Game on!

I may have covered this topic before but it bears repeating. People often ask, "When is the best time to work out?" and the experts weigh in with various times and reasons to back up their claims.

I would answer that question with another question, "When are you the most likely to get it done?" 

Okay sure, you may burn more calories by working out before breakfast or you may have better energy if you work out midday, or you might sleep better if you work out in the evening, but I feel that the bottom line is this: You are going to get more benefit from working out than from not working out, so better to do it when you know you are going to get it done, for sure, no excuses.

Anyone who knows me or who's been reading this blog knows that I am not a morning person. That said, if I don't get that workout in as soon as I get out of bed, the rest of my life is going to inch that work out right out of my schedule and another day will pass without a workout. I notice it too. After a few days, my joints are achy, my muscles are stiff. It's age. But it doesn't have to feel that way if I get my body moving.

After the disappointment of last week and most especially yesterday, I went to bed last night with the intention of getting up today and doing my Tracy Anderson Muscular Structure first thing. I did it and it felt great. Now I'm in a better mood and my body's happy too.

Tomorrow is the first of December and I think I've got to make a resolution for the month. DO MORE CARDIO. It's part of the program and it's where I'm the weakest. 

What's your stumbling block to great health?

No time to work out? Not enjoying the work out you're currently doing? Not seeing results? Listen, I am in no way affiliated with Tracy Anderson. Never met her or any of her staff, never been to her centers in LA or New York, so you can rest assured that when I suggest you give her method a try, it's only because it's worked for me and it's still working. I'm never bored, she's never mean like some other celebrity trainers and her workouts get results. It's win win.

Find the thing that works for you, then examine your schedule and see where you are most likely to fit it in. It's important. And it never hurts to make a resolution now and then. Put it in writing, give it a solid effort for at least four weeks and then see where you're at.

Best,
Shan

Regrets.

Honestly, it's been a crazy couple of weeks and shows no sign of slowing before the year's end. As I worked through the 30 Day Method in what feels like a lifetime ago, there were often times when I had to force in a workout or go out of my way to produce one of the meals on the special menu and I guess there never really is a good time to take on a project like that since these days it seems life is always busy. But somehow I managed. Lately though, not so much.

Since I finished the project it seems more and more that my everyday life is crowding in on me and the thing to get turfed first is my workout, followed very quickly by my diet, or maybe the two go hand in hand.

I am ashamed to admit that I did a total of ten minutes of cardio last week. I think I got in about 3 muscular structure workouts, but that's it! It was meant to be 45 minutes of cardio 4 to 6 times. Ugh. I suppose because I have neither plans for new years nor a sexy little dress for the non-existent occasion, I'm not terribly motivated, but I also don't want to lose the results that I've worked so hard for.

That being said, I didn't get around to my workout this morning and am off to the shop to work until 11pm, at which point I know there's no way I'm coming home to dance or even stretch! Shitty. It sucks and I'm disappointed in my mismanagement of time. But there it is. It's out there.

For those of you who are keeping up and doing way better than me, this week, we're to just stick with the current program. The muscular structure stays the same and we stick to 45 minutes of cardio.

Also for the curious - the only reason I managed to get in ten minutes of cardio last week at all was because Tracy posted a ten minute video as a gift to all of us for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for Tracy.

You can check out the video below if you're so inclined. http://tracyandersonmethod.com/post-thanksgiving-workout/

Better luck this week people!
Cheers
Shan

Biggest Loser

I'm not a huge fan of reality TV. For the most part it appears to be people falling to the bottom of the scale of good behavior. There seems to be a lot of back-stabbing going on, cheating, lying, yelling. Basically the armpit of human behavior.

There are a few shows out there however that seem to try to elevate and educate the contestants that participate as well as supporting a charity or two along the way (think the Apprentice - for whatever you think of Trump, he gives away a lot of cash).

I don't follow the show religiously and really have only seen one season in it's entirety, but The Biggest Loser is one of these programs that changes people's lives. You see it before your very eyes. The challenges they put them through, the diet and exercise plans, help these folks to achieve things that they never ever dreamed possible.

The reason I bring it up is because this season has just released the photos of the contestants in their before and after looks. I guess it's about halfway through the season now? But check it out -
http://ca.tv.yahoo.com/slideshow/648/photos/1 

It's beautiful to behold. At the same time, it's incredibly sad to know that a show like this is necessary because without it, without the trainers and dietitians, these people didn't have the skills or knowledge to do it alone. There are so many people out there right now who aren't on the show, who can't get to a trainer or are afraid or ashamed to go and ask for help and will die early deaths.

Now perhaps this isn't as great a tragedy as other parts of the world where people cannot get clean drinking water never mind a decent meal and we scold North Americans for their excess and gluttony - but it isn't a competition and we are not here to point fingers. Obviously we've gotten hideously lost as a people on this planet, right? It's not within the scope of today's blog to go off on a tangent about what's wrong with the world and how we eat.

I'm just here to say that getting professional help - be it a trainer, a nutritionist or advice from your doctor can really help you improve your health.

For me, it's a tiny blonde dynamo called Tracy Anderson that has really motivated me to find a way to get stronger and smaller and perhaps with enough practice, one day my neck and back will once again be in good enough condition to return to yoga.

In the mean time, I am grateful that there are shows like the Biggest Loser and blogs like Tracy Anderson's that inspire people to get moving and take back their lives, their youth and their power. It's awesome.

Cheers
Shan 

Body By Design.

As tough as it is to stick to a routine in the cold weather with Christmas and all her lovely delectable treats, I have to say I am really pleased with the second installment of Tracy Anderson's Perfect Design Series. 

The workout itself was fun but really challenging. I wasn't constantly thinking is it over yet? which was really cool.

I've got to admit that I have been feeling extremely guilty lately because I have failed yet again in the diet department. Are you sick of hearing about it yet? I've been eating too much and eating the wrong things and just can't seem to help myself. It's pretty pathetic really. But here's the stunner...

I decided that I needed some serious motivation to get back on track so I stepped on the scale this morning, and I am still at my target weight, no kidding.

When Tracy says 'trust me, I am designing you the perfect body' she means it. Her 30 day kick-start program got me going, gave me results and by managing to keep up with my workouts, it's still working. There just might really be something to all of this. Not to mention that her outfit in the PDS II is super cute.

If you're interested in seeing what it's all about, check out on of my previous posts called Weekend Humor - there's a clip of a girl, just like me, trying to keep up with Tracy in the PDS II and it really is funny.

Anyway, if you are considering trying out the method, I just wanted to let you all know that it was worth it. The effort and bother of it all is totally paying off. Okay, so I still haven't managed to pull off 45 minutes of cardio yet, but a girl's got to have something to work towards.

And PS - Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Love you.
Cheers
Shan

S'no Way

I live on the West Coast and we pride ourselves on our temperate weather, mild winters and lack of snow. That is so not the case today. The white stuff is everywhere and I don't know about you, but when it's like this, the last thing I want to do is slip into my skimpy light-weight work-out clothes and try to work up a sweat when quite frankly I'M FREEZING!!! There's no way I want to workout.

Hate it. I'll be the first to admit that I am a total wimp. I don't even want to walk my dog when it's like this. Of course he loves loves loves the snow. Why not, he's got a fur coat.

But we've got to keep that challenge that we signed up for in mind - Wind up the year in the best shape of our lives, am I right or am I right. Oh come on, I can't hear anybody. Is there anyone out there at all? Or are you all on the couch with a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa?

Well, if anyone is still up for it, it's time to change our muscular structure workout today. I am moving on from the Perfect Design Series I to the Perfect Design Series II. We're also supposed to up our cardio. I have it written down on the calendar that we're meant to try and do 45 minutes. That's got to be a typo, no? Rats, I don't think it is. Okay, well in this cold weather, we're probably going to need that extra 15 minutes just to keep warm.

If you haven't got any of Tracy's DVD's and have worked with the clip I posted two weeks ago, stay with it. You can add 1 or 2 pound ankle weights to the one you were doing or try this awesome (but very challenging) workout she posted for Gweneth Paltrow while she was filming Iron Man II. I've tried this one, and the head stand move is a killer - especially if you have any sort of neck issue so please be careful. (it's in two parts so you get both the left and right sides of the body)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncb8e2Q-d_w 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtpxhJ1Easg

Happy training.
Shan

Embrace the Whole.

We want to believe that we can accept others for who they are. To be non-judgmental, non-prejudicial and fully accepting of our differences. And I for one believe that most of us strive toward this goal.

Why then is it so hard to love the oddities in ourselves? Those quirky little parts that simply refuse to conform to the bigger picture that we'd like to paint of ourselves?

I have been a yogi for so long that even though I am not physically able to carry out the intense practice that I once cherished so much, I don't consider myself less yogic. I simply turn to other practices like meditation, pranayama, and non-violence (including my diet in which nothing has to die in order for me to eat). But when people learn this about me, they're surprised and sometimes even offended that I might use profanity, or they're shocked that I consume copious amounts of sugar. While I do appreciate being able to keep others on their toes and challenge their assumptions, I've got to take a closer look at my own.

For example, I've been thin most of my life. 

My single greatest struggle is diet. I assume that because I have been thin and have been able to eat whatever I've wanted for the majority of my life, I should always be able to do so. It's not the case. I gave up meat a long time ago - no problem. All I ever had to do was think about the living breathing animal behind it and I could walk away from it. I've tried to think the same things about sugar. I know where it comes from, where it got it's horrible nasty start - using slave labor. Appalling. Yet today I know this isn't the case. And the stuff's in everything. It's so hard to get away from.

I was able to stay away from it for the most part while participating in the 30 Day Method, but since then I've fallen off the wagon so much that I'm not even trying to get back on it, I'm happy to just walk along side it, knowing that it's there.

I keep getting my workouts in. I've been changing the program roughly every two weeks (approximately after every 10 workouts), I'm upping my cardio and I'm keeping the extra pounds at bay. But for how long? The more I resist the sweets, the more I want them and I am back to having them every day. If it isn't Starbucks, it's chocolate chip cookies, or a chocolate bar, or something else equally not good for me.

I can accept that there are artists who are not poor, yogis who are not vegetarians, why can't I accept that I can no longer eat whatever I want if I want to stay trim. I have to find the balance in there somewhere. It's part of the new older me. I've got to embrace one or the other to make me whole.


I can either eat whatever I want and have an expanded waistline or I've got to really learn how to work this diet thing to maintain a size that I am comfortable with.

Do you have your own hidden piece of you that you wish wasn't there? Perhaps if we all brought these things out into the light, gave them our attention and love, they wouldn't be our little monsters in the closet. Our bad habits, addictions, crude behaviors - they'd just be a part of the bigger picture, a part of the whole that makes up our unique diverse selves.

On today's journey toward whatever ends you are striving, I wish you luck, love and acceptance. If we can accept where we are and who we are, maybe taking those little steps towards our goals can become even easier.

Cheers
Shan

'E' For Effort??

Eeeeee! So I got my new Tracy Anderson DVD's today. How exciting is that? New content, more moves to continually challenge my new muscular structure, more cardio routines to learn...

So exciting.

I have to confess that I am actually exhausted since I've been burning the candle at both ends. Working the merchandising shifts at the store until midnight, home by 1am, back up at the crack of dawn for meetings with my producers in Ontario and Europe. But, I thought the least I could do was have a look-see.

So I popped the first DVD - Dance Cardio II into the computer and well, gosh. It looked pretty hard. As I tried to follow along, I decided I needed something to keep me awake. Next thing I knew, I was munching on a chocolate chip cookie and watching Tracy spin and hop out of control. I had to turn it off.

I moved on to a muscular structure one. It looks great. Good pace, a little easier to follow, and three cookies later I was like 'yeah, this looks doable', but now filled up full of sugar and on my way back for the night shift, another day has slipped by without a workout.

It's okay. It's just one day, no reason to fret or throw in the towel. I got some new moves to learn. They'll just have to wait until tomorrow!

Cheers
Shan

Eyes On The Prize...

There are literally dozens of cliches that speak to the idea that we should be clear about what we want in order to get it. One of my favorites is an expression used by my dad's good friend: "If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time."

In the midst of trying to get into shape,  or lose weight, or raise a child, or get a degree,  or make a film (or a million other goals) we can forget what it was that we wanted to achieve when we first set out and simply get lost in the grind. The weather can get in the way, the sleepless nights, the bad reviews - it's times like this that it really helps to know what we're after.

I often read the blog of a Hollywood producer called Marvin Acuna and on a more recent post he wrote: "Be clear about your goals because you can't hit an invisible target." Makes total sense.

When I started this blog, the main purpose or goal was to follow Tracy Anderson's 30 Day Method and hopefully find something that I could practice in lieu of my yoga. Of course I wanted to get in shape, lose weight, fit into my skinny jeans, and just more or less see if I could stick with it. But over and above all of that, there was another simpler goal that kept me going, and that was to just make it to the end.

Once I'd finished though, the waters became a slightly murkier. I was now into my skinny jeans, I didn't have a menu to follow or perfectly laid out workouts. What did I want next? I knew I wanted to keep blogging and stick with the method, but it wasn't enough.

I found Tracy's plan for New Year's and that's helped, but I needed to be really clear about my goal. I want to be in the best shape of my life by the time the calendar rolls around to my next birthday. I want to be in such great shape that I don't even have to think about it. I want the first thing I reach for when I'm hungry to be something healthy, I want those workouts to become second nature. Like I wouldn't consider skipping a workout any more than I'd skip taking a shower or brushing my teeth...

I have a long way to go!

Thankfully there's time. My birthday's a long way off. So let's carry on with the plan.

We're sticking to the same muscular structure workout as last week, for me it's the Perfect Design Series I and we increase the cardio to 30 minutes. Where are you at? Have you stuck with it? Are you still hanging in there?

Maybe now's a good time for you to sit down and ask yourself what you want. Get serious about it and be clear, because like Marvin says, "you can't hit an invisible target."

Cheers
Shan

Heroes.

As the days grow shorter and the weather grows colder and wilder, we just want to cover up and get warm. I don't know about you, but I'm not thinking about slipping into anything too skin-baring, instead I'd prefer to layer up and hunker down.

This makes it very hard to stay motivated and dedicated to a fitness and diet regime. Add to the chilly weather comforting warm drinks and holiday treats and it becomes even more of a challenge. What to do?

I heard a quote just yesterday that stated: "Without heroes, we are all plain people and do not know how far we can go." I think the best thing to do when you're feeling tired and uninspired is to look to those who've done what you want to do, who've achieved your goals and who inspire you.

For me it's my yoga teacher, Prahalad, my other and most significant life teacher, Kevin, and the half-pint fitness guru whom I've never met, but who's inspired me daily since I took up this new path, Tracy Anderson. I look at them, at what they've done in the past and what they live daily and I aspire to follow in their footsteps. I'm sure there are times when they don't get their practice in, or indulge in a cupcake or whatever, but they keep going. They never quit.

I look to them for support, guidance, strength and encouragement, not only in the physical aspects of life, but in other areas as well. 

It's my greatest hope that this little blog might be inspiring even one person, making a difference in someone's day. If you're reading I hope it inspires you to do something, to take some kind of action toward your own goal- be it fitness or something else, you can do it. Look to your heroes, buddy up with someone who's doing what you want to be doing, and take heart in knowing that even on those days when you'd rather not get up, there just might be a small reward in doing so - the simple fact that you took one step closer to achieving your goal. You might even become your own hero!

Cheers,
Shan

Argh.

Okay, I don't know about you all, but my butt is KILLING me.

I missed my workout two days in a row so really gave it my all today and the change up has hit me hard.

It's a butt-centric workout (Perfect Design Series I) and I'm feeling it. Lordissa, hope I can walk tomorrow.

Cheers,
Shan

Really Tough.

It's been said that bloggers can be whiners. They bitch and complain about everything that's wrong with the world in their little online journals and that nobody really cares.

Maybe. But some do get book deals out of it.

It's Monday, so my plans are two fold today. I am going to bitch a little bit about how difficult it is to stay traveling the road to perfection, especially the cute and tiny perfect road of Tracy Anderson, and then, I am going to kick our butts out of the sad pathetic states that they may be in and motivate us to get moving on the next part of the program - our challenge to Wind up the year in the best shapes of our lives, challenge - you do remember that, don't you?

People's reasons for wanting to get into shape are as varied as the people themselves. I started all of this because I wanted to see if it could be done, not only to see if I could achieve good health and get into my skinny jeans before I hit forty, but also because I've had an incredibly challenging year as a writer and was starting to question what the hell I was doing with my life.

I think I just really wanted something that I could get behind and take the reigns of. To be part of something that I had control over. It's really made a huge difference for me.

Since I started the 30 Day Method, I've gotten more crap news about my work, but I feel stronger, less likely to want to crawl up and die, never to write another word again, because lemme tell you there have been times this year where I've been there. Yep, blogger=whiner.

As mentioned over the posts of the last week or so, it's been really tough to stay on track diet-wise without the strict plan of the book, so I did find a diet of Tracy's that I posted a few days ago. Still, I have ignored it. So much so that yesterday after work, I stopped off at the shop and picked up a package of cookies. My fave and also my biggest weakness, even more than brownies. Here comes the bitching part. Why do they have to be so good and be so bad for you at the same time? Why God, why? I ate the whole pack. 

As I got to the last one or two and was starting to feel quite ill, I thought, well I can't very well leave any for tomorrow can I? No, absolutely not, I want to start the week off right. So I polished them off. Thank goodness they are not around to tempt me today or I'd have eaten them for breakfast.

I had a horrid sleep because of all the sugar, had a stomach ache last night, my whole body aches from trying to process all of that junk from my system and still I want more. What the hell is that all about? For me it's cookies, for some it's potato chips, others it's beer or wine. I'm not here to judge, or even to commiserate, I'm here as a warning -

We've got to be vigilant people. Nothing wrong with some bread or a glass of wine once in a while as I've said before, but don't pick up a case of your heroin - whatever it may be - and think you're going to be able to stop at one just because you lost a few measly pounds. We've got to stick with it AS A LIFE STYLE. The CAPS were more as a reminder for me than for you.

So with that in mind - it's the start of a new week, a fresh beginning to get on the program or take up the challenge. Wherever you're at, start now.

Change up your muscular structure work, add a few reps or little weights, add 5 minutes to your cardio and mind what you eat as best you can. Just do the best that you can. We can control our cravings, I'm proof. Of course I'm also proof that's it's ridiculously easy to fall off the wagon repeatedly. But it's not how many times you fall that counts, what matters is that you keep getting back on.

Cheers,
Shan

Changes.

It's that time of year. The time when everything changes. At least for me it is. While some are settling into routines, or gearing up for the holidays, I'm getting ready to change the clocks back, reflect on the past year and think about what I'd like to do differently in the new year. A little premature perhaps, but I'm pretty Type-A.

Now that the 30 Day Method is done and dusted and we're onto the next challenge of getting into shape for New Years, I've decided to change up the image of the blog a little bit. I also enjoy rearranging the furniture around the house, just for the record.

With all this change taking place, I wanted to remind you - if you're taking this "Wind up The Year in The Best Shape of Your Life Challenge" with me (it seemed like a good name in the moment so I'm going with it, but we can call it whatever you like) - Monday November 8th will be time to change up your muscular structure work out.

If you're currently working out with Tracy Anderson's Mat DVD and that's all you've got, no problem, you've got options. You can add little ankle weights or bump up to a three pound hand weight if you're not there already. If you have her Perfect Design Series, you can move on to PDS I. If that's what you're already doing, move onto PDS II (obviously). However, if you're not stocked up on TA workout DVD's and you want to change things up without adding weights, check out this link to a whole new full body routine. You can adapt and adjust it to just the right length and number of reps for where you're at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taCiMBFc0sc

In addition to the change up in the muscular structure work, you'll want to add an additional five minutes to your cardio, going from 20 minutes to 25. Yeah!!

If you haven't taken up the challenge, it's not to late. Hey, it's never too late. Get on board now, or start Monday. But don't put it off any longer than that. If you don't have any DVD's and/or are short on time, just start with the above mentioned workout and pick up Tracy's book The 30 Day Method or order one of her many workout videos. 

For your convenience, I've also added a link to a quick and easy dance routine that Tracy did for Gweneth Paltrow's blog Goop. So there's no excuse, put on your favorite tunes and get busy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvDsfvtddVA 


Cheers,
Shan

No Magic Wand.

If we lived in a world of pain, we'd come to expect pain. If we lived in a world of magic, we'd come to expect magic. When you live in a world where you carry a few extra pounds, you come to expect those pounds to always be there.

If you work really hard and that work pays off, you might find yourself a few pounds lighter. But it's no miracle and certainly no accident. It was your hard work. Obviously. 

But suddenly you can find yourself living in a world of thin and expect that you'll always be thin. Not the case. If you let up, even a little, you can slip swiftly back into the world of a few extra pounds. Motivation is not always easy to come by and, it seems, bad habits are easy to make and not so easy to break.

I was working in the shop a few days ago when a customer came in looking for a diet book. I lead her to the section and found her book, but while there, I picked up Tracy's book and of course raved about it. The woman was immediately interested. She wanted to know all about it, but when I confessed that it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, she immediately dropped it. She didn't want to know. (Sorry Tracy) So much of the weight problem in the West is caused by 1) the fact that we have so much, and 2) everyone is looking for the magic pill or the quick fix.

Ain't gonna happen people. There is no magic wand that we can wave and create the body of our dreams. We've got to get up each day and move. We've got to be accountable for everything that goes into our mouths and this has got to be a way of life. It's not just a 30 day program. (I'm slowly coming around to this realization.)

After a week of risotto and pie and mochas, I am in trouble. If this were Africa or Asia, I'd be dealing with a whole host of other issues. Losing the weight would not be the problem, getting enough to eat would be. But I'm not in a third world country. I am in a developed nation where, even tho I complain relentlessly about not being able to find the things I need here on my little island, I have more than enough. I have access to all the bad sugary things, the fat laden, bad-carb type foods that should remain strictly off limits.

I'm all for moderation and I think Ms. Anderson is too. Go ahead and have that glass of wine with friends, eat that piece of Halloween candy, just don't drink the whole bottle and eat the whole bag and for crying out loud, don't do it every day!

We don't live in a world of quick fixes, at least not the kind that fix things in a permanent way so we've got to be diligent. Keep to the program and start to look at this as a new way of life. Living in a world of thin doesn't come for free.

Play List.

Happy 1st of November, or MOVEmber as we're calling it. It's the 1st of a new month and it's also a Monday, no better time to start a new workout routine than right now. 


We all know that music is inspiring, and while I do deplore doing my cardio, when I hear a great song, I can't help but tap a toe. Inspired by a post by one of Tracy Anderson's trainers regarding putting together a play list, I decided to put together a play list of my own. By choosing tunes that get me moving, perhaps I won't be so resistant to dancing for exercise.

Over the next eight weeks or so, the goal is go from doing 20 minutes of cardio to 60 minutes. (Good luck with that) Why not make this as enticing and easy as possible. You might be a fan of 90's pop, or you might be a rocker or a country and western fan. Whatever gets you moving is what you should think about adding to your play list.

I love everything from the Jackson Five to Miley Cyrus, yes I can admit it, some of her music gets me going, so I spent some time on iTunes and pulled a few tracks to get me started. You can time your lists so that this week, you've got 20 minutes of music. I know it sounds so basic, but for me, if there's an end in sight, I'm more likely to get up and do it. 

If you're stuck for tunes or don't have the time to pick your own, some of the ones I chose were:
Bullet Proof by La Roux, California Gurls by Katy Perry, Womanizer by Brittney Spears, Single Ladies by Beyonce, Waka Waka by Shakira, So What by Pink, Music Inferno by Madonna and Who Owns my Heart by Miley Cyrus. I guess my initial play list is all girls.

It doesn't matter what you choose, what's important is that you put something on that's going to make you feel good because let's face it, who wants to exercise when you're feeling like crap.

If you have any of Tracy's cardio DVD's you can just follow along with her, but once you learn the dance steps, you might want to mix it up a little bit and that's where having your own music ready will come in handy. 


Next week it will be time to change up the muscular structure routine. But for now, stick with whatever one you're doing and try to fit in your 20 minutes of cardio!


Cheers,
Shan