30 Day Yoga Challenge

Posted on April 12, 2011 by

Day 1: Anusara Inspired with Shelly

This class was not on the list recommended for all beginners but having been to a few classes, I felt comfortable testing myself and giving it a go. The class was intense and I worked up a sweat. I felt great afterwards (wobbly legs and all) and just hope I didn’t go a bit too hard on myself for the first day.

Day 2: Hatha with Chris

Today’s class was more of a beginner level class. However, the combination of the intense day 1 and immediate follow up has my body feeling extremely stiff and sore. Nervously wondering what tomorrow will feel like.

Day 3: Day off

Today I am paying the price for taking such a leap into my practice. I am sore all over. My body needs a day to recover so I am walking instead.

Day 4: Anusara with Chantal

Physically ready to go back to class, I decided to try Chantal’s class. It was definitely challenging because there was less explanation of the poses and more assumed knowledge but I was pretty happy with how I kept up. The biggest challenge was that this involved a few standing/balancing poses that I am very new to. However, it was a good lesson in how not being good at something isn’t the end of the world and I’m glad I tried them all (even though I was wobbling and falling). I did notice a significant improvement from the first time I tried standing poses in my second class so that was positive.

Day 5: Beginners with Chris

Although the beginners class is a comfortable class to be in because you’re not expected to know too much (if anything), it isn’t an easy class because a lot of focus is placed on building strength. I am starting to notice that I am improving and this is making me happy although I would by lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a tad worn out.

Day 6: Today life got in the way of yoga.

Day 7: Beginners with Chris.

Day 8: Candlelight Hatha with Chris

This class was super relaxing and almost similar to a restorative class. Very enjoyable and definitely suitable for beginners. It’s even suitable for people who have never been to yoga before at all.

Day 9: Heart Centered Hatha with Chris

Again, this class was a little easier and more relaxing than the beginners classes. Although Hatha has a nicer flow than beginners, you certainly still feel it working. I’m noticing that I’m much better at balancing and flowing from pose to pose. Practice is working.

Day 10: Beginner with Rebekka

With a new teacher and less description about how to do the poses, I noticed that I have improved significantly from day one. I still can’t come close to touching my toes but it is improving and my back is feeling fantastic. Although I can’t touch my toes with straight legs, as I look around the class I realize I’m not alone. Not by a long shot!

Day 11: Karma with Lucas

Lucas likes to challenge us. It’s a fast paced class and we practice the beginnings of handstands. I don’t even come close and neither do most other people. I’m glad I got over thinking everyone at yoga would be perfect and I would look silly.

Day 12: Beginners with Lucas

Day 13: Candlelight Hatha with Chris

Today was one of those days that I really didn’t feel like going out after work, in the rain. These are the days thats it’s most important to go. I’m glad I did.

Day 14: Hatha

Relaxing as always. More gentle that beginners.

Day 15: Day Off

Day 16: Day Off

Day 17: Restorative

Restorative yoga was a really interesting experience. At times it was so gentle I wasn’t sure how much benefit I was getting from it, besides feeling rested. Having said that, my back felt fantastic afterwards and it was a nice change of pace to try yoga with a different purpose.

Day 18: Beginners

Day 19: Yin

Yin was a challenge! Holding the same pose for 5 minutes at a time tests your strength and your mind. Trying to not give in to the desire to fidget, wriggle and remove discomfort seriously tests you. I learned a lot in this class and even though I experienced a larger amount of discomfort during the class, it is fair to say that I could feel it being beneficial. I recommend this class for days when you have less energy and require long, deep, slow poses.

Day 20: Vinyasa with Sarah

I’ve waited until now to try Vinyasa as some yoga experience is recommended. I’m glad I waited and I’m glad I went. This class had me working up a sweat, flowing at a more reasonable pace and challenging myself. This class felt fantastic. It was challenging and showed me both how far I have come and how far I have to go. With a mix of Vinyasa newbies and seasoned professionals, I fit in nicely. When I see other beginners I notice that I have learned a lot and when I see long time yogis I get inspired to keep going.

What has this experience taught me?

  • You do not need to be flexible to practice yoga. There are all kinds of adjustments that can be made to every pose depending on where you are.
  • Everyone starts as a beginner. You’re all in the same boat.
  • People aren’t staring at you, judging you and thinking about you just because you’re new.
  • Yoga is friendly and welcoming to new students.
  • You’re not as uncoordinated, inflexible, unbalanced and awkward as you think you are.
  • Yoga classes are not full of people who can do the splits, handstands and have perfect bodies.
  • All kinds of people go to yoga.
  • Yoga really is great for the mind as well as the body.
  • Getting to class is the hardest part. Once you’re there, it’s smooth sailing no matter which class you choose.
  • You get better with practice and will be surprised by how quickly you progress with some poses and how challenging others can be.
  • There really is a yoga class for everyone. Try lots of styles.
  • Shop around and try a variety of yoga styles and teachers. It is important that you are comfortable with the space, the teacher and the style. All of these factors will heavily influence your desire and ability to practice.
Posted in 30 Day Challenges, Weight Loss | 1 Comment

30 Day Challenge: Yoga

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

Preparation

Bette Calman from Australia is one of the worlds oldest yoga instructors. Still teaching 11 classes a week at 85 years old.

I’ve always wanted to try yoga but figured I would never be able to do it. I have the worlds tightest hamstrings. They might not officially be the worlds tightest but as an otherwise healthy person who cannot come close to touching her toes… they’re tight, trust me.

I reached a point where I decided enough is enough. My tight muscles and refusal to stretch have caused back pain that makes me feel like I’m in my 80′s, not the ‘prime of my life’.

I understand that the only way to overcome a fear or create any real change in your life is to dive right in and so I turned to Kassandra, a yoga instructor. I invested in 4 private 90 minute lessons to see if yoga is for me. After all, I was sure that there was no way I could just go to a yoga class with my tight, inflexible body. I quickly learned that although I do indeed have very tight hamstrings, there are also lots of other parts of yoga that do not involve hamstrings that I was able to do. There are also props and modifications that you can do to poses to allow you to do them and go deeper as you become more flexible.

Kassandra teaches Anusara Inspired yoga and I was surprised at how much of a sweat I broke. Anyone who says yoga isn’t a workout, has never tried this before.

After 4 private lessons, it was time to try my first class. I started small by going to a class taught by Kassandra’s partner Lucas. This class only has about 8 people which allows a significant amount of personal attention. Although I was nervous, I quickly became comfortable as I realized that not everyone who does yoga is able to bend like a rubber band. It really is true that no matter how much of a beginner you are, you’re never alone.

I enjoyed my first class so much, I went back 4 more weeks in a row and it is now time to begin my personal 30 day challenge to see if I can go from yucky to yogi.

My goal is to practice yoga as often as I can for 30 days. My purpose is to learn about different types of yoga and see what effect yoga will have on my body when I practice it on a regular basis. I want to see what impact yoga can have on my back as well as my hamstrings and on the shape of my body as well as on my mind. Will I be more toned? Will I feel significantly more calm? Will there be types of yoga I love and types I loath? I intend to find out and give you the answers right here on my blog.

I hope that by sharing my experiences, it will give other tight hamstringed yogi wannabes the confidence to try yoga so that they can at least make an informed decision about whether or not yoga is for them. After all, an informed decision is a lot better than one made on assumptions about something you haven’t actually tried.

Need More inspiration? Check out Bette Calman, one of the world’s oldest yoga instructors.

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Who should pay on a first date?

Posted on April 5, 2011 by

Why you should split the bill on the first date.

Why you should split the bill on the first date…

I was raised to believe that I was equal to a man in every ‘non biological’ way. I was assured by my parents that I could go into any career I chose, that I was intelligent enough to compete with my peers regardless of their sex and I was always reminded to never rely on a man, especially financially. I was also told that if a man has any respect for me, he will pay for me when we go on a date. I was told that women are to be wooed, chased and respected and all of this sounded pretty good to me, however the older I got, the less sense it made. Something just didn’t compute. How can women claim to be equal and yet expect so much?

For a lot of people, dating has become a major pass time. There are those who have turned dating into a business, blogging about their expeditions, conquests and adventures and those who are looking for ‘the one’. Sex and the City made the singles scene so incredibly appealing that many forgot that it was just a TV show (and a movie with a really horrible sequel). Dating can (and should) be fun but if the purpose is to find someone to spend the rest of your life with, or at least a good chunk of it, then the ins and outs of dating need to be carefully examined and taken seriously before you dismiss someone who might just be perfect for you.

When you break a first date down, it is two people, who don’t know each other, finding out enough to determine if they would like to get to know each other on a deeper level. The question I pose to you is, why should one person pay for this? You have both given up several hours of your time. You are both there to get to know each other. You want to start out on an even playing field with no one feeling like they owe the other anything. Doesn’t it just make sense that you split the bill?

There are a lot of things to establish in those first awkwardly exciting hours and so much potential can be blown away because someone is offended by a social custom that no longer makes sense.

The first few dates are laying the groundwork for a potentially lengthy partnership. It’s about finding out about the other person on a very real level. How do they spend their time? What is their relationship with their family like? What do they value? Instead, those first few dates are often spent trying to impress by paying for a meal, making your career sound fascinating, pretending you’re more exciting than you actually are and wondering who is paying and what their expectations are. It’s also spent making assumptions about the other person based on our own broken belief systems rather than the reality of the situation. For example, if a man wants to split the bill, it is often assumed that he is cheap and will never pay for you. The reality of the situation is likely to be very removed from this. Consider the fact that you are both equals and making an investment in a date. He wants to see how this goes just as much as you do. Not paying on a first date has nothing to do with whether or not he will pay in the future. By the same token, it is frequently assumed that if a man treats you to an extravagant evening on the town, that this behaviour will continue when in fact, it may not and may simply be a means to impress you, give him the upper hand and leave you feeling like you owe him something.

Aretha had it right when she proclaimed r  e  s  p  e  c  t but respect is something you earn and serial dating, expecting to be paid for and having a checklist of automatic deal breakers are not qualities many of us would respect in others.

Women have grown and evolved in so many positive ways. It would be a shame if they continued with the same, outdated traditions in their love lives and it ended up costing them a lifetime of happiness.

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My Weight Loss Experience: It’s Not ALL About The Food!

Posted on March 12, 2011 by

There are few things more frustrating than hearing “your weight is emotional… It’s not about the food”. Particularly when you consider yourself a generally happy person with no reason to stuff your emotions with food. You automatically respond with, “actually, it is about the food. I just really love chocolate!”. Then why is it so difficult to get it together? Because it’s really not all about the food!

Weight loss, well-being, increased energy and happiness are lifestyle decisions. A food addiction, craving, dependance or whatever you would like to call it is a symptom. It’s a symptom that something isn’t right. It doesn’t mean you have been traumatized, are clinically depressed or unstable, but it does mean something needs to change. It could be as minor as needing to take more time for yourself or as major as needing to change your career direction. The key is identifying what makes you happy and what needs to change to accomplish it?

It seems difficult to comprehend in the beginning but once all of these things change and you make progress with your lifestyle changes, you quickly realize you don’t like that Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bar as much as you thought you did. It does make a nice treat occasionally though.

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My Weight Loss Experience: Weeks 3 – 7

Posted on March 12, 2011 by

A lot has changed since week 1. I have moved comfortably into a routine of healthy eating, I am a regular at the gym, I have more energy and I am 6 pounds lighter than when I started. The biggest realization for me has been the fact that I do not want to be consuming foods that aren’t even really food. Something clicked in my mind and I realized that my body needs and craves whole, fresh foods. Food in their natural form that have not been processed and packaged. Foods that do not contain additives that I am unable to pronounce let alone understand their contents. I have realized that my former ‘need’ for packaged convenient foods was not actually a need but rather a decision. It was a decision to be busy, lazy and to put food and health at the bottom of the list of priorities. I quickly discovered that I actually enjoy making my own food everyday, knowing exactly what is in it and it isn’t as difficult or time consuming as I first thought. What it does require is planning, perseverance when things don’t go according to plan and research.

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How Do You Lose Weight?

Posted on March 12, 2011 by

NOTE: None of the information on this website is intended as medical or nutrition advice. This website recounts my experiences with health, exercise, nutrition and eight loss. When Making lifestyle changes for yourself I recommend seeking professional medical assistance.

In February I made the decision to take better care of my health. I was spending a lot of time on various activities and projects and had gradually neglected myself in terms of health, fitness and well-being. The symptoms of this neglect included weight gain, excessive sweating, PMS and fatigue. After consulting with my doctor I quietly began changing my eating habits, my exercise routine (I finally got back into one) and I decided to finally concur both my fear and curiosity of yoga in an attempt to strengthen and transform my body and eliminate my back pain.

After determining my BMR (the number of calories I am required to consume each day to maintain my current weight) I began tracking how many calories I was consuming. Although at times tedious, I actually enjoyed the science of working out what needed to go into my body to achieve my goals. In order to lose approximately 1 pound per week, I found it is necessary to consume 500 – 1000 calories less than my BMR each day. For example, if you require 3000 calories each day to maintain your current weight, then you need to consume 2000 – 2500 calories each day to lose weight. It is also necessary to be sure to consume enough calories so that your body does not go into ‘starvation mode’ and begin storing fat. For this reason, it is not recommended that anyone consume less than 1200 calories a day.

After a month of tracking and counting, I was introduced to My Fitness Pal. My Fitness Pal is a website which allows you to create a profile and track your food, exercise, recipes and engage in discussions with other users. My Fitness Pal has made this entire process so much easier and a lot of fun. I cannot recommend it highly enough for people aiming to achieve a particular weight loss or weight gain goal. There is even a phone app so that you can keep track of your progress while on the go.

For those interested I will be blogging about my progress now that I am well and truly on my way. I chose not to publish my blog from the beginning as I find my goals very personal and I do not believe sharing goals is necessarily the best way to achieve them.

 

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Thought for the Day

Posted on February 11, 2011 by

There is no ‘key’ to happiness. Being a curious, interesting and productive member of the universe is a pretty good start though.

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What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

Posted on February 5, 2011 by

 

I wanted to share a handy site I came across from the wonderful people at Wise Geek. Calorie counting and portion control is a whole new world for a lot of people and this particular article provides a lot of perspective. They show you exactly what 200 calories looks like… Enjoy!

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Simple & Healthy Foods That Sustain Me

Posted on February 4, 2011 by

One of the challenges that came with altering my eating habits has been finding foods to eat on a daily basis that are simple, healthy and taste good.

This post is certainly not intended to be nutritional advice but rather a sample of some of the foods that have been keeping me on track. My other constant resource for recipe inspiration is the Tony Ferguson website. Although I am not currently doing the Tony Ferguson Diet, the site does provide lots of high quality healthy recipes free of charge.

Breakfast

Lemon Scented Basil Omelet (<200 Calories)

Omelets are a great source of protein and you can even leave out the yolk if you need to be particularly calorie conscious. I usually use 1 egg with 2 additional whites (110 calories). The great thing about omelets is they’re quick, challenging to ruin and you can throw in any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge… Peppers, onions, herbs and so on. When the fridge is looking bare, I really enjoy lemon and basil. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon, add some rind, chop some basil and toss in the pan. A complete meal in less than 200 calories.


Yogurt, Granola & Fruit (325 Calories)

The thing about yogurt is that in order to be really healthy, you need to be eating plain probiotic. The trouble with plain probiotic is that a lot of people don’t like it. It doesn’t contain the large quantities of sugar that make flavoured yogurt so delicious. The good news is that there are ways to become a plain yogurt lover.

  • 175g Organic Probiotic Plain Yogurt (80 Calories)
  • 1/3 Cup Erin Bakers Homestyle Granola (114 Calories)
  • 4 Strawberries (16 Calories)
  • 1/2 Banana (55 Calories)
  • 1 tbsp Unpasteurized Honey (60 Calories)

Lunch/Dinner

Vegetables with Pesto (240 Calories) 

It doesn’t get any easier than this. I always keep bags of frozen vegetables on hand to fall back on when in doubt. This makes for a perfect lunch on it’s own or it’s a great healthy snack that takes less than 10 minutes and zero effort to whip up. I boil 3 cups of mixed vegetables and add 2 teaspoons of pesto with salt and pepper to taste.

Hard Boiled Egg (76 Calories)

It tastes good, it’s cheap and requires nothing more than 15 minutes in boiling water. I take one in my handbag when I’m out for the day and get a quick protein boost when I need it.

Vegetable Soup

Soup is amazing because you can use up all the vegetables and herbs that need polishing off so you waste next to nothing. I love my soup with plenty of onion so I usually use chicken stock, onion, zucchini, broccoli, baby carrots, peas, peppers, mixed herbs, parsley, basil or whatever is on hand. You’ll always make plenty and be able to freeze it or enjoy with lunch the following day.

Sushi (<300 Calories)

For a low calorie snack I opt for vegetarian sushi rolls such as an Avocado Roll. Be careful with vegetarian sushi though as a lot of it contains tempura yam or philadelphia cheese which significantly increases the calorie intake. If you have the calories to spare then feel free to go with any sushi combination.

Party Plate

My favourite things about a party plate is that it feels like I’m snacking on appetizers, relaxing and I’m being healthy without even knowing it. It’s also great because you can use the last little bits of anything you have left over. I slice red and green pepper, cube some cheese, use some pesto or low fat cream cheese to spread on a flatbread or for dipping vegetables, add some baby carrots, sliced apple, grapes and strawberries and you have a delicious meal. Just be careful of portion control. Know how much cheese and dips you’re eating because it can add up really quickly.

Snacks

Pickles (5 Calories in 3 pickles) 

Sometimes all you feel like is something tasty and salty. Pickles are perfect! They are full of flavour, you get the ‘crunch factor’ when you bite it and for every 3 tiny dill pickles you consume you’re only adding 5 calories to your count.

Almonds (100 Calories)

Filled with ‘good fats’, almonds are tasty and are a great source of protein. Of course almonds (like other foods) need to be consumed in moderation. Blue Diamond have recently made this much easier by releasing 100 calorie almond packs. I always keep a pack in my handbag, just in case.

Avocado with Balsamic Vinegar (<300 Calories) 

This is about as simple and delicious as it gets. Found here among other delicious snacks, this has become one of my absolute favourites. Half an avocado, remove the seed, fill with balsamic vinegar. Amazing!


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My Weight Loss Experience: Weeks 1 and 2

Posted on February 4, 2011 by

Week 1

Positives

I actually really enjoyed taking a close look at what I eat. I recorded every single morsel that passed my lips and calculated my daily deficit. I think the structure and turning it into a measurable science was extremely beneficial for me. I didn’t want any guess work and wanted to be held accountable.

I also really enjoyed finally taking the plunge and trying yoga. My instructor is amazing so I look forward to the next class and even though I felt the pain a day or two later, it was a good pain.

Another benefit has been the support of Brad (my fiancé). Nothing is more challenging than being healthy when you live with someone who keeps junk in the house and doesn’t support you. Brad has been extremely supportive and I’m very grateful

Challenges

The biggest challenge has been finding healthy, low calorie foods that I actually want to eat. I quickly realized how I developed my reputation as ‘carb queen’ and found that I need to be more prepared and plan ahead of time.

The other challenge was alcohol, dining out and socializing. We love to go to restaurants, we enjoy the company of our friends and take great pleasure in a glass of wine with a fabulous meal or catching up over cocktails.

Brad and I made the decision to socialize without drinking. We made one exception for an event that we had been looking forward to but even here, we stayed on top of it and were happy with ourselves afterwards.

Week 2

Positives

I have noticed that I have a lot more energy these days. I don’t want to nap every day, haven’t felt the need to be in bed at 8PM and wake up feeling refreshed every morning.

I’ve also noticed that PMS was particularly mild and I feel a strong commitment to the entire process. I haven’t had any desire to ‘give in’ or cheat and am viewing this as a lifestyle change as opposed to a quick diet.

I’m also finding more and more foods that are super healthy, low calorie and tasty.

Challenges

I have found it extremely frustrating that so many people seem to have an opinion about how to lose weight, what is right, what is wrong and everything in between. I made a conscious decision when commencing this program that I would not be making my goals, plan or progress public and the only people I discuss with are my fiancé Brad and friend Aaron. Basically I have learned that you can take educated advice from reputable sources and the experiences of others but only time and perseverance will tell what is right for me. It is for this reason that I continue to not get involved in discussions about weight loss. It’s very easy to get caught up in wondering if you’re doing it properly but the reality is that as long as you can see that you’re doing what has been recommended then time will tell if you’re on the right track or if you require further adjustment.

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