, coach!

Char

Well, tomorrow will be our Canadian Thanksgiving and as the word suggests, the day allows us to give thanks to what we have and to give to others who don’t.

For me at this point, it will also be about second chances. It’s been a long time since I last posted. I’ve had inflammation in my left arm (tendonitis) which has suspended my weight training. After treatments with acupuncture, trigenics and massage, it’s a lot better but the only way to make the inflammation go away is to stop using my left arm. No chance of that. But my doctor has given me the “ok” to start weight training again.

I had also mentioned that I wouldn’t compete this year due to the nutrition – I’ve set a goal now to give myself six months (much more realistic timing) to get myself into shape and ready for next spring. I’ve also done another juice detox this past week (fall cleaning), and with my raw health eating coach, I want to keep the process going by eating more fruits and veggies, and less meat and dairy. Leaving out the dairy has been relatively easy (except for the cheese!) and my meat consumption is much less, while incorporating more of the fruits and vegetables. Between that and more exercise, I should be seeing positive results within the next month or so.

So that’s the story; injury had sidelined me into thinking more about what to do within the fitness industry.

Oh! I also attended the WBFF this past September (World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation) in Mississauga. The show was bigger than ever; 65 fitness model competitors (which is a bit much in my opinion); 50 bikini models (same comment), but everyone looking oh so fabulous. I said what I said because the stage is only so big and the ladies could barely fit onto it. It also makes for a longer show and a longer time for those first few competitors who come on to the stage, then have to wait while 60 others come out and show off their stuff. That was over an hour, and quite unfair. If it happens again, I hope they either break up the group into two sets, OR place a maximum limit on the amount of competitors per category. Just sayin’.

Now that I got that off my chest, for you Canadians out there, Happy Thanksgiving and to the Americans, Happy Columbus Day!

ttys Char

Several things have gotten in the way. First, the eating; I”m going to need longer than 3 months to adapt to a proper eating plan. And that’s only because I need to lose more bodyfat. You see, with the slow thyroid, it has been a major battle to lose the necessary weight and bodyfat.

After the stress I had gone through the first 3 months of this year, I had gained 10 pounds. No sweat I thought, and worked on losing the weight. But after 4 1/2 months and NO CHANGE, not only have I realized I hit a plateau, but that I also needed to seriously change something. What that something is, I’m not sure yet.

The thyroid affects everything; weight, mood, stress, chemical imbalances, you name it. That little gland below your Adam’s Apple is in control. When it goes out of whack, all of you is affected, not just parts. It hadn’t really hit home until I had stepped on the scale last week only to find that nothing had changed.

So what to do about it? I need to ask my doctor to do a more in-depth analysis of my thyroid. There are 17(!) hormones in there, and maybe if I find out which ones are acting up, I could break the weight plateau. It’s no guarantee, but it’s a start.

I will post about this as I start this NEW journey into my health.

In the meantime, I attended the CanFitPro at the Metro Convention Centre. I thought it would be boring (go in for an hour and head back out), but there was quite a bit that interested me, plus my trainer and the ladies from Lyzabeth’s Hourglass Workshop were there; it was great seeing the girls! I even picked up a gym top and products that Nate talked about but I could never find; SunWarrior Vegan protein powder. I had spent a good half an hour talking to the owner, who gave me some great info on thyroid problems and some of the steps I could take. They’re also opening their first store in Toronto (Yorkville area) so now I can buy whatever I need.

An informative afternoon; learned quite a bit about the fitness industry and what’s available. A good start.