Realistic Expectations in an Unrealistic World

It feels like quick fixes and unrealistic expectations are everywhere... The Biggest Loser has contestants losing 200 pounds in 3 months (sometimes over 20 pounds in a week!), there are dozens of diets out there claiming you can lose 10-20 pounds in 3 weeks or less and I even know people that have become so obsessive about their workouts and diet to the point that they are really no fun to be around. In my opinion this is really where fitness, exercise and clean eating gets a bad rap. Sure, it can be completely motivating to see someone drop 10 pounds in a week or two - you start thinking, if they can do it, I can totally do it. But my questions to you is should you????


Do you think these people are able to keep the weight off long term (when there is not half a million dollas on the line, or the wedding is over, etc)? Do you actually have hours upon hours to spend in the gym? Is it realistic to eat less than 1200 calories for an extended period of time? By making fitness a chore, are you living your life to the fullest?


The answer is a resounding NO to all of the above!

Living your life to the fullest means making fitness and clean eating a part of your lifestyle. You should chose to participate in activities that you enjoy, that make you feel good when you are done. Same thing with food, choose foods that you can feel good about, both while you are eating and after (no guilt, no tummy troubles, etc). Ask yourself why you are working out. Your answers should include to feel stronger, to feel healthier, to feel beautiful, to be at your best, to get the most out of your life. Being a size 2 or losing just 10 more pounds, does not guarantee that any of those will happen.

For those of you that already workout pay attention to how you feel after... spent, maybe, but proud! Proud that you did it! You came, gave your best effort for the day and did something good for your body, mind and soul! It's that feeling that is going to get you where you want to be. It's that motivation that will have you coming back for more, thinking about what you are eating and not just eating. It's that feeling that is going to make you happy and satisfied with your life and your results. Strive for happiness, strive to be healthy and strive to live your life with no regrets - you'll thank yourself later!

Now put down that cookie and go get moving!!

Questions? We are here for you!

In Health,
Jessica & Tristan Zapata

Is it possible to have too much fun in the sun?

July has arrived and so have the supposed dog days of summer. Although is seems as though we are still waiting for our Alberta heat wave, warmer weather brings out the summer itch in all of us. We crave to be outdoors and in the sun - whether that be on a patio, in the river valley or at the lake! The problem with Alberta is that our summer seems so short... we desperately try to pack in a year full of outdoor fun and celebrations into 8 short weeks! As we make plans to attend summer BBQ's, weddings, weekends at the lake, etc, we are quick to put our health and fitness goals on the back burner. We figure that since it is summer we already move more and when it's hot we eat less, but is that actually true??

The average 'cold one', yes, I mean beer, has 100-200 calories per 12 ounces (ordering a pint? Increase those calories!). Don't drink beer... The average 4 ounce glass of wine has 80-100 calories, however most glasses are 6-8 ounces or more!! Cocktails? A simple gin and tonic will run you 200 calories and a margarita or long island ice tea can be as much as 550 calories!!! Of course, this assumes that you will just stop at one...

The other bad news in this equation... your body chooses alcohol as it's primary energy source when in your system. That means that the fat you are normally burning at rest is staying stored and your body is using the alcohol that you are drinking. If it doesn't need it all, which it normally doesn't, it stores the leftovers as fat too!

No matter how you slice it, those summer beverages can add up quickly. Decrease your activity level and it's a double whammy! Plus we haven't even talked about hamburgers, hot dogs, s'mores and more. If you can maintain your workouts for the summer and spend just a few hours a week working out and being active, the pay off is huge! We are quick to think of the Christmas season being harmful to our waistline and it's only 2 weeks long. Summer is 8, imagine the damage you can do in that time!?!?

The moral of this blog... summer is not the time to put your training on hold. Take a vacation from work and every day life BUT do not take a vacation from your health. Research shows that you only need to do 1/3 of your normal activity to maintain your fitness... everyone can commit to at least that. Incorporate outdoor time into your regime or make your workouts fast and effective. But most importantly stay consistent... it's the only way to achieve results!

Questions, we are here for you.
In Health,
Jessica & Tristan Zapata

Spin n' Sing (aka Cycle-oke)

Saturday, June 27th we paid our respects to Michael Jackson by cycling our little hearts our to some of his best hits. By the end of a very tough class, everyone was exhausted, sweaty but still having a ton of fun!!

See what happens when you combine MJ, sweat and cycling...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aNq4I-M4iI