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Are you a pop drinker?

If you are, go to your cupboard right now and grab a glass of water…then put 9 teaspoons of white sugar into it. That’s basically what you are drinking.

What does it do for your body? Nutritionally, absolutely nothing. Does it hydrate – officially yes, but there are better ways to do it since the added sugar is a huge contributor in weight gain.

A few of my favourites:

water with lemon (I’ve also recently started tossing a couple of cucumber slices in there) and sparkling water (in a wine glass to make it more fancy!)

There are many other options that offer variety and low to no calories as well:

- You can buy flavoured water (although I personally find the flavour to artificial)

- drink juice (lots of vitamin c, but should be in limited quantities since there are natural sugars (sugar is sugar)

- Milk (contains proteins and carbs, a great way to stay satiated)

If you really like to add something sweet to your coffee or tea, a better choice to sugar would be honey. Yes , there are still calories, but honey also has many other great properties to it that contribute to your good health.

Just a few thing to think about. With this 26 Week Transformation Project, I have become very aware of what I eat and drink. I don’t deprive myself, but I try to think about food and beverages that will offer more bang for my calorie buck. I would rather eat 120 calories than drink it. If I am going to drink my calories, I would at last like to have something to offer my body other than sugar.

Click here for the calorie counts of some of your favourite beverages. Remember, this isn’t about deprivation. You can have anything you want, but it all counts and it all adds up.

Feel free to share some of your ways to stay hydrated!

Dawn

The statement below reflects what I (and I am sure  many of us who are trying to “stay on track” ) periodically think:

I don’t want to put my ”restrictions” upon my friends and what they enjoy so better not to go out with them if I can’t “go all out” too!  If I go out socially, my friends will feel “pressured” to “deprive” themselves. Best not to go! Go hard or go home (or in my case, stay home!)

Well, if you know me I am WAY to social to take myself out that easily- but it is funny that would I assume that my friends would rather not see me than be a part of my journey. “Whoa Whoa Whoa”…I can hear you protest.

What does “being a part of my journey” really mean? Does it mean when we go out with everyone that we’re not allowed to order the nachos or the beer? Does it mean everyone at the table has to order a salad? Does it mean we can’t do all the things we always did?

Not at all.

Here’s what I think it means:

Although I am embarking on this long term change, nothing about our relationship should. I will count on your support as my friend, colleague or partner in life but you don’t have to do what I do. My choices don’t have to be yours in life, or in food.

I won’t pressure you but I will REALLY try to make the healthier choice. That said,  should I choose the nachos or have an extra glass of wine or dare I say a dessert- you need not scold me with your eyes or by saying “should you have that?”  I can do guilt on my own and it doesn’t apply here.

I am “allowed” to have anything I want (yes, even a bite of the hot dog I made on the show the other day). This is a lifelong commitment to myself. Like everyone, I am trying to balance everything from my daily schedule, my family to work commitments, and my calories in to calories out. 

There is no question that it is way easier to make the “right” choices when everyone around you is as well and for all I know, you were thinking the same thing as me creating undue pressure on yourself. Makes you wonder how many of us in our social circle want to change, but are “saving” everyone else from “deprivation” or the “pressure to do what I’m doing”. Maybe we’re all just waiting for the permission to do it.

Tune into my 26 Week Transformation Project  on Wednesday’s (March 30) CityLine (check local listings) for other ideas on how to let the people in your life know that you are embarking on your own journey!

I’m in your corner…thanks for being in mine!

Dawn

As I approach the mid-way mark for my 26 Week Transformation Project - one of the major factors in regulating my blood sugars (thereby losing weight) has been upping my fiber intake.

There was a great article in the Calgary Herald that talks about the relationship between having enough fiber when you are younger to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Yay Fibre!

Dawn

My Transformation Project Update today included an appearance by Dr. Michael Lyon , Author of “Hunger Free Forever”.

He shared some great websites and “apps” to help you stay on track and keep the structure in your diet…I definitely plan on checking them out!

Live Strong - endorsed by Lance Armstrong, this has everything from a weight tracker to articles and exercises to help you achieve your goals

Food.com -focuses on recipes

Real Simple - part of the Martha Stewart Brand, this enables you to click on ingredients you already have, the kind of protein you want and any “dislikes” and then gives you options for recipes that fit within your criteria

Just a few great ways to help you stay on track!

Dawn

As you know, I am well into my 26 Week Transformation Project . Focusing on things I can do to help me achieve success.

Success for me right now means ensuring I don’t get on that roller-coaster that happens when you don’t keep your blood sugars in check. When I first started, I had  Continuous Glucose Monitoring that recorded my blood sugar levels every second of the day for 4 days. What did it read? Lots of ups and downs depending on what I ate (white rice…high GI foods) or if I didn’t eat at regular intervals (low blood sugar…gives me the shakes). Basically similar to what a roller coaster looks like.

What am I doing? eating at regular intervals (every 2-3 hours) and trying to eat foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI). As I am realizing from this experience, PGX also helps with the regulating of the Blood Sugars and in fact has been proven to lower the GI of many foods as well.

The combination of eating properly and more importantly, REGULARILY in addition to exercising moderately appears to be working – I have lost 7 lbs!

Tune in to BT Monday when we look at pre-packaged foods and their labels to ensure you can stay to plan even when there is no time to cook!

Dawn

Well, after a few weeks of having the scale stalled – looks like everything is moving again!

I know I said it was important to find other forms of measurement during my 26 Week Transformation Project, but to me (and  am sure many of you out there) it feels good to have the scale move. Total weight loss to date has been about 7 lbs. Biggest thing for me is keeping that blood sugar level  in check.

I have been pretty good with my nutrition, and frankly, my Slimstyles Shake has saved me more than a few times from that blood sugar rollercoaster. My exercise regime as been adequate with about 3 visits to the gym per week – I’d like to get it to 5 times – something to work on this week. On today’s BT, Tommy Europe pushed me into high gear for sure!

Click here for a few exercises that work multiple muscles courtesy of Tommy Europe. Be sure to check out his website for one of his upcoming bootcamps!

I also received a GREAT Facebook message from BT and CityLine viewer Gyllian who suggested I pick up a workout DVD that offers a 15 minute option that I can do before I leave for work…knowing I have an early start to the day, I loved that idea! Then I can finish my program later, but at least I get SOMETHING done – success first thing in the morning!

Tune into CityLine Wednesday March 2 when I invite Vice-Busting Diet Author and Weight-Loss Success Story Julia Havey to my home and kitchen to talk about the healthy things to keep in your own kitchen and ways to modify your behavior to get you on track.

Feel free to post your stories and tips and tricks here for all who are embarking on their own journey.

Dawn

Yesterday, the Fabulous at 51 Tosca Reno was on BT. I was really excited to meet her as I have always

This is a woman who was not born thin, in fact  it wasn’t until the age of 40 that, after reaching a heaviest weight at about 260lbs, she decided to make a change.  She started by “eating clean” and started lifting weights (which she says is the way to get shape).

Check out the fun “behind the scenes” with her – this woman was seriously working out during the commercial break! I joined her and was paid a compliment by Robert Kennedy of Oxygen Magazine - he was impressed I was doing “Man Push Ups” !

She is an inspiration to many and I must say, standing next to her, I certainly felt motivated. If she can do it, so can I!

Her Ass-ets are TONED!!!

Time to hit the Gym and see if I can keep up with Tosca!

Dawn

This week’s Transformation Project update brings us to Week 5!

I have been feeling great with lots of energy, so now it’s time to put that energy to good use – we all know that nutrition is a huge part of this transformation but fitness is another important element -as I discovered in an earlier update – I need to increase my lean muscle mass!

One of Canada’s Favourite Trainers Tommy Europe did an assessment of my fitness to see where I am at – this is something anyone can do – at home or at a gym. It’s 30 reps of each exercise – with no rest.

1) double foot skipping

2) Prisoner Squats

3) walking lunges

4) Plie Squats (with 10lb dumbbell)

5) weighted sit ups (10 lb dumbbell)

6) squatted pulldowns with Resistance Band

7) bench push ups

Ideal time to complete is 5-10 minutes….time should improve as your fitness does. I was under 7 minutes. Here’s to a faster time at the end of the 26 Week Transformation Project!

As you are aware, I am approaching week 4 for of my 26 Week Transformation Project . Although it has been going well, with a healthy weight-loss of about 2 pounds for week, I have had some ups and downs. Literally – my weight although consistently dropping, went up at the beginning of this week.

I know this has happened to all of us, and it is discouraging when it does because it is usually after you went a bit off the plan (even just a little bit). Arghhhhhhh!

In my case, I had nibbled at a couple of social events and had a bit of (extra) wine on the weekend – but I accounted for it and really was conscious about what I was eating and drinking although I know I was on the higher end of my calorie allotment (for me I can eat 1000-1200 calories during this stage of my transformation).

I knew I didn’t do myself any favours by indulging a bit, but imagine my face when I saw the scale go up 2lbs! I know for darn sure that I didn’t exceed my calories by 7000 (remember to gain or lose a pound is 3500 calories) above what my body burns just by “existing” (My Basal Metabolic Rate is 1750)!

So what gives?

When I emailed that very question to Registered Dietician Veronica Kacinik she wrote me back saying,

“Keep in mind that it takes up to 2 days before excess calories are stored as fat, so you have 2 days after an event to eat a little less and exercise a little more. Or if you can, have a snack before the event to help tame your appetite a bit, work out before the event if it is in the evening, and take the PGX granules or capsules.

 You are doing a great job overall and sometimes an event will come up and you will do your best in regards to the circumstance as you mentioned.

 Sometimes, when a person’s weight goes up, it also may be around the time of their period. Just remember weight loss is not a steady progress down, so week to week weight might go up and down, but over a longer period of time, we want it to trend down.

If you feel that you have over eaten at an event, it is very important just back on track the next day”

Ok…I feel a little better knowing that the increase may just be temporary…but I will try a little harder this week to stay on track.

Tune in to Breakfast Television Monday February 7 when Veronica comes on the show with some great meal and snack ideas as my 26 week Transformation Project continues into week 4! A more in-depth segment will also air on CityLine Weds February 9th.

Dawn

As you know, I am now into week three of my 26 Week Transformation Project - and I must say, so far so good – the unofficial weigh in (meaning my bathroom scale), first thing (OK, 2nd thing) in the morning and with no clothing to add any fraction of a pound to the scale is that I have lost about 7 pounds. In other words, I have been losing a healthy amount of weight, and I must say IT FEELS GOOD!

This week ’s update on Monday’s Breakfast Television is regarding my Dexa Scan. In an effort to offer complete transparency…I offer you MY transparency!

Too much information?!?!?

SO what information was obtained from this Dexa Scan?

The good news:

-I have great bone density (Dr. Lyon actually said ”surprisingly great bone density” )

-My BMI and weight are at healthy, normal levels

-the fat around my belly is actually good. As a woman, my particular fat placement and amount is not necssarily a bad thing from a health perspective. From a vanity perspective, I must admit, I would rather have a 6 pack.

The bad news:

- I have very little lean muscle mass (at this time- 36% body fat!) . This affects my metabolism and as I get older could be a source of pain and ultimately if I don’t fix this, I may in fact have a significant weight issue when I am older. YIKES!

The Perscription?

Dr. Lyon has indicated that I really need to focus on resistance training, even more than cardio. He didn’t suggest “boot camp” style workouts (because although results can be awesome, long term, I may not keep them up) but rather whatever I can be consistent at. Basic military press, push ups, biceps and triceps. My cardio, he indicated will tone my legs.

Ok…I can work on that…one day at a time- for my full update, tune in to BT Monday morning at around 7:20!

Dawn