We are nearing the end of January. The season of New Years resolutions after a holiday season that may have been indulgent or just plain mentally trying for many. 

This January has been exceptionally challenging. Many people rely on the gym and fitness classes to relieve stress and provide structure. 

Our family time and social time has been taken away from us, and mental and physical health can take a serious toll. Many are working long hours on the front line, risking their health every day during the pandemic. 

Disordered eating is on the rise, and it becomes too easy to overeat when left alone at home around food, or when our regular social supports and structure have been taken away.

We may stay up too late binging television and have difficulties sleeping. Our minds may be running with worries and impair sleep quality.  A lack of sleep disrupts our hormones like leptin, which can lead us to crave certain foods and overeat. One may feel like they are stuck in a vicious cycle of exhaustion without motivation.

The good news is, that despite the circumstances, you can absolutely make changes. It can be tough to get out of a rut when you are feeling overwhelmed, but you are resilient and have the power to change! You can disrupt your patterns by altering your habits, slowly but surely.

Did you know "exercise is a keystone habit that can trigger widespread change throughout your life. There's something about it that makes other good habits easier." 

• Studies show that when people start exercising, even  as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other unrelated habits in their lives, often unknowingly

• Typically people who begin to exercise start eating better and becoming more productive

• They also use their credit cards less frequently and feel less stressed,(we aren't exactly sure why this is)

Small steps can really get the momentum going! 

Other small self care steps to get you started on your change include:

• Taking your supplements most days of the week. My recommendations are magnesium, omega 3, vitamin D, and zinc during the winter.

• Start the morning with a large glass of water (or lemon water), set reminders on your phone to keep drinking
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Focus on getting enough protein in! Try for 20-40g at each meal. I tell my clients to start at 100g/day and then move up from there. DNA is constantly making protein and it is essential for repair and rebuilding the body as well as important for immunity. It also requires more energy to break down, and more energy to store as fat than the other macronutrients

• Purchase a blue light for the winter months. It can be so beneficial in helping with mood and energy levels. They come in visor, alarm, or lamp form.

• Set an alarm an hour before bed to remind you to unwind and put away the devices. 

• Put aside 10 minutes a day for gentle stretching to undo the extra sitting.

• Get outside for at least 20 minute walk everyday ,weather permitting.

• Put on some tunes! This one of my favorites. Whenever I'm stressed or not motivated to workout, some good music can just lift your mindset.

Good afternoon and happy monday! Now that we have gotten weeks into life in isolation, I know that many of you are starting to attempt to adapt as much as possible and make the best out of the situation. Everyone is really having their own experience and coping in the best ways possible (hopefully). I really feel for all of you who are trying to work from home and take care of your children, those who are alone and isolated, and those going into stressful work experiences on the daily. Those who own businesses or who are struggling to pay your rent are also experiencing very tough times. Compassion for yourself and others around you is so very important right now. 


You may have been consuming more baked goods, having awful sleeps and drinking more than usual. Alternatively you could be be oversleeping, lethargic or breaking out into tears on the regular...all totally normal experiences. 

I have gone from being very productive and active to days where I stay in bed reading trashy news articles. Finding a rhythm and balance can be challenging, but I have always noticed that I thrive when on a routine and schedule.

 I miss my clients so so much (nothing breaks me out of a morning tired funk than a good session with one of my ladies), but am trying to adapt the best way possible, and take on healthy coping methods. 

Given that some of us will probably not have this much time on our hands for a while, it is a good time to take control of our lives and maybe reap some benefit and self discovery from this down time,

 So here are some questions to ask yourself. I will fill out my own answers to stay accountable! Please send me yours if you need some help or accountability. I encourage my clients to commit to this!

1. What are some positive habits or things I have discovered about myself? 

• I actually enjoy meditation, and am on an 11 day streak with over 5 hours meditated!

• Being accountable and setting up a schedule for oneself really helps

• I am really enjoying my essential oils, nature/yoga soundtracks, candles and relaxation time. If I avoid this and watch the news, it seriously impacts my mood.

• I am actively trying to waste less and am more eco-conscious.

Starting a new exercise program can seem daunting, especially if you are older, injured, or out of shape. The reality is that you can start small and work your way up to fit. In fact, mastering the basics will set you up for success!

Mobility/flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and strength training are the 3 pillars of physical fitness. While we may not strive to be marathon runners or marine corps, making small changes in one's day can greatly improve your quality of life.

Some mobility work while on a trail walk with the dog. Fit it	in where you can!

Mobility and flexibility are challenges for many people. Muscle bound bodybuilders can find yoga poses and movement quite challenging, despite their fit physique. Mobility refers to ease of movement, or the quality of being able to move, specifically moving your body or joints through a range of motion or through daily tasks of living.

Simple stretching and mobility work can make muscle building much more efficient, correct posture issues and even fix chronic pain. Did you know that 80% of people have chronic back pain? Some simple exercises (done consistently at home) can solve a lot of pain issues. These stretches and movements can be challenging but are a cornerstone to your fitter future self.

Strength training doesn't have to mean squatting more than you weigh or becoming a crossfit guru. You can start out with some static holds or band exercises to strengthen and engage muscles. These exercise can be done in the comfort of your home, even while enjoying your nightly television. Building muscle means an increased metabolic rate and fat burning potential, as well as a decreased risk of chronic disease like osteoporosis, arthritis and diabetes. The more work you put in, the more reward you will see.

Resistance training can be done in the comfort of your home, at any age or shape

Resistance bands are a great tool for helping your posture and to ease aches and pains

Increasing your cardiovascular strength can start with something as easy as getting on the recumbent bike, walking a couple extra flights of stairs, or getting off a streetcar stop earlier. Improved cardiovascular strength can prevent heart disease and build strength, muscle, and endurance in your legs. If you prefer, watch your favorite show or read a book to pass the time on a cardio machine.

All of these components of fitness will mean a healthier and happier you later in life. Your quality of life may be improved, injuries and potentially surgeries can be prevented and it can mean more time with your beloved family or pets. Your well being, outlook on life and mental health can change for the better. Exercise can help your cognition, balance and coordination when done with a strategic plan.

Do not get discouraged if you have a long way to go. Every effort counts and adds up. Start with a chair yoga, stretching class, or walking home from work. Use bands at home and simple exercises like squatting over a chair or trying wall push ups. Don't be afraid to start small, but do consult a professional so that you prevent injury and make the most out of your workout.

One of my amazing clients, Nadia. She improved her life with exercise. Check out her unique, comfortable and stylish line of leggings and Toronto gear https://nadialloyd.com/collections/2019-leggings

One of my favourite new resources for free online recipes is called the Libby app. It is a free app, and anyone with a city of Toronto Library card can access over 600 magazines online, as well as cookbooks. If you love recipes and cookbooks, but want to save money and de-clutter your home, this is the way to do it.

My favourite online magazine is Clean Eating. Each month the magazine provides you with recipes, health information, meal plans, and grocery lists. The website gives you great information, but using the app you can access the whole magazine each month.
Other magazines accessible through the app include Saveur, Simple & Delicious, and Food Network Magazine.

Chatelaine is another great recipe resource
Jaime Oliver healthy recipes
Healthy recipes for the spiralizer. Everything you can imagine.

The holidays can be a tough time of year for many people. Learning to navigate social events with food and alcohol, dealing with family members that we may not get along with, plus the pressure of finding the perfect gift can cause more stress and grief than holiday cheer.

This year has been especially tough because it is one of the darkest on record. Lack of sunlight and extreme cloud cover can contribute to low mood and energy, making this time of year more challenging to get motivated.

While many people get unmotivated and feel sluggish, about 2-3% of the population experience depression to a point that it majorly affects their life and day to day functioning.
Some symptoms of SAD or seasonal affective disorder are:

• Being tired and sluggish
• Unable to feel rested or get a good night sleep
• Uninterested in day to day activities
• Irritable
• Antisocial
• Uninterested in sex 
• Tense and anxious
• Hopeless
• Craving carbohydrates
• Weight gain

I had the privledge of attending the Power of Success seminar with many amazing speakers last Wednesday. It was a great energy to be surrounded by so many motivated individuals who are all passionate about bettering their lives. I wanted to get my notes typed up to keep them preserved (personally I have legit concerns that the dog may actually eat my homework) and thought that this would be a great opportunity to get another blog out and a chance to share some of the information with my lovely friends and clients. So here are some tips to finding the best version of yourself--whatever you may be working on. Excuse the haphazard notes and hopefully something worthwhile sticks out.

• Do not be more committed to others success' than your own
• Success is a function of having a lot of fun and enjoying what you do
• The ability to wake up and WANT TO vs HAVE TO go to work is important-- find your passion
• Be a tailsman and surround yourself with others-- be a good luck charm, aim to function with a higher vibrational frequency
• Attend your own seminars-- share your knowledge with others (I love sharing good books, movies, etc that I'm passionate about and that get me thinking! I have passed along Tony Robbins MP3s to countless people after one of my tailsmans shared it with me :)

• Do not be afraid of crisis. Crisis usually means that quality change can happen. I was just reading a facebook thread from another influencer who had many commenters pipe up about their experiences with something traumatizing turning their lives into something great. I had my own personal crisis over the last year. Getting out of the comfort zone and into change and unknown proved to be the best decision of my life. You never know what is waiting one choice away. I can remember the exact moment when I said "fuck this, I'm trying something new, there's gotta be something better out there for me."  I kid you not, three days later that something better appeared. 

•  The outside world cannot see your internal emotions. Play your role. Be brave, get out there. 
• There is no failure just unexpected consequensces
• There is no rejection, just people who don't appreciate quality
• Be resilient... successful people make many attempts

• Being overwhelmed, anxious and fatigued can easily take over our lives and get in the way of our goals and success. My personal notes here are to take care of yourself in a way to prevent these emotions/feelings from surfacing. Self care such as healing nutrition, exercise, yoga/meditations and a happy home life are some key factors that can make a difference in your overall health and well being, and are absolutely key for myself to be the Whitney that I want to be.

 7 secrets of success     
1. Be the person who really knows-- be informed. Do not get your news from facebook. 
2. Be an audacious dreamer-- dreams are scary
3. Be analytical and creative-- connect and then tradject the dots
4. Be prolific-- winners lose more than losers
5. Love NO
6. Communicate like magic
7. Collaborate like a champion


You are valuable-- every second you interact you have an opportunity to provide value
Be enthusiastic-- when the fire burns out the predators come in. 

A side personal note on the above. It can be hard to be a coach, mentor, motivator when your fire has burnt out. Having been dealing with adrenal fatigue, the point is really driven home about how we need to take care of ourselves to be our best selves. While the last couple weeks have been a huge challenge with competition prep and running a business, this has been a huge breakthrough because I hit a small crisis and was forced to make some changes out of my comfort zone. I have also always had no trouble getting lean for my comps-- the last two I've been holding water and had unbalanced hormones despite proper supplementation. There is no getting away from proper rest and and meditation, and while frustrated and wanting to give up, I am trying to take my own advice and go forward with a positive attitude and a focus on health and wellness. Many times a day the negative voices come in. Thankfully knowledge and a good support system can help one through the rough patches. Greatful for all of those making laugh and keeping me up. 

Lots more information from the seminar to come.

https://www.powerofsuccess.ca/

We all know that it is important to plan and strategize to achieve success in most areas of our lives. It is also important to be sure that our wants and desires are realistic and achievable. For example, a new client of mine wants excellent arms for an upcoming wedding. She asked that we work only on arms and nothing else. As a trainer I explained that while we will work on her arms, it is important that we work on correcting imbalances and weaknesses in her whole body (there's a lot of them in her case).  This process takes time and can be frustrating, but it is important. Starting from the ground up is so crucial. You would not cut corners on building your house, so be patient with your body and trust the process. Her goal may be achievable, but we will get there in a different way than she expected.

I have also noticed a lot of clients trying to "do everything." This seems to be common in Torontonians. Exercising is their social time, so doing 2- 3 training sessions plus cardio classes and the occasional yoga and run is the norm. I even see people taking back to back classes. First of all, anyone that is wanting to do back to back cardio is probably completely crazy, but also so many of these women are so tight and imbalanced. The drive to get the perfect body in their mind means work till your dead! I have had a client tell me their previous trainers motto was "squat till you can't anymore." Doing something that isn't working already, more often, is probably not going to do you much good.

Our society is very driven and rest is frowned upon. I repeat myself over and over again, but rest is where you recover. Rest is where you build. Growth hormone is released when we sleep. So often people tell me that they were "too busy to eat" and are starved by the time they get to the gym and their workouts suffer. This is complete BS because I eat while I'm running around all the time. No excuse not to get a banana or protein bar in before you train. Consuming enough protein is another important factor that many miss out on. The dieting culture is ingrained in so many woman, that eating less is automatically thought of as the best way to drop weight.  Skip the cardio class and sit down and calculate the macros that you need to get your results. Track them. Stretch, roll, start getting protein in post workout if you have been slacking.


A friend had mentioned to me that I am very hard on my physique (body) since I started competing again. I immediately brushed this off as:

• You just don't get the fitness world
• I hold myself to a high standard 
• I haven't been working as hard as I would like so yes, I am critical of myself
• This person is just being judgemental and mean

I am not the greatest at receiving criticism so I pondered the comment for a few days.

Realistically I have been trying to work on my eating habits (ie  get over carb phobia and eliminate bingeing), and working on my weaknesses and imbalances since attending a Pentagon Fitness seminar. This means breaking things down and getting back to basics, and not training quite as heavy until my form is corrected. I also have 2 chronic injuries that have been on the back burner and have affected how much I can train.

I am also trying to get better with finances,  took a fitness certification, and have been very focused on business. Working 7 days a week and trying to keep adrenal fatigue at bay while working on personal growth.


Is it realistic to compare myself to others that are training for a show? Do I need to be this critical of myself for not seeing the same gains? Is is even possible to train for a show while juggling so much?

Probably not. Maybe. Some people do it.  But we need to ask ourselves what is realistic for me right now?
For me, competing is not realistic at this time, and it is a goal that needs its time frame restructured.

Ask yourself:

• What is my goal and is it realistic? For some, just getting to the gym 1-3 times a week is a goal that they are satisfied with, and that is fine.
• Are my habits healthy and maintainable?
• Am I making progress? Remember progress can be improving flexibility and working on range of motion, not just fat loss and muscle gain.
• Am I being kind to myself during the process?

If you are struggling (which is ok) remember that life is dynamic and evolving. Our goals, direction and motivation will change. Creating life long, healthy habits and a healthy body and mind should always be priority.

Remember, sometimes less is more in the gym.
Show up to your workouts ready to work, fuelled up and committed to get the most out of your session.

Happy Monday :)