Fitness Tips: Funny Commercial

If you didn't laugh at this, there's something wrong with you, or maybe it's just my twisted sense of humour

Healthy Tips: A Different Type of Bucket List

This picture inspired me to write this post.

Life is short, we've all heard that cliche before, but it's true and nobody really knows when you're going to kick the bucket, it could be tomorrow, it could be a year from now.

People always ask what would you like to do before you die and we all come up with these extravagant bucket lists. But what if somebody asked you, what would you say to your loved ones if you knew you were going to die tomorrow?

Take a step back from all the distractions life has to offer and focus on those that are important in your life. You'll be surprised at how big a reaction that a simple act can create.

Healthy Tips: Self Efficacy and Achieving Your Fitness Goals

Have you ever heard the cliche "Ask and you shall receive"?  It relates to putting what you want out there and asking the universe for it.  This concept plays a huge role in reaching your fitness goals, it's not only about the training, but about the mindset you have while training as well.

If you don't think you will achieve something, then you've already set yourself up for failure because you've planted the seed that you can't do it, so you won't.  Flip this thinking around and tell yourself that you will achieve all that you desire and it will happen.  It seems like an odd concept, but the only thing that is stopping you from achieving your goals is you.  Nobody ever said it would be easy and everything takes hard work, but it's your mind that will get you over that hump.

Self-efficacy is a term used in psychology, roughly corresponding to a person's belief in their own competence.  How much do you believe in yourself?

Fitness Tip: What Not To Do Fitness Tip of the Week

This was too funny not to post

Healthy Tips: Healthy Mind and Body

I often blog about training your body and ensuring that you treat it well to attain a long and healthy life.  However, I find alot of people neglect the one organ that is also essential for living well, your brain.  Working on your physical muscles and appearance is one thing, but working on the gray matter is important as well.

Here are some simple ways to keep your noggin' sharp and strong:

• Read a book - they are a great way to exercise your imagination and you actually have to use your brain unlike when you're watching a movie.  Besides, how many times have you heard that "the book was so much better then the movie"
• Do a puzzle - whether it's a board game with the family, a crossword puzzle or sudoku.  All these things help flex your gray matter
• Learn a new skill - try a new recipe, learn a new language or try to crochet.  Step outside your boundaries and challenge yourself to learn something new, your brain will thank you for it.

You should train your mind as much as you train your body, since they go hand in hand.  I talk alot about balance especially when it comes to eating, but there also needs to be balance from between body and mind as well.  Work hard on your waistline, but don't forget about what's between your ears.

Healthy Tips: Funny Fitness Parody

Classic....and creepy

Healthy Living: Conquering the Insecurities

I had a conversation with a friend of mine about some stress in his life and it brought us onto the topic of insecurities.  We all have them and they stay with us for most of our lives and he made me realize how powerful and crippling they can be sometimes.  Unfortunately, they can leave you feeling battered and defeated, but humans are natural survivors and it's important to not allow something so miniscule to keep us down.

The insecurities usually start from an event from our childhoods that leads to particular behaviours in our adult lives.  Many fall victim to them and let them control their thoughts and actions.  However, many don't realize that you wield the complete power to change.  Now the change won't happen in a day, as it takes time, but if you continue to address them, your behaviours will eventually change. 

Here's some steps that I've learned and has helped me to not allow the insecurities to slow me down in life:
Awareness - be conscious of your negative reactions to things and question why you act in this way
Flip Your Thoughts - try to come up with a positive spin on things instead of a negative one
Practice Makes Perfect - it takes time to change, but the more you practice at something the better you will get at it.  By constantly trying this technique you can eventually reprogram your brains reactions to things

If you want to change, then make the conscious effort to change, it all starts with you.  You can live a fulfilling and happy life if you want it.

Funny Fitness Commercial

Dieting for Weight Loss

I hate fad diets and I personally think they are detrimental to a person's attempts at weight loss because of the constant disappointment, which puts a person at higher risk of getting worse.  These companies prey on people's insecurities and make millions, while they're customers are left in the same condition after spending hundreds or thousands on their fads.

• Fad diets are not long term, if you want to be successful with losing weight, you have to have long term thinking.  It's not a race, but a journey to a healthier lifestyle
• They usually involve one product that is supposed to be the secret ingredient to weight loss.  There's no such thing, the healthiest people consume a balanced healthy diet with ample exercise
• They're usually quite expensive and the person selling you the product are knowledgeable in selling and not health and wellness
• Weight loss takes time, by jumping on these bandwagons, you're usually looking for a quick solution.  There is no quick solution, being healthy and fit takes discipline and hard work.
• Fad diets are usually not sustainable either due to cost or you just get sick of it.  How many cannisters of this junk do you think you can consume before your body rejects it?

If you want to lose weight, consult your doctor, a personal trainer or a nutritionist, and all three if you can.  It always helps to have somebody push and support your weight loss goals.  These people can arm you with knowledge and help you lose weight the safe and sustainable way and teach you how to keep it off.  Don't take the shortcut rout with fad diets because you'll just end up running in a circle.

Healthy Tips: Seattle WA, the Gem of Washington

I had the fortune of going to Seattle for the weekend, I was overdue for a vacation.  I've never been there, so I really didn't know what to expect.  It was such a pleasant surprise after arriving, it has the beauty of Vancouver with the ocean in plain view, without the hustle and bustle.  The weather was moderate, though it did rain twice, one night I felt like I was caught in a typhoon!

Other then that it's a great place to visit.  I had a chance to visit the aquarium and their pike place market.  Imagine the Lilac festival and Farmer's market combined, but with fresh food and more unique vendors.  It's no wonder this city was where Starbucks was born, the atmosphere was extremely mellow and the people quite friendly. 

Unfortunately the hotel's gym was under renovations, so I had to come up with a way to not put on ten pounds over a weekend.  So I chose to focus on what I was eating instead and walk around alot.  I chose not to rent a car and instead walked all through downtown, not only was I burning calories, but I think it's the best way to explore a new city.  As for eating, obviously I had to have the seafood.  It was amazing, so fresh and delicious.  I avoided the processed carbs and just focused on the proteins. 

Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl - no I didn't eat the bowl

Raw oysters - packed with fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals

Even on vacation, you can make healthy decisions, there are no excuses because you always have healthy options.  I'd definitely recommending checking out Seattle, next time I'll try the summer and hope to see some killer whales.

My Favourite Superbowl Commercial

I have to share this commercial for 3 reasons

1. I'm a Star Wars geek
2. This is my favourite commercial for this year
3. It's mini Darth Vader!

Chiropractor Cracker Review

I have this nagging injury that has been bothering me on and off for the past couple of months in my lower back.  A friend of mine swore by his chiropactor who he claimed was the only person that was able to heal his injury after months of other attempts.  I was quite convinced, so I decided to give his chiropractor a chance.

I've never seen a chiropractor and was somewhat scared of letting somebody manhandle my body like a fat kid with a pretzel.  In a nutshell, this was my experience:

First off they sat me in a room and ran a machine up and down my back to check for temperature differentials in my muscles
After the technician was done I sat in that same room, shirtless, for about half an hour by myself staring at the computer screen of my back scan until the screen saver came on, which forced me to play with my Iphone to stay entertained
In walks the doctor and he sticks his fingers into my lower back and tells me my hips are uneven, I figured that was the case because sometimes I felt one leg being longer then the other
I lie on the massage table and he feels me out some more while scribbling in my chart
I then get sent into another room where I'm told to lie down on a contraption that kind of looked like a reclined dentists chair
Tells me to lie on my back and he looms over me like a butcher ready to work a piece of meat
He contorts my arms into a self-hugging position and crack!  That was one of the scariest moments of my life hearing my back crack like that, it could probably be heard in the waiting room. 
Tells me to lie on my side and he pushes into my body and crack again.
Flip over, another crack
Then he grabs my skull twists it like he was going to pop it off and then double cracks
And it's finally over, ten full cracks later and my appointment is done

He tried to explain to me what he did after the session, but I was in too much shock to hear his words.  This was one of the most awkward things I've ever done to my body.  I thought my massuese could instill fear in me, but this guy took the cake.

Overall, I didn't enjoy the session, it was an eye opener to me that people allow this to be done to their bodies.  I guess I'm going to have to wait and see if it actually works, but I'm dreading my next appointment. 

Anybody else out there willing to share their experience?  Next time I should do my research before I barge into a clinic looking for the cure!

Two Weeks Into Your New Year Resolutions

It's been two weeks since most of us have made our weight loss new year resolutions.  I'm curious to see if you've been able to keep them up, as it's the dedication that will help you meet your fitness goals.  If you break weight loss down to the basics, it comes down to just two main components. 

Eating:  Your eating is the key to the fight, so fuel your body with lean healthy whole foods.  Or if you choose to look at it from a calories perspective, try calories in versus calories out.  If you don't know how many calories you should be consuming just to maintain your weight.  Check out this website: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm .  Although nothing is 100% accurate, it's a good starting point to figuring out what your maintenance level for calorie consumption should be at.

Exercise:  You don't have to spend hours of time at the gym, but you should be doing activities that will burn off the excess calories you have consumed.  It can be as simple as taking a walk around the neighbourhood for an hour each night.  Just try doing some sort of activity every couple of days, daily would be ideal, but we all know how busy our schedules can get.

Weight loss isn't rocket science, if you're able to stick to it, you should see the results that you desire.  The new year has just begun and you've committed yourself to this resolution.  Let's not make it a fad, let's make it a new way of living.

I'd love to hear how you are doing with things, so feel free to message me with your progress or problems!

Colin
Info@FitNutBlog.com

Deals of the Day

Christmas has just passed and I just got my visa bill...OUCH!  It's time to start saving some money and being frugal again.  Here are some awesome deals for the Calgary area:

Dinner for 4 by a Certified Personal Chef

$15 for $36 Worth of Pub Fare and Drinks at The Darby Arms

30 Hot Yoga Classes at Tri-Yoga for $30

$35 for a 60 Minute Massage of Your Choice of Relaxation, Deep Tissue or Therapeutic, Plus 3 Ten Minute Whole Body Vibration Body Slimming Sessions at Eden Wellness and Vibration ($150 Value)

Drink Water for Health

Water:  the source of life.  Without it, the earth would not exist, nor would the beautiful creatures that inhabit it.  Two-thirds of our bodies are composed of it and we can't live without it for more then a few days.  Yet most of us don't drink enough of it.  Here are some reasons why H2O is the way to go:

• Water is essentially free, unless you like to buy bottled water
• It's got zero calories, so you can drink as much as you want
• Keeps you hydrated and quenches your thirst
• Ensures your body fnctions at optimal efficiency
• Essentially keeps you alive

So the next time you're in the company kitchen, opt for some crisp, clean water instead of that can of pop in the fridge.

Healthy Tips: New Years Resolutions

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with friends family and wonderful food.  Now that 2011 has arrived most of you have probably made a few resolutions and I bet quite a few of them are related to health and weight loss.  Hopefully I've inspired you reach your health and fitness goals and here's my top ten tips to help you stick to your healthy resolution:

1. Food Diary - keep track of things that you're eating just to give you an idea of how many actual calories you are consuming daily
2. Exercise Diary - similar to a food diary, it keeps track of your training regimine to make sure you're constanly making progress with your training.  Whether it's running for an extra five minutes each day or lifting five more pounds every week.
3. Portion Control - focus on portions no bigger then a deck of standard playing cards
4. Sleep - make sure to get a good's night rest every night, it's recommended adults sleep for at least 8 hours a night
5. Water - drink lots of H20, the recommended daily intake is 8-10 glasses a day, so start guzzling
6. Vices - try to keep your vices to once a week.  We all have them, but let's try to hold off on the sweets, alcohol and junk food until the weekend.
7. Remind yourself - most of us spend most of our time at our jobs, so it's important that even during busy working days, we stay on track with our goals.  Keep a reminder that's always visible such as a poster, picture or inspiration at your workspace
8. Support network - surround yourself with those who have similar goals as yourself.  There really is power in numbers and this support group can help motivate and push you towards your goal
9. Schedule - stick to a  regular training schedule that is flexible and challenging
10. Smile - try to keep on smiling as it naturally improves your mood, and if you're in a better mood, you're more likely going to eat the right thing or force yourself to do some exercise

Healthy Tips: Exercise In Winter

When the weather outside is frightful, your activities can still be delightful.  If you're reluctant to drive to the gym to get some physical activity there are still things you can do during our blissful winters to get your daily dose of exercise. 

Shovel the snow:  this is an excellent way to burn some calories since you're working multiple muscle groups with each motion.  Just make sure you watch your form by using your knees and arms instead of your lower back.  They also sell ergonomic shovels now, which really helps prevent injuries.

Make a snowman:  make yourself feel like a kid again and bring Frosty back to life.  Packed snow can get quite heavy and the constant squatting will get your blood flowing

Toboganning/Sledding:  climbing up that hill is great cardio and you get rewarded with a fun slide back down

Ice Skating:  most communities have local outdoor rinks that you can skate at, to make it more of a challenge grab a puck and hockey stick and have yourselves a game of shinny

There are so many activities you can do even in the colder weather, so stop hibernating and get out there.

Gifts for the Healthy Lifestyle

Christmas is only two weeks away, and we all have that one person that is impossible to shop for.  Well if you have a fitness nut in your life, I know plenty of gifts that they would enjoy.  Not all would want the same thing as we come in different categories, but here's a list of items you can get them depending on what they like:

The Runner:  these are the people who will run in any type of weather and terrain and enjoy it.  If you haven't already, perhaps you can look into a pedometer that tracks their distance or even a gift certificate for a good pair of running shoes.  They go through shoes faster then the women in my life.

The Athlete:  these are the sports buffs in your life, they are usually part of a recreational or amateur sports league of some sort.  They're playing a sport at least twice a week and tend to have a competitive edge within.  When they're not playing a sport, they're probably watching one.  Try getting them some nice dry fit clothes, like the new Nike Live Strong brand, which has become quite popular recently.

Busy Bee:  For that person that's always on the go and has no time to go to the gym, but prefers home workout DVD's instead.  They've went through every fad from Tai-Bo to Buns of Steel, there's no program they won't try.  Try putting them on a intense program like P90X or Insanity. 

The Gym Rat:  They spend a few hours at the gym each week usually lifting weights.  They love protein and eat like a pig.  Try getting them some home exercise equipment, such as the TRX training system or Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, so they can get their workout in at home.

 

Hopefully this gives you some ideas on what to get the fitness nut in your life.  Or if they aren't a fitness nut yet, these gifts will turn them into one. 

Health Tips: Free Activities to Stay Healthy

I've found that a major excuse to not being healthy relates to money, but I think that's just another excuse people use to not have to do something physical.  There are plenty of things that you can do that cost you nothing and can keep your body weight normal and your waistline slim. 

Here's a list of activities that you can do and won't hurt your pocket book:

Walk/Run - You pay taxes to have those sidewalks and street lights maintained.  Perhaps it's time you made use of them, I bet there are areas of your community that you have never even seen.  Put on a pair of comfortable shoes and go for a run/walk after dinner.

Play - if you've got children, take them to the park and play a game of tag with them, push them on the swing or take them down the slides.  Not only do you get some family bonding time, but you get an easy workout at the same time.

Hiking - Being in Calgary, we take for granted the beatiful hikes that are within our own city limits.  There's Nose Hill, Fish Creek and many other parks where you can go for a hike.  The best thing about it is the view at the top, don't forget to take your camera to capture your achievements.

So get off that couch and do something, it's not about the money anymore because these activities don't cost you anything.  The only thing that is holding you back is YOU!

Awesome Massage Deal

$35 for a 1 Hour Massage or Two 30 Minute Massages at Lasting Impressions ($70 Value)

About the Merchant

Merchant website: http://www.lastingimpressionshealthbeauty.ca/ Things that leave a lasting impression: Great works of art, classic movies, epic nature panoramas, and falling asleep on fabric that has a weird pattern. Oh and also famous speeches by presidents and looking great. Which Is Where Lasting Impressions Salon and Spa comes in!

All you have to do is walk in the door to see why Lasting Impressions is where you want to be. From Esthetic Treatments, to the Full Service Salon, Massage Therapy to Custom Designed Tattoos Lasting Impressions will cater to your every need.

Esthetics
Micheala is a Licensed Esthetician that Graduated From Zeneba Academy Of Esthetics Offering: Facials, Waxing, Threading, Manicure & Pedicures, Teeth Whitening, Thai Stem Massage, Thai Stem Facial, Paraffin Treatments, Body Wraps, Body Scrubs, Eye Lash & Eye Brow Tinting

Full Service Salon
Colleen is a Licensed Red Seal Journeyman Hairstylist with 28 years in the hair industry, With a Masters in Matrix Color Line, Including Color Corrections, Colleen Graduated from Alberta Beauty School in Lethbridge, AB

Massage Therapy
Krysta is a Registered Massage Therapist Graduated From Mount Royal University with the 1100 Hour Program, Listing with NHPC and is recognized as a 2200 hour Therapist, She can Issue Receipt for Company Benefits programs She Specializes in: Remedial Massage, Relaxation, Deep Tissue & Hot Stone Massage

Custom Design Tattoo Studio
Our Tattoo area is Fully Disposable, Custom Designs, Discreet, Health Board Approved (Nov 2010) Walk Ins are welcome We have 3 Artist's in the shop; Our Head Artist has been Tattooing for 4 Years, along with 2 Jr. Artists that have been tattooing for a year