Pilates Classes starting February 1, 2011

Registration is now open for Group Pilates Mat class at The PerFit U Studio. There are two (2) timeslots available for your convenience: 9:00 A.M. OR 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday and Friday starting February 1, 2011. Please see Class Schedule for more details. The classes are limited to 3 people for extra attention and you will not get lost in a crowd. Here's a description of what you can expect:

Introduction to Pilates: For those clients who are new to Pilates! This introduction course will cover the Stott ® Pilates 5 Basic Principles and how to apply them to a selection of warm-up and some essential exercises.

We will then incorporate:

Essential Pilates: This class will build upon the Basic Principles of the Stott ® Pilates Method to work the core and extremities. Most essential exercises will be taught at this stage to build mobility, control and stability.

The classes start on February 1, 2011 on Tuesday and Friday. Hurry and Register as spaces are limited.

Kindly check out The PerFit U's website for more details.

To register, respond to this email, call Maria Dy at 519-830-0172 or email at maria@theperfitu.com

120 Day Fitness Challenge - My workouts, nutrition and before picture

I mentioned in my earlier blog that I will be starting a 120 day Fitness Challenge in replace of a fitness competition this year. I'd like to incorporate the "goodness" of working towards my fitness goals without the added pressure of being and putting on a show! Another incentive of getting myself back into having a bikini-body is a possibility of a cruise vacation with my hubby.

For my 120 day fitness challenge, I have and will continue to follow the following protocols:

1. Clean eating 80% of the time which means I get a day or two of cheat days.
2. Be active most days of the week.
3. Continue to take my essential supplements such as Multivitamins, fish oil, probiotics, and whey protein (as needed).
5. Eat 4 to 5 times a day. I already know more or less of how much calories I consume. I ensure they are coming from good sources of meat, vegetables/fruits, fats and some carbohydrates.
5. Continue to seek Homeopathy and follow-up sessions

I am not much of a bread or grain type person. If I end up eating them, they would be on my cheat day(s). I like the steeloats oatmeal, bagels, brown or white rice. For protein, I eat most red meat, chicken and fish. For carbs, I eat sweet potatoes everyday or steelcut oats. I replace the usual carbs with a ton of veggies, like fresh tossed salad, asparagus, spinach, peppers, etc. I also supplement with Vegetable/Fruit supplement from Progressive which I add to my Berry Smoothie.

So here's what I have been doing for the Month of January.

Workout days:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday - Cardio for 30 minutes and Pilates Reformer for 1 Hour
Tuesday/Thursday - Physio Rehab for Right knee for 30 minutes and Zen Stretching for 1 Hour
Thursday Evening - Indoor Rock Climbing for a maximum of 2 hours or OFF
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Indoor Rock Climbing for a maximum of 2 hours

I am doing a lot of core work with slight resistance using the Pilates Reformer. Flexibility is equally important as my muscles tend to seize up, which is happening a bit more frequent than usual. I still love Rock Climbing and I get such a good workout, sweating, fear conquering, all around great feeling.

I also weighed myself - weight gain is not my concern as the scale only went up a few pounds. However, my clothes are fitting tighter and not as lean. I used a manual calipers to determine my bodyfat% and it is at 21%.

For my fitness challenge, I am aiming to get to 15% bodyfat and get a more leaner look. You will see from the photo below that my abs are not as chiseled, although I can still see some muscles under my belly =)

I have some work to do but it shouldn't be a problem as long as I'm consistent, focused and motivated. I also implement a ton of visualization to get the body I want.

In my next blog, I will change my workout for the next phase and will be posting more pictures soon.

FREE Weight Loss Workshop in Guelph

Heather Caruso, Homeopath in Guelph, has asked that I speak about fitness, exercise and weight loss on her upcoming Workshop. Thanks, Heather! On January 27 @ 7PM, join us for Healthy Weight Loss Workshop in Guelph, Ontario. Learn what foods to eat to help lose weight, beat food cravings, how to incorporate exercise into your busy lifestyle, the best way to exercise, and so much more. Register early - 5 spots remaining.



Free Weight Loss Workshop

Winter Specials for Personal Training @ The PerFit U Studio

The PerFit U Studio is currently having a Winter Special for people who are interested and want to try personal training. These special prices are valid for first time Personal Training clients.

Getting to Know Fitness Program

4 – 1 hour sessions at $179.00

6 – 30 Minute sessions at $159.00

You will receive individualized program designed based on your current exercise level and goals. The individualized program will consist of cardiovascular conditioning, weight/resistance training, core training, functional and body weight exercises and flexibility programs.

If you are interested in trying out what Personal Training is all about and what The PerFit U can offer, email maria@theperfitu.com or call 519.830.0172.

Register before the deadline date of January 31, 2011 to receive this special offer.

For more information about The PerFit U, please visit http://www.theperfitu.com

120 Day Fitness Challenge

Now that the holidays and over-indulging are over, it is time to get back into the swing of things.

With my Top Priority of being Kind to Myself, I have decided to get engage in a 120-day fitness challenge to kick start my New Year. Being Kind to Myself means taking care of my physical well-being, among other things.

I love setting goals. It keeps me in line plus I love a good challenge.

When it comes to fitness, it is always helpful to create a specific goal rather than to wing it. Creating a S-M-A-R-T goal is useful for anything, not just fitness, so you can assess, track and give yourself a realistic deadline for such goal.

What is SMART goal? It stands for Specific, Measurable, Action, Realistic and Time. How does this translate to my 120 day fitness challenge?

Well, I thought about competing in another fitness show in April. I thought about it for a long time. I wasn't sure if it's something I wanted to do again this year. I enjoyed my first fitness competition last year; however, I needed to find something meaningful in these fitness shows but I couldn't. I would not check this off my list forever but not right now. My heart and mind are not in it. And when they don't jive together, the goal is useless, pure meaningless and the goal would be down a garbage shoot. The hard work would not be there - which is KEY.

What I'd like to do is travel. I have not been on a real vacation since 2008. Kinda sad really. So I decided to go on a real vacation, actually a nice cruise with my hubby is in the plan =)

I want to get myself back into my bikini-body again for this vacation and 120 days should do it!

I want to do this challenge without the extreme pressure of getting on a stage, dieting and bodybuilding preparations. I want to do this by eating nutritious foods, working out and doing Pilates on a regular basis, use necessary supplements that I get from my awesome Homeopath friend in Guelph, consistency, motivation and keeping an eye on the goal.

Here's how I outlined my SMART goal:

Specific - get down into my bikini body by May, 2010

Measurable - is it measurable? Hell, yeah it is. I have not "let go" that much over the holidays. So yes, 120 days should get me there.

Action - I have done my programs for the next 4 months which will include interval training, weight training, Pilates, stretches, cardiovascular, and of course, some rock climbing! My program starts on Monday which I can hardly wait.

Realistic - Is my goal realistic? I believe it is. I have not gained much weight but my muscle tone and definition are soft. I will be tracking my developments using calipers, body measurements and weight scale.

Time - 120 days which is 4 months to achieve my goal.

I have always wanted to get professional photos done. I will be hiring one of my sister-in-law's good friend, Deena, to take my photos before we leave for holidays. This should be fun.

As for the cruise destination, we are still undecided on that but I am doing my research now and there's lots of cruises available so I'm really excited about that.

I will be posting videos of my training, before and after photos, my nutrition plan, supplements that I am currently taking and the whole enchilada on this blog.

Follow my journey here and I hope to inspire you to get your SMART goals on =)

2011 TOP Priority

Happy Happy 2011!

I had a wonderful celebration with family and friends on New Year's eve, and I feel so blessed to have such loving group of people to ring in the New Year.

I've learned not to make any New Year's resolution as they may likely be broken; however, for 2011, I came up with a meaningful goal instead of the old cliches like to lose weight or eat healthier.

My top New Year's goal for 2011 is to BE KIND TO MYSELF.

When I look back at my life, not just last year, but life in general, being kind to myself is something I don't get to do very often.

What is kindness? The English dictionary states that, kindness is:

1.	the practice or quality of being kind
2.	a kind, considerate, or helpful act

What does this translate to my life? Being kind to myself means:

* Patting myself on the back for a job well-done
* Putting myself and my family ahead of others
* Being more grateful of life and life's opportunities even when some don't work out
* Being more effective rather than affected
* Change negative thinking into positive ones
* Be in the Present moment and leave the past behind
* Love myself unconditionally
* Learn to fail more often and look at failures as a form of feedback
* Continue to Believe
* Take good care of my physical and mental state
* Clear the mind
* Laugh more often
* Speak up

Being kind to myself will take great practice. I believe that being kind to myself will strengthen who I am as a person, business woman, girlfriend/wife and friend. I also believe that change has to happen from the inside first because the world is just an extension of ourselves. The world does not define us, we define what happens to us in this world.

Have a Happy, Prosperous, Meaningful and Kind New Year to all!

2010 - The Year of Personal Development

As I reminisce 2010, I can't help but smile of all the accomplishments I made and none are too big or small.

I wanted to change things at the beginning of this Year so I set out big goals where my strength and courage would be tested. It was a great idea; however, I knew that I had fears to conquer in order to be successful in the goals I set out to do. Needless to say, I was scared sh*tless and I had to be strong, mentally and physically, because I knew that backing out or letting my fears take over would be the easiest way to go.

Backing out and letting my fears take over - I had to break these patterns.

What were my goals this year? Here they are:

1. Public speaking - I have always had jitters about public speaking. The classic signs of panic before going to speak are heart palpitations, sweating, over thinking, lack of breath and hot and cold flashes. In February, I gave my first speech about me and my business in front of a group of local business women. I also announced my intention to compete in my first fitness competition.

2. Fitness competition - Just like public speaking, stepping on stage is a big deal. The jitters are 100 times heightened. I have always admired fit women. I admire the dedication and we all know that "hard work" is KEY into looking the way they do. Hard work like eating clean, dedicating time each and every day to go to the gym and staying motivated to keep pursuing the desired goals, and not starvation or diets.

I decided that 2010 was my time to shine. I knew what to do and how to do it...its was the FEAR that was holding me back. Fear of what? Fear of the stage, fear of my hard work not being enough or good enough, fear of not doing my best, and my best one yet, fear of failing.

I stepped on stage in June of 2010 with pride and confidence, while I stared at all of those fears in the face. I had a blast and I was proud of myself.

3. Rock climbing - Who knew I had a fear of heights? As I always advice my clients, use variety when engaging in fitness regimen so you are never bored and continue to be active. I wanted to try something different other than what I already know so I decided that rock climbing was something different, and oh boy, it was! When I took my first lesson, I had envisioned that it would be a breeze. I was strong enough to do it. But that was my first mistake. As I climbed my first beginner wall, I froze halfway through as I realized how high I was and that I was away from my comfort zone of solid ground. That's when I knew I had a fear of heights. I wanted to be brought down right away. I sat down and talked with myself. =) I asked myself why I was fearful when I did not even know I had a fear of heights. I ultimately came to the conclusion that it was all in my head...everything! So I went back up =)

Rock climbing is really not a test of strength, you need some mental strength in order to not freak out. Sure, being strong and having a strong core helps but going up a wall that is 45ft high with only a security of a rope and belayer, you better have trust that nothing can and will happen to you.

I still enjoy rock climbing to this day. I still get nervous on some harder routes so I almost always have to reassure myself that everything will be fine and to just enjoy what I'm doing because, as weird as it may sound, I get a pleasure out of climbing a wall. Why? Because when I face all possibilities of fear from falling, and when I get to finish my wall, I get such an exhilaration because I've accomplished another feat where I thought it was impossible to do.

4. Drivers License - Well this was HUGE! I grew up in Toronto, Ontario where owning a car is really not practical and needed. The maintenance of a car, car payments, gas, insurance and parking space are a high cost for me who would only use it on occasion. I used the transit to get around. However, this was not the reason why I did not obtain my license. I tried, on numerous times to get one, but I always suffered terrible panic attacks while driving. I took driving lessons, and while I passed the in-class portion of it, I lacked the confidence of driving behind the wheels so panic attacks would always set in. So I gave up for almost 10 years. And then I moved to Guelph, Ontario. Guelph is a beautiful City but the transit system is slow, unreliable and no subway system.

I took driving lessons again until I became comfortable enough to take my test. I did not think this was possible, EVER. I worked hard, meditated, performed self-talk, hypnosis, and continued on driving until I did it. I passed and received my license on the first try! So so proud of myself.

5. Seminar - I have conducted a few workshops in the past but only to a handful of people. As I was always nervous with big crowds, I avoided giving talks as much as possible. But I wanted to ride my big wave and push myself to another goal. I did my first public speaking - seminar with regards to fitness and exercise - my specialty - to a room full of people. It went very well and I have another speaking engagement booked for January 27, 2011.

As I look back at what I wrote on this blog, I cant help but shed a fear tears and I take that as a sign of pride and happiness. I do not think I would have been able to push myself without support. My loving hubby, Mark, supported me in every step of the way. I almost gave up =( I bitched, complained and wondered why I do these things but I knew why.... He listened without judgment and gave me such tight, reassuring hugs and kisses, and I knew things will be okay.

And they were more than OK.

I have had a lot of -bad- things that happened this year too, but I chose to list the -good- and have them outweigh the bad because, after all, I have a choice.

A choice to make my world a better place.

Happy New Year Everyone!