the next 12 months

‎2012! Just remember resolutions are easily forgotten if you keep them to yourself....say them aloud, write them down, post them up, tell others, then you'll be more accountable to yourself.
What are YOU going to achieve next year? Make it a commitment! And have sticktoitivenss!

heart rate zones

Exercise is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle. You need to exercise regularly to maintain your cardiovascular health and prevent the onset of diseases that could be fatal.
Whatever your exercise goals are, you cannot expect to achieve them by going at every type of exercise at full strength and energy. There are heart rate zones that you should learn about.
These heart rate zones have different effects on your training. For the most effective routines, you have to make sure that you keep within your heart rate zone.

good intentions

Good intentions are not good enough. Ultimately we are measured by our actions.
Excuses...?

• I was going to exercise yesterday.. but I just didn't get around to it. I didn't have enough time.
• I was going to eat healthy this morning.. but for some reason, I didn't.
• I was going to commit to becoming a better person... but I don't know what happened.

We all have intentions. Most of them good. But in life, does it really matter what our intentions are? Actions are all we have. Make them count.

c2k 2011



the ridiculous ... cossie to kosci, the eve before c2k
a glimpse into the lives of the very sane... crew members :P~

Very rarely we get an opportunity to play a role in someone elses exciting life journey, and help them to attain some incredible personal goals.
Yet this year, for the second time I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of Rays crew and help him conquer the 240km from the coast, at Eden to the topmost point of Australia, the peak of Mt Kosciuszko!!
It is endearly referred to in the ultra world as ... spanking the mammoth :) What a feat of endurance. What a range of emotions from beginning to end. And what an absolute honour to be able to take part.
    c2k photos can be viewed here :D
    cossie to kosci photos? - haha - can't be viewed :D

maccas signs up with ww

This is an old story from 2010, but it has just been brought to my attention, via two sources. One.  Two. Take a read of both. I've not seen it in Australia, but then, I've probably not set foot inside a McDonalds in many years. Is it happening? I find it a shocking concept. And there is obviously $$$ involved between the two!

Moderation is definitely an integral part of making a lifestyle change but people shouldn't delude themselves into thinking that the meals offered at McDonalds are healthy, not even the 'healthy options'.

At the end of the day, weight loss IS about calories in and calories out. Being healthy and fit, however, is a completely different ballgame. Eating a chocolate bar is not equivalent to a salad wholemeal wrap, even if they contain an equivalent amount of calories. So choose for nutrition and let your body have the best fuel it can.

qotd

be different

"Based on 100 people this is what happens. By the time they are 65, only one will be rich, 4 will be financially independent, 41 will still be working and 54 will be broke. The reason for so many failures? CONFORMITY ... people acting like everyone else, without knowing why or without knowing where they are going."

Goals, are important. Individual goals, to suit ... YOU. Don't simply conform but move yourself out of your comfort zone and really succeed ...

why not you

Today I want you to ask yourself this one question ...
          "why not YOU?"
Why not YOU to do something for work that you love? Why not YOU to have a healthy body? Why not YOU to have healthy love? Why not YOU to be, have, or do, anything you have ever dreamed?!
We are so quick to think others are deserving over ourselves. The truth is that we are ALL deserving ... so why not YOU?!

Jillian Michaels

qotd

You only worry because you keep practicing it!
Today think more positively about your future. You'll enjoy it.

stay committed

Christmas, and all it entails, fast approaching ...egads where did the year go!!!

Don't use christmas as a reason NOT to exercise or, to eat all that you want without thought, because if it's that important to you, you will find a way - if not, you will find an excuse.

losing weight

There's no such thing as mindless weight loss.
Losing weight is about making the right choices, every single day, in a variety of different situations. If the weight isnt coming off as you expect, that doesn't mean you should throw in the towel - if you know youve been doing everything *right* ... keep at it!  There are other changes happening also. Good healthy changes, within our bodies, the invisible improvements we dont visually 'see', so dont notice quite so much.... that are worth MUCH more than our physical appearance.
Looking good should be the side effect of training, not the goal. The goal should be making your body functional, and getting healthy.

qotd

first four words

passionate. peaceful. patient. thoughtful.


hmmmmm ... i wonder if i am ...

:) give it a go!!

a squat

Truth: You're born to squat.
Baby humans squat with great technique before our sedentary society messes them up....

Photo courtesy of the CrossFit Affiliate Community

another (little) swim in the ocean

yet another swimming first ... christie and chris, swam this time ... from hamilton island to shute harbour - a total of 21kms ... in 6hrs 19mins ...
congratulations to them both - another fantastic and inspiring swim, under some pretty rough and tough conditions at time .... the current between hammo and dent island - a doozie!!! ...
so inspirational to witness beginning to end ...
ethan, great boating skills, and all the irish, matt, markus and pierce - you never have to see another kayak again :D great job - and you only ran over the swimmers a coupla times :P~ !?!
all photos can be viewed here

hold my hand

I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone & paced the same old floor.
I said it didn‘t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission cheques & such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.
I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye & closed & locked the door.
If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
Reach for your future with a smile; SUCCESS is there for you!
~unknown~

qotd

"Right now you are one choice away from a new beginning - one that leads you toward becoming the fullest human being you can be." Oprah Winfrey


What choices will you make today?

qotd

“You are what you eat. What would YOU like to be?”
~ Julie Murphy, Nutrition Across a Lifetime

qotd

“It's up to you today to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.”

~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

you

Some of us are so busy during the day, we don't make time any time for ourselves.
It is important that you ask these questions of yourself daily....What have you done for YOU to grow and nurture your mind, body, spirit, relationships, creativity and passion?
If you don't have answers for all of these at the moment, then you might not want to consider your day over yet...

no excuses! #05

is YOUR health important ....?
did you get out into the world today and keep yourself active? did you steer yourself in the direction of your goals .... if not, why not?
don't you owe it to yourself to be the healthiest version of you, you CAN be?!

there are... NO excuses!

change

". . . you can make changes or you can make excuses. Your choice."

a great article on "change"

a (little) swim in the ocean

taking off after a quick intake of water and gu!

i got to be on the crew boat again for another swimming first today ... christie and a mate of his, chris, from townsville, were swimming from sth molle island back to airlie beach - a total of 17kms ...
starting at 9:48am .. finishing at 1:46pm - a total of 3hrs 58 minutes ... quicker than last years 14km swim from whitehaven to hamilton island ....
after a week of super yucky weather - rain,  wind and mugginess ... conditions, werent quite so bad today, no rain AT ALL - w00t! starting very choppy and windy though ... a couple of sections where they had to fight the tide, but, then fairly as ideal as you could ask for with a swim in the ocean, facing the elements ... the closer to the coastline, the calmer the waters, being protected but there was not a lot of area for that ...
the intake along the way ... ? chris. 1.8 litres of carb water, 5 gu's and 2 panadols! christie. 1.7 litres of plain water, 9 gu's.
amazing to watch it unfold! inspiring effort - a big congratulations to both swimmers, christie and chris, and to ross, the kayaker as well - (no more touching the shark stayaway'er'er's :D ) no sharks. it must WORK! :D

all photos can be viewed here

qotd

it takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers... but always know - you ARE capable - of anything you want to be... dream. big! and then, go for it! reach your goals!

start over

If you have started out in pursuit of your goal
And you have really tried with your heart and your soul,
But somehow things got out of control
START OVER.

When you have tried your best to do what you should
And you thought this time that you surely would,
But once again, you did not do good
START OVER.

it all starts with you

 

qotd

"Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." Captain Cook.

banana goodness

Who wants a bit of science to finish off their day? Thought you might. :D
Many animals can make their own vitamin C!!!
Humans and other primates cannot: they are reliant on food for vitamin C. Old news that salad vegetables and citrus fruit are good sources, yet less well known that a (increasingly affordable) banana will provide about a quarter of your daily vitamin C needs.
With all the other goodness a banana provides, don't forget to add one regularly to your day ... slowly, the prices drop. (yay)

big pharma

unfortunately, so true.
yet changing to a healthy diet can help so many 'sick' people, be well... NOTHING substitutes a delicious diet of nutritious whole foods, REAL food ...

why do people turn to drugs/medicines when nature has given us everything we need to keep us healthy, alive and full of energy?! naturally.
is it just the promise of an 'easy solution'? a quick solution? we can eat processed junk food and refined sugars because, oh. when we get sick, a pill will help us? or, the nutrition we lack, then comes in a formula?

positive

positive characteristics ...
connecting with the positive within ourselves and surrounding ourselves with positive people in our lives makes such a difference...

qotd

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton

rough?

It's been a rough week, but I made it - how about you?

                                                                So. How bout it?

qotd

"Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow!" Plato

no excuses! #04

You know when you feel like giving up? remember - you KNOW you can push through and get the results you are after .. YOU - refuse to be stopped too!

There are, NO .... excuses

So. To complain or not to complain? Tired or not tired? The answer here in this photo!

qotd - i choose

absolutely! specially, the last point.
when you are making positive changes in your life - don't let any negative comment others may think/say/express about you, affect your success. some, when they see you getting great results, when they see you are 'changing' in a positive way, like to bring doubt to your mind... and some days, it may take just a small niggle to let that affect you and the choices you make regarding your health .... don't let others opinions, alter the hard work you are putting in, that get those amazing results.

qotd

“Many fine things can be done in a day if you don't always make that day tomorrow” - Unknown

absolutely fabulous

What a great opportunity I was given this morning for an absolutely fabulous session - mother and daughter - coming together and training, intensely!
It was awesome to witness the bond and support they had for each other
Margaret - you are becoming an inspiration for many - and ABSOLUTE PROOF - consistency, sweat, and a good healthy diet - thrown together with determination = 100% results!!!
"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

qotd

We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realise.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

a great session!

Sally, Emma, Margaret, Nicola
Misty, Kimberly, Andrew!

Man, what a fantastic way to start Sunday morning!
A solid workout, with some amazing clients - an outdoor warmup, followed by some fun inside! :) (of course it WAS!! :P~ )
Kimberly, Nicola and Emma juiced up oranges and apples before we started - Misty raced home for extra knives! Then everyone pitched in and helped make the rest of our breakfast afterwards... YUM!! (well, besides Andrew who sat back letting the women do the work! hmmmmmmmmmm? sexism?!)

What did I realise!? What an absolutely wonderful group of people I get the opportunity to train with every week! How fortunate I am that every single person brings a smile to my face, all for different reasons ...While all have individual health fitness journies they are on, the similarity for me, is all are an absolute delight to train to their absolute limits. Today. Highlighted that fact.
The ability to bring some of them together with the connection to workout as a group, made for an absolutely fun start to the morning! Loud music, sweaty bodies, tough high intensity workout - done with enthusiasm and great motivation and encouragement for one another - Noone gave up. Noone, allowed anyone else to give up! I couldn't have been more proud of the effort and the united support they had to each other.
Cohesive! Man, what a great Sunday!
Thank you to each and every one of you that was able to attend - to those that couldn't - can't wait until the next one!
Photos can be seen here!

sunday session

have a great session lined up for tomorrow morning at the gym for all my clients. am so looking forward to it ... unfortunately, not all can make it, but for those that can - be prepared to train hard :D in a fun way of course. hmmmmm, or not. let's see :P~ maybe. just train hard! you want results? you gotta work it!

then.... YUMMY breakfast for afterwards ...

• scrambled tofu w/garlic, onion and capsicum (ok, i guess that ones a selfish one for me!)
• muesli (courtesy of capers airlie beach) with natural yoghurt and berries
• wholemeal muffins with baked beans, cottage cheese and avocado
• watermelon, rockmelon, strawberries, grape fruit and kiwi fruit
• freshly juiced orange juice, lemon juice and apple juice!

sweat, then eat! it's gonna be awesome! bring it!

qotd

"Always be mindful of the kindness, and not the faults of others."
                                                                            ~ Buddha

encouragement

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about

it's a killer disease

obesity, the maker of many unnecessary ailments ...
i know for some people, it is hard to think that the year 2020, matters. that the year 2030, matters. but, we need to look ahead, for many are on the road to such sickness ... brought about from overweightedness - and as a nation, the $$$ cost is, and will be, phenomonal. people often think they don't pay financially if they are not overweight, but every working man and woman bears the cost of obesity & related health issues.

overcoming deadly factors such as poor diet, smoking and a lack of exercise should take top priority in the fight against a growing epidemic of chronic disease. do we REALLY need to wait until we are so unwell, at the doctors, reeling back in great horror at what we have become and wondering how to fight off the illnesses we have created, to START making a positive difference for ourselves?

get started. for yourself. today. no excuses.

just 'one a day'

disturbing fact:
if you were to consume four average sized chocolate or confectionary bars each week, this would equate to approximately 83,200 additional calories (or 10.8kg worth of excess stored fat) per year.*

so, what would seven do? that's just one chocolate bar a day - it adds an extra 145,600 calories a year ...
how does this not become concerning? many people think just one a day 'doesn't make that much of a difference' - how quickly, how easily, just a small thing adds up ... then, what other *small things* add up? do you also add just one biscuit a day? just one slice of bread? just a handful of chips? ....
think about what you eat, think about the results you are trying to achieve for yourself, think of the results gained ... when. you realise the small things add up and you are able to eliminate those small things from the everyday .... think of the healthy changes you will create for your body.

cut the extras. and make a difference.

the body

"The body never lies." ~ Martha Graham

So true. How we treat our body, what we choose to put into in, on to it, how we exercise it, maintain it, are all a reflection of our core beliefs about ourselves, combined with a dash of habit.
We are what we eat and we eat what we are, or believe we are.

qotd

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat”
– Theodore Roosevelt

qotd

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

thank you for the support

to everyone today who brought me in good luck gifts - books, cups, a guardian angel, bananas, .... darn, i give an almighty thanks... and to all who sent emails and texts, and who phoned, to wish me well, i am simply blown away ....

i am absolutely fortunate to have such a great support base behind me as i head off to run - knowing i have the encouraging thoughts of many, helping me out - will do my best - let's see if its enough!

ps: wow - on the bananas :) they will be quickly eaten but never forgotten!

focus, on health

Studies reveal that those who exercise for health related reasons as opposed to appearance related reasons, maintain an exercise program for longer.


Focus, on HEALTH!

keep going

Keep going.
That pain you feel? That's fear melting away.
Like wax off a candle.
That's weakness washing out of your pores like a monsoon.
That's the old you being shed away like dead skin.
That's the new you, rising out of the ashes of your former self.

qotd

The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. - Epictetus

qotd

"If you knew that what you wanted was right in front of you, wouldn't you run as hard and as fast as you could to get there?"

grab your goals, don't lose sight of them, and continue heading in the right direction  ...

kids can be a great motivator

Have you ever stopped to think about why you really feel the need to lose weight, get fit, or go after any other goal? Real reasons, beyond a future milestone birthday, wedding or similar function... desire, needs to reach beyond the short term, upcoming event ...

To succeed at your goals, whatever your personal ones are ... your motivation has to grab your attention like new love!! Your motivation - is the BEST reason you can think of for getting up every day, getting active and getting healthy - and, sticking with it.

exercises for seniors

one day lois?? :)

thank you to Lois - the loveliest exercising 75 year old client you can imagine - who found she related to this piece and passed it on to me  :) it's probably suitable for all of us - all ages :D Lois you always bring a smile to my day with your wonderful sense of humour!

The Doctor told me, I should start an exercise program.
Not wanting to harm this old body, I've devised the following:

MONDAY
Beat around the bush, Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls, Wade through the morning paper

TUESDAY
Drag my heels, Push my luck
Make mountains out of mole hills, Hit the nail on the head

choose ... greatness

"success and mediocrity are both contagious. if you want to be great, surround yourself with great people ... and get infected."