Day Nine To a Body You Love

There's a saying that "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I've had many great teachers.

Liz Parker, Foundress of Liz PR, taught me how to dress and the one rule I learned from her and always follow is: When you see something you like, like a blazer or skirt, if it looks good and is in your size you should buy it. Don't wait for the sale because it may not be there. The other rule of hers that I always follow is: Anything can be tailored.

Misty Tripoli, Foundress of The Groove Method, taught me to love my body and life and all of it's deliciousness one groovy move at a time.

Deborah Goodwin, President of the Aloette of Oakville Franchise, taught me to dream BIG.

My most recent teacher, Patricia Moreno, Creator of IntenSati, Founderess of Sati Life Inc. and author of Seven Principles to Thinner Peace, has taught me to live a life I love in a body I love and to choose my thoughts, actions and words wisely because your thoughts, actions and words co-create the life you live in each moment. Patricia is a Gaiam Media Presenter and has several DVD workouts that you can do at home that are all infused with her Sati LifeStyle.

I highly recommend all of her DVDs for workouts that are fun, challenging mentally and physically and give you the results you're looking for.

Because I don't live in Manhattan and can't see her everyday, I use three of her DVDs through out the week. These DVDs in combination with doing IntenSati twice a week of contributed to me losing ALL of my baby weight, strengthened my core and put be back into my PD(Pre-Darius) Jeans.

KickBox: Core Cross Train

In this workout you will punch, kick, jab and shuffle your way to a lean and toned body. Patricia teaches you powerful martial arts and boxing-inspired moves to strengthen your core and reshape your whole body. You'll achieve endurance, precision and grace in a single workout that’s broken into four targeted sections: Punches, Core Energizer, Power Kicks and Ultimate Kickboxing. The whole workout when all four sections are combined is 80 minutes long, but the best part is each of these sections can be done as individual workouts.

Dance: Core Cross Train

I love to dance. Before getting pregnant I used to teach BodyJam and Zumba at GoodLife Fitness. If you can't get to the gym to try either one of those classes, pick up this DVD. In it Patricia shows you how to simultaneously build strength and dance skills. You’ll see just how dancers get so toned as you integrate your entire body into new movements. From jazz to Latin and hip-hop, you’ll learn all the basic moves from each genre and then string them together to look like a pro. If you’ve ever dreamed of dancing in a music video, this is the experience!

Yoga: Dance Fusion

I highly recommend including a day or two of stretch into your fitness routine. After you've strengthened your muscles, they need a good stretch to get your body looking long and lean. In this DVD Patricia has merged the precision of yoga with the graceful and powerful motions of dance. Each seamless and flowing movement builds balance, strength, endurance and flexibility. This workout not only invigorates the body, but elevates the spirit as well. I guarantee you'll feel strong, yet serene after doing this workout. I love this DVD because when I'm short on time I do the express workout which is only 30 minutes.

You can find all of these DVDs on the Gaiam website or visit your in Canada, visit your local Chapters Indigo Store. The best part, the price for these DVDs range between $11 - $14! Now you can't beat that. World class instructor, World Class workout, but not at a World Class price.

Day Eight To a Body You Love

Are you loving the journey or are you still beating yourself up for where you currently are? Enjoy where you are because it's where you are meant to be for right now. Positively expect the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual changes you desire.

Today, I'll share with you one of my favourite channels on YouTube. As a new mum, I don't have a lot of time to work out, 20 minutes, sometimes 30 if Darius has eaten well and is enjoying his nap. You would think as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor that it wouldn't take much for me to get motivated for my own workout, but even I need a little boost some days.

When I was working in the gym training clients and teaching up to 6 classes a week, I needed someone to create my workout for me and push me beyond what I thought I could or wanted to do. I had two GREAT trainers.

Unfortunately, I'm not coordinated enough to get to the gym. Also, now that I'm home most the time, but with very little SPARE time, I need a workout that's already planned for me and will kick my butt in the shortest amount of time.

Meet Rebekah "Bex" Borucki and check out her channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/genghisgirl or visit her website: bexlife.com.

On her channel you'll find AMAZING Tabata style workouts that are efficient and effective. The best part is, most of the workouts use your own body weight - no fancy equipment needed.

"Bex" or "GenghisGirl" as I like to call her, has tons of energy. She's a trainer herself with THREE kids - check out her AMAZING body! She's a Cancerian like me, not that that makes your workouts any better, but I really dig her and she's got TONS of videos you can search through.

If you're short on time and need some motivation, check her out. It's one of the best fitness channels on YouTube.

Day Seven To a Body You Love

Good Day Sunshine!
Ok, so there's no sun in Mississauga, but visualize and there is!
Have you implemented any of the suggestions that you've been reading and watching? Care to share?
Continuing on the theme of getting a move on, over the next couple of days I'll share with you what you can do to get moving if you're short on time, motivation or a gym membership.
You don't need fancy equipment, a cardio machine or even a full 60 minutes to get your workout in. All you need is your own body and music that makes you want to move.
So gear up and get ready.

Day Six To A Body You Love

Get Moving!

Day Five To a Body You Love

Pump Up the Protein!

Day Four To A Body You Love

Eat Your Breakfast!

Day Three To A Body You Love

Go GREEK!

Day Two To A Body You Love

Write it Down!

Day One to a Body You Love

So, yesterday I posted, "twelve days to a body you love" would start today. I received some comments asking exactly how I was going to help you lose weight in twelve days, lose baby weight in twelve days, etc.

Well, let me be clear. This is not twelve quick and dirty tips to lose weight fast. I said, "Twelve days to a body you love." Big difference. There is no quick fix and fad diets don't work. Living a life in a body you love is a lifestyle change. Lifestyles last longer than fad diets because lifestyle changes are usually healthy habits that you introduce for the rest of your life. The next eleven days will include easy lifestyle changes you can make in order to live a life in a body you love.

Creating a body you love involves introducing some critical healthy habits. They may include physical, emotional, mental and spiritual habits. The first habit that I think is critical is appreciation for the body you currently have. Do you appreciate the body you currently have or do you beat it up consciously or unconsciously for what it's not or what it can't do?

When you look in the mirror do you think, "wow I look great today" or do you think "Ugh, I hate my thighs.", "How do I get rid of these jiggly arms?", "I wish my stomach was flatter." or "I'm so fat."

When you constantly beat your body up for everything it's not that's exactly what you'll get. Thoughts become things. In order to live a life in a body you love, you have to appreciate the body you have. Your heart beats and pumps blood throughout your body without you having to do anything. Your lungs exchange oxygen through all your cells without you having to do anything. Regardless of what you put into your body, it knows what to do with it and get all the stuff it doesn't need out. Isn't that INCREDIBLE?! I think so.

Ever wonder why women...and men who get plastic surgery for one thing, keep going back for more? Why are they never satisfied? Because they never learned to appreciate their bodies current beauty and strength. They see flaws as a bad thing rather than something that makes them unique.

Thank your body for the amazing, miraculous things that it does day in and day out. When you learn to appreciate what you currently have in any aspect of your life, only more of those things can come to you.

So, I challenge you to start becoming aware about the things you say to yourself about your body. I challenge you to give your body gratitude for all the wonderful things it can do, has done and what it currently looks like. Only then will you appreciate what it will be once you implement what I'm going to share with you over the next few days.

Love and light,

Aliza

Excuses Be Gone...Write on!

I've been wanting to put more up on my blog, but just don't know what to blog about. Yes, I'm a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor, but that part of my brain has been shut off since I went on maternity leave on March 10th.

Now, I'm ready to get back to what I do best. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very good mum, but I'm also a good Personal Trainer and a REALLY good Fitness Instructor, just ask the people that come to my classes.
I can come up with as many excuses as I want, but the truth is I'm insecure about my writing skills. I've always had bad grammar. I write the way I speak, I don't edit my work and I don't have a very distinct written voice. I've always admired people like Lisa Mackay(http://www.wickednweird.blogspot.com/) and Liz Parker(http://www.lizpr.com/) or my good friend Karen Lin (www.karenokelive.com) who's words fall like lyrics on the page. Their words inspire, motivate, make you laugh and move you to action. I've never been able to write like that. How does one find their written voice?


So, what I've decided to do is focus on the things I do well. So, I don't have a distinct written voice, but I can give 30 plus people in one of my classes or one-on-one clients the best 60 minutes of their day. I'm much more effective in person than I am on the written page. Does this mean that I quit my blog? Hell to the no! I'm going to keep going, bad grammar and all.

I may not be able to move you to tears with my words, but you'll definitely be crying after one of my classes. They may be tears of joy for the body we've co-created. They may be tears of pain from being sore. Either way, they both have a pay off.

See you soon in a class near you.