Day 61 Metamorphosis

I know that I really should come up with catchier titles for each post, but I am honestly just so bad at keeping track, this helps me know where I am (more or less). And can you believe that I've got less than one month left? Lordissa, I have got to make me a decision about what to do at the end of this and I've gotta do it fast.

For the last month or so I almost had myself convinced to order the Omnicentric package, which I still may do. It's another 9 workouts, plus I get a shiny clean new diet plan (since mine has food stains and tons of writing all over it) and a brand new workout tracker. But here's the thing. Level six has me thinking that I just may want to carry on with this particular brand of torture. Why oh why can't we just call Tracy and ask her? I mean, I know what she'd say. She'd want us on continuity. That's the whole point of Metamorphosis... to transform by changing it up every ten days. But Omni would be doing that too and it would be much more economically sound for me to do that since I do not live in the US and those monthly shipping costs to Canada just don't seem fair. What if I lived in Alaska? I'd get the American deal wouldn't I? This is all just semantics really, I have to make a decision and just get on with it because I have grown to love this old workout and don't want to run out of Muscular Structure work. If anyone out there cares to advise - please do so. If you're not comfortable doing it on a public forum, you can email me at oshan2nd@yahoo.ca I'd appreciate any and all advice.

In the mean time I have got to share something else with you. I have been so busy moaning about how I haven't lost anything off my actual waist, I have failed to notice the transformation in my bum. No kidding, I never thought I would ever even utter the following words, at any age!!!, but "I'd love for you to see how great my bum looks". Who says that at nearly 40?! 

Honestly, you wouldn't believe it. Well you might, since I don't have before photos or anything, but around age 34- 35 ish, I started to get cellulite. Not a pleasant sight, but not entirely unexpected either. It happens. The percentage of woman who actually have cellulite is quite staggering, in fact, the number of women (I don't mean 20-year-olds) who don't have it is slim to none. What I am trying to say is that cellulite is normal and we pretty much all have it BUT.... my bum looks pretty damned good. Most of what started to appear 4 or 5 years ago is nearly gone. I'm not saying it's perfect, nor am I claiming that if I sat down, you wouldn't still see a little, but if I was a celebrity on a beach in a bikini - the tabloids would more likely say how good I looked for my age rather than ewe - look at her bum. Okay maybe that's pushing it, those tabloid people are meanies.

Of course I am not going to post photos of my tush online (what do you take me for?) but if you ever run into me on a tropical beach somewhere, I will be in a bikini and I'll show you. All I can say is...

Tracy, you do good work!

Here's another interesting note. When I began metamorphosis I'd notice that every few days, something new and different was sore somewhere on my body. I had little aches and pains in really odd spots - I think it was likely the accessory muscles "waking up" as TA claims. But you'd think after 60 days, they'd all be "up" by now, fully alert, awake and paying attention. I don't know what it is about level six, but I have got a few new spots that are only now starting to come around and I am feeling it. I am feeling this series of movements more than I have any other sequence - but thankfully it doesn't want to make be vomit like level three. Hmm, that's curious. Level three whopped my ass, level six is hammering the hell out of me - good grief, what's she got in store for us on level nine? And do we even want to know what level ten would be if we chose to go with the continuity program??

The good news is, the aches and pains that I came into the program with, the ones that I attributed to aging - most of them are gone now. I used to have hip pain, lower back issues and a few other niggley little ouchie spots, but they are no more. 

How about that, it's another love day. I have managed to string two together in a row and I'm feeling pretty motivated. 

So on that note, I want to leave you with a funny video that I found on Utube ages ago. I've posted it here before, but it's worth revisiting. It's of this girl Jenny - whom I have never met, as she tries to make sense of one of Tracy's Perfect Design Series videos. The reason I want to post it now is because in Level six, Tracy gets into these crazy arms (like more than usual) - it looks like she is miming pouring water from one tube to another, or moving a box from side to side and over her head - and I no doubt look absolutely ridiculous trying to follow along.

The lovely Jenny captures this essence brilliantly in her home video. Jenny, if you're out there somewhere - I adore you and your wacky sense of humor. I'd love to know what you think of the Metamorphosis program and would love love love to see another video.

Enjoy the video and be sure to watch all the way through to get Jenny's commentary as she works out, but be careful, because if you are anywhere from level three to level six, the workout makes it hurt to laugh!

Have a super weekend as we kick into May!
Cheers
Shan

Metamorphosis - Day Sixty

Sixty days down, thirty to go. Am over the hump and the end is in sight. I am two thirds of the way through and here's what the master (Tracy) has to say: "The exciting part about level six, is that I've really had some time to get in there and start waking up the muscles that I use to design your body with. Level six is going to take you to a place that you're really gonna see your body start to transform. Don't lose your motivation now, the best results are still to come." That's pretty exciting and I find the message to be quite motivational.

Now that I've had a chance to really sink my teeth into the Method, having gone through boot camp by way of her book, Tracy Anderson's 30 Day Method, followed by sixty days of Metamorphosis, I've really come to see how invaluable it is to have, not only a personal trainer, but a trainer who understands what you want to achieve with your physique and has a plan to take you there. I've worked my way through nine different sequences to date, not including her Mat DVD (which is my absolute fave) plus Tracy's entire Perfect Design Series - so that's actually 13 sequences in all and she's right. She has gotten in there and woken up my little Cinderella muscles. They've been kissed by the Prince and are ready to live happily ever after in just about any outfit I chose to wear. In fact someone I met recently was teasing me about having only one percent body fat.

Are you kidding me? Less than a year ago I was sulking because I was certain that I'd hit the middle-aged-spread years and there was nothing that could be done. I'd begun to believe that the flat belly and perky butt were dreams long vanished with my youth. I was disappointed in myself for not achieving those goals when I was younger and had the chance to achieve them. I am once again a believer. I'm happy with my new appearance. Is it perfect? Of course not. Is there room for improvement? Does a bear poop in the woods? Yes and yes! But the idea that Tracy is suggesting that the best is yet to come really has me excited. And quite honestly, I do feel like she is right here beside me, encouraging me to go for it and doing it all right along with me like a good personal trainer should be. For the first time in 90 days, I truly feel like a Tracy Anderson Client.

A couple of weeks ago, I hit a plateau and it was like hitting a brick wall going a hundred miles an hour. I hadn't lost any inches, not even a single centimeter. And I'd even put on a pound. This week, I am seeing progress again. I think it's really important for those just starting out to realize that transformation doesn't happen over night and that this is a huge commitment, you'll have love days and hate days but you've got to stick with it. Don't let your life crowd out your desire to be fit and healthy and look your best. And for those of you who've been with me for the long haul, now's the time we have got to dig deeper, deeper than we ever have to see what we've really got, to see what we're made of. And a good way to do that is to set small goals for ourselves.

I've spent a good chunk of time writing about how hard it can be to make the shift mentally and emotionally, to change your habits in order to change your lifestyle. How we can suddenly nose-dive off the wagon and totally sabotage our best efforts. But, as I am slowly learning, we can help to prevent all that if we create small victories for ourselves and actually celebrate them.

Here's what Jillian Michaels has to say in her new book Unlimited: "If our life is one where the glass has been half empty, then failure and disillusionment become self-fulfilling prophesies. The very same thought processes that have eroded your belief in yourself can also build it back up."

How cool is that? I think we have a choice to make. We can either be heroes or zeroes. Pick one and be that. I know which one I want to be. There may be times, especially on the Metamorphosis program when the workout gets really hard, and you might find yourself thinking that you're not capable of doing some of the things that Tracy expects of you. Or if you dig a little deeper, you might discover that at the very heart of it, you don't feel you're worthy of the results you might achieve at the end of this program. Don't you believe it.

Jillian writes, and I agree with her, "that the only way to change that attitude is to prove to yourself that you are capable and you are worthy. You can do that by creating new experiences, small victories nourished with appreciation will grow."

Here's a perfect example of a small victory that made me feel glad and grateful today. I woke up exhausted. That's becoming the new norm lately, I made myself a Tracy approved healthy breakfast, packed my lunch and snacks and went off to work. I worked the entire day without a break and left work late. On the 40 minute commute home, I was exhausted and was coming up with every excuse in the book as to why I should let myself off the hook of working out. I wanted nothing more than to jump in the shower, eat and sleep. But there was another voice in my head that rallied for my daily goal of simply putting in the time and effort to do the workout on the days I am scheduled to do them, no excuses. So I bargained, bantered back and forth a bit in my own head, and finally settled on a decision to do my muscular structure (even though all my wee Cinderella muscles were crying uncle from this new level) and I would skip my cardio. Bad I know. I was breaking shamandment number nine (see side bar), but I could see no other way. Something was better than nothing, right?

Long story short, by the time I'd gotten through my muscular structure, the workout had rustled up just enough energy to get me into my cardio workout as well. Woo hoo! I got to check off both boxes on my workout tracker and that was a point scored for the good guys. Even feeling cranky and exhausted, I am capable of doing this. And the best part is, I feel so much better for it. Sure, I could be in bed right now instead of writing my blog, but this too is a victory. I figure if I can motivate just one of you out there to get on your mat too, to take just one hour out of twenty-four and feed your dream of a better body, that in turn might make you feel good, give you a little pride, a little more energy, even add a day to your life possibly, and you might pass it on. And it all becomes worth it. I know that I likely would not have done it today if I didn't have to tell you about it, so to you, I am eternally grateful. To Tracy Anderson.... well I don't even have the words.

I guess we're kicking off the weekend on a love day. How great is that?

Cheers,
Shan

End of Day Fifty-Nine!

I had a total panic attack today. No, not because of my weigh-in. Well yes because of my weigh-in, but also because I thought I got my math all wrong. I was so freaked over it, I nearly stopped my workout to run upstairs to my office and check the calendar. Lemme explain. (warning: I am an idiot. or as the Italians say: Idiota!!)

Today was the first day of Level Six - (also know as Hammer Time, gimme a sec to get to that) As I began the workout, it quickly became clear that this was not level 5 on steroids, this was level 5 on drugs - not the over the counter kind either, but the trippy psychedelic variety -  a combination of speed and acid to be exact. I could not keep up or follow along to save my life. I'm doing a bang-up job of bumbling along doing a sucky job of keeping up when it occurs to me, I'm on level six, but I'm on day 59. How the heck did that happen?

It's hard enough trying to keep up with Badass Anderson when she has your full attention, but now I am mentally going through all the Levels in my head and become convinced that I've either skipped a level or have added up my days wrong. I'm sort of hoping that I've skipped a level because that would then explain why I am suddenly so bad at this. I mean if Tracy were God and she saw me today, she would have come down from the heavens to smite me, no kidding.

So I manage to get through said workout without serious injury to myself or others (well I did accidentally kick the dog in the head, but he forgave me after a cookie) then I did a quick cool down before dashing up to check my handy dandy workout tracker. Nope, it's all there. My days line up, the levels match, so how is it that with rest days et al, I am at less than sixty days when starting level six if each level is ten days long? Do you have it? Have you gotten where I went wrong? Are you now agreeing with the Italians: "Idiota!" It took me ages. Duh - Level two was days 12 through 23 (including the rest days). Ah - the teens. Level two doesn't start at day 20. Now you see why I say I'm a total dum dum. Seriously. Sorry but I just had to share.

Panic attack out of the way, want to know what I think of Level Six? Remember how I thought Level Three was the Muffin Top Slayer? Well Level Six is Hammer Time. Tracy has gone out of her way to come up with these moves that just hammer the hell out of your entire torso. Front, back, side to side, up and down and all around. I mean to tell you that our fearless leader is not kidding when she says she has customized this workout for the Abcentric. Things are really going to change over the course of this sequence I can feel it in my bones (that would be the bones of my torso - spine, ribs, hips). The simple act of breathing hurts right now. But it's a good hurt. Good hurt? What does that even mean? I am in a healthy amount of  - well, I wouldn't exactly use the word pain - but I can tell that I've worked the muscles - pretty much in the same way I'd feel I'd been working if I'd been out plowing a twenty acre field... by hand. She absolutely kicked my ass or my abs as the case may be.

If you are Abcentric, be afraid. Be very afraid. But be excited too, because this is what she gets paid the big bucks for, baby. We are so all gonna be swim-suit ready and then some. If we were all taller (some of you very well may be, in which case this won't apply to you) but if we were all taller, those Victoria's Secret Models would be quaking in their wings for fear we'd be moving in to steal their jobs with our uplifted fanny fanny bo-bannies and our lean mean torsos and teeny tiny dancer arms.

So on that note, I am committed to sharing my progress here - very publicly and openly. Not because it will make a damned bit of difference to your day one way or the other, but because I've got to keep myself accountable. (hence writing this blog in the first place) No, there will be no photos at this time. Sorry or you're welcome, depending on where you stand on the subject of photo taking.

As for my weight, I managed to kick to the curb that wicked little pound that had the nerve to show up at my last weigh-in. Oh, don't feel sorry for it. It will find a new home on someone else's body. In terms of measurements - it was both a satisfying and disappointing day. I lost an inch overall - but it was bizarro.
I lost 3/4 of an inch off my chest - no hallelujah's there I'm afraid. (although the Vickie Seek Models can breathe a huge sigh of relief!!) But gained a quarter inch on my arm. Whew - my arms were beginning to resemble the twigs on a snowman. Not a pretty picture. And I lost a whole half-inch from my belly (lower waist below the navel). Can I get a whoop whoop?! However, my waist remains the exact same. No movement there at all. Hrumph. What the hell? or as the Italians say "Che Cosa?" Is that what they say? I don't even know, I just pulled that off google translate. All in all, some progress has been made so again I say, the Method works if you work it. So work it. Get up and get down. Here's a fun video to get you started.

Don't you just love the whole flash mob dance concept? I have a great idea!!!! When we all graduate from Metamorphosis, we should meet up somewhere and have a Tracy Anderson Flash Mob Dance Cardio session! I could be onto something here people.... Or I could be completely losing my mind. Too tired. Must find time to sleep!

Cheers,
Shan

Metamorphosis - Day Fifty-eight.

Fifty-eight days. Each passing day never ceases to amaze me. Seriously. Day fifty-eight. Starbucks and chips aside, this is a very proud moment. No one person or one program has ever motivated me more than the Tracy Anderson Method. And she's achieved this miraculous feat without ever having met me. Is it really any wonder that Gwyneth, Madonna, Shakira and the rest of her personal clients look so fantastic? I bet if she were standing over any one of us, we'd crank out 40 reps and then some. We'd dance for 30 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour if she asked us too.

But she isn't standing over me. We've never met. And I didn't want to work out today. Tell you why, (without bringing you down hopefully) I've had a really shit day. I swear, on a bathroom break midday I had to check my back for a target it was that bad. I wanted to crawl under a rock and not ever come back out. And do you want to know what turned my rotten day around? Dance freakin' cardio. I had no idea it was going to happen. I was dancing around, blowing off steam and before I knew it, my Husbie says, "you're enjoying yourself" with some surprise. At first I was taken aback. What's he smoking, I thought. But in that moment, I realized that I was smiling. I was really grinning. I was having fun. The day washed away with the sheen of my own sweat. You might never read this here again, so pay attention... Today, I enjoyed dance cardio. Sweat was definitely my fairy dust, folks.


Let's try not to get all swept up in the love day, people, because I have just watched level six. OMG. But before I get to that, I gotta mention that while I was doing my muscular structure I was thinking, wow, what a terrific concept for a workout, if you don't particularly like the sequence, in ten days you get to try a new one. Pretty great right? Uh, yeah, unless the new one is like the old one on steroids. Level six looks really tough. Tracy says by now, things are really going to start changing. I don't see how they couldn't, she is asking us to do things that the human body was not designed to do, especially the nearly 40-year-old human body, but I'm game. What the hell, right? I've come this far, may as well go all the way and see where the road leads.


Although I will say this, it will be a miracle if I don't knock myself out with my three pound weights. She has us flinging them around our heads like a ceiling fan and I am not a coordinated individual. If you're at all familiar with P90-X, you'll know that its creator Tony Horton has a tip of the day for each workout, it's like his catch phrase. "What's the tip of the day?" and his people will respond with whatever it is. But during one particular workout he has you lift weights over your head and jokes that the tip of the day is "Don't smash your face." I think that applies here in triplicate!


Tomorrow is weigh-in and measurement day. So on both counts, please wish me luck!!
xo
Shan

Day Fifty-seven - All that and a bag of chips!

Alright, so clearly the jury is in... I am not allowed to fly solo just yet. Damn.

It was Easter weekend and I made the bold decision to give myself a little freedom in the diet department. You what? Oh yes I did. I imagine that you saw my lovely Starbucks mug, I had a soy mocha and in my books that's not too bad. Okay, yes I had a spinach and feta wrap with that, but we agreed that we were not going to discuss it, didn't we? I agreed anyway. Even so, it could have been worse. I could have had an oat fudge bar or one of their giant cookies or one of those cake balls on a stick. (that doesn't sound as appetizing as they look at the counter).

I figured that since I have been maintaining my goal weight for around three weeks now, I might be able so swim out further in the pond so to speak. Yeah, no. Yesterday was a disaster. And even though I have a flair for the dramatic, I am not kidding you. Today starts a new Nutrient Boost week so I am subbing in veggie chili for one of the meat dishes. In my infinite wisdom (perhaps I should say finite) I opted to make a hu-massive pot yesterday so it would lighten the prep for this week. What I hadn't counted on was that I would eat an enormous bowl-full. Seriously, I practically un-hinged my jaw and tipped the entire pot back. It's vegetarian and low fat so that wasn't a biggie. It was the handful of shredded cheese that I added to it, along with half a freshly baked baguette. I'm not joking. I wrapped up the meal with an entire box of Slow Pokes - oh yeah - and there were potato chips involved in this little binge too. Shit shit shit. It was a total wipe-out. I was on holiday! Weeeeeeeee.

I'd like to say that I enjoyed every last bite but that would be a lie. I was eating blindly through the slow pokes, reading while eating, and I don't even think I noticed half of them on the way down. It wasn't until the box was empty that I realized I'd slipped into auto-pilot and dude does not know how to fly! It was my intention to have one or two - as a treat. Wow. 

Guess what the best part of this little tale is? I have weigh-in and measurement day on Thursday!! Lordissa. Why? How?

I've been giving serious thought to this whole self-sabotage habit and two things have occurred to me. The first is that I don't want to fail, so if I gave up, it wouldn't really be failing, it would be more like quitting. But that is not going to happen. I won't let myself quit on this, not this time. 

However, I have another fear. A bigger fear. It's the fear of being successful. What if I get through this program and have this rocking little body, then what? Am I going to have to keep this up for the rest of my life? Will everyone expect me to have a six-pack? Or teeny-tiny arms and legs? A friggin' dancer's body? I'm no dancer! (practically shrieking as I write that). I think... subconsciously.... I set myself up. And that hurts.


Imagine if your best friend did that to you. Would you still want to be her friend? I started this program because I am turning 40 this year and I want to live my life differently. Not just health-wise but in every aspect. I don't want to live on the edge of my dreams anymore.

There's a girl named Marta who is on the forum. At the moment, she's my inspiration. She never cheats on her diet and is doing super well. She's lost all kinds of weight and is so positive. Over the holiday weekend with family and friends, she still managed to adapt her diet to her circumstances without blowing it. If I was still living in her city, swear to god I would beg her to be my sponsor! She's amazing. Doesn't sound like she's living on the edge of her dream, sounds like she's working bloody hard to make that dream a reality.


So lets take a baby step. Today is the start of week nine - Nutrient Boost week. It's in my DNA to absolutely hate to over-promise and under-deliver - so I am not going to sit here and say to you that I am going to eat puree all week. I'm not. I simply cannot face sweet-potato puree this week, I'm sorry. Again, (Tracy would absolutely cringe if she were reading this) I am going to manipulate her diet plan to suit me, my schedule, my energy demands and my sulky attitude, but not to the point of sabotage, no sirree. You see, that destructive behavior is in the light now, so it cannot hide and it doesn't have power over me. So here's the plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail (according to Jillian Michaels).


Week nine is power juice, check.
Blueberry Applesauce, (or a smoothie) check
Sweet potato corn pudding, nope. I'll have a half/cup of granola instead.
Gazpacho, (as a salad) check
Veggie chili in place of Waldorf Salad, check
Veggie soup, check
Chocolate pudding, check 


With that settled, it's obvious that I am going to have to up my game where my workout is concerned. I've been mixing up the cardio doing both dance cardio on the floor like Tracy and also using my rebounder which I love.

Tracy has this fantastic workout that she posted in December to help keep us in shape over the holidays. I fell in love with it. You know how when you pose for a photo it can turn out looking stiff or unnatural, but if someone catches you in the middle of a spontaneous moment it can be utterly beautiful? That's how I feel about Tracy's rebounder workout. She created it without all the bells and whistles - she's wearing real sweats and socks with her sneakers - she is absolutely gorgeous and the moves are balanced, no editing snafus and it's hard but fun. Yes I said fun! I actually catch myself smiling. Me? Smiling while performing cardio? Can you imagine? It must be good.


So even with my ridiculously busy schedule this week, I am going to do that cardio workout everyday! Last month I gave you my stats - I think I only missed a couple of cardio workouts - April has been quite a different picture. So far this month I've only missed one transform workout, but I have missed a whopping eight cardio workouts. Yikes. That's like missing an entire week of cardio and then some. Not good at all. No wonder I haven't lost those last two inches around my waist, no one to blame but me. Time to "buckle down" as my mother used to say.


For any of you out there who feel like you want a bit of a game-changer, give this workout a try. I think you'll be pleased. 

This isn't over. It's times like this, when we get bored or lazy or tired, that we've got to refocus, recommit and make the effort to change. It is possible. We are the evidence of that because look how far we've come already.


Cheers,
Shan

Day Fifty-Four of my Metamorphosis

So... we've been at this for a while now and I've gotta admit that April hasn't been my most stellar month. Don't know about you, but lately I feel like I've been getting most of my exercise climbing back up onto the diet wagon that I keep nose-diving off of. Sheesh!

Today is a perfect example of how I haven't been following my customized program to the letter.

It's Saturday. It's a beautiful spring day here on the Island and it's the Easter long weekend. By some miracle I have found myself with the day off. (that's a rare and wonderful treat these days), so my Beloved invites me out on a hike. How can I refuse? But here's the thing. We decide to make a pit-stop at ....

Starbucks. 

Eeeeee, that's a no no. No coffee allowed on this program. Especially not a Decaf Grande Soy No Whip Mocha!! Yikes. But the birds are singing, the dog's panting happily in the back seat, practically all is right in the world so how could a Soy Mocha be wrong? It can't, therefore, that's what I order at the drive-through window. Lets not even talk about the food that happened to appear along with it. No, seriously, lets not talk about it.

We arrive at our destination and we hit the trail, and as we're hiking further into the woods toward the river, I get this really uneasy feeling. What should be the perfect day (sunshine, my two best guys, my favorite drink) turns into this kind of paranoid excursion (not really but I'm setting a mood here okay? just roll with it) I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, convinced that at any moment now, Tracy or one of her people is going to jump out of the woods and yell, "Aha! Caught you!". But it's not the coffee I'm worried about them catching me with, it's the mug!

Omigod, isn't it so beautiful? It's kinda new. Okay, so yeah, like this isn't my first trip to Starbucks this month, alright? I confess. (insert image of me hanging my head in shame here) I feel bad about it. Mostly. I do. Can I get on with my story now please? Thank you.

So I'm totally scouting the woods for Tracy Anderson spies because if they catch me with this mug I am in such big trouble. Why, you ask? Have you seen these things? They are industrial strength, made with hard-ass materials for the ultimate in durability because every office needs that. They're built tough for that long commute - but I don't think the commute they had in mind when they designed these babies was a commute on foot. Empty, the thing weighs a ton, forget about fully loaded. So here I am, tramping through the woods, lugging this giant filled-to-the-absolute-brim cup and I've become convinced that I'm gonna get busted for lifting more than three pounds! 

Shit, I've got to get drinking. I am not a girl who can drink and walk at the same time, so I kept holding up the walk, pretending that I was admiring the pretty flowers or spring foliage because my arms are starting to cramp under the weight. Plus I really shouldn't be drinking coffee so I've got to dispose of the evidence as quickly as I can.

Damn. This brings me back to what I've been exploring all week long. Self-sabotage. I want to finally chip away at the last of the muffin-top and erase those traces of cellulite and I am committed. I'm so close I'm practically there. I can almost see what it would look like to finally possess that body I've always envied. I mean I was totally on track last night at the super market. Instead of chocolaty delights, I picked up some fresh berries and the latest issue of Self Magazine  with Gwyneth on the cover, but today I'm at Starbucks.

I think I might be onto the answer to why I do this again and again, I'm just not sure how to stop it. As mentioned in an earlier post, I'm reading Jillian Michaels' new book Unlimited.

Now, I'm not going to be able to provide you with the answers to why you might be doing the same thing. Why do we stuff ourselves silly with chocolate chipped cookies when we're supposed to be eating carrot parsnip puree or why we munch on cheese doodles or popcorn when we should be snacking on apples. I can't even begin to tell you why we opt to watch a movie rather than workout on some days but what I can do - is provide you with some of the questions that you can be asking yourself to help you discover your own reasons why.

Hey, it's the long weekend, why not do a little digging into our childhoods, drudge up some painful memories and rake ourselves over the coals a little. NOT! That's not what this is. This is looking at how we behave from another angle and attempting to approach that behavior with a modicum of compassion and understanding so we're not destined to repeat it for the rest of our lives and maybe, just maybe we can make this whole process a little easier. You game? If not, just navigate away from this page now. Go to Starbucks, read a magazine, do your cardio - whatever - or - if you are....

Grab a pen and get ready.

Jillian wants you to ask yourself what your self-destructive behaviors are. I for one, always do a pre-tox prior to my detox and sometimes I'll even pretox during the detox.
Do you eat too much? Eat the wrong things? Do you wimp out when it comes to your workouts? 

Make a list and don't be shy. No on will see it. And it doesn't just have to be about diet and exercise, while you're at it you can explore other avenues of bad behavior in your life as well. Or not, it is Easter so you might want to go a little easy on yourself here.


Then ask yourself what harmful dynamics you repeat in your life?
For example - do you keep dating jerks? Do you let people take advantage of you? Do you keep getting picked on or get fired a lot? (these are just some of her examples because the book doesn't deal with diet and fitness alone, but your life as a whole)

Once you've got your two lists.... good times, I know, but bear with me, ask yourself how you feel when you engage in these self-destructive behaviors. When I am eating the brownie or cookies I feel so happy, almost in a sugar induced trance, but when they're gone, I feel really disappointed in myself.
Do you feel angry? Guilty? Depressed? Sad?

Now here comes the hard part. (you mean that wasn't the hard part? nope. sorry. be brave) She asks you to figure out when in your life you first felt this way. What other times you may have felt like this and how far back can you see this pattern. This isn't about blaming anybody or pointing fingers, rather it's about trying to pick out the destructive pattern to see where it comes from and then hopefully reverse it. No small feat, I know, I'm wrestling with it too.


Obviously the book is going to delve deeper and Jillian asks you to look at the people in your life who maybe first set you on this track. To see them as human beings with unresolved issues of their own and to have some compassion for them. To forgive them. But that's beyond what I'm trying to do here today.


Here's my thing. I am a sugar junkie. After taking a long hard look at my life - I can see that sweets were always "a good thing" growing up. If I was a good girl, I got sweets. if it was a special occasion, for example Easter weekend, we'd have an Easter Egg Hunt. If I was sad or upset, I'd get sweets to make me feel better.

My mom and her brothers love love love chocolate. Can't get enough of the stuff. I suspect that because my mom's parents lived through the Great Depression and World War II, sweets were rare. I'd go so far as to guess they hardly ever got them, so when my mom "grew up" she didn't want her kids to feel deprived, so she's always made a big deal out of dessert.

At the root of it all, the sweet stuff makes me feel good. Is it the same way with you and French Fries or cheese burgers? Chips or ice cream or soda pop? Jillian says that "by finding the roots of your feelings you can begin to understand and resolve them so they don't continue sabotaging your life." Yeah right, Jillian, easier said than done! But what she also says is that "Transformation isn't a future event, it's a present activity". I bet our Tracy would agree with that. That's why Metamorphosis is a process and not a one-shot deal.


Have a great Easter weekend, folks. Don't deprive yourselves, but make an effort not to self-sabotage either. Good luck!
Shan

Happy Earth Day.

Save the earth, it's the only planet with chocolate!

Have a great weekend.

Shan

 

Days 52/53 Metamorphosis

In certain circles, you're nothing if you don't have letters behind your name. MD, PhD, ACCA, MFA, CIMA. I mean come on, there's nothing like a string of letters to make you feel important, right?

But other letters associated with your name can present a less than favorable impression - for example OCD, FASD, PDD, or SMPI. 

As I have been observing my habits over the past 80 days or so, on both the 30 Day Method and Metamorphosis, I have become convinced that when it comes to diet, the letters used to describe my behavior must absolutely and unequivocally be ADD. What the hell? I mean for the first four days of anything, be it the first four days at the start of the program, the first four days of my Nutrient Boost week or the first four days of my Body Reset week I am there. I'm on it, I'm confident and committed. But by late on the forth day and into day five and beyond - forget about it. I'm eating bits of toast, or I'll sneak coffee or some chocolate, yesterday it was a Nanaimo Bar ... I should really just hang my head in shame. But honestly, I'm truly fascinated by this behavior. I'm acting as my own saboteur and I'm curious to know the reasons behind it.

I am going to have to do some digging to find out why. Lucky for me, I'm reading this great new book, by Jillian Michaels of all people, and it isn't even a fitness book. It's called Unlimited and while it's definitely campy and self-helpy, it's insightful and she's totally cracking me.

The caption on the back cover reads...

Lose the chains... She goes on to relay the story of a father and his young son at the circus. The kid sees a huge elephant shackled with a flimsy chain and he asks his dad, "Isn't that elephant strong enough to break free from those chains?"
"Of course he is," the father answers. "It's just that he's been chained like that since he was too small and weak to break free, and now he doesn't know the difference."

Jillian writes "I hate to say it but, buddy, you are the elephant in this story."

I for one think that the circus is evil! But the story's got me thinking, what invisible chains are holding me in this self-destructive behavior that prevents me from paying attention to my diet? Yes I am committed to this program, yes I am determined to see it through and yes, I have seen a good measure of success, but I keep falling off the wagon, keep slipping up. I mean seriously, my dance cardio DVD hasn't seen me in so long it's liable to put my photo on a milk carton. 

Okay, that's only partly true, while I have been neglecting my DC Meta DVD, I have been doing Tracy's Tel Aviv trampoline workout or dancing to my own mix of tunes but still, I feel that my commitment needs to be reaffirmed. But if we don't learn why we do the things we do, are we not doomed to repeat the same behavior over and over? And isn't the very definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results? I'm never gonna lose the last two inches off my waist if I keep sneaking treats, am I? I don't have to be perfect for the rest of my life, but it would be so awesome to have the smooth flat stomach of my dreams on my 40th birthday.

A day or so ago, I shared Autumn's tips for motivation. Tips and tools are great, but sometimes you need an extra hit of inspiration. So since I am still totally bewitched by Cher, after my workout this evening (had to break shamandment #5 Work out first thing, it couldn't be helped) I decided to watch the film Burlesque. While the film itself left much to be desired (a film review is not within the scope of this post at the moment) the dancers/actors really inspired me. 

I wanted to look like them, to move like them, be like them. I don't give a rat's ass if I am nearly 40! I'm not saying my new goal in life is to take to the stage. Good lord no! But suddenly, after watching them "perform", Tracy's Dance Cardio and all of her choreography and tricky routines aren't looking so bad. However... it is late and I am really tired, so I reserve the right to take this all back tomorrow, but for now, I have my inspiration.

You'll also notice that I said I was inspired by their performance. Are we not being reminded constantly that our Metamorphosis workout is a performance? Hell ya we are. 

I will make every effort this long weekend not to indulge my ADD tendencies and try to stick to a reasonable diet. As I posted earlier this week I've had to make changes to week eight's Body Reset menu. For the most part, I've been sticking to fruit for breakfast and granola for lunch, but things have been going a bit wonky after that.

Never mind, today is a new day. A clean slate. I can start again. And I will because I am a DLB. (Determined Little Badass). What do you think? Shannon Masters DLB. Does that make me seem more distinguished or what?

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.
Big hugs,
Shan

Makeover

Hey, I've had a makeover! Well, not me exactly, but my blog. Gave her a bit of an update and decided that we shouldn't be strangers. So... I tell you my secrets if you tell me yours.

xo
Shan

Day 51

Okay people. How's this for motivation? Steph... oops, I've always managed to protect her identity in the past, sorry buddy you gotta come out for this.... has LOST HER SADDLE BAGS! That's right. GONE. Like a fart in a wind-storm. Actually there was quite a lot more to it than that. She had to work her butt off - quite literally - using Tracy's badass Metamorphosis program and she did it!

Three cheers for Steph everybody!!!

So on that note, I want to share some tips for staying motivated while on the program. These are not my own tips, although I use them and have found them quite helpful. These were posted by Autumn, one of Tracy Anderson's trainers in LA.

Autumn says that the difficult part of any program is maintaining it, and we all know that first hand, don't we? Ugh. So here's what she recommends.

1) Know what you want. I've written about this ad nauseam, but it bears repeating. If you have a motivation for working out, it becomes the driving force behind you wanting to do it in the first place. It's a bit like a wedding. Once you're married and you find your beloved has some really annoying habits, you can go back to that wedding album or video and be reminded of why you fell in love with him in the first place, same thing here. Remind yourself why you're doing this. Is it to get into those skinny jeans? That wedding dress? (Catherine, I'm talking to you, girl) To have the energy to keep up with your baby son (Yania) or to simply be healthier and have a better relationship with your body.

2) Set realistic goals for yourself. Daily, weekly and monthly and make sure they are doable. Don't set yourself up for failure. Keeping simple goals will allow you to be excited and engaged throughout the process. It might be as simple as cutting out ice cream for the week. Although Tracy might ask you to give it up for a wee bit longer than that. (gasp)


3) Track your progress. Learn about you. By writing in a journal or even just using your workout tracker you can determine when you have high energy or when your energy dips, when and what you crave that may sabotage your efforts, (for me it's carbs that trigger those pesky sugar cravings). Keeping track lets you predict and prevent when you might have a bad day.


4) Utilizing social networks. Find a friend to keep you on track. Allow me to congratulate you all for coming here so we can keep tabs on one another and keep each other going. Some days it can get really dicey and if I were in it alone, I would have thrown in the towel ages ago! A support group will motivate, inspire and hold you accountable. Like Autumn says, it's harder to eat that cheese burger or skip that work out if you know you have to tell someone about it the next day.


5) Do away with your "all or nothing thinking". This is a biggie for me. Perfectionism is toxic. Come to terms with the fact that you are not perfect and this process will not be perfect. (you think they coulda told me that on day one! Sheesh) By not trying to be perfect you allow yourself to celebrate the small victories instead of beating yourself up for missing cardio. Ahem, that was a small pep talk to myself there. No being a hateful meanie, remember?


So that's it. Pretty good tips I thought.


And while we're on the topic of tips, I want to share some helpful suggestions for level five. In this sequence, Tracy has us putting our heads on the ground. I know from her other online content that this move will become even more involved and advanced so I want to help make sure that none of us sustain any injury.


Most women don't put their heads on the ground unless they are looking for a lost earring or a toy that found its way under the sofa so here are some things you'll want to remember.


When you place the top of your head on the mat, please be sure that your hands are on the floor shoulder width apart (not farther or it will weaken your stability) so that they form a tri-pod with your head on the mat. Once you have your palms in place, press them firmly into the floor and keep your upper arms parallel to the ground. (you are forming a right angle with your arm) Pressing the hands into the floor will alleviate any pressure on the head and neck. 

Next, be sure that you consciously push your elbows away from you. What this will do, is gently pull the shoulders away from the ears and further relieve any pressure on the neck. Doing this will set you up for success, especially if Tracy eventually asks us to place one knee on the back of one elbow while doing our leg lifts as she does for Gweneth during her training for Iron Man II.

It's a long video but worth the watch if you have no idea what I'm talking about.


Good luck and keep the faith!
Shan

Fifty Days of Metamorphosis

Monday was my rest day. So I took the day to rant, rest and reflect. There's nothing like the three R's to set your world to right. There are so many things that I'd like to have, do and be and in the same moment, there is a tremendous amount that I am already grateful for. I am so lucky to have my health and I thank my body everyday for the hard work it puts in on the Method. I have a partner in my life who makes space for me to fling my arms around and bend and stretch my legs at weird angles in the middle of our tiny little house. Even the dog's learning when to duck. But some days, it's just more than I bargained for.

When you go online or call the 1-800 number to order your Metamorphosis package, you basically think that you're signing up for three months of workouts with a diet plan. At least that's what I thought. I had no idea that the program would bring out the competitor in me, the sore loser, the hero or the champion. I didn't realize that I would be doing so much self-analysis or be venturing inward as much as I have done. It's become as much an exercise in self-discovery and reinvention as it has been a fitness routine. In fact with each passing day, it feels less and less like a fitness routine and more and more like therapy. That's not a bad thing, but there are definitely days where I'd like to just give the whole thing a rest and go have a margarita. Who's with me?

Some days, I feel like a passenger changing seats on a crashing airplane. It doesn't matter what I do or don't do, my fate is sealed. What appears to be happening on this particular workout is that rather than whittling my middle, as I'd desperately hoped it would do, I am starting to look a little bit like a fifteen-year-old boy. Straight up and down from every angle. It's not a terribly attractive look at almost 40 years old, I don't care what the hell Victoria Beckham thinks. Okay technically she's only 37 but you know what I mean.

Today marks the start of week eight and it's a whole new diet plan again. This week it's not a pick and choose week. It's a 'here's your menu for the week' week and it does not favor the vegetarian. It's tuna, turkey, chicken, salmon. That's not cool for me. I'm gonna need to change two out of the three meals each day this week so it's got me thinking, there really is no following it. The diet choices of past Body Reset weeks have grown a little tired so I don't particularly want to revisit them. Besides, I think I'm probably exhausting the neighbors' chickens with the number of eggs I've consumed in the last 7 weeks. I also really enjoyed the quinoa this week. Heck I miss plain old beans and rice and lentil soup. So I may venture out on my own, just a 'lil bit. Portion control and all that. Besides, I pretty much stuffed myself silly the past two days going through my raging mood swings so I think my chances of being good are fairly high. Turns out it was partly PMS (when asked if you were just being a moody cow, it's best to deny deny deny, then blame your hormones) But no, seriously... It was, it still is. It is. I am majorly PMS'ing as I write. And besides, the moon was totally full too. Shut up and stop judging!

While I am still weaving my way towards acceptance of this whole mad process, I am going to continue to bring it to my workouts because I really do genuinely enjoy them. Well not the cardio, that I just silently endure, but the muscular structure work I dig.

Level five is a good one. It's not vomit inducing so that's a major plus right there, but it feels like Tracy has brought our attention back to the mid-section. (I likely said this yesterday but am too tired to reread the post.) The arms and standing abs are similar to what they usually are, but there are a few more punching and shoulder targeting moves which are great and combined with being on all fours again will hopefully add a tiny bit of bulk to my arms as they're looking a bit, um, shall we say, bird-like? Not great. The ab work on the mat really brings the burn - I can feel every abdominal muscle working and then some. And once again, I can feel yet new and different muscles being targeted during the leg series, but surprisingly, it doesn't decimate me. In fairness, that might also be because I've been a bit of a slacker on the cardio side of things. An issue I am going to swiftly rectify this week if I can at all manage it.

So in the spirit of acceptance and all things good, I want to leave you with a blessing from Mother Theresa. You may already know this one, it comes around in those random forwarded emails, but it's a very powerful reflection and quite timely I thought and I sincerely wish it for each and every one of you.

May today there be peace within. 

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. 

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. 

May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. 

May you be content with yourself just the way you are. 

Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. 

It is there for each and every one of us.

Big hugs,

Shan

Day 49 - Post Measurement Blues.

Wikipedia defines Genetics as the science of genes, heredity and variation in living organisms. Personally? I think Genetics are our biological inheritance, for better or worse. If your whole family is five feet tall, chances are, you're not ever gonna play for the Lakers. If you come from an Indigenous population, it's not likely that you'll ever find out if blonds really do have more fun, unless you buy a wig. Yet when it comes to the shape of your body, Tracy says we can defy genetics.

Obviously I'm a fan of the Method. I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of practicing this workout so I've enjoyed it enough to stay with it. I adore its creator, Tracy Anderson. What she's done for me and for women around the globe is nothing short of miraculous. She really does make the word extraordinary seem lame. (She said that about someone else, but I stole it and applied it to her because it seems appropriate.)

However, yesterday I was inconsolable. I didn't have the heart to write about it either because I didn't want to be comforted. I was angry.

Something that I've written about previously, and I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone suffering real loss or tragedy, is the application of the Kubler-Ross model of the stages of grief to the Tracy Anderson Method. 

You see, weigh-in and measurement day, it didn't go so well. 

It wasn't horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but after the defeat of last time, where I felt certain my love handles would have melted away from level 3 but instead I gained a half inch, I thought I might catch a bit of a break this time around.

Nope. I gained a pound, and please don't say it's water retention or muscle... in my logical non-emotional brain, I know that. It's a pound. Yeah, so? Big deal. I did manage to lose that half-inch around my lower belly that I'd gained but I was gutted! Gutted I tell you. I have lost nothing from around my waist since the start of Level 2. That means that over the past 30 days of busting my ass and doing CARDIO, I am Abcentric through and through.

Within the span of a few hours I hit all the emotions of Kubler-Ross's stages of grief. At first I was angry. I wanted to step off the scale and quit right there and then. To hell with it. What's the point? There is absolutely no way I am dropping down to 7 or 800 calories a day for a smaller waist. My thighs are already shrinking more than I want. I lost a quarter inch off my thigh this week and I have practically no butt at all. I didn't have that much to start with. (Another thing I can thank my 'genetics' for I suppose.) Actually, it would appear that I am still a wee bit angry. In any case, I channeled that anger into a fierce workout. All things aside, I don't mind level five. It actually feels like we've moved back into targeting the mid-section. In fact the abs are really quite good.

A while later, I had a good cry. I was totally depressed. How was it that I could be working so hard and eating so little and making no change? If all I am doing is maintaining, couldn't I ease up on the rules a little bit then? Yep, I was bargaining. No one was listening and no deal could be struck so I cried a little bit more. Could be the full moon as well, I am a Cancerian so am ruled by the moon. Ah yes, there's the denial, "it's not me, it's the moon". Lordissa.

I went straight back into anger and thought oh yeah, oh yeah oh yeah? I'll show you. I headed to the grocery store after working my second job and bought all the fixings for a huge Sunday dinner. Mashed potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, veggies, mushroom gravy and while I really wanted tofurkey, I ended up with veggie burgers and picked up some New York Cheese Cake to compensate. (Ooooh oooh, and I picked up some stuffing too). I returned home and rustled up a feast. I piled up a huge plate. The sort of plate that caused me to gain the extra weight in the first place and I started to eat, enjoying (vengefully, might I add) every savory mouthful until I was stuffed to the gills. But the plate was only half empty. Curious. I didn't force it. I took what was left on the plate and stored it in the fridge for left-overs. I did eat my cheese cake without an issue though. And I'm happy to say the whole thing was not a repeat of my nasty popcorn incident.

But, if that meal had a theme song, it woulda been Pink's "So What!"

I am fully aware that being a single pound over my goal weight is..... well... pretty much being at my goal weight, so why am I bitching? I bitch - therefore I am. I have an idea of the shape I'd like to be, but it isn't what I am. I realize that I should be grateful that Tracy's helped me get my waist down to the measurement that it is. I may just have to accept that I'll never get the last two inches off. Although I haven't quite reached that stage just yet.

I do feel slightly heart-broken if I'm being really honest here. I started off making such progress and quickly too. Then I seemed to just level off and have been coasting ever since. I feel frustrated. I'm not bitter (yet). I am still very determined to see this through and if this is as good as it gets, the reality is that it's better than it was and I can live with that. When I'm sixty and look back at this body, I'll wonder why in the hell I wasn't more grateful? Why I didn't show it off? Why I didn't take more pride in the accomplishment? I guess that's why some therapy techniques ask you to write a letter to yourself from your future self. Perhaps I should think about doing exactly that this week. It might make me feel better and help guide me to the acceptance that what I am right now -  is beautiful and ... how did one reader put it? it was something about not striving for perfection, rather striving for excellence. A good goal to be sure.

Whatever our genetic make-up, we've got to work with what we've got and make it the best that it can be. A lesson, it's clear, that I am still struggling to learn.

Cheers,
Shan

Day 46 - Meta Abcentric

Have you ever seen any of those animated holiday films where they show the passage of time by showing the pages of a calendar flying by day after day in neck breaking succession? It it literally time flying and that's how I am feeling about this program. How in the world did it get to be day forty-six and have I been following the diet? I have no idea. I'm really quite tired and I vaguely remember being scolded by my new boss for causing a screw up that if not caught, at the very least could have slapped the company with a hefty fine and at the worst, could have crashed a plane. Yep it's been that kind of day and said boss then felt sorry for me, because you know, basically I'm a nice girl and I'm new, so she fed me chocolate. I didn't protest.

However, looking back, maybe it wasn't the best decision since tomorrow is the start of Level Five and you know what that means...


Weigh in and Measurement day. Poo. I don't even want to think about where I might be at, since I've also missed three days of cardio in the last ten. Hate to say I told me so, but I told me so. Cardio has been first thing to be sacrificed to the new routine. In all fairness, since it's a shamandment not to be a hateful meanie to myself (see sidebar for all the shamandments) I have done as many hard-core dance routines as I have workouts on the rebounder so my sweat quotient is definitely up for the week.

I have my Meta DVD's with me and I am about to watch the newest routine before I tackle it tomorrow and it occurred to me that I have four workouts under my belt and four workouts after this one I'm about to start. Kinda makes me feel a bit misty. Also I still have no idea what I am going to do after...

Do I order continuity? Or go with the Omnicentric program? I am leaning a little toward the latter since it's more cost effective and I don't need to worry about extra shipping costs each month or if the new workouts will arrive on time and all of that. Yet I don't want to regress by going back to the start of an easier workout since the workouts get progressively harder. Although if memory serves, level one, two and three were all pretty friggin' hard! What do you think I should do? What are you going to do?

There's still time to decide I suppose, but I'd love to know your thoughts.

While I plan to give a little preview of level five once I do it, tomorrow is another extremely long day, but what I would like to share - he he he - is the hysterically funny review that my go-to girl Victoria sent me roughly ten days ago.

Level 5. I don’t know what to say. It all started with a fast arm/standing ab/ab sequence, but I was expecting that. Then we move on to legs. Let me preface that when I do Tracy, my loyal side kick, Annie our golden, is always by my side. She usually plays with a toy during dance cardio and shakes her head around and kicks. During the MS, she mostly just looks concerned. So after the first exercise, she sat and watched concerned and then I named the series, “Tracy really wants me in a bikini this year.”
On to the next exercise, when I hear, “Now, place the top of your head on the floor and lift your leg up.” What! The last time I put my head on the floor, I believe is when I had my last ear infection. Now, Shan, I know you’re a former yogi, but I’m a 90s jazz dancer. The thing that came to my mind first was, I’m going to pull a Greg Lougainis. Luckily, my sidekick saw my concern and laid on the other side of my head. Ahh loveable fur ball, you’re forgiven for eating that loaf of rosemary, Meyer lemon bread from the farmer’s market last week.
Next exercise comes up, I decide that “Tracy really wants me in a bikini” no longer applies and it should be called, “I own you” After that there was a lot of being on all fours, but only balancing on two of those fours. It was ridiculous. I then notice that T is wearing red. Wasn’t that Stalin’s favorite color?
Final exercise, kind of a side plank, but keeping your arm and leg in the air and squeezing. I don’t know, but the final name of the series is “HA HA” This all happens while my husband sits on the couch, eating, and telling me “that looks hard.” You think?!?! Also, side kick at this point has gone on laying on my leg that’s on the floor. As if.
On the bright side, the legs don’t involve weights. And there is a really close up of T’s tummy, which makes me want to work harder. 

  
Isn't she the best? Yeah to Victoria!!

Something I want to add to this is the gentle reminder that Tracy has a plan. She has a plan and that means that we are meant to do all of the moves she prescribes in the order she prescribes them. 

For example, those of you on Abcentric already know or will soon learn that in level three TA begins to strengthen our core and work on our balance by having us do side kicks while balanced on opposite hand and knee. Then in the next level, she's got us doing full planks (push up position) and doing leg kicks, which we might not have been able to do had we not built the strength in the previous level. The same can be said for levels four and five.

In level four - the plank series - she has us on our elbows raising and lowering one leg followed by the sort of head stand thing that Victoria mentions above. Here's the thing. The type of yoga that I taught begins with the headstand, the king of postures. In order to prepare students to physically be able to do a headstand, we had them perform a move called the Dolphin. Interestingly, the Dolphin is very much akin to the elbow plank. So Tracy is not only using dance traditions, she is pulling from the ancient yogic wisdom that is thousands of years old. We can trust in her and we can trust in that, but that is why I stress again how important it is for us to make a solid attempt to do each and every exercise she asks us to do. It's all building a stronger foundation for the next level.

So lets be strong meta-maniacs and lets be vigilant. I for one certainly do not want to re-injure my neck and I don't want to see any of you get hurt either.

Have a great weekend and I'll letcha know the damage (weight and measurements) on Sunday. Eeeeeeeeee!!!

Day 45 It's Official.

If Metamorphosis were a week, today would officially be "hump day". I am 45 days into the 90 day program. Well technically, if you're not counting rest days et al. As predicted with my new hectic schedule, my cardio is falling by the wayside. I had a choice today - dance my butt off all by myself, or go out and spend the same half hour with my beloved and my doggie strolling down the beach. Guess what I chose? If you say cardio you gotta be new here.

I think Tracy would have approved. It was refreshing to be out in the spring air with buds bursting from the branches of long-dormant trees, flowers springing forth from the previously barren earth, birds and bees in a symphony that set my cup running over with feelings of joy and pleasant ease. A feeling I rarely get in the heart of winter when I tend not to stray far from the fire's cozy edge.


I love spring. There is something about this invigorating time of renewal that makes you want to get up and do more. To move your body, to stretch and wake up and strip off a layer or two of clothing. It's brilliant and very timely.


As we move further into the meta workout, one of two things seems to happen and we can often oscillate between them. The first is that the regular routine of your workout and diet can become somewhat "normal" and is integrated into life as you know it. This is the better of the two options. The second is that we can become bored, tired, frustrated and our inner child will rear it's ill-tempered head and roar "I want to play a new game!!" 


I was at the latter a week or two ago when I went lurking among the diet books at the book store and found myself longing for a change in routine. But with the firm arrival of spring, I feel somewhat recharged and ready to forge ahead into uncharted territory. As my sister commented only recently, she cannot believe I am still with the program. With the program is applied kind of loosely here though because as you know I have adapted it to fit my own lifestyle, that of a very busy and creative vegetarian.


I've come up with a new recipe made out of the lovely Nutrient Boost ingredients - more or less - if you, like me, tend to prep your food in advance, you'll have made extra quinoa. In my last post I suggested that you might serve it hot with your carrots and parsnips along with a fresh and crisp side salad. However, if you'd like another option, serve the quinoa cold and tossed with cherry tomatoes (not on the list this week, but they have been in the past) chopped cucumber, green onion and diced red pepper. Sprinkle that with a bit of non-fat Italian salad dressing and just a wee pinch of feta (gotta keep the calorie intake up and I like a bit of fat to keep me full) and you've got a wonderful lunch to take to work.

If you're really loving the quinoa, once this program is over, do yourself a favor and check out the amazing and wonderful cookbook Quinoa 365. You options with this power-grain are endless!!

Having jumped straight into this mad schedule I have also come to another startling realization. When you hand over 8 or 10, 12 or 14 hours out of 24 to someone else's schedule, those little moments that you can steal away for yourself become so much more gratifying. A perfect example of this was after an exceptionally long day yesterday, my beloved arrived home around the same time as me. While he jumped into the shower I got out the mat and went straight into my TA practice. I was exhausted but I kept thinking about the power and strength that my workout was affording me and how grateful I would be at the end of all of this (the mad jobs), if I keep it up. At the end of the workout I cooled down with a very slow and gentle yoga practice that I wrapped up with a lovely savasana or corpse pose. In those last moments laying on the yoga mat, I became fully aware of how precious that moment to myself was and I allowed myself to luxuriate in that. Something I never seem to allow when I am working for myself. When it's just me, I seem to be on all the time, never a moment to stop or rest. What an incredible gift that one small realization became. 


I have no idea where my body is at weight or measurement-wise, but I am taking so much more away from this process than mere fitness. Metamorphosis can help you transcend the stress of an ordinary day, it can push you further than you thought possible and show you that you are so much more capable than you might have allowed yourself to imagine. On our workout tracker, Tracy has written "Your dream body is becoming a reality" on day 44. I wonder if she envisioned empowerment for us at this point as well.


It's a love day today ladies and while I have no idea what tomorrow has in store, in this moment I feel deeply grateful for all of this, the workout, the process and all of you to share it with.


Much love and big hugs,
Shan

 

44 - Meta.

Here's the thing, if you're gonna play with the big boys, it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve. So this week I have taken a few liberties with the menu. Okay, more than a few. I am like  a moody chef, I don't care how well your recipe has worked or for how many generations! I have got to get in there and own it. 

Don't want no steenkeeng chocolate pudding this week. I love that pudding, normally. This week, I've gone off it. Plus, I am trying to trim back my sugar intake slightly, so if I really feel the need for something sweet, I'll have a handful of chocolate chips but I don't want to rely on having pudding everyday. I have also picked up some dark chocolate covered blueberries at the health food shop in case of emerge. Since the chestnuts can be substituted for blueberries in the pudding recipe well.... only logic like mine would allow me to make that leap. Works for me.

I've also taken a page out of some of the diet followers book on Tracy's forum. Many of them, while following the diet to a tee, do not puree and while this has worked out well for the gazpacho, this week I am expanding and not pureeing the carrots and parsnips. If you cook them and serve them with the quinoa (that's a bonus at the halfway point btw) and turn your veggie snack into a salad then voila, you have a real meal on your hands.

Throw the breakfast berry trio into a blender rather than the food processor and add a cup of almond milk (which technically is not part of this week's allowed foods, but I'm going with it) and breakfast becomes a rather delightfully pink smoothie. Yum. The gorgeous tofu soup remains the same. When it works, it works and for me, this works and it makes a great lunch, the tofu keeps you full and gives you energy. Oh... I guess it would be helpful to mention that in week 7 Tracy has us on a Waldorf salad, but being a vegetarian, I prefer the soup.

And finally, the piece de resistance, the Kiwi Basil Puree. This has become a creation all of my own that I love to eat anytime as a snack, for breakfast or as a dessert. It's very versatile when you tweak it to your own tastes. 

I like to throw the four peeled kiwi's into my blender with a whole orange. I skip the basil altogether and add a teaspoon-ish of maple syrup. Sounds weird I know, but this gives it a deliciously sweet flavor without tasting sugary. It then becomes like a pudding.

And of course, I've mentioned this before, my power juice comes in a jar - it's New Chapter Organics - Berry Greens which comes in really handy straight after my workout.

This whole adaptation of the Nutrient Boost has shaved off about an hour of prep time in the kitchen. For those of you just flirting with the diet, dip your toe in, the water's fine. Just try one of the meal suggestions, Tracy's way, your way or you can venture further afield and try it my way. 

Bon Appetite!!

Forty-three days in forty seven more to go.

Check it out.

Do you think she knew we'd imagined her as the Muffin Top Slayer when she had this outfit designed? I mean come on! Can you not totally see her riding her horse gallantly over the craggy hills brandishing her fitness weapon? And that expression's got Badass written all over it. Damn. I feel like I should stop writing and go do ten more minutes of cardio.  


It's kinda funny, my beloved mentioned the other day that he feels like Tracy is our new roommate. Or the newest member of the family because there are more pictures of her around here than there are of the two of us. No, I'm not some wing nut who has photos of Tracy plastered all over the walls. (No offense to anybody out there who does.) But her DVD's, her book and all the material for the Metamorphosis program are laying on every available surface and of course her face is on each of them. I talk about her constantly and she's on our television every single day. She's everywhere, man.

If for some reason you missed her lovely post to all of us on the forum, here is what Auntie Tracy had to say...

Hi Everyone,

I can think of no better reward or motivator than seeing what you all have done so far with Metamorphosis. Your commitment, transformation, dedication, friendships and support, is something that Gwyneth and I have always dreamt of creating. She and I have a wonderful teacher/student relationship, a solid friendship, and are a constant support to one another. Now you are able to have that same support system with each other in this wonderful community. To see you all take these first steps so successfully, and how you are empowered to learn more, will only continue the success of your transformation. Many of you are getting close to, or have reached the end of your first 90 days. I am so excited to personally jump in now and lead your progression as a member of this group. It is so great that I am able to reach as many of you as possible, as often as possible, and achieve what has always been my dream – helping every follower as close to one-on-one as possible. I look forward to having this special place with all of you where we can communicate and I can support you when you struggle. Staying home is the new way of fitness; you no longer need to go to a gym to get a workout. Time is our most precious commodity, so being able to work out in your home, but still have this group support is exhilarating! After this first 90 days, I will be able to navigate your results, and help get you the freedom in your lifestyle, especially with food. You are in a rhythm now and your body is used to moving in this certain way, it is also hopefully cleansed from some unwanted weight, and toxins, so now you can move forward with a hands-on customization with the method. I am SO proud of all of you!

As soon as you are done with the first 90 days – please don’t take a break! All of the hard work you just invested in, all of the muscles that we just woke up, and all of the changes you have made to your body should continue with the continuity program. You do not own your transformation yet, this is very important. You need to keep focused on it and not undo all of your hard work. It is really important to stick to your body type and keep moving forward with the new programs every 10 days. I have perfected this method for over a decade, so let’s all keep each other motivated through this community. Above everything else, remember that I am here for you!

Love,
Tracy


I feel like we have our own little community right here too and I love it so much. Our support of one another through our ups and downs gets me through it. It would also seem that we're not the only ones who are thinking beyond day ninety. I wonder where Ms. Anderson will lead us next?

Cheers
Shan
                                                                                                                      

Day Forty-two

Day forty two of my captivity... only kidding. Today's the last day of my body reset week (aka run along side the wagon while I munch nachos week) and it's a rest day. Yeah, I love me my rest days!

While I am more or less forward looking to tackling the new week that technically starts tomorrow, I am also slightly apprehensive.

Life's been a little tumultuous lately, and I don't think it's just me that's feeling it. Things are shifting and changing for people on a global scale. You only need to look at recent events in Japan to see how mad things can become and we've got to find methods of coping. While I am certainly not dealing with a life or death situation, I have had a couple of writing gigs go sour, so action had to be taken or I would wind up without a way to make rent.

Making a living as an artist has certain perks. You can keep your own hours, you're generally your own boss and you can more or less live in a world of your own design. However, the drawback is that you live with the constant nag of never knowing where your next paycheck is coming from. While things are sorting themselves out on the creative side, I've had to take a couple of jobs to make due in the mean time. I bring it up because that's the reason I am feeling apprehensive around my Metamorphosis. 

As those of you on the program are well aware, it's an enormous commitment. Both the energy needed to perform the workouts, as well as the time needed to prepare the menus, especially on the Nutrient Boost weeks which I am headed into tomorrow. One of the jobs I've accepted will have me on site for fourteen hours a day, three days a week. This doesn't leave a tremendous amount of time or energy for working out, much less documenting it, but I am committed to making the effort. I didn't come this far only to have everything derailed on account of a part time job.

Easy to say now, having not been forced out of bed by a ringing alarm at 4am. And I am not a morning person, just ask my sister or my husbie, they'll both attest to that.

Add to this my part-time evening gig merchandising the gift department of a bookstore, I'll be working seven days a week, sometimes both day and night quite literally while still attempting to write. I am really hoping that Meta will not take a back seat. But I wanted to give you the heads up that after Easter, I may miss a post once or twice a week, but it's only because I had to make the choice between working out or writing about not working out cuz there may not be time to do both. It's a bummer, but we never know when life's going to throw us a curve ball. By the same token, we never know when we may receive a miracle. 

I once crossed paths with a woman who had: "be practical, expect a miracle," written on her business card. She's one of the coolest people I've ever met and I love the sentiment because I do expect miracles on a regular basis. Couldn't manage without them.

Life cannot be all smooth sailing, things are gonna sometimes get tough, but how we respond and cope is entirely our choice. It's my great hope that the Metamorphosis program will be an anchor for me in the upcoming weeks and months. It's already made me so much stronger, I'm hoping to use that strength to power through. And on those days when I feel beleaguered or overwhelmed, I'm counting on my muscular structure workouts and whole foods diet to give me energy. You'll notice how I left out the cardio there? Yeah, that's the thing about cardio - Hate it and if I have a really good excuse not to do it, it's gonna be the first thing I ditch, guaranteed. 

But, I did make a promise to myself that for these 90 days, come hell or high water, I'd do my cardio. I may not have reached hell quite yet, but I can see it from here and the water's rising! Let's see if I can stay true to my word.

While I know you'll all deal with my occasional absence, it's me I'm bloody worried about. How will I survive without you? I will be missing you terribly, but will try like mad to navigate the stormy seas of Badass Anderson's Meta program all by my onezie! Yikes, it's gonna get scary.

Cheers
Shan