Six months from today...where I am at!

Six months from today I will be waking up probably tired, nervous and excited. I will be almost ready to walk down an aisle that will most likely feel like it never ends towards the most amazing person! Yep if you haven't guessed it is the six month mark to my WEDDING!!!

So where am I at? Emotionally I am not too nervous. I feel comfortable with how much I have done thus far. I know we have a bunch more to go....but I am content with that.

I used a similar list like Heather @ Hangry Pants. She is getting married a day before me! So check her out!

To Do:

• Set Date
• Find Venu
• Church
• Photographer
• Engagement Photos
• Baptized
• Caterer
• Cake/Cupcakes
• Guest List (this should be done, and it almost is)
• My dress
• My shoes
• My veil(it will look like this, but best friend is making it for me, have to order fabric)
• My jewelry
• Tuxes
• Bridesmaid dress(they will be black with a ivory sash)
• Flower Girls dresses
• Invitations(DIY, they are designed, just working on mock-up)
• Music for Ceremony
• Music for Reception
• Transportation for day of
• Centerpieces(DIY and in mid process of deciding....help me pick!)
• Runners for tables
• Wedding Bands
• Bridal Party/Groomsmen Presents
• Wedding Programs(DIY)
• Hair appointment
• Make up appointments
• Hair trial
• Dress Fittings
• Hotel booked for the night of the wedding
• Table Seating chart (DIY)
• Table Cards(DIY)
• Menu
• Menu Cards(DIY) 
• Decide if the venue will provide alcohol or us
• Candy Buffet(Possible DIY)
• Wedding Rehearsal
• Honeymoon (the big debate)

I know it look's like I have a lot left. But most I already know what I want or where I am getting it. SO it isn't too bad. How do you feel I am doing?

Did my leg workout today! Most of these are all 3 sets of 12 reps

• Squats on smith machine
• Squats, jump, squat and kick....some ridiculous exercise Kim made up JK (Love you Kim)
• Push backs on a leg press....I know right?
• Hamstring curl on machine
• Calf raises on machine(this will be to failure)

At the end of that my legs are pretty mush mush, for cardio I will only walk on a incline of 6 with a speed of 3.5 on the treadmill.

What better way to finish my workout then with a GREEN MONSTER! I have talked about these before. Today's was like last time, minus the blueberries. These things are like a meal. SO good!

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...*drool*

Also I am super excited and proud to say that my trainer Kim placed 2nd in the short bikini category at MABBA's this year!!!!!!!

Diet........The Break-Up

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I have been debating this for a few weeks now, I am at my ideal weight and have surpassed my goal. I am healthy, happy and enjoying my new lifestyle. When I started my weight loss, my goal was 130lbs. I am now 120lbs. So then why am I still dieting?  Let's be serious? Enough is enough. Dieting is a horrible word, no one likes it and I hate it.

I am ending it, and trust me dieting.....I don't want to be friends, in fact I don't ever want to see you again.

It's official I have removed you as a Facebook friend LOL

Now that is done and the awkwardness is fading. Let's discus what my new goals are:

1. Continue eating healthy, but increase my calorie intake- I know my body now, I know what amount I can and can't eat
2. Keep working out and getting in top shape - still need to look fab for my wedding
3. Be happy and not feel deprived - self explanatory for anyone who has been on a diet

I am really happy about this decision. I will continue to eat healthy and maintain what I have accomplished. I honestly feel so much better! With the wedding coming in just a little more then 6months and my wedding social just around the corner, this is one less stress and I wont miss it.


Last night's workout was my back. Each exercise is 3 set's of 12 reps.

• Pull up on assisted machine
• Row on machine
• DB Swiss ball raise

I then followed up with 20min on the stepper at resistance 6.

Now for the best part, my post-workout drink....The Green Monster as seen on Oh She Glows. She has many different versions. Mine was close to the the Classic Green Monster with a small handful of blueberries added.

The major modification I did was instead of chocolate nut butter or wheatgrass I used a scoop of my ISOFLEX Peanut Butter Chocolate protein powder. The result. AMAZING! I even had my fiance try some and he loved it. So check out Angela at Oh She Glows she rocks!

Yummy!!!!

Interview with Kim from Kimmy Conduct

 I have been getting a lot questions about who my trainer is and what she is all about. So instead of me telling people about her over and over again(though I don't mind as she's totally awesome), I sat down and asked her some questions that I felt would be helpful to people interested in starting a healthy lifestyle.

What most attracted me to training with Kim was that she has been down my journey too. She hasn't always been where she is now with her health and knows how it feels to struggle with weight.

So that being said, lets get to the interview!!

1.What is your personal experience with fitness and working out?

I started working out the unconventional way at home for a four months with the help of fitness DVD's, the WiiFit and my squeaky friend, the Elliptical.  I did lose a bit of weight but wasn't seeing the results I would of liked in the amount of time I dedicated to it.  I knew it was time to find a gym and get myself to a personal trainer.  I signed up immediately and started sessions with Amy that same week.  We saw one another for 3 sessions a week.  For the 6 months I was with Amy, I had lost a great deal of weight.  Alas, she quit her job and I stopped going to my gym.  I picked up getting healthy and fit when I met my second personal trainer and now boyfriend Sam a month later.  He made me a plan.  I followed it.  I lost even more weight: the lightest I had actually been since my high school days.  This was the point in my life where I knew I wanted to make a big of a difference in someone else's life like my trainers did.  I wanted to become a personal trainer.  So with that goal in mind, I set out to take the Personal Training Specialist course.  Now, I am loving what I do.

2. What is your training philosophy?

 My training philosophy is "Push it to the limits".  You really never know how far you can go without stepping over those many boundaries we all know and have.  One of my favourite quotes has got to be "You never know until you try."  Intensity has ever bit of how well you succeed.  That can be said with everything in life.  Give it your 100% and you'll go far.

3. What should someone do if they want to become fit and healthy?

 I highly recommend doing a lot of research online.  There are many great reference points out there pertaining to health and fitness.  The second thing I would recommend for someone who wants to get in tip top shape is to see a personal trainer or a dietitian.  These folks are experts in what they do and are able to get you where you want to be in a shorter period of time, compared to someone doing it on their own.

4. What are some misconceptions people have about exercising and getting in shape?

People think that CARDIO is the "be-all-end-all" of working out.  I am going to spell it out right now.  IT ISN'T.  Many think "if I go on the treadmill for 2 hours, I will lose all this fat".  Not true.  That is actually being counterproductive.  Doing more damage than good.  You need a good balance of both resistance training, cardiovascular training and flexibility training to be optimal.  Even if someone were just doing a weight resistance program, that person would lose more weight than the person just doing cardiovascular. Some food for thought.  

5. You are currently training to compete in the MABBA Novice Competition, tell us about that?

This is going to be my very first fitness competition ever.  I am feeling a mix of emotions leading up to the day.  I remember last year weighing in at approximately 145 lbs and saying to my boyfriend "I want to look like that" or "I want to be up there one day."  Now, weighing in at 127 lbs, I AM one of those girls.  I WILL be on that stage.  Hard work and dedication lead me to where I am today.  It has been quite a journey.  I hope it doesn't stop there.  Provincials...HERE I COME.  

6. How have you had to change your normal fitness routine to be ready for this?

My nutrition has never been as strict as it has been in the past leading up to this one day.  No spices.  No Flavouring.  Just my food...plain in it's simplicity  My workouts go anywhere from 6-7 days a week, sometimes cardiovascular in the morning and evening.  I am really bad for consuming water, so even that has increased tremendously.  Sleep is crucial for body repair and I am actually getting some decent zzz's this past week

7. What is the first thing you will eat after you compete?

PIZZA.  Thin crust or deep dish or BOTH.

8. If someone has more questions to ask you, how do they contact you?

You can contact me through my email at kimberlygho@gmail.com.  

You can also read about her journey on her blog at KimmyConduct

Beat Your Personal Best!

In my first blog entry I touched on my current workout program.  I see my lovely trainer Kim twice a week (though this may need to be increased to three times.) I also work out at least 1-2 days a week on my own.
 


The workouts are structured into three programs as follows
 


• Day One: Arms
Day 
• Two: Legs
Day 
• Three: Core

Each program has a number of exercises for various muscles in those groups, and I usually do 3 sets of 12 reps for each exercise. My weight training is always followed by 20 minutes of cardio, which helps to burn fat and keep me trim. I do each of the three programs twice, then Kim creates a new set of programs for me. This  allows my body to never get used to the same thing.


For example, today is my Core day. Here is my program:

 


She may change/add things during a session to make it harder

 Those leg raises…..so hard! But I will push myself,  because as the saying goes, “No pain, no gain.” Pain will definitely be a part of this, but don’t confuse this with bad pain. It’s all gooood.
 





We finish each session with stretching. Now I know that when I was in school, we always stretched before a workout. But many studies suggest stretching afterwards (though it depends on your trainer/health professional, some suggest stretching both before and after a workout.) After you spend any amount of time working on a specific muscle it gets tight and sore, but if you stretch after the workout you allow that muscle to relax. Proper stretching will reduce soreness, improve circulation and reduce the risk of injury. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do any type of movement before you start working out. I usually walk around the track for a few laps to help warm up my muscles. 


I have only done this program once; this will be my second time today. I always try to push myself further then I did the last time. As Kim always reminds me, “Beat your personal best.”. And that’s all I think, over and over, while I am doing this. I find the best person to compete with is yourself. The you from last time, the you that keeps saying “I’m tired”, “I’m sore” or “I want to give up.” And when you do beat your personal best, it feels awesome and TOTALLY WORTH ALL THE PAIN!!!



This morning I beat my personal best! I weighed myself at 124.2!!! YAY gooo me. Now to go even harder!

Please note that I am not a trainer nor a health or fitness professional. You should always consult a professional before beginning any health regimen.  I am only relating my own personal experiences.

My Journey....



Okay, here goes… My name is Destini. I am a 27 year old Graphic Designer/IT Nerd. Just over 4 years ago I met the love of my life, and lo and behold… we’re getting married this September!! When I first met my man I was 110 lbs., but with the comfort of love, restaurant dating and happiness, that quickly changed.

My journey for healthy living started in November 2009, when I went to see my doctor and weighed in at 164 lbs. That was a devastating day, but also a wake-up call. Something needed to change, even more so with my best friend’s February wedding fast approaching.

At the suggestion of a friend who had lost weight with Herbal Magic, I contacted them. I’m not sure whether Herbal Magic is a gimmick or not, but I know it worked for me. They taught me a lot about my body and healthy choices for food. REAL FOOD.  However, the initial cost is quite high and there is a constant need for supplements, which can be a significant factor in making it work for some people. You invest a lot, and I knew personally I couldn’t afford to not make it work. My program was for one full year. My goal for the weight loss portion of Herbal Magic was to lose 30 lbs. at 2 lbs. per week for 15 weeks. After reaching my goal, I’d be moved to stabilization for 8 weeks where they would slowly raise my calories, followed by maintenance for the rest of the year. I actually lost the 30 lbs. in less than 15 weeks, so I was able to continue losing more weight on top of that.

After I was moved into stabilization I stopped going. Now, this isn’t something I’d recommend for everyone. But my reasoning for stopping was that I wanted to know that I could do this on my own and without the supplements. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone else unless they feel quite confident with their body. When I was finished with Herbal Magic in April 2010, I weighed in at 129lbs. And I was very, very happy with no regrets!

I was able to keep the weight off, though it did go up and down over the next 7 months. During this time my boyfriend (now fiancé) proposed to me and we set our wedding date for September 24^th, 2011!! If you haven’t been engaged or planned a wedding, let me tell you this: Everything goes SOO fast. All of a sudden, 16 months to our wedding date became 9 months and soooo much needed to be done. Including things I felt I needed to do with myself.

So this brings us to December 11^th, 2010. My best friend (who is also my maid of honor) and I went to start “browsing” for wedding dresses. I saw this wedding dress in a store window and contacted the store to find out the number. I knew from the moment I saw it that it was “the one”. I tried it on and fell in love! I put down the deposit on it that day. The only things I felt that needed some TLC were my arms and my back. I may have lost the weight, but still had some extra “meat” (as I call it) that remained from my heavier times. This got me to contact my personal trainer whom I had oddly met dancing at a local club. We set a date and time to meet at the YMCA. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I’d never been an avid gym member so this would be something new. On December 15^th I weighed in at 131lbs, a little more than when I left Herbal Magic, but all in all a good starting point.

Fast forward to today…I’m about 6 weeks into my program with my lovely personal trainer Kim. So far it’s been a hard, sweaty journey but I’m starting to see results and couldn’t be happier. With my social and wedding quickly approaching, my goals have never been more clear, which brings me to why I am doing this blog; I know losing weight is never easy. Dieting and working out is INCREDIBLY hard. I know if it wasn’t for other people’s stories of inspiration and encouragement I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I have decided to document this journey all the way to my wedding day, not only with stories of working out, but also with healthy recipes that I enjoy and my wedding plans. Every day, people get engaged, they create healthy choice goals, and they struggle/succeed with it all. This is my journey; this is my story of running to the aisle.