It looks that Target Fitness/Club Phoenix has closed their doors. Since Thursday Aly & Joe have started training clients at APT Fitness on Arbutus Street. We are sorry for the lack of notice, but as of now your training session will be held at APT SOUTH.

APT South
Suite 180 – 4255 Arbutus Street
Vancouver, BC, V6J 4R1
(Located in the Arbutus Mall)
Google Map

We plan to continue training there as it looks like it is going to work out for us. Please let Aly know if this changes your workout schedule or if you will need to discuss alternative times or even locations for your training sessions.

Again, we apologize for the inconvenience and lack of notice.

STUBBORN IMMIGRANTS

I grew up in a country where cows are fed in meadows; we eat apples from a grandma’s garden tree; we drink freshly squeezed carrot juice; and we dig our own potatoes. We commute by foot and basketball is our second religion.

The day we entered Canada was the day me and my family ballooned. We did not understand the impact that big variety of not so natural foods (colors, sugar), lack of exercise and stress had on our bodies. We were too stubborn to admit what was happening and there’s something we can do about it.

After becoming personal trainer, I spent endless hours educating my family about the harm processed sugar does to our bodies. I tried to get them to exercise regularly, but they were resistant. At some point I gave up.

A year went by and today I watch my family exercise more than I do. I receive occasional calls from my mom with an advice on healthier recipe and better foods. At some point I had to ask myself what changed? Why now? And how come they are thanking me when I gave up on them?

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING COURSE AT UBC

It wasn’t until I took weekend course at UBC on Motivational Interviewing. The course taught strategies to encourage change in seemingly unmotivated individuals. It taught me patience and listening skills and how we can help each other.

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

If the above story reminds you of someone you know. If they seem unmotivated and unwilling to change, but you fear for their life, here’s what you can do:

Do not give up.

Stop harassing them, but don’t give up. It’s a myth that people are unmotivated and unwilling. The key is to find their motivation. Keep probing them, empathize and question them. In no way try try to solve their problem, let them find their own solution.

Learn if it’s knowledge or confidence they need to build.

There are two reasons people don’t try – lack of knowledge and lack of confidence. Figure out which one it is and then work to build it up.

Start by asking how important the change is for them on the scale from 1 to 10. Then follow up with question why they picked the number they did. Ask why they didn’t choose higher number.

The second question should be about their confidence. Ask them to evaluate their confidence in regards of the change on the scale from 1 to 10 and again follow up with lower number question. Keep asking why?!

Listen.

Be extremely attentive to what they are saying. Be ready to provide assistance when they ask for it, but make sure not to press it upon them.

The key in the entire process is patience. You have to understand it’s their choice and you you need to be there for them when they feel ready to change.

Have fun with it and one day they’ll be grateful.

Below I have a  few tips on how to survive these few weeks:

1. Exercise and the more the better! No kidding here. Exercise will heat up your body, will keep you away from trouble (comfort eating, liquor consumption, etc.), will keep your metabolism working and by Christmas you will look better than ever, and lets not forget all the endorphins that kick in after a good workout ! Cannot beat that!
2. Eat Healthy and the healthier the better! Seriously. Logic is this – you eat healthy you feel healthy. Your body is properly fueled with vitamins B, C, D, E and other minerals – you’ll have less cravings, you’ll feel energetic, that leads to more exercising, that leads to feeling awesome!
3. Hang out with Friends. They are our vitamin F. They are hopefully the ones that make us feel better. So just spent time with friends – go play board games, cook dinner together, go for a run in the rain.
4. Go up the mountain. If you are snowboarding, skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, whatever it is get the exercise in the fresh air, and chances are there’s more sunshine at the top of the mountain.
5. Volunteer. It’s Christmas time, lots of events around the city and in your community – go meet new people, make new friends and do something good for others – that sure feels good to be good.
6. Create your vision board and start working on making it happen. Sometimes it’s easier than you think.
7. Hug & cuddle. When if not now to be cozy with each other?

As usual we have the following events happening in Vancouver (and please if you know about the events I missed out let me know):

RUNNING EVENTS

Link: http://aimsworldrunning.org/Calendar.htm

• First “Half” Half Marathon | February 12, 2012 | Vancouver (Registration Nov
• Sun Run 2012 | April 15, 2012 | Vancouver
• BMO Vancouver Marathon & Halft Marathon | May 6, 2012 | Vancouver
• ScotiaBank Half Marathon & 5K  | June 24, 2012 | Vancouver

People respond to stories not facts.

And I thought that today I’ll share the story that stuck with me since I first hear it.

A professor stood in front of the class with a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

Then he picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled up everything else.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your friends – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. Hike the friend. There will always be time to clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

SET THE PRIORITIES AND PREVAIL.

Take this weekend one minute at a time -

Take time to appreciate who you are and what you’ve become

Take time to say thank you to those who you love and those who back you up no matter what

Give your warmth and attention to those that you know are in need

Appreciate the food you eat, the wine you drink, the laughter you have

Be active, not because you have to, but because you can

Can I say that all my meals were 100% gluten free? No. However even 90% (some dishes, some products are hiding gluten real well, you just never know…) makes a difference.

I feel more energy and the lightness of the body. I don’t feel sluggish after my meals, but at the same time I complained about feeling constant hunger on the 4-5 day… I’m quite sure it has little to do with gluten-free and more to do with me not having food ready to consume. Add on it a crazy schedule with no breaks in 6 hours and I think it explains the hunger.

I certainly need to reduce the amount of fat I consume during the day (through almonds mainly), but overall it’s not as hard as I thought it will be. I feel no cravings for bread, pastas or burgers and the bright side is – Vancouver is fabulous and has lots of places that cater dishes and gluten free substitutions.

It involves a little work and a bit of creativity. I pay a bit more attention to what I am getting at the store or restaurant, but the strategy to stick to vegetables/salads and proteins, plus the breakfast muffins that claims to be “gluten free” seems to be working for me.

Here’s just yesterday’s foods -

Breakfast: Blueberries, banana and almond milk shake.

Lunch: Prosciuto panini on gluten free bread with fruit salad @ Gigi’s on West Hastings – lovely place for brunch!

Dinner: Salmon Steak on Quinoa (I’m bloody impressed with myself coming up with this dish!)

Aiste’s Recipy: Salmon Stean on Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water boil it and then let it simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.

Throw a bit of butter on the pan and toast some celeries, mushrooms and almond nuts.

Toss quinoa in to the pan, add lemon zest  and about half of a cup of almond milk (makes all the difference). A bit of salt and freshly grounded peppers.

Grill salmon. When on the plate squeeze on the dish some lemon juice and toss around some crushed almonds.

Beautiful and delicious! Enjoy.

And I’m going week #2 gluten free. 

If you would rather run on the weekend, we will also be organizing a run leaving from the same location. Come on out and support the health and fitness industry in Vancouver build a school in ethiopia!

1 School 1 Day

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnwsKpX4ZTA]