Greetings and Happy Monday!

I’d meant to post this on Friday, but was quite busy getting my bake-and-slideshow on for B-rad’s Dad’s 60th birthday soiree, which took place on Saturday (and I make a mean iMovie, if I do say so myself). The party was awesome and thankfully the weather held out all day so that everyone could have a great time. And a rainy Sunday just gave us all an excuse to hang out and revel in our cake-induced laziness.

But back to Friday. At 9 a.m., yours truly had an appointment with a personal trainer at the gym. Ah yes,the gym—that magical land of fitness and exercise that up until now, I have skillfully avoided like Amy Winehouse avoids rehab. Should I go? Yes. Did I want to? No, no, no.

(more…)

Hello there! Remember me? I’ve been trying to sneak in some blogging time over the past few days, but it seems that one thing or another just kept getting in the way (not that I’m complaining – I’ve been having a great time!) But I have to apologize, because I have been promising a review of the EA Sports Active for a while, and have yet to deliver. Well… here it is!

While I’ve only tried it a few times so far (remember that knee injury I mentioned? The doc thinks it might be the beginning of a cartilage problem… which means I get to wear a brace for a few weeks, pop Tylenol Arthritis for pain and avoid stairs like the plague. In short? Bah.) it’s been a lot of fun! I started by creating my own avatar (complete with custom hairstyle and workout duds…Kinda like the one in the pic above) and completing my profile. Then it was onto the good stuff. You can either put together a custom workout or take the 30 Day Challenge. And since I’m a big fan of a good challenge, I chose the latter.

(more…)

H’okay. So. This 101 in 1001 list? A LOT harder than I thought it would be. I’m still working away at it, but I’m afraid it’s not quite finished yet. However, one thing that is definitely on the list (and this will likely not surprise you if you’ve been here before) is losing weight/working out more regularly. And because I am a fan of all things Nintendo Wii, especially when it can help me get in shape (ie. Wii Fit, My Fitness Coach, etc) I’ve just picked up a new fitness game: EA Sports Active.

No idea what I’m talking about? You can check out the trailer here. (And while you’re at it, check out their website. This is marketing done right, friends. It goes beyond being another video game website and has an almost magazine-website-like feel with articles about nutrition, health and wellness. A “Motivation Center”? A “Community”? Brilliant, EA. Srsly.)

(more…)

A while ago (okay, a very long while ago) I blogged about getting back in shape for my wedding. Well, then life had to go and get all complicated and crazy (which is a story for another day), the wedding was pushed back, and fitness got bumped to the bottom of my priority list. Thankfully, it’s now made its way back to the top.

Weight is something that I’ve struggled with now for over half of my life. It’s also something extremely personal that I don’t really discuss with people, aside from those I’m very close with. But in the interest of sharing and being more open, here it is…

Like many people, it stems back to the old “kids can be very cruel” scenario where I got picked on mercilessly as a 12-year-old, and was left with a pretty effed up self-image. Even as a size 7, 125 pound 16-year-old with “eating issues,” I was convinced that I was fat. And down the road, when I spent a year on Depo Provera, I quickly gained major pounds (“slight weight gain” my foot) and actually was overweight (and traumatized, since the sudden weight gain left me with stretch marks and a closet full of unwearable clothes). My weight has fluctuated pretty consistently throughout university and college, but now school is over and it’s time to put all that crap in the past and start loving myself and taking care of my body… Don’t ya think?

Whew. That’s a whole lot of honesty right there.

So I’ve decided to try Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred and I’ve made it through Day One. (If you’re unfamiliar with it, you’re in luck—I wrote about it not too long ago on the Canadian Family blog, Family Jewels.) After a good 20 minute stretch thanks to some Winsor Pilates, I was ready to go. Or so I thought. Now I’m starting to wonder what I did to Jillian in a past life to make her want to kill me so badly. Everything is sore today… But I’m ready (and excited) to do it again, because I know it’s going to make a difference.

The goal? It’s not so much a specific number that I’m after, as a shape. Yes, round is a shape, but it’s one that I’m getting pretty tired of. I’m ready to tone up, trim down, and then sometime in 2010, I’ll be ready to tackle my next project: finding The Dress. (Note: more wedding updates are coming, I promise!)

Is anyone else out there getting back in shape right now? Drop me a line! I’m going to need all the support and tips that I can get… and I’m happy to have you guys along for the ride!

Now let’s go beat the heck outta Day Two…