Insane in the Membrane - ReTrain Your Brain

Have you ever marvelled about how your own brain works? I do it all the time. It is astounding to me the phenomenon that occurs each and every day - we wake up in the morning and begin our daily routine, often not really thinking too much about what we are doing. We tend to go on autopilot - roll out of bed, go to the bathroom, start the coffeemaker, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast and head out the door. We don't really need to think about much of that as it becomes a habit we develop over time, and eventually we just go through the motions. Heck, I see BF do most of his morning ritual literally with his eyes closed. It's so funny to watch him eat his cereal while staring at the inside of his eyelids, sometimes missing his mouth with the spoon, letting milk dribble down his chin. He stumbles around half asleep, sometimes opening one eye for navigation purposes. He has it calculated down to the SECOND how long he has before he has to be out the door to make it to work on time.

We are all creatures of habit. Around 95% of the thoughts we have in our heads each day are the exact same ones we had the day before! Have you thought about how many thoughts you have in a day? (if you have, tack on one more to that number ;)) It is estimated anywhere between 2000 to 60,000, depending on many factors such as lifestyle, whether we work outside the home and if so, what our duties consist of, the roles we play (i.e: wife, mom, care-provider etc). We all know that our minds seem to be constantly running at a non-stop pace - coming up with new ideas, analyzing situations, solving problems, planning tomorrow and rehashing the past. Even while we sleep, our brains keep on partying. The subconscious mind continues concocting up random scenarios that play out as dreams and sometimes end up helping us resolve issues we didn't even know we had. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep is important for your brain, as it is during this time that your body recharges. Memories are preserved, skills are recovered and we are able to think more clearly as a result of being well rested.

Do you remember when you were a baby? Probably not, as most of our memories start at around 2 or 3 years old, or later. How about the last time you held a baby? That new baby smell of deliciousness - so clean and fresh, and that feeling you get when you hold him or her close. At some point we were all infants - sweet, soft-skinned, treasured little balls of flesh and perfection. Everyone loves babies. They make you want to just cradle them close to your body and smell their tiny little baby smell and touch their perfect wee toes and gently caress their flawless and oh-so-impeccable heads with a light brush of our fingers, almost fearing how incredibly fragile yet ethereal they feel in our arms.

That was you. You used to be that infant that somebody held tight to their chest, letting the warmth of their body and the beat of their heart comfort your tiny self. Someone had hopes and dreams for you; maybe your Mom or your Dad, or somebody in your life held you then and wanted to protect you; to keep you safe from the harshness of the world and shelter you from any negativity or pain that you would undoubtably encounter down the road, as you grew up and ventured out on your own. Whoever it was held you and let their love flow through your veins, never once thinking that your head was too big or your arms were too long, or your hair too curly. They just loved you and cherished you as you were - a perfect creation, gifted to this earth without any prerequisites or stipulations, of free mind and free will, to take this life and make with it whatever you choose.

Maybe it's been a long, long time since someone has comforted you like that. Maybe even worse, no one ever did. Or it was so long ago, and there has been so much pain since that you've forgotten what it feels like to be embraced and valued for the amazingly unique and astoundingly exquisite being you are. I am so sorry if you didn't feel that enough. We all need a feeling of love and belongingness to foster in this world. We all need to be encouraged and cheered for. If there is nobody else around you now, can you be your own cheerleader? The answer is Yes. YOU can be that person for yourself. YOU can treat yourself this way, love yourself unconditionally, regardless of whether or not your thighs are fat or your stomach sticks out. You are still worthy of LOVE.

At what point in this journey do we buy into it - that what we look like determines who we are? We come into this world a clean slate, innocent and pure, oblivious to the cynicism that taints those who've allowed it. Yet at some point, someone comes along and writes on the slate of who you are (as Dr. Phil would say. Haha), making some flippant comment that is unwanted and unwelcome and it completely alters the way you look at yourself. I remember in grade school being made fun of for having ''UpsideDown Glasses'' -(such a brilliant yet subtle nickname. I now laugh out loud at it). I had glasses, braces, acne and I was as skinny as a rail. Yet before anyone pointed out any of these facts, I was quite happy in my oblivion, not recognizing that OMG I am so ugly and nobody will love me because I don't look like those girls in YM magazine. Yet once you "know", it forever changes you - you now feel limited, as if you have to change your own personality and live confined within these limitations. UpsideDown Glasses would never wear a dress, or go to a prom, or try to be beautiful, because the fact is, she's just not and everyone knows it so it's best to just accept it. Oh how I detest the way media twists and warps the minds of our young people and leaves them with a lifelong uphill battle to undo this mind programming.

On behalf of the beautiful, innocent infants I would like to say HOW DARE YOU? How dare you stop cherishing me and loving me? Why did you stop believing in me and accepting me for how I was? Instead you chose to start tell me how fat and ugly and disgusting I am. Why do you kick me when I'm down? What did I do so wrong? Not only do I have to tolerate the whole world judging me, I cannot even turn inward for peace. MY OWN MIND berates me and reminds me constantly how I don't look good in a bikini and I'll never get rid of that cellulite. I'm worthless. Fat. Stupid. Useless. Loser :(

What does this have to do with fitness? About as much as cutting yourself has to do with bleeding. If you want to make changes in your life toward getting healthier and living stronger, this crap has got to stop. AND I MEAN NOW. Each hurtful word is shredding your insides. Each negative thought is crippling your self esteem. It makes me so angry I can barely breathe. I'm surrounded by gorgeous, intelligent, amazing people who just can't seem to quit it with the self-criticism and hatred. That's what it is. Self-hatred. It's also a self-fulfilling prophecy - if you tell yourself you suck and you can't do something because of whatever excuse you give yourself, then you are right! The voices win. You lose. You cannot do it because you keep telling yourself you can't. It is destroying you and devaluing you to the core of your existance and you can't let it! Ok, enough about the problem because I can feel my blood pressure starting to rise. Let's get on with the solution.

You can reprogram your brain. Write out a list of positive affirmations, print them out and read them daily. Do not allow any more putrid spewing of venom to penetrate your soul. Tell yourself what you love about yourself. Refuse to partake in any more suffering. If you have trouble with this, start out with "In the past, I was....(unhealthy, tired, sickly. NOT fat, disgusting, or anything cruel). Now, I am making small changes to fix this and I am satisfied that I am doing the best of my ability to improve and better my life." It is crucial to avoid saying things like "I don't want to be fat. I wish I wasn't so lazy'' etc etc. Why? Because the brain doesn't notice the negative part. All it hears and processes is ''I want to be fat. I am lazy". Don't believe me? OK, right now, DO NOT imagine a big, juicy chocolate cake with creamy icing so rich you could pay your bills with it. I said DO NOT. I hope you're not picturing it. Do you get what I'm saying?

Here are a few examples of affirmations:

-I am a unique and precious human being, always doing the best I can and always growing in -wisdom and love.

-I do not need to prove myself to anyone, not even myself, for I know who I am. I am perfectly fine as I am.

-I make my own decisions and assume responsibility for any mistakes. However, I refuse to feel shame or guilt about them. I do the best I can. That is 100% good enough.

-Whenever I am tempted to punish myself, I remember to be kind and gentle instead. I know that in order to be the best I can be, I need forgiveness and understanding.

Ask your best friend, a family member or loved one to write a paragraph of the things they love and admire about you. Do it for them as well. Exchange them and add them to your affirmation sheet. Recite them out loud and keep them in a place you will see them to remind you of what you need to be focusing on. Because if you're gonna think something 10,000 times a day, let's at least make it useful, no?

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny"

Here is a paragraph I wrote for one of my girlfriends a while back:

I am a strong and beautiful woman, even on days when I don't feel I am either. I am intelligent, unique and have many great qualities that attract people to me. Others appreciate me for what I have to offer. I am a good listener, a bright, quick-witted conversationalist, and am often the life of the party. I have a great sense of humor and I am dependable, honest and loyal. I am a great friend. I am a wonderful girlfriend. I am an excellent daughter and sister. I have struggled in my life but I have always overcome obstacles because I refuse to give up. I want to grow, to learn and to achieve success, however I define that, not how others define it for me. I have come a long way and I am consistently becoming a stronger, better person. I know I will be happy because I deserve to be happy.

What can you come up with?

Why YOU Should Weight Train

Did you know that you need to train your bones? Your bones protect your internal organs, support and frame your body and they store excess minerals that are essential for your health, like calcium. As you get older, your bones get weaker, causing problems such as osteoporosis and increasing likelihood of broken hips if you fall. One important way to strengthen them is to perform weight-baring exercises - bones react to this by becoming denser and stronger.

Weight training may seem intimidating for a lot of people, women in particular - those who've never been inside of a gym or who are scared to step onto the other side, past the cardio machines to where those big, loud, sweaty men dominate and rule the land, where testosterone flows freely, metal music blares from too loud ipods and gleaming muscles bulging out of grunting bodies are pressing more pounds than most people weigh - I can see why some women are hesitant, or even men.

I know it can appear a bit overwhelming at first but honestly, in this day and age there is no excuse for ANYONE not to weight train or do weight baring exercises. Go to a womans gym. Buy a couple of sets of free weights and work out at home. Hire a trainer. Join a bootcamp. Do an exercise video. Join Tae Kwon Do, or aqua-aerobics or go for a run. If you can't run at first, that's ok! Walk and run a little bit, for 30 seconds, then a minute, then longer. Over time, you will build up aerobic capacity aka strength in your lungs which is great, and by actually running, your body is getting the weight baring workout I'm talking about - the hard hitting, impact workout. That doesn't mean it needs to hurt, but it does mean you need to shake things up a bit. Literally.

Walking or using cardio machines like the elliptical, bike, or rowing machine is great, but please don't make the mistake of thinking it is ALL you need. Low impact exercise has many benefits, but it will not strengthen your bones nor give you firm toned muscles. If you are overweight and you lose weight, you will still lack definition as well as the sexy roundness and curves of someone who has sculpted their body with resistance training.

Yes, some resistance training IS necessary. Like what? Well, starting out with adding simple things like running or skipping is a good idea. To get the best results, you should try doing exercises like squats, lunges, push ups, tricep dips, pull ups and crunches. These are just a few things that you can do in your own home (all except pull ups, you need equiptment). Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing a variety of them. You can google any of them and find out exactly how to do them, if you don't already know. Or hire a trainer who will show you. That is, if you're serious about making changes.

Building muscle will speed up your metabolism!! Your body will work more efficiently, burning more calories while you are immobile! A pound of muscle will use up about 6 calories per day, just sitting there, while a pound of fat will burn only 2. Using weights will make your body look and feel younger, I guarantee it. You will strengthen areas that you may have had problems with, like your lower back, using a simple floor exercise like Superman. Just remember to go slow, focus on working the muscles that you are engaging in the exercise, and breathe out on the exertion (the hard part).

Training with weights is not just for meatheads. It's for you! Every single one of you. It will help you age slower, reduce the likelihood of injury, improve your balance and co-ordination and, this is a huge one for a lot of people I work with - increase your confidence and self-esteem. It just makes you feel so damn good, ya know ?

Sugar is the DEVIL

About a week ago I decided that I wanted to take my fitness to a new level. Yes, I've always had a solid grip on the exercise part, but as anyone who knows me will tell you the diet part is where I needed some serious assistance. I'm like the doctor that smokes a pack-a-day, or the pyromaniac fireman - you know better, yet you do it anyway. I workout like mad woman but kill any potential I might have of achieving my fitness goals with my horrendous diet. A lot of people exercise just so they can eat whatever they want. I *used to be* one of those people.

First off, I need to clarify the word DIET. When I refer to "my diet", I get alternate looks of disgust and laughter from people, mostly women, who are quick to scorn me for suggesting such a thing; me with my 115 pound, 5'4'' frame - ''Why the hell would you need to be on a diet??'' The sad thing is that society has distorted our thinking and the word has grown to take on meaning synonymous with deprivation, loss, drugs, quick weight-loss, pills and cleanses. The word evokes feelings of shame, failure, bitterness, fear and utter dread. What most of you know as a diet is nothing more than a quick fix - putting a band-aid on a broken leg. You go on one, and then you go off' one, you lose the weight, you gain it back - plus interest. Lather rinse repeat.

Your diet is what you eat. It is your meal plan, your food and drink consumed considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health. My favorite "diet'' book is called "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno; it discusses diet as a lifestyle -a very healthy, nutritious and well-rounded way of eating, including foods from all four food groups, tons of yummy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, skim dairy products etc. It is far from a diet book like The Atkins or South Beach or whatever the current fad is - it's a true focus on eating simple, natural foods that aren't processed or full of additives. It even has pretty pictures and lots of colors for those of you who are not big readers. The pop-up version's not out yet Stephane, sorry. Buy the audio version maybe? ;)

So, back to my story. I put an ad on Craigslist to find a like-minded friend who was equally passionate about health and fitness who would work out with me regularly and who would be interested in a mutually beneficial relationship, sharing ideas and tips. I got one response. We chatted, and boy did I hit it out of the park. She seemed perfect - a girl close to my age who had just moved to Vancouver. We had strikingly similar commonalities - both came from similar backgrounds, almost the exact same height/weight/frame, looked young for our age, etc. She was also interested in becoming a Personal Trainer and could use a lot of help in that area.

She had the eating part down pat. We spent 16 hours together in our first two days of meeting - we worked out, went grocery shopping at a couple of different stores and she really gave me the motivation I needed to get my diet back on track. Bye bye TV dinners, hello body-of-my-dreams. I tossed my junk food, stocked up on fresh veggies, hummus, whole wheat pita/bread, salmon, eggs, grapefruit and a few other super foods that pack a punch and are filled with all of the things you need to help your body function at optimal level. Freshly motivated by my new friend and empowered by my own passion for personal growth, I feel I am on the right track now. Sometimes all we need is an extra push in the right direction.

The most important thing I've learned from this (week old) friendship - Sugar is the Devil. It really is. Diabetes runs rampant in my family, and so does a serious sweet tooth. I've always known that this would be my fate one day, if I did not take the reins and fight hard to naster it. I've regularly consumed so much sugar in one sitting I'd get tingles, like cold-shivers up the back of my head (in my brain, I like to say) So now, I've pulled the plug. I've cut out sugar almost completely (except for fruits and naturally occuring sugars, like in milk) and I'm not gonna lie, it's been a rough six days. The first two were ok, but by the third I had major headaches and mood swings reminiscent of the time I attempted to go off the birth control pill after ten years. Can you say psycho? I'm pretty sure I'll be on it until I'm eighty, but I digress.

Sugar is an addiction, and like any addiction, it takes time and patience, and a whole lot of willpower to cut it out. It's hard in the beginning, but it gets easier. It really really does. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel amazing - I have more energy, less mood swings, less cravings, I sleep better and I even feel calmer. My pancreas and I are friends again.

Here's a chart to help you with some excellent choices for your Proteins, Carbs and Fats:

Ate-y Twent-y

A few months ago, I told a client about the 80/20 rule and for some reason, he mixed it up and thought it meant he should eat 80% carbs and 20% protein. Yikes. He wasn't liking me much, little did I know, when at about the 3 week point (he was trying to drop some weight for beach season) I was confused as to why he was gaining weight despite intense cardio and a program geared towards getting him lean. After I questioned him about his diet regime, I laughed so hard. "Are you nuts?" I mean, I'm all for carbs (screw you, Atkins people. Your diet is a cardiac arrest waiting to happen) but Hayzeus, he was eating half a loaf of bread a day and that was just for breakfast. He was a big boy, needless to say.

What I learned : Try not to confuse your clients (or people in general) by throwing too many numbers at them. That's why they hire a Personal Trainer. They want me to calculate their BMI, Target Heart Rate, Max Heart Rate and then yell at them until the hour is up. I totally get that - you want to go on autopilot and just do what your told. Show up, tune out, and try not to cry when I tell you about that extra set of plyometrics we're gonna do today, just for fun. Jump squats and jump lunges with a medicine ball make me squeal with joy....you not so much. I get that.

All you need to make sure to tune in for is this:

Ideal Carb/Protein/Fat ratio - 40/30/30 **This is approximate and can vary depending on your goals.** YES you need fat. NO you can't eat McDonalds. Next time we'll discuss the different types of fats and why you need the good ones .

NOT the same as:

80/20 Rule - Simply put, if you follow the clean eating lifestyle, exercise and work hard 80% of the time, it's OK to relax a bit the other 20% - reserve that time for birthdays, holidays, vacations, PMS or whatever. (Weekends? PWS?)You've earned it.

Remember - Don't jump all over yourself if you mess up! We all do. You don't deserve to be berated and kicked when your down. Chaulk it up to human nature and resolve to do better. Or tell me about it so I can make you do 5 more minutes of plank/pushup :D That'll fix ya.

Ok class, so let's reiterate that - Ignore me for 80% of the time and the other 20%, spend plotting a way to "accidentally'' kick me in the face. Nooooo. The answer is pay attention. That was a test.