EAT-CLEAN CHALLENGE CONTEST

My daughter knew I was a fan of Tosca Reno and had encouraged me to enter the Eat-Cleam Challenge Contest.

I am not really a contest person - I know I know - I am training for figure competition....but

I had been eating clean for a long time and had all Tosca Reno's books. I knew there would be a lot of great stories. I am not the only one who ever accomplished weight loss fitness and health. But what the heck - I was a fan, I was using the diet and I had made a remarkable journey - nothing to be ashamed of or be shy about. I had worked hard and my daughter felt the recognition should I win would help reward me and provide some $ for my competition journey.

So I entered. I had a struggle finding before pictures. I had destroyed them all..I thought but both my husband and daughter had managed to keep a few pictures out of my clutches. See in the prior post.

Then the winner was announced. And a run of other stories on the web site. I certainly did not expect to win but thought I might be in the honourable mention.

Then...

One day I saw a message from Vinita at Robert Kennedy Publishing asking me to contact. I thought maybe I was infringing on copyrights as I had Tosca's book info all over my other blog site. So I called tail between my legs the next day

And...

Vinita told me she was pleased to tell me I was a runner up. I was really really pleased. The downside of not winning the big one was I don't get to meet Tosca but that is ok. The lady who won was very deserving.

As I mentioned I eat clean because I love it. I feel great and have the best body ever at 60. I was very glad to see the large number of entries and success stories of people who are eating clean and getting fit.It is not a diet. For me it is a way of life. I can't imagine going back to bad eating habits. I like what I eat and it likes me :)

Although I am not a first prize winner .....I feel like the winner. How can I have succeeded in this amazing journey and not consider myself a winner already?! I have no regrets. I went on this journey to get my health back.

Eating clean is a term often used by natural body builders and athletes who follow a 'clean' diet with good quality protein, complex carbohydrates and plenty of fibrous carbohyrates along with healthy fats. Tosca's book guides you in the process of eating clean. Remember 80% of the process for getting fit and healthy is nutrition.

I won't stop eating clean. Anyone who practices this style of eating and cuts out unhealthy foods will feel and look great and find amazing health. Don't wait for a contest! Do it now.If you are going to embark on a journey like I did - take a picture with some way of proving it is current and take updated pictures along the way. (I didn't and hid from the camera and destroyed most of my fat pictures until I met my goals). Pictures will act as incentive and if you are having a bad day you can see how far you have come, not how far you have to go. They can also serve a purpose down the road - to encourage others for one thing.I can't stress enough that when you start resistance/weight and cardio training along with eating clean - for awesome results - get a qualified trainer. I had absolutely fantastic results with the combination of good training and clean eating.You can access Tosca's eat clean site on the right side of the page.

FITNESS AND HEALTH AT ANY AGE - INCENTIVE FOR YOU I HOPE

Just thought I would provide these pictures hopefully for incentive for your 2009 health journey. These pictures don't show you the most important facts...that I went from very sick and unhealthy with a high risk of cardiac disease to very fit and healthy.In the first photo my "giant tube photo" I was around 155 lb. In the second one at least 170 lb. maybe a bit more. My measurements were unpublishable. Suffice to say my waist was about 37 inches. The third picture is recent and since I began the gain phase of body building so my weight is 110 lb and waist up a bit at 27 inches. I guess I should not complain.If I can lose over 60 lb and reduce my dress size from size 16 to size 1-2 at age 60...just think what you can do!

My best advice is to invest in yourself and start out with a well qualified personal trainer particularly if you have no experience with weight training.

FEMALE COMPETITION PHYSIQUES: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FITNESS, BODY BUILDING, FIGURE, FIGURE MODEL

This picture is from the competition I attended in Toronto in November 2008. The category is fitness. She also competed in the figure portion. She was the only entrant in fitness. It is grueling. She showed amazing strength, flexibility, poise, and she put on a great show!

The above photos depict female body builders' physiques

These photos depict the anticipated figure competitor physique. These women look amazing. Do you have any idea how hard they work and for how long? They are athletes.

This is a figure/fitness model. As mentioned previously, some figure competitors do figure modelling but there are also figure models who do not do figure competition.As you see each has a different level of muscle development.I would equate most figure models to being lean and toned, figure competitors as lean and muscular and body builders as very lean and very muscular.

I was pursuing the figure competitor - the middle one before my accident.

There are more 'older' body builders competing than figure competitors and I would doubt there are any older figure models :) at least not ones who aren't famous for other reasons.

I have done plenty of research on the topic and I will provide some links to the best figure training info I could find --stay tuned.

By the way I would have been competing for the first time at age 61 but that is delayed now due to recovery from injuries. However, more recently, one of my idols (Tosca Reno) packed it in after the Vegas competition in which she came 3rd at age 50. On her "Flexing at 49" on Viva TV she lamented that it was too difficult to compete against the younger set. (also saying it is all about T & A not muscle development :)

She began her fitness journey at age 40 and is still actively pursuing another fitness journey albeit not via figure competition.

I thought that if she is giving up competing at 50, who am I to think I can start at over age 60? I will continue training for me, but I am not convinced I want to face the humiliation of competing against younger competitors. The grand masters category is rarely available in competition and even when it is, the age group is much younger than 60 -so unfair odds.

I can only keep training and hope, that perhaps a new category will arise out of the aging baby boomer population - hopefully it won't be called the cougars or the great grannies :)

FIGURE COMPETITION TRAINING - EAT MORE WORK OUT LESS - EVERY WOMAN'S DREAM

FIGURE COMPETITION TRAINING: LIVING EVERY WOMAN'S DREAM: EAT MORE WORK OUT LESS
I know. Isn't it great. For the hypertrophy phase of training, that is the part which builds bigger muscles, an althlete is in the gain part of their training. Believe it or not - I have to eat more (good stuff of course) and train less. That is, less cardio, and heavier weights with less reps. Even when you are not training for a body building event, you need to work harder, not longer.

I recently read that gyms have 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 ratios - for example 5:1 means that for every one person attending the gym, 5 paid up members have dropped out. Why do you think that is?Because they were not successful. They either did not get RESULTS, or their results did not last.

Results are what will keep you motivated; it certainly was what kept me movitated.Very generally there are all sorts of reasons people quit but I will bet they just can't sustain the time commitment because they are working out too long and not hard enough. They do way too much cardio and far too little weights. So, the long time spent in the gym cannot be sustained on a long term basis and it just sets up the person for failure. Before I got fit and healthy I did two hours per day of cardio while away from home with minimal results and did this over almost two years. I was working too long but not hard enough. When I got home I just could not sustain this time commitment and certainly it wasn't worth it. Once I hired a PT to set me straight, I got phenomenal results and with a very manageable time commitment.

So don't be mad at me that I can eat so much and still stay in shape with reasonably short workouts. I worked hard to get here!

FIGURE COMPETITION DECISION 2010

I varied my potential (or real - who knows) competition goal date for a number of reasons.

At the competition I attended mentioned in a previous blog, it leaped out at me through the bios of the competitors, including novices, that they had trained at least two years prior to competition.

A few bumps in the road slowed me down a couple of times. I just keep picking myself up, dusting myself off and keep going.

Challenges can more easily be overcome with time. I had been in a rush to meet my goals because of my age. Does it really matter if I am 60 or 62. I think not. I think Heidi's (the body building trainee I met in Toronto) goal of 2010 is a fantastic one. It arrives during a milestone - the Vancouver Olympics.

Am I going to stop training or eating clean 99% of the time. Absolutely not. This is the time I NEED the stress release. I have an athletic goal whether I compete or not - likely not. If I do this just for me, I won't have to worry about tanning, costumes, posing classes and all the other time consuming non training part of the competition prep right now.

I am researching and learning a lot about body building. Wow - there is a lot to learn.I will share what I learn and anyone who is interested can visit and read about it. I will have to do it over time because if I spend all my time blogging I won't be able to balance the time needed for training and personal responsibilities.

I will provide what I learned as a beginner as well as some of the more intense body building info.

FIGURE COMPETITION/ATTENDING ONE/TOSCA WAS THERE!!!

I had wanted to attend the Sandra Wickham Classic November 8th 2008 in Vancouver (as an observer). However, in place of the cancelled Paris trip (which was to be a birthday present) my daughter Jen generously spent many hours on the Internet getting tickets to a Tina Turner Concert in Toronto for my 60th birthday.

I was going to be in Toronto for the date of the competition in Vancouver. So, I searched for shows in Toronto and got in touch with IDFA. Just so happens there was a pro and amateur body building competition on the same night in Toronto November 8th 2008. There were two parts to the competition. The morning session - presentation - and the evening - judging. I hear that the judges actually know who they are narrowing it down to from the presentation portion.

It was quite the experience. I arrived in the lobby in the morning after a harrowing drive - the tall downtown TO buildings made it impossible for my GPS to locate the satellites. Anyway - there was a sign in the lobby something like - You will be on camera, there is a filming of a documentary about Tosca Reno for W Network. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING! Holy cow - my favourite magazine guru and somewhat of an idol for me. Wonder if she is going to be there?Well I had a great seat up front. She and the publisher of Oxygen Magazine, her husband Robert Kennedy were a couple of seats in front of me. I thought maybe I'd had another mini stroke :) I struck up a conversation with a number of people in the crowd, many of them body builders. I met Heidi, a body builder in training and the mother of a friend of Heidi's who was competing in the body building part (the daughter was competing not the mother). The crowd was very warm and friendly.

I did not want to pester Tosca Reno or shove a camera in her face, so I hung back but with Heidi trying to convince me to go speak to her. I said I will go home before the evening part and bring back my O2 Magazine and get up the nerve to ask them to sign it. Alas - they did not come back to the evening portion. You snooze you lose.

My daughter decided to attend the evening session with me but as her ticket was bought late - she ended up in the balcony. She met a PT. I googled him later and found he was associated with a training method known as 'slow burn' theory - or superslow. Yikes!!! My former personal trainer (in answer to my question about it) blogged negatively about it and WOW the reactions... very lively and controversial....But I digress.....

I picked my choices for anticipated winners. I was right on for the men's and women's body building and the men's body building posing but not even close for the women's figure, the women's masters body building or the women's masters figure choices. I will make a point of reading some of the articles I have filed without reading as to what judges generally are looking for. I think I was looking at overall esthetically pleasing outcome but they likely were looking more closely at other things like muscle development, symmetry, shape and tone, posing etc - not sure but I assume they know what they are doing.

Hopefully it is not political judging like in figure skating. The crowd around which included body builders was similarly confused. There was a contestant in the novice category I believe represented by Oxygen who did not place I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! She was awesome.

But it is important to say that all the competitors stepped up to the plate from a dedictation, hard work, point of view and that it is incredibly brave of them to be there. I was also surprised to hear in their bios that many had been training two years prior to competition.

It sure was having me rethinking any possibility of me competing. I was in a hurry because of my age but having to spend even more time training to their level, I will only be all that much older - not fair competition at all - I might have to wait for a grand grand masters division.

The bios of the competitors gave a long list of the people they thanked for support. So that makes it even clearer that you have to have a supportive family and fitness network to help with your success.

FIGURE COMPETITION - WHAT IS IT?

Well first and foremost it is an athletic endeavour. Body building is different than most sports in one single way. How often would you be able to look at a ball player, soccer player, or triathlete on the street and know that is what they do? Not often. A body builder - you pretty much know what they do - they wear their sport.

I admire women body builders - holy cow the work, the strength the muscle development. I look at Heidi's stuff (a bodybuilder I met at the IDFA competition) and think she looks ready now - but she won't compete till 2010. But it is really not for me.

The main difference between body building and body building figure competition is muscle mass and body fat. Body builders have huge muscle mass and are extremely lean with low body fat for competition. They are stronger, harder, leaner. Figure body building is more feminine with good muscle development, but much less muscle mass than body builders and they are less lean.

ALAS. I have heard from reliable sources that with figure, although it is supposed to be a category with more feminine lines, the judges often choose the most muscular contestant. Soon there will have to be another category or perhaps a totally different competition with different judges?

Figure modelling - for that you also need to have a drop dead figure type body and be quite attractive and photogenic and I imagine - young or famous. There are figure competitors who do figure modelling as well, and there are figure models who only model.

Ok. So far I have found that many people mix up figure competitor and figure/fitness model. Now people, I am sixty and I have no illusions that I am going to be a figure model! I am stretching it to train to the figure competitor level but I know I can do it.

Seems there are more over 60 body builders than figure competitors.

For a brief period (might have had a mini stroke) I thought I might try to find a sponsor and compete for real. So I started with the Oryx the protein product I use. I emailed the distributor and asked if they sponsored women's figure competitiors? Guy must have been sitting at his computer - a nano second later I was asked to send posing pictures and advised I could work at a booth in California.

Hah! I didn't send a picture - he would have croaked to see a bikini clad 60 year old - told him I wasn't looking for a job - I was looking for sponsorship - nope - don't do that -I briefly though maybe Depends or Geritol would sponsor me but gave up that idea.

I would rather be working out that trying to come up with my off season training plan. But I have to get on it. There is a huge amount of info out there - lots of it conflicting - my head is swimming. But, I will approach it like I do everything else - like a business plan. I have read copious amounts about the 'look' the V taper - dont overdevelop obliques - overdevelop upper lats, tone and underdevelop lower lats etc - there is some critical thinking to do on how to get the end result.

There are also different plans for each stage - e.g. off season, pre-season, pre-comp etc. So I will start at the end and work my way backwards to try and figure out the business plan. Most of all, I will concentrate on the basics of competition training, most of the other 'out there' theories are to get past plateaus and to zero in on specific areas. I have to keep it simple for now. I don't want to get so bogged down in the process that I can't actually do the work.

And I want to try the "competition leaning out process" just to see if it is doable and if my abs pop out :)

MOTIVATION CRAVINGS/IF YOU CAN DREAM IT YOU CAN DO IT

One day I got a smack recharging me. While shopping in a local drug store, a motivational sign leaped out at me. "IF YOU CAN DREAM IT. YOU CAN DO IT"

I had been dealt some challenges and was feeling sorry for myself. I wallowed in self pity and did not work out and ate crap. Ten days into it, I felt ill, my chronic pain returned, I had new pains and I was very depressed. My daughter (who before we got together recently couldn't really understand my fixation on my health and fitness goals) was trying to push me out of it and back to my workouts. She felt that if all I preached was abandoned and I became unfit, fat and unhealthy again - that it would just not be a good thing for others I had tried to influence to better health. She loves me no matter what my size, so again, it is not about appearance as much as health. Although I know she is quite proud of my appearance at sixty.

Between her concern and feeling so sh--ty, as well as Heidi's (my new body building friend) email encouragement along with the lack of desire to go on antidepressants, which I had taken most of my life until a few years ago - I forced myself back. After only a few days, my exercise endorphins kicked in, and I was feeling better from both a pain and depression perspective. My mind put me in a funk and my mind got me back out.Which brings me to the 'mind' and how invasive, pervasive destructive or awesome it can be.

I had dabbled in ESP in my younger years meditating a lot to find my existential experience. I scared the heck out of myself and quit doing it. I had also taken some nursing 'healing touch' seminars and was amazed at how when in the 'zone' of meditation and concentration you can 'feel' through temperature changes over someone's body the area where an illness problem is situated. I plan on doing more in that field in the remote future. Would not be able to focus right now.

When I took up belly dancing I was getting impatient waiting for my body to do what I was trying to tell it to do. My instructor, kept telling me to enjoy the journey and one day it just would happen - the mind body connection. She teaches yoga as well and is very spiritual.

I was too impatient and tripled my classes. One of the younger students with years of background in dance told me it took her 8 months before her body 'got it.' I was able to do the moves but it was mechanical. My PT gave me some stretches to move me along which helped. At work I spoke to our neuropsychologist and said there has got to be something I can do. She said pretty much the same thing but suggested that visualization, that is picturing myself doing it, may be just as valuable as overpracticing (similar to weights - overtraining is not a good thing). Everything I have read about weight training is much the same. To get the most out of it, instead of mindlessly watching tv and going through the paces, listen to motivating music and concentrate on the muscle you are working, feel the strength and energy and the feeling of being spent after a truly hard work out effort. What a sense of accomplishment. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the time to yourself.

I started using visualization at the very beginning in my fitness and nutrition goals and it apparently has worked. Picture yourself on vacation one year from now. You are walking on the beach toned and sculpted and wearing a bikini. Picture yourself already there. Is that frivilous? to imagine the perfect body? I don't think so. We were given a wonderful instrument that can be as beautiful as it is as powerful. Why abuse the body with food and inactivity? We weren't meant to be flabby and weak and short of breath. But we no longer have to hunt for days or toil in the fields for months to eat. We don't have to wash the clothes on rocks and beat rugs by hand. Everything is automated, relieving us of physical labour causing us to lose our tone and strength. But we also don't have to fatten up for the coming famine :). At least most of us don't in this country.

The line from the song everyone's gone to the moon says it all "arms that can only, lift a spoon" although it refers to a gravity-less situation - the picture is the same. IF YOU DON'T USE IT YOU LOSE IT. So true. Good grief a common tendon injury these days is to the thumbs from blackberries! Is that what it has come to? So I started using visualization for everything which brings me to cravings. Sure smoking, alcohol and caffiene are addictions but food? No. A lot of research supports that obesity is caused by psychological factors. Somewhere along the line someone (maybe even ourselves) fed us when we were down and rewarded us with food when we were up. We have tried to overcome adversity by eating to try to get pleasure - something which becomes a psychological craving. "Comfort food." It isn't the same for everyone. Some people will crave chocolate cake and ice cream; some mashed potatoes and gravy. But before you undergo years of psychoanalysis trying to figure out what caused it, just simply unlearn the conditioning and recondition yourself to get pleasure from healthier foods.

I never liked any of those things when I was a kid but somewhere along the line they became my downfall. And to top it off - I did not enjoy exercise activity particularly any which involved sweating. I hated team sports and still do. So instead of avoiding mirrors, I first had a good look at my cellulite and flab and how ugly it actually is from an esthetic and health perspective. I pictured all the known offending foods in association with the cellulite. I also visualized the inside of my arteries and organs clogged with cholesterol, fatty plaque and all that other crap from bad eating. I visualized all the good foods with the desireable shaped body, lean muscle, with organs and vessels clean as a whistle. Everytime I was exposed to those kinds of bad foods - I conjured up the pictures. At night before sleep I visualized the good stuff - the goal body and health status I was aiming for. I pictured myself participating in exercise activity and smiling and enjoying it.I like the advice that if you are feeling sad smile. If you are out in public, often people will smile back and soon you are actually feeling less sad.

So it goes with exercise - believe it or not - I have gone from a dread of exercise to really really looking forward to it. I get ornery and very restless if I miss a workout. There is no high as great as that from exercise. It really is preventative for depression and a release for stress.It is great watching how much I have increased my weights, and monitoring changes in muscle shape and size. I remember once when I was having laser hair removal done on my legs, my esthetician remarked on how toned my hams and quads had become. Seeing muscles emerg from hiding is quite an exciting experience. My PT was right - age is not a barrier to getting toned and fit - that is just a myth or an excuse. It is never too late.

If you visualize it enough soon you actually start to not enjoy those foods and prefer the foods that really do make you feel good. And once you haven't had heavily salted and sugary foods - and then try them - they are quite overwhelming and actually sickening. At least that is what happened to me.

When I see someone gorging on bad food, I can't help but picture their heart attack or stroke in progress. Buffets in restaurants are horrible. Most people eat so much trying to get their money's worth. It doesn't seem fair to pay $16 or more for salad and veggies - so I avoid those situations.Now I get excited about experimenting with recipes to reproduce healthy versions of favourite foods. Recently in Toronto I went to the St Lawrence Market - wow - it was a harmony of smells and sights and sounds. There were fish markets, deli s , awesome produce sections with unusual fruits and veggies. It was a farmer's market to die for. I still get excited about food but "good for me food" and I never overeat.

Getting ready for the Tina Turner concert I was panicking as we traversed through the Air Canada Centre with kiosk after kiosk of junk food. We found Longo's market (likely the family of one of my old boarding school mates -the drummer for our short lived "girl band") wow - I found everything I needed and more for a healthy supper. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. So, you see you can actually look forward to healthy foods and seek them out, particularly when you associate them with feeling good.

Give it a chance. Give it a try. That is the missing component in your tries at fitness and health so far. You did not unlearn bad habits. You did not understand the connection of bad food and feeling bad. Once you have eaten clean for awhile, like me, you will find out the foods that make you sick and the ones that make you well and your unlearning and relearning will be complete.

Incorporate the changes into your life. Don't make it a diet or short term goal. Make it a permanent nutritional habit, you won't regret it.Motivate yourself - no one else can - enjoy the journey - picture yourself loving it, picture how you are going to look and feel and be patient.Take pictures - keep the first ones to yourself until you reach your goal. Shed the person you have become and find the real you hiding underneath the disguise you have created. Ask yourself why you want to remain unfit, sick and unhealthy. What is in it for you?Lots of people do great things in spite of adversity. My situation is a little bump in the road compared to what others have faced. I am on the road back. It won't be an easy one but only I can make it harder than it has to be. So I will dream it and I will do it.

EXCUSES BARRIERS SOLUTIONS POST YOUR EXCUSES AND DEAL WITH THEM

You have lots of excuses not to get healthy and be fit. Excuses are reasons you use because you really don't want to get healthy and fit. At least, you don't want to fail. If this is your umpteenth time at yo yoing to get fit or the first time - doesn't matter. You need to list all your excuses, change them to barriers/ostacles - something tangible and figure out how to remove the barriers.

Things I have been told as excuses:

I DONT HAVE THE TIME. You don't have kids at home. I am too busy with kids. I might point out to you that you have 2 or 4 or 6 or more extra pair of hands to help than I do. Isn't it time that you taught your children to do their share. After all most of you both work, or you may be a single parent. Who is going to do everything for them after they leave home?They can also become part of the journey. Little ones can be incorporated into your work out. I live in an interesting neighbourhood. I see moms pushing carriages up hill - they are working out their gluts, hams, upper body - by the end of the walk with the extra resistance they have worked out their entire body - I watch them week to week lose their 'baby fat' and at the same time the child has a great outdoor nap. So if new moms can do it - so can you.

Look at how much time you spend doing things like watching tv? Why don't you shut it off and get the family doing activities preferably out doors? Walk the poor dog who has been at home all day waiting for you to come home. TV won't change your life. Instead of using it as an occasional recreational tool, we use it to occupy children, procrastinate, for zoning out or 'relaxing' We get involved in other peoples lives in reality shows instead of being involved in our own lives. I shut our tv service off sometimes for 8 months of the year because we are so active that it is a waste to pay for it.

I have as much problem finding time as anyone else. My husband is away a lot which leaves me to do all the shopping, banking, cleaning, gardening, vehicle maintenance etc. I also have pets and we have aging parents who need attention. We have friends and other family members to keep in touch with. We have social events, as well. In addition I commute a long way to work, and I work unpaid and paid overtime.

I try to plan my workout days as much as I can around when JFK (MY HUSBAND) is busy so that I don't neglect our relationship. He does what he can to help when he is home.Yes, time is a crunch for all of us. I gave up some of my dancing, almost all tv, reading novels. On the few occasions that I do watch a show, I double it up with something like sewing repairs, or knitting a gift etc. partly because I have too much energy to quietly watch tv.

So delegate, reorganize, cut, and slash the unimportant things. More recently I discovered my dad is deteriorating. His ability to keep a clean house is gone. He has the money to hire someone but grew up during frugal times and is very careful. He recently lost a lot of money speculating in the market so trying to influence him to spend money on what he would consider frivilous is useless. I have to be creative. I work extra time each day to have "earned days off". Although my own house is falling behind (I don't have a housekeeper), I may have to use this time to clean his house. I will look at it as part of my workout and be generous about it. It is time to return the past generousity of my parents.

Another thing I have discovered is that stuff wears me down. Over the years I have gathered a lot of things I don't use. I am trying to keep the 5 year, 4 year, 3 year, 2 year, 1 year plan. If you haven't used something for 5 years you sure don't need it - sell it or give it away and borrow it when you might need it. Stuff just makes cleaning and cleaning up harder. I want to work on being more minimalist but that will take time. Encourage relatives and friends to exchange consumable gifts.

I DONT HAVE THE MONEY.

I am totally with you on that. Interesting that we Canadians have been socialized to expect that only the government should spend money on our health. We want it for free and resent having to pay for it. Only problem is, the government provides very little health - that is, preventative health. They provide lots of treatment for illness albeit with waiting lists. Not only that but there is tax deduction for spending money on illness but no tax deduction for spending money on fitness and health for adults. I am sure the bank won't give out loans for fitness. Too bad there wasn't a student loan for it. The government might save a fortune on health care - go to Stats Can site sometime and see what proportion of our tax money goes to illness. I guess my nursing slip is showing :)

To go on my health and fitness journey, I made a partly selfish commitment. Partly selfish because although I spent money on myself I worked a ton of overtime to pay for it. Now that was a balancing act! To make enough money to pay for health and fitness while still having time for health and fitness. I decided that I deserved this one thing and was going to have it but that when I met my goals I would have to end my selfishness. I also did not take any exotic vacations. I felt that having my health was more important that having a few pictures and remote memories. I guess that it is a matter of priority.

For one year I also set up a reward system for myself. For reaching goals I would treat myself - usually to a spa type skin treatment. Occasionally a new outfit. However I recognize that not everyone has the options that I had. So maybe for those consumable gifts noted above, ask for money gifts if it is not too insulting. Or give up some extras temporarily. If you meet with a PT try and get a free assessment. Tell the PT what your goals are, and find out the options that may be within your budget. If you join a gym, hopefully they have an orientation program with some follow up on how to use the equipment. I still recommend working out at home with simple equipment to start. You might want to explore training with a PT online.

Another cost you should expect is clothing. Please get rid of your larger clothes as soon as you downsize - keeping them just mentally sets up the expectation that you are planning to fail. At first I kept getting clothes as I came down each size but then realized my journey was far from over and it was getting expensive.I looked for a higher end consignment clothing store - every town has one - a place where the more well funded individuals take their beautiful clothes. I also began taking my clothes there to sell - so with the earnings I bought more of the next size DOWN. Once I did stabilize to my real weight, I bought some new clothes but still tried to shop sales - waiting at least one month into the season helps.

I LIKE WOMEN WITH MEAT ON THEIR BONES. Boy do I hear that a lot from men when their wives say something nice to me about my achievement. Well I once had 'meat' or more accurately fat on my bones and I felt like sh-t. So voluptuous I understand, but obese and unhealthy? I don't understand that. I can't tell you the number of people who say I think you are getting too skinny. My weight has been stable for over 6 months. Well I have a small waist and wide shoulders - you know the beginning of that V shape from working out which does make my waist look even tinier and gives the sense of skinniness. I had one episode of skinny during my weight loss because my metabolism was so fantastic and I had trouble eating enough to keep up. I did correct it quickly. It was quite unexpected. But I can tell you from all calculations - that my body fat % is very healthy. You have no idea how liberating it is not to carry around all that excess weight. Not to mention the relief for your joints. So if a man wants a voluptuous wife - great - but an unhealthy one - yikes - that is just plain stupid. I have stopped reacting to the skinny comments. They serve no useful purpose. I eat like a (healthy) pig, I am not anorexic. It is amazing that in today's society with supersizing and obesity - that I am looked at as the abnormal one and quite often criticised by the unhealthy. By all measurement standards I am not even close to skinny.

Funny story about the comment "I like women with meat on their bones" which was said while I was at dinner with a bunch of people. Then my friend Sandrina appeared at our table to belly dance. She has a knock out lean machine muscular figure. I thought the men were going to collapse. Their eyes belied their comments. See Sandrina's web site http://www.sandrina.ca/and blog http://sandrinajoy.blogspot.com/

I LIKE MY WIFE WITH BIG B--BS. I really did have that said to me. Well big b--bs are generally associated with higher body fat although there are some women who are thin and have large breasts - not sure if they have been enhanced or they are blessed (from a man's perspective). Ask any woman with large breasts how damn uncomfortable it is. When I was large so were they - I could not wear a bra and had to wear elastic garments because the straps dug in, my shoulders had gouges - it hurt frankly. Also my straps would constantly slip off my round shoulders. Now I enjoy buying cute underwear at Victoria's Secret or La Senza. My developed shoulders keep the bra straps in place and I am so comfortable. So if having big breasts involves obesity - again I cannot believe a person would want their wife to be unhealthy and at high risk of cardiovascular disease, stoke and diabetes. And weight training gives a great breast lift!

It is not sour grapes. I loved losing my chest to a more manageable size.

So in some cases the excuses actually come from the spouse. That kind of attitude shows a huge lack of support and therefore lack of incentive for a person to change their health. I am not a relationship counsellor so I could not give advice on how to deal with it. If you really want to do something I am sure you will find a way to deal with it.

I WAS LIKE THIS WHEN I MET MY HUSBAND. THIS IS THE WAY HE LIKES ME. Ok - I like a man who provides unconditional love. But I am sure no man who loves unconditionally would want his spouse to be sick and unhealthy or be at risk of death or disease. I will bet that man does love you the way you are so he will love you every bit as much if you choose to downsize and be healthy. And I'll bet he will be very supportive if you ask for help getting there. Lucky girl(s).

WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS? ARE YOU HAVING AN AFFAIR? Holy c--p. Wow. From the amount of training I do when the hell do I have time? Why is it that when you do something absolutely great, that everyone thinks it is because you have some other devious plan or motive. My husband and I are not perfect. We work on our relationship. We have been married for 27 years and I think we both realize we are best friends and frankly that no one else would put up with us :) I think people are still waiting for JFK and I to announce our divorce - well don't hold your breath. We are too busy :)

I am a Leo. I was always flamboyant and outrageous. During my obese period though I hid under baggy dark clothing and did not really want to draw attention to myself. So it is not so much that I have changed or that I am going through some sort of delayed mid life crisis - as it is I have reverted back to the person I always was. No I am not having an affair. Although life with JFK has its bumps, it would take a lot for someone to measure up to his level. I really don't think there is anyone else who would love me unconditionally with what he puts up with from me.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO YOURSELF? HUH!!?? You mean why do I like feeling so great, engergized, fit and healthy and why do I like finding the fountain of youth? Why do I like feeling 20? I dunno. Maybe I got tired of spending my rare discretionary time at hospitals, labs, imaging deparments and doctor's offices. Maybe I got tired of comparing illnesses and bowel function with the rest of my generation. And I got tired of complaining about doctors and their lack of caring. Maybe the doctors are just exhausted and burnt out from revolving door medicine. You know, they patch you up. You abuse your body some more then they patch you up and you abuse your body some more.......and on. That is certainly what burned me out in emergency nursing. Not the true emergencies but the people who would present with lifestyle complaints.

So I feel like saying "So why don't you get it?" Why "I am doing this to myself" It is my life. I really like it. I love every minute. I get more satisfaction, and relaxation from a minute of training than I do from weeks of tv or an expensive vacation.

My question is: why does my healthy life and fitness journey upset YOU so much? Let me know. If my preaching is bothering you I will lay off. God forbid that as a nurse I would encourage you to be happy and healthy and take better care of yourself.

My question back is why are YOU doing this to yourself? Making yourself a sitting duck for mobidity or mortality. You worked all your life - are you commiting suicide so you can leave your hard earned cash to your heirs or the pet hospital? You should tick your heirs off and live forever.

I WANT TO GROW OLD GRACEFULLY. Heck so do I if it means using B---x - I can't stand that frozen look. I occasionally watch a show on Saturday morning TV about the latest stuff in esthetics, an area of interest for me. The host is a very attractive middle aged woman whose looks in my opinion are spoiled by a frozen face from the nose up. Her expression, the essence of her being is missing. An esthetic physician told me B---x is essential to prevent wrinkles - great. I guess I'll be wrinkled. Each to their own - have you seen Wayne Newton lately?!! And Ben Stiller would not be near as funny without his facial expression. Just his expression alone can make me laugh.If going old gracefully means no extreme plastic surgery or injections of stuff made from (?inert) toxins, I agree. But, my growing old gracefully stops short of letting myself go including being obese and unhealthy. I don't see why I can't grow old gracefully being the best I can be for my age.

I have no problem with keeping my skin, hair, nails etc well cared for. Nor do I have a problem going a bit further with laser treatments to undo some past damage (more on that later). But absolutely, growing old healthy, vibrant, and fit is one of the most important things to me now. How can I uphold my promises to care for some of the people in my life who need my help, if I am sick?

SABOTAGE don't ask me why but I hear (and I have experienced it) that people in our lives both those close to us and as well as casual acquaintenships may do things to sabotage us. Is it because: they are afraid when we look better we will move on? that we will expect too much from them in the way of help? that they feel pressured to take a similar journey? of jealousy? of resentment for the time and money we spend? they feel neglected?Some of it you will have to ignore and some of it you will have to address. It is always a balancing act to find time for yourself and not neglect the others in your life.

I GOT FIT AND HEALTHY NOW WHAT?

How I became unfit and unhealthy.
I was always skinny but probably not a healthy skinny. Having kids and getting older did not make much of a difference in my weight. I always enjoyed dancing and aerobics. I briefly discovered strength training in my thirties.

In my 40s I had a series of injuries and surgeries and finally a fractured ankle. These injuries left me quite inactive. I began to pursue quiet sedentary hobbies and crafts. TV was my friend and I sat for hours studying to get my degree as well. It didn’t help that my husband is a junk food fanatic.

Eventually my five foot frame was enormous. I hid behind oversized clothes and avoided cameras and destroyed most pictures I could find. My family and friends, if they noticed me getting obese over the years either didn’t care or didn’t comment. I was not happy but was really too sick to do much about it. I stopped weighing myself at 170 lb.

By this time I was taking four kinds of medication for asthma; medication for hypertension, hypercholesterolemian, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, IBS, chronic pain and bladder problems to name a few. My blood sugar was testing high normal and I was advised to watch my diet. I could not walk up the stairs with a basket of laundry – I got too short of breath. I had a respiratory stress test which had to be stopped due to a rapid heart rate and shortness of breath. However, the asthma for which I had been taking steriods was actually in remission. Two years later after revolving around the health care system for tests of my heart, lungs, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems – twice – the result was – I was obese.

No surprise. I was told to lose weight and get fit. It was an effort just to walk a block. I could not see how I was going to do this. But I accomplished the first step – RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM.

What made me start on my fitness journey?

I believe that every health and fitness success begins with a catalyst. In 2007 I changed jobs in my organization which required that I train away from home for 18 weeks. I was the oldest person in the training group. Over 50% of my coworkers are expected to retire in the next five years and there had been a recruiting program which yielded quite a few 20, 30 and 40 somethings. I realized very quickly that due to my age and my obesity, I was invisible. I quickly began to lament the loss of my youth and health in clear contrast to the youth, vitality and energy of the class. I had no idea what I was going to do to fill my time isolated from family and friends and as a persona non grata in the class.

My health testing was complete so my doctor had given me the ‘go-ahead’ to start getting in shape. I walked for hours. I walked to and from class and walked endlessly through the streets of Vancouver. I spend at least one hour a day on the hotel treadmill. I ate frozen dinners for portion control I only lost about 8-10 lb in 18 weeks. I gained knee tendonitis, Achilles tendinitis, and shoulder tendinitis. I could not figure out how I could work so hard and gain so little.

What I did to get fit and healthy

When I got back home I complained to my daughter how much effort I put in for so little reward. She suggested that I needed a personal trainer.

Coincidentally, my husband received a cash gift for Christmas which he decided to use to set up a home gym. We both detested commercial gyms. I felt we needed someone to teach us how to use it. I am RN but nurses training is more about the treatment of illness and disease than health promotion. I asked the gym owner if she knew of any kinesiologists who did personal training. She put me in contact with a personal trainer.

We bought the equipment, hired a personal trainer and the rest is history.

Back on track

At the very first assessment with my trainer, I found that I underestimated my food/calorie/carb intake and overestimated my exercise effort. I had blamed my lack of progress on my age. He taught me that age is not a barrier or excuse to finding health or a fabulous body. I learned to set short term and long term goals. I also learned that in order to achieve success, this could not be just another diet or attempt at fitness, it had to be a lifelong lifestyle change. He stressed keeping records to measure my progress. Soon I was finding changes week after week, in my weight, my shape, my energy and my health. This kept my motivation going. At one point I asked for a special program for my arms. It was so successful he has marketed it in a version that others can benefit for their fitness level with less equipment and time commitment.

The more success I had, the more I wanted to learn. The trainer introduced me to fitness magazines. Health and fitness literature became one of my only reading interests. Since I discovered Oxygen Magazine with Robert Kennedy and Tosca Reno, it is the only magazine I buy.

By April of 2008 people who I had not seen for awhile ignored me in the street. Not because I was a persona non grata but because they could not recognize me. I had to reintroduce myself to numerous people who had only seen the obese me for over 20 years.

After I met goal after goal I wondered what do I do next? I love training. I love being an "athlete."

A physician friend of mine once said if you want to get rid of depression and improve self esteem, find something you love and become an expert at it. Become an instructor, or a competitor - do something with it. So did I want to get one of those fitness certificates - maybe work with older women? Maybe. but not likely.

I have other interests. I can't even remember how I zeroed in on it - but I think it might have been magazines. As I became interested in weight training I was exploring the magazine racks and I came upon Oxygen Magazine. I think pretty much all fitness mags get their income from supplement ads. I ignore the supplements ads - I won't take most of that stuff. The magazine has awesome articles. It is my favourite reading now. I don't watch tv or read novels anymore (except my niece's books) I read all I can about fitness and nutrition.

I came to admire Tosca Reno (wife of the publisher of Oxygen Mag and contributor and body building guru). She found fitness and body building after age 40. I found her to be quite an inspiration to women in that she promotes you can grow older - healthy fit and sexy. I have all her books. I also found that for me I liked the bodies of figure competition contestants over female body building contestants in the magazines. I decided I had come so far that I could do it.I soon learned that not all the competitions have a masters or grand masters component but even the ones that do - I am a bit older than the range. This does not mean that I cannot compete just that I would be up against a number of lower age contestants in the same category.

Sort of a lost cause a 60 year old competing with a 35 year old don't you think? There are more older competitors in body building than in figure competition for obvious reasons. I thought that even if I did not compete, I would like to go through the training process. I searched for a training pro.

I explored that locally but remained unimpressed. I tried a few online trainers and although it was a fairly cheap training method, I seemed to gain more body fat and less lean muscle and they seemed to be more group oriented and definitely could not seem to get my training body response right. Nothing really fit me.

I set out to learn all I could and found some good e programs which expanded my knowledge base. Along with this and my Oxygen Magazines I became quite adept at managing my own training programs.

If you are interested in competing - it is not cheap. There is the expense of going to competition, the training, tanning, costumes, shoes, etc. There is a great deal of dedication, commitment, time and money put into training by competitors. They train for years. They are athletes pure and simple. It is a lonely world and it helps to have a family who is really supportive of the time and money commitment.

Now What?

For me fitness has become a way of life. I will continue to train and as well as maintaining my good health and great body at over 60, I am hoping my continued efforts and example will encourage other women my age to change their lives for the better. If even one person becomes healthy as a result, I will be greatful.

RECIPE BLOG INCLUDES MARGARITAVILLE RECIPES

RECIPE BLOG

HOW TO GET RESTAURANT CRISP ROMAINE FOR SALADS

First buy romaine hearts - they usually come three in a pack - best to use the process below - one at a time as you need it - leave the others untouched in the bag.

• break off the end wash leavesput leaves in a clean sink with luke warm water for 20 minutes (this hydrates them)


• drain and put in a sink filled with ice water for 20 minutes


• spin dry in a salad spinner- best prepped day of' if you are entertaining


• - if storing - stores better in the lettuce spinner than in plastic, tupperware or baggies but takes up a bit of room in fridge.

Quinoa Tabulah

I use quinoa to avoid the wheat - usually this is made with Bulgar wheat - the recipe is pretty much the same)

• 1 cup quinoa
• 4 tomatoes
• 3-4(ripe but not overripe) chopped into small cubes
• 2/3 cup yellow or red onion very finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic very finely chopped
• 2-3 cups chopped fresh parsley finely chopped (dont substitute dry)
• 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (in winter can sub about 1 -2 tbsp dry)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1-2 level tsp salt (this is one of the few recipes I use salt)

Place quinoa in a 4 cup glass measure - add 3 cups of water - cook in microwave on high for about 4 minutes - add more water if needed - cook another minute at a time adding more water if needed till cooked - soft -

Drain off any remaining water.

Rinse with cold water and drain.

Put quinoa in bowl and add all the other ingredients to bowl and toss till mixed - chill for an hour before serving.

Serve on a lettuce leaf with a sprig of mint.

LENTIL SOUP

(this is a guess because I don't usually measure - I will update next time I make it but this will be pretty close)

If you are not vegetarian - grill one lean piece of pork loin - cut into very small chunks

• 1 1/2 tbsp safflower oil
• 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped2 large carrots finely chopped
• about 3/4 cup parsnip finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp cummin
• if adding meat also can add 1/4 tsp sage
• 1 1/2 cups lentils
• 1-2 litres of low sodium vegetable or chicken broth - (no msg)

Saute the vegetables in oil and till slightly soft for a few minutes then add the lentils and spices and saute for a five minutes or so.

Add the broth and simmer on low - check every once in awhile - if too thick add more broth.

In about 30 minutes add the meat...Simmer till lentils are cooked.

This would be a good time to check the seasoning.

Take a hand held braun food processor and puree a few spots in the soup - or pour some of the soup - 2-3 cups into the blender and blend. Add this back to the soup mix. The blended soup acts as a thickener without having to add flour. While the unblended part provides some chunkier bits.

At this point you can add a bit more broth if you find it too thick.

Italian Vegetable Dish - delicious!

• ½ cup of Kraft Calorie Wise Zesty Italian dressing

Cut vegetables in one inch chunks:

• 1 med.-large onion approx 1 1./2 cups
• I med. zucchini approx 2 cups
• 1 eggplant – ends off, skin on approx 2 cups
• 1-2 sweet red pepper approx 2 cups
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 - 28 oz can plum tomatoes drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup 100% shredded Parmesan cheese

Sauté onion and garlic in dressing or oil over low heat for 5 minutes

Add rest of vegetables except tomatoes and saute for approx 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Stir in tomatoes. Cover and gently simmer 10 minutes till vegetables soften

Pour into baking dish

Sprinkle cheese over top

Broil until cheese melted and slightly brown

Serve as is or as accompaniment to meat dish ...Or over brown rice or pasta

If vegetarian does not eat dairy – leave out cheese and serve with other protein source

8 servings

Each serving has approx (I will recheck it later)Calories 87Fat 4 gmSodium 544 (too high can buy sodium reduced tomatoes to reduce sodium and add ½ tsp. basil and oregano to add flavour) Carb 8.7Protein 6 gm(Vegetarian should have other protein with to increase protein content of meal)

Christine's Version of Rylan's Ultimate Oatmeal

don't panic this is not ONE meal ;)

• 3 cups Quaker Quick Oats
• 3/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 6 tbsp flax seeds
• 9 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Stir well in bowl: store in zip lock bag. Keeps well in cupboard. You can also throw into freezer.

To serve: shake bag to mix contents.

Measure 1/3 cup mix and place in bowl with 3/4 cup water - stir.

Microwave high for 50 sec, stir, microwave another 10-15 sec till desired consistency. Only do a few seconds at a time from here to avoid spilling over. Stir in 1 tbsp slivered almonds. (I find the cinnamon and cranberries are enough of a sweetner and the vanilla whey powder cancels the need for milk). Makes about 15 servings.Calories 283, Carb 24, Total Ft 10 gm, Sat Ft .9 gm, Fiber 15.4 gm, Sugars 5 gm, Protein 24 grams.

Rylan's Ultimate Oatmeal.

Slowly cook 1/2 cup of quick oats in pot with 1 cup of skim milk, 1 scoop vanilla protein powders, tsp cinnamon, 2 packs stevia. When oatmeal reaches desired consistency, add a few slivered almonds, raisins, and 1/4 of diced banana. Recipe can be doubled or tripled and re-heated for up to 3-4 days.

Oatmeal/Protein Pancakes Berries and Yogurt Healthy Filling and Tasty

I adapted this recipe for a friend who does not like oatmeal as a cereal.

• 1 1/2 scoop protein
• 1 cup egg whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup oatmeal (pulse in food processor)-
• 1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• Pam Cooking spray

Beat eggs and whites with whisk – add rest of ingredients – mix well

Cook 4 pancakes like you would crepes dividing the batter equally

Method:Heat crepe pan to med hot till drops of water bounce across pan
Spray with Pam
Beat batter again immediately before pouring cake into pan each time
Once cooked thru (shiny on the side facing up) flip to brown on the other side

Place on plate and when cool roll each up and place in plastic wrap or baggie in fridge till ready to use

To serve:

Unroll crepe
Add to centre:

• ¼ cup low fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup berries (defrost first if frozen)

Microwave for about 30 sec

• Add 1 tbsp no fat no sugar syrup (Atkins – no calories added) now this tastes great and has no carbs, sugar, calories – so go easy – it probably isn’t healthy !!!

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories 255 Fat 5 gm Carb 32 gm Protein 22 gm Fiber 5.4 gm

HUMMUS - EASY AND HEALTHY

• one 14 oz can garbanzo beans - drain 1/3 of the water from can into a bowl for later use
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) can substitute same amount of natural peanut butter
• (optional - few drops sesame oil)
• juice of one small lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a blender mix beans with water remaining in the can and the rest of the ingredients

Blend 1-2 minutes until a smooth paste is formed.

Add some of the remaining reserved liquid a tbsp at a time if required for the right consistency.

That's IT!

Serve with blue corn chips or veggies - or whatever you wish

Tis the Season....Recipe Wild Oregon Grape Jelly and Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly

Well it is the season for making consumable gifts. Every Christmas I make Wild Oregon Grape Jelly. Sure there is sugar but apparently Oregon grape has medicinal properties :)

A few years after I moved to Armstrong a neighbour knocked on the door and asked me if I was going to be using the wild Oregon grapes growing on my property. I had no idea they served any purpose other than to feed the birds, and since getting a cat, the berries act as bait for bird hunting. That year the neighbours picked a bumper crop from my shrubs.A week later, I found a jar of jam and a recipe for Oregon grape jelly.

I decided that every year after, I would make the jam myself and give it at Christmas.The recipe called for freezing the berries. So I would pick them in October, freeze them and make the jam in December. Then I thought about it and realized that like the grapes for ice wine, freezing them increases the sweetness. A few years ago, I began picking them after the first few frosts. The bonus was there were NO BUGS.

For anyone who thinks my gift is lame, let me tell you the challenges I faced this year. By the time there was sufficient frost, several feet of snow had been dumped. I had to bundle up in -27 degree weather, walk through snow drifts, rake the snow off the shrubs and then rake the berries off with my gloved hands and ended up with a tad of frostbite OUCH! Not to mention listening to the screeching of a Red Shafted Flicker who objected to me taking his dinner. Don't worry I left plenty for him along with a warning "Watch out for the CAT!"

I have changed the recipe over time but don't mess with the sugar! I have reduced it as far as it will go and still set. The original called for 8 cups of sugar.

Recipe: Oregon Grape Jelly

Have 1 dozen 125 ml jars sterilizedIngredients:

• 4 cups wild oregon grapes (frozen)
• 1 cup pure grape juice
• 5 cups sugar (if you mess with the sugar amount it won't set)
• 1 apple, cored peeled and chopped
• 2 pouches Certo liquid pectin for jams and jellies (there are two pouches to a box)

Place grapes and grape juice in large heavy pot, mash with potato masher.

Add sugar and apple.

Stir well and mash.

Bring to gentle boil stirring and mashing continuously for about 10 minutes.

Strain reserving the liquid.

Put strained liquid back in a clean pot.Bring to boil and boil hard one minute.

Take off heat.Stir in two packets of liquid pectin - stiring for 5 minutes.

Pour into sterile jars to 1/2 " from top. Seal with sterile lids.

If your jelly does not set, you can often correct it. Empty jar contents into a clean pot. Add whatever you left out. If you skimped on sugar, add it now. Boil gently stirring often for about 10 minutes. Boil hard for one minute. Remove from heat and add two pouches of pectin and stir continously for 5 minutes. Pour into resterilized jars and use new snap lids. Better still - get it right the first time!

Cranberry pepper jelly (recipe below) - spread over a block of Philladelphia Cream Cheese and serve with crackers. A great appe.ok - there is sugar in this as well - but - cranberries are good for the bladder!

Have 8-9 sterilized 125 ml jars ready.

• 2 packages (approximately 5 cups frozen cranberries)
• 4 jalapeno peppers, cored and cut into fours
• 1-2 tsp tobasco (depends on your hotness meter)
• 1 1/4 cups 100% pure cranberry juice
• 5 cups sugar
• flesh of one lime
• 2 pouches Certo liquid pectin for jellies and jams

Place cranberries and juice into a large heavy pot. Bring to boil mashing the berries.

Add the peppers, tabasco, sugar, flesh of lime. Bring back to a gentle boil for around 10 minutes continuing to stir and mash the berries.

Strain.You will really have to press and rake the strainer to get all the juice - the pulp is quite thick. Scrape any jelled pulp off outside of strainer into liquid for better thickening.

Pour the strained liquid back into a clean pot.Bring to a hard boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in the two pouches of pectin - stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Pour into to sterilized jars.Seal with sterilized lids.

Make some personalized labels/tags, punch a hole in tag and tie to jar with pretty elastic or ribbon.

If this sauce does not set firmly, it is still fine thickened for either serving as the cranberry sauce for turkey or to cover cream cheese for an appetizer.

Berry snack

• 1/2 cup berries
• 1/2 non fat no sugar probiotic yogurt

Apple Snack

• 1 granny smith apple cored and cut into 6 slices
• make 3 sandwiches with 1 tsp peanut butter in each one

Stays fress in zip lock bag or tupperware lunch container to take in your cooler.

Margaritaville Recipes

Java Joy Smoothie
We all need a little caffeine jolt once in awhile, but we may want something a little tastier than just a cup of regular coffee. Combine low fat milk, chocolate syrup, instant espresso-coffee, ice cubes, sugar, and ground cinnamon together for a blended cappuccino recipe that’s out of this world!

Creamsicle Margarita
Mmm…what could be better than a creamsicle? A creamsicle margarita! For one serving, combine one and a quarter ounces gold tequila, three ounces orange juice, once ounce sweet and sour mix, one scoop vanilla ice cream, and six ounces crushed ice. Blend in your Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker, and say cheers!

Icy Iced Tea
Transform the great taste of iced tea into a frozen iced tea drink! Combine orange sorbet with strong brewed black tea, and blend together. For different varieties, simply substitute orange sorbet with other sorbet flavors, like passion fruit.

MACHINES VERSUS FREE WEIGHTS

This article is written from the perspective of a fitness equipment user. It is from my own experience as well as from a literature search. I am not a fitness expert. As well as general information, I found a great deal of very complex exercise physiology comparsions which was way over my head. I will leave that to a fitness expert. I am only covering the most general reasons comparing the differences, advantages and disadvantages.

First of all it is a fallicy that machines are for toning and free weights are for bulking!

Machines

I found it amusing to learn that machines were developed to make exercise easier. Hmmmm. Interesting concept. Since the advent of exercise machines hundreds of gimmicks have flooded the market, many of which I purchased. Yep I had the Suzanne Sommer’s thigh master along with many other pieces of equipment which sat in my closet then went on to garage sales or other fates. For the purpose of this article the machines I am referring to are the multi purpose home gyms which consist of pulleys, cables and weight stacks. An example is pictured below.
I am comparing machines to free weights which consists of dumbbells and barbells. See the pictures below.

MACHINE

Dumbbells

Dumbbells with stand

These are select a weight dumbbells. I have never tried them. Check with someone who has or do a Net search for consumer reports.


Dumbbells in a different stand




EZ Curl Bar (Cambered bar)


Barbell and Plates

Barbell and plates with Rack

When I researched the literature on the topic of machines versus free weights, I found that it is a common and important argument. I found copious information but I am sticking to the main points. Both types of equipment are effective but serve different purposes. In the days I attended a commercial gym, the machines were always up front and centre and a pitiful collection of free weights were shoved into a corner somewhere. Like everyone else I headed for the machines. It used to annoy me when a particular machine was tied up or when I rested between sets and someone grabbed it. I figured I would end up lopsided. When I recently attended a very large gym in Toronto - things had not changed much. The free weight equipment was pitiful.

Advantages ·

• One of the main advantages of machines is that they are considered quite safe. You would not expect to have weights fall on you and you can lock the weight in.
• Generally speaking they assist you to use proper form.
• They help to control and stabilize the weight so you won’t be wildly out of control (more on the disadvantage of this later).
• For the most part they are easy to learn and use.
• Machines are able to focus more on a single body part – isolation exercises.
• Might be best for beginners, the de-conditioned individual , someone rehabilitating from an injury or the elderly. (But really if you are a beginner you don't need one - you can use a minimum of equipment at home).
• Best machine exercises: lat pull down, triceps pull down.
• Can progressively load the muscle. (Weights can be increased)
• Machines can complement free weights. Your work out should contain compound exercises. You can complement the free weight compound exercises with some machine isolation exercises. Comparing machine to barbell, it is easier and quicker to change the weight on a machine. However, you are resting between sets and can use this time to change the barbell weight or have a second bar preset.
• A professional body builder might use one closer to competition to isolate some areas

Disadvantages

• Safety. Although they are touted as safe one day my machine’s bolt came out of the weight stack flying up and breaking a light in the ceiling. Had I been closer by it could have hit me in the face or in the eye. You must make sure to put the shoulder/chest mechanism back out of the way, and the lat bar as well so you don’t clunk your head.
• Although machines assist with form by only moving through a certain range, you can still develop some problems with form. Some people lean too far back when doing lat pull downs for example. You still have to pay attention to what muscle it is you are working and make sure that you feel the exercise in the correct anatomical area.
• Adustment: you will often have to adjust the seat or cable or bar to fit you properly for proper form particularly if more than one person is using it or for various exercises.
• Although they help to stabilize the weight, this also reduces the number of stabilizer muscles and supporting structures you use (the machine is doing it for you) so you won’t get a general all overall benefit in both muscle development and calorie burning that you would using free weights. · The machine helps control the negative losing some of the benefits.
• Although they are easy to use, make sure you have a detailed manual and diagrams posted on the wall to assist you to remember how to correctly use the equipment ·
• Although you can isolate some muscles with a machine – and can gain some benefit- it misses out on TOTAL compound exercises the granddaddy of exercises. It is limited by stabilizing for you missing out on working the stabilizer muscles. Compound exercises use and affect more muscle groups burning more calories and working muscles more ‘functionally’ or naturally
• If you are inexperienced, deconditioned or elderly, a machine won’t take the place of a qualified trainer. You may still wish to start off with some simple equipment such as lighter dumbbells, resistance bands etc.
• Very expensive usually well over $1500. Average $2500-$3000. Don’t buy a cheap machine, it won’t last.
• Takes up a lot of room · Not easy to assemble · Requires maintenance and upkeep
• Not easy to dissemble move and reassemble. Don’t buy one if you are planning on moving in the near future. Get professionals to deliver it, set it up and adjust it.
• Not necessarily simple math. My machine weight resistance is the same as noted on the weight stack for some of the options and for others the weight is 1.5 times the weight stack. The cable is 50% of the weight stack.
• Usually machines have 10 lb weight increments limiting the ability to progress more gradually. You can buy rubber weight add ons to have smaller increments but these sometimes get caught in the pulley. Generally you can't use less than 10 lb
• Variable resistance. Sometimes cables stick or get caught affecting the function.
• Isolation – example the leg press – usually everyone’s favourite – you are seated with the machine supporting you and stabilizing your back – you are pretty much only working your quads. The squat, a free weight compound exercise works all your leg muscles, your back, your abs and even your upper body.
• Machines are usually made for the “average” person. If you are very tall or very short, the machine will not likely adjust satisfactorily for your use.
• If you become a serious body builder – you will outgrow your machine and resort to free weights.
• It is easier to zone out and not concentrate on the muscle you are working.
• Works in a preset path making it difficult to vary exercises.
• To gain muscle mass you need to recruit stabilizer muscles.
• If attending a gym, you have to avoid busy times or machines are not available.

IF YOU ARE USING MACHINES BECAUSE THEY ARE EASIER OR MORE COMFORTABLE YOU ARE ONLY CHEATING YOURSELF AND YOU ARE TOTALLY MISSING THE POINT!

One personal trainer and body builder with 25 years experience wrote that for two years he used a commercial gym using only machines. He was blown away when he finally checked his ‘one rep max’ using free weight equipment and found he had lost significant strength.

Note: One Rep Max (1RM) – is the maximum amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition of one exercise. This can give you insight on your strength threshold and the IRM can help you find how much weight to use. For example if building muscle you would probably lift 85-90% of your IRM for 6-8 reps and 2-3 sets. When finding your 1RM you should have a spotter. Your 1RM should increase over time.

I realized very quickly the effect and value of free weights. I do use my machine sometimes to add a bit of variety but I mostly use free weights. I could very easily do without it should I ever move to a smaller home. The bolt has come out numerous times and if my husband isn't home to help it is awkward to fix alone. The bolt works its way lose over time and I am never one step ahead of it.

Free Weights (Dumbbells and Barbells)

Advantages

• The most simple of equipment.
• Inexpensive. Usually sold by the pound. You can start out with a few weights and add more as you progress.
• You won’t outgrow them, you can simply add to them as noted above.
• Does not restrict your range of motion, so that more muscles are used in an exercise to stabilize the weight. (Works in more planes of motion for greater muscle recruitment.
• Hard to outgrow. As you progress you just buy heavier dumbbells and more barbell plates.
• Versatility and adaptability. Endless possibilities for exercises. ·
• Greatest granddaddy compound exercise for the lower body is the squat; for the upper body – bench press.
• Training with free weights delivers better and quicker results. (No machine can duplicate the effects of the squat). Stabilizer muscles are used with free weights. These muscles support the growth of the bigger muscles. You want to stimulate as much muscle as possible with each exercise so you aren't wasting your time
• Free weights fit everyone
• Requires concentration on form and the muscle you are working which is actually an advantage – you will get better results.
• You can do a complete strength training program with only a few free weights.
• Nothing feels as great as ‘pumping iron’. You just won’t get the same feeling with a machine.
• Contribute more to coordination and strength than machines.
• Use a functional (natural) range of motion no matter what your size.
• The user has to control the negative part of the exercise. Free weights must be controlled through the eccentric and concentric activity of an exercise resulting in greater benefit.

Disadvantages

• More prone to injury if not using proper form.
• You have to fight the momentum on the negative. · If you move too fast and you are not paying attention to form you can go past your normal range of motion and hurt yourself.
• Dropping a weight on yourself can cause injury. If using very heavy weights you may require a spotter.
• Easy to fall into poor form. Always recheck your form. If you are failing to advance, have someone review your form.
• All disadvantages can be nullified with good training practices. Learning proper form should be part of your training anyway. A good foundation with a qualified trainer will help you avoid injury, progress and not waste your valuable time undertraining.

My non expert consumer advice: Start out with free weights. After you have trained for 6 months, if you still want to get a machine, make sure why you want it. What will it add to your routine? Then try one out at a store or gym and make sure it meets the purpose you are buying it for.

COMPARISON OF BARBELL SQUAT AND MACHINE LEG PRESS - SIMILAR EXERCISE DIFFERENT EFFECT

Machine leg press – mostly targets quads and somewhat glutes, hams, partially calfs – you would have to vary your foot position on the press as well as adjust the backrest to get more effect on each of the muscle groups. Fixed so no extra kick from balancing or use of stabilizer muscles.

Barbell Squat – targets quads, hams, calves, glutes – also all the stabilizer muscles as well as muscles used in balance –
Note: if you do "barbell squat and press" exercise (all one exercise) you can efficiently target your WHOLE BODY!