My Life IS Too Busy To Work Out!!

This past week felt CRAZY!! In my career as a Personal Trainer, I don’t know that I’ve ever had a week so busy! The busyness was coupled by my husband saying, “This is what you wanted, right!?” Yes dear, this is what I wanted, just not all at once!! Let me start by saying what so many of you experience on a weekly basis: I felt I had no time to go to the gym! It was like my daughter trying to put away the cups from the dishwasher onto the second shelf. She’s trying to reach that shelf, she can almost reach it, so close within her grasp and yet…..not quite.

Some really great things happened this week to build my business! I was able to again do some taping with CHBC News for the health and fitness segments called Smart Moves with Toby Tannas. We featured some awesome clean recipes that will help us all along the journey to health. My bootcamp partner Leslie and I were also able to host a clean eating nutrition demonstration down at Raw Athletics. We again prepared lots of quick homemade protein bars, shakes, snacks, and clean treats to help make it easy for those who have a hectic schedule! My personal training clients keep flowing in and I was able to hire a few people to work with me on a few contracts. Though I am not training them, I am doing the paperwork, and let’s just say, it’s not my strong point! Speaking of bootcamp, this week Leslie and I launched the promo for our bootcamp starting April 16^th, and already the response has been amazing. With that though, comes preparation and paperwork. Top that week off with caring for my current clients and teaching 4 classes, and I literally felt like I couldn’t reach that second shelf.

When you hear the phrase, “I just don’t have the time to workout”, do you consider that an excuse? Many people would say that you will make time for working out if it’s a high enough priority for you. I would agree with that. I know some people who wouldn’t miss a workout if their lives depended on it. I know others, whose lives depend on it, and they miss working out all the time!

Working out is clearly a priority for me. It is my job after all, and I love it. I think where this week got away from me though was in the organization, and the fact that I did not anticipate that it would be so crazy. There were certainly times that I could have shifted certain responsibilities around in order to open up a space for working out. I have a few things at my house in terms of equipment, so even if I felt like I couldn’t get all the way to the gym, I could have certainly done something here. Yes, organization (or the lack of) was the biggest factor for me this past week. So, last night, I sat with my calendar and scheduled in my workouts. I shifted things around, and set in ink when I was going to make time for my health. Already, this week feels a lot more promising than last!

Sometimes we have seasons of being busier, that is LIFE. I tell my busy moms, students and professional clients that all the time.  This is your life right now!  It’s not changing anytime soon, so how are you going to make time for working out? After all, when we are sedentary, we decrease circulation which in turn increases inflammation, which increase decay and disease. We need to move to stay healthy, and we need to organize and schedule ourselves to MOVE.

Catch me on CHBC News for some healthy recipes for your busy life!

http://www.chbcnews.ca/smart+moves+with+toby+tannas/6442583372/story.html

Some Favourite Clothes From RAW AThletics!

Well, I certainly recommend coughing up the dough (gluten-free of course ;) to treat yourself to a professional photo shoot at least once in your life! It was SUCH fun!! Here are a few of the pictures of the beautiful Leslie Keats and myself in clothing lines from Splits59, Cassal, Hardtail, and Leja, all available at RAW Athletics in Kelowna!

Shamrock Protein Shake!!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Let's start the day off right with a little 

Shamrock Protein Shake!

In a blender combine the following:

3/4 cup Almond Breeze

1/4 cup cold water

4-5 ice cubes

2 tbsp 0% mf Greek Yogurt

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

green food coloring

1/4 tsp peppermint extract (or I have used the sugar-free Torani peppermint syrup)

BLEND

www.insofit.com

**for more great tips and recipes!!

Photoshoot Fun!

Last night my fitness partner in crime, Leslie,  and I participated in our first ever professional photo shoot with local photographer Darren Hull.  It was SO MUCH FUN! Lights, fans, cameras, hip hopping music and a little wine to loosen us up ;). It felt like we were stars, if only for four hours.

.  Going into this shoot though, I certainly didn't "feel" like a star. I felt completely ill-prepared in terms of getting my body to where I wanted it to be for a fitness shoot.  It was curious to me, because the moment we booked the shoot date 1 1/2 months ago, I felt as though I sort of sabotaged my own efforts. My workouts were on track and felt great, but my eating, well...not so much!  As a trainer I know as well as anyone, that "abs are made in the kitchen", and that you can't "out-train" a bad diet, and yet the moment that I put pressure on myself to lose a few pounds, was the moment that I gained a few! I became aware of my own internal dialogue, that when reaching for a cookie would say "I can have this and you can't stop me!" Who was I talking to?? Of course I can have a cookie if I want, but I felt as though there were two people fighting inside of me. The girl who wanted to look fabulous in short shorts, and the girl who felt entitled and deserving of whatever treat she wanted! 

It was an interesting place to be for sure, but the night of the shoot, when I tried on the short shorts and realised that they didn't quite look the way I had envisioned they would 1 1/2 months ago, I had a choice to go one of two ways with that in my brain. The first way is down a path that is all too familiar with most of us: self-contempt. Hating myself for not achieving my expectations, thinking I was a failure, calling myself names, being jealous of my leaner friend (who looked amazing by the way!). I've been down that path before. It feels bad and does no one any good, especially not me! The second way is far more healing and beautiful: acceptance. 

I talked with Leslie about this last night, and felt like that was a far healthier place for me to land. I accepted the fact that I exercise hard and consistently, that I have a relatively clean diet, that I am mindful of my wellness, AND that I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be in terms of body composition. So what? Big deal! For me, the lifestyle that I lead today is sustainable for me. Sure there may be seasons that I am more lean or less lean, but at the end of the day, accepting where you are at today and accepting the moment is KEY.  

I realise that if you are reading this and you look at my picture you may think that I have no right to say any of this because I am not over weight. However, struggles are struggles. I talked with a friend at the gym the other day who looks amazing, and yet he feels utterly hopeless in his struggle with food.  You would never know that he struggles with food based on what you see in terms of his body, but he does, and I do at times too.  Our best bet is to have compassion for ourselves during these times. I am not saying that our acceptance means that we give up and never try to change our bodies and move toward health. I am an advocate of health and wellness and fitness!! What I am saying is that we are often too hard on ourselves, and that having compassion for where you're at today, is a good place to start.

Portable Protein!

Pro-D day for the kids today, but mom still had to work ;) I was home from training my 1st client at 6:30am, and since the kids didn't have to be up for school, I had a few quiet hours to myself! I thought I would bake! As it turns out, this recipe is a 'no-bake', so even easier! One of the most common complaints from my clients is that they don't get enough protein into their diets on a daily basis. Here is a convenient and easy way to have protein on the go!

Apple Oatmeal Chocolate Protein Bars

Recipe adapted from Oxygen Magazine July 2011

In a bowl combine:

2 cups of rolled oats

1/2 cup natural nut-butter

1 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tbsp ground flax seed (I used a mix of hemp and chia seeds instead)

4 scoops chocolate protein powder

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Press dough into a lined 8x8 square baking dish and refrigerate until firm. 

Remove and cut into 8 bars. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze to keep fresh! Now you have, "Portable Protein" that packs about 20 grams per bar!

www.insofit.com

Mocha Almond Fudge!

To be honest, my favourite ice cream in the world is Mocha Almond Fudge. Yum. It has everything you need in an ice cream: coffee, chocolate, crunch. However, one little cone packs a punch of 300+ calories and little to no protein. So, I've conjured up a healthy version of my favourite! This is a great mid afternoon snack, or post workout drink.

Recipe:

Blend together the following:

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp almond butter

8 almonds 

1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Breeze, 1/2 cup water

4 ice cubes

1/4 tsp or to taste of instant coffee granules

(I also added in 1/2 a frozen banana, to get that ice cream texture I was looking for).

That's it! Blend it, pack it, drink it.

Uh-may-zing!

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Tracy Steen
Certified Personal Trainer
MA Counselling/Psychology

1/2 Corked Marathon 2012!!

How excited are WE to have gotten into this 1/2 marathon race, that apparently sold out in 3 minutes!!?? Wow! Now, I should clarify the word "race"....I've been told that its not so much a race as it is simply running along a 17-19km route, while popping into 12 wineries, sampling exquisite food and wine. Hmmm, my kind of marathon! 

Themed costumes are encouraged, and just in case anyone goes overboard on the tasting, there is a broom wagon following behind for pick up! I will definitely be taking footage of our experience and featuring this as a fabulous fitness find in the Okanagan!

One of the main reasons that I am excited? I get to run and hang and sip wine with my friends! Having and finding friends that you can exercise with, can be one of the best motivators around. When we make fitness plans with our friends, we have a whole new accountability! When you've planned to roll out of bed at 5:00am to meet your friend at the gym or out for a run, part of the reason that you will go, even when your body is telling you to SLEEP, is that you don't want to let your friend down. She's there for you, you're there for her! I am lucky to have many fitness friends and family, and I am grateful for them all. 

If you don't have people like that in your life, don't hesitate to join a gym, a running club, a local exhibition team, or a dragon boat team and find people to connect with. Take the initiative and get out there. Kelowna is an active community and has so much to offer! Then, maybe next year you will also be running this 1/2 marathon down in Osoyoos and be half corked right along side me!

Clean Eating Flour-less Chocolate Brownie!

With VALENTINE'S Day just around the corner, what better way to surprise your sweetheart, than with these clean eating chocolate brownies! All the taste without the guilt!

I'm always looking for ways to satisfy my sweet tooth, and the dark chocolate in here, mixed with the cocoa powder definitely does that! Next time I may even try adding Lindt's Chili Chocolate to spice it up a bit!

The recipe is listed below the video! Be sure to try this delectable treat!

Be sure to check out the rest of our videos and visit me at ww.insofit.com

Curry Chicken and Veg - From the Freezer to the Crockpot

What a wonderful idea for the busy cook! This crock pot dish is easily prepared and stored in the freezer until you need it. The recipe can certainly be modified to suit your families needs, but here's what I did: 

RECIPE:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 zucchini, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 small yam, chopped

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin 

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 package of low sodium chicken boulion

1 chopped mango (or 2 tbsp mango chutney)

salt and pepper

Bring out of freezer and let sit 1/2 hour before putting in crockpot. Place in crockpot, add 1 cup water. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 3 hours. 

"Rock Me ALMONDaeus Smoothie!"

Rock Me ALMONDAEUS!!

Remember to combine a protein, a carb, and a healthy fat!

In a blender or bullet, combine 1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or water or skim milk), 1 tsp Almond Butter (or other nut butter), 1/2 banana, 1 scoop vanilla whey powder, large handful of spinach, and 1 tsp mixed Chia Seeds/Hemp Hearts, 3 ice cubes.

Blend until smooth!

Nice and green!! I also added a dash of coconut extract to make it taste like the tropics!

So gooood! So good for you too!

100 Fabulous Fitness Finds! SLEDDING!!

Tis the season!! Well, we didn't have a lot of snow in December to participate in this lovely outdoor activity, but the end of January was dumping on us! What a great opportunity to grab the sleds, get your friends together, and get some fresh air.  

Last weekend we headed out to our school's backyard (Chute Lake Elementary in Kettle Valley), and had a blast! Even if you're not keen on sledding yourself, you can get a great workout in while you're there.  

Offer to carry those little snow angels up the hill, race the kids up and down, or get on your hands and knees and build a snowman! Whatever you do, have fun and remember to get outside this season!

Super Bowl Yam Chips!

Party weekend coming up, don't be left with nothing healthy to snack on!  These are a great make ahead option, that will be sure to satisfy your desire for Doritos, but with half the calories and fat!!

Wash and peel one long yam and with a very sharp knife, slice as thinly as possible.

Melt 1 tsp of coconut oil, and toss with sea salt and sliced yams in a large bowl until coated.

(more oil will make them crispier, but also increase the fat content)

Bake in a 325 degree oven, for approximately 30 minutes. Flip half way through.

Dip these in hummus, guacamole or antipasto for a healthy alternative!

www.insofit.com

whatever you do....DON'T QUIT.

How many times have you started a fitness routine, only to find that you lose interest or lack motivation a few weeks into it?  If you have, you’re certainly not alone. I recall sitting with one potential client who was really contemplating whether or not she wanted to hire me at all. She was already predicting that she would fail at any attempt, just as she had done so many times before.  My advice to her?  Expect it. Expect that it will be hard, expect that you will want to quit, expect soreness, expect excuses, and expect lack of motivation. These things are very likely to be a part of your journey. However, if you know what’s coming, you can prepare yourself to deal with the obstacles. We talked about:

·       Setting short and long term sustainable goals. Changes YOU can live with.

·       Relying on structure instead of just motivation (you exercise because your day timer told you to, period.)

·       Adapting a “no excuses” policy for yourself.

·       Having compassion for self. If you mess up, wipe the slate clean and start again!

I can’t tell you the number of people who start and quit, start and quit. What if this time….you just didn’t quit? Imagine where you would be next year this time.

“This is how it will go……..
You’ll get desperate, so you’ll start. You’ll be motivated. You’ll be on fire. You’ll be tired. You’ll be sore. You’ll make an excuse. You’ll miss one day. Then you’ll miss two. You’ll beat yourself up. You’ll try again. You’ll make an excuse. You’ll sleep in. You’ll despair. You’ll think it’s not worth it. You’ll think you’re not worth it. You’ll get desperate. You’ll quit.
Anticipate that ALL of these things will happen eventually, and then just DON’T do the last one. DON’T QUIT, whatever you do……DON’T QUIT.”

~Tracy Steen

Check out my website for more motivation!

www.insofit.com

Top 100 Fabulous Fitness Finds in Kelowna, BC: #11 - Ice Skating at Stuart Park!

Stuart Park has been open for a few years now, but can you believe that yesterday was my first time on the ice? For shame :/ !! It is a wonderful FREE facility. All you need is your own skates. The music is playing, people are laughing. When it was time for the Zambonie to clean the ice, there was a gal there from a local radio station handing out fruit snacks and stickers! And, if mom and grandma get cold, its only a few blocks walk to warm up with a latte from Starbucks! Check it out before its spring time!

Be sure to check my website for exercise ideas, nutrition tips and motivation!

www.insofit.com

SMART MOVES with Toby Tannas and CHBC News!!

SMART MOVES with Toby Tannas

SMART MOVES is launching this week! What a great way to get some tips from the pros! Each week you will either get an exercise tip, or a clean eating tip to help you as you move toward a healthier YOU!

You can look forward to making clean Superbowl snacks that won't pack on the pounds. Check out this picture and see some of the delicious foods we will be featuring:

Also featured in upcoming episodes, is clothing from local retailer RAW 69. Lots of fun and fashionable clothes to work out in!

**Stay tuned for show dates, but I believe the first show starts this Monday, January 23rd, at 5pm and 11pm

Losing Weight Is All In Your HEAD! (at least...that's where it starts!)

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.  ~Judy Garland

Numerous scientific studies have shown that being kind results in significant physical, mental and emotional health benefits:

-It maintains good health and diminishes the effect of disease.

-Endorphins or natural pain-killers are released as well as a physical sensation of euphoria, which leads to improved emotional well-being.

-Stress related problems including depression tend to improve after performing kind acts.

-Self-esteem is enhanced as well as feelings of optimism and happiness.

-The immune system is strengthened and physical pain decreases.

Have you ever been petrified to start a new fitness program, for fear of failure once again?  Can you even count the number of times that you vowed that THIS is the time you will lose weight and THIS is the time that you will keep it off for good?  How often have you promised yourself that you will get fit and stay that way?  Does the fear well up in your throat when you think about what it takes to change, or do you feel a surge of excitement for the possibilities of what may lie ahead?  

For a large majority of the clients that I meet, we begin our consultation sessions with them exposing their fears of committing to a program, that quite frankly, they are not sure will help them.  They’ve tried every diet out there, every fitness idea from the Thigh Master to Hot Yoga.  The program works for a while, but in the end, the diet of rice cakes and cabbage soup, and the 4:30am hill sprints are not sustainable for them, and they end up giving up.  But then the worst of it happens....they berate themselves for their failures.  “I’m an idiot, I knew I couldn’t do it”, “I’m a loser, a failure, I suck”, “My mother was right, I’ll never amount to anything”, “I don’t deserve to be happy”...and so on.

The things that we say to ourselves about ourselves, have a huge impact on how we see life, and how we choose to live in the world and in relationships.  If we tell ourselves that we are losers, then consciously or subconsciously we will sabotage any attempts to succeed in life.  

A great litmus test is to be still and listen to what you say to yourself in your head, when you screw up.  What do you hear? “Loser”, “Idiot”, “Fat”, “I’m nothing”.....and the list goes on.  Or.....(and yes, there is another option!), are you KIND to yourself in your head?  Do you have empathy for yourself, just like you would for a good friend who messed up?  Perhaps a kinder approach to self would sound something like this instead: “Tracy, I know why you ate that whole chocolate cake today, you were anxious about confronting your husband about last night’s argument.  You feared that if you stand up for yourself, that he might get angry and leave you.  You don’t like those feelings of anxiety, they feel awful, but cake takes that away for a few moments.”   I understand why that little part of me is there, she’s always there...looking out for other people’s feelings, making sure that she doesn’t rock the boat so her world feels safe.  But what if this time, you believed that you would be okay, even if someone is angry at you, even if you were left alone?  What if you could just be beside those feelings of anxiety without having to make them go away?  Having compassion for self and being kind in your inner thoughts is key to navigating your way through this weight loss journey for the 8th, 9th or 50th time!  Start by just saying kind things to yourself about yourself, even if you don’t believe them yet!  Keep saying them, I know that your world will give you plenty of opportunities to practice this!  You might say things like, “Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, I don’t have to be perfect, I deserve to be happy, I am worthwhile!”  Get into the habit of treating yourself with kindness instead of berating yourself, and let the fitness journey happen one day at a time

Tracy Steen
Personal Fitness Trainer
BCRPA Certified
MA Counselling Psychology

Chicken Salad Rolls!

I needed something clean and fresh for dinner tonight, and these Asian Chicken Salad Rolls were the perfect thing!  Although they were a little time consuming, I cleaned up the recipe as best as I could so that at least they were healthy. They were a hit with the family, and they'll be the perfect lunch tomorrow!

Recipe:

Rice paper

Cooked chicken or shrimp

Julienne carrots

Sliced red peppers

Chopped cilantro

Beans sprouts

Rice noodles

Thinly sliced romaine lettuce

Spicy Peanut Lime Dip:

(modified from Whitewater Cooks)

1/2 cup chunky all natural peanut butter

1 lime, juice and zest

2 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp sweet chili sauce

4 tbsp rice vinegar

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

2 crushed garlic

2 tsp fresh ginger

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/8 cup olive oil

Blend in magic bullet.

Add 1/3 of the dressing to the rice noodles, and serve the rest as a dip for the salad rolls.

You can be creative with the filling and put in whatever suits your taste. Add fruit like mango or pineapple for a little kick of sweetness.