Thursday, September 22, 2016

The Burg

Well, let's get on with this first post; shall we?


WHERE DO I SWEAT?
Iron North Fitness! PEDAL.RUN.LIFT.STRECH
INS is an independent gym in THE BURG owned by two fabulously fabulous young ladies named Sam and Jenna. These two are some B.A moms who started this studio a little over a year ago. Last month they hosted their one year party at the gym and celebrated with members, family and friends. If you're looking for a community feel to a gym, this is your place!


As their motto says, they host tons of different classes so that you can expand your athletic abilities. Instead of just going to a gym, doing a short run on the treadmill, using some machines and going home, this place offers it all in one spot. They have spin classes (which are actually amazingly fun and not as scary as most would think), Run Club, Lift and Strength type classes (death by MetCon), and a yoga studio.


Around the end of 2015 I attended some classes here, but never got a membership. In March I said "K, I don't want to feel this way anymore" and got a membership. I go about 5-6 times a week, with most days doing an early morning and evening workout. This place has become my safe-haven, my stress reliever and my go-to gym. I cannot tell you how much this place has changed my life. In March let's just say I weighed too much to even mention here. As of today I am down 50lbs, with tons of muscle added. I can attest that this place changed me.


My favorite saying lately has been "Do it, because you can." Lots of people in the world are not as fortunate as us able-bodied people. So don't be lazy. Get up, move your buns and have a great time doing it. It may take a while to find your niche, but once you do, trust me, endorphins are a real thing. So is working out with a bunch of amazing people!


WHAT DO I EAT?
Let me explain; I am pescatarian (which means I am vegetarian, but I eat fish occasionally). I became a vegetarian a little over two years ago for many reasons (that's another post). I refrained from fish for the first 6 months but realized that was really hard and unrealistic for me.


Everyone has their own diet and own way of doing things, and this one works for me. I don't care if you're a meat eater, a vegan, gluten-free, what have you. All I suggest is that you are smart about your food. Think about what you're eating. Think about what is going into your body. Fueling your body should be done with thought. To be honest; if you're constantly eating stuff that comes in a package and out of a box, you're doing it wrong.


I try to eat as clean as possible. Right now I am doing the real food reset with Stephanie Kay hosted by Pure Yoga Westboro. It's a 28 day reset on the way you cook and eat. The plan gets you to eat everything in it's whole and original form. Cooking with fresh ingredients is the key to this plan. I have mostly been eating this way but I really wanted to get down the nitty gritty of clean eating, and so far this program has taught me tons (it started 4 days ago).


A little example of what I eat is; lettuce wraps with organic tofu and vegetables, some Ezekial bread (bread made from organic, sprouted whole grains) with avocado, hard-boiled eggs, veggies and hummus, lots of bean salad, sweet potatoes and smoothies. You CAN eat well and it taste good. Don't get me wrong; I love beer, but only drink when I have a function and I love pizza. I try to treat myself to a cheat night every few weeks. It's all about moderation. In fact, I am going to Oktoberfest in Vankleek Hill this Saturday and I plan on drinking lots of great beer and eating some yummy food. But I will then work my butt off at the gym this week and next!


Well; I think that's it for me! I will definitely be delving into my workouts and eating in the future, this is just to give you a sense of the amount of work it takes to really be successful in loosing weight; keeping it off and being healthy. It's not about a quick fix; this is a lifestyle change that has made me a healthier person; physically and mentally.


Signing Off,
D.

2 comments:

  1. Happy to be the first to comment. Good job. You will inspire lots of people. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this Denise!!! You're awesome and this is great!

    ReplyDelete