Hello all! Sorry I havent updated in a minute, but its been a crazy time for me. I am moving into the city finally and still trying to finish at least one of the 4 books I am writing. And all the while keeping my social life in tact. Impressive...i know.
But I have finally added the element of my life that i needed most. A fitness program! I have worked out in the past on my own and with some great trainers, but it was so hard to keep the program in tact with my lifestyle. I either couldnt (or just wouldnt) make the time. And then I would of course get discouraged and just abandon the plan all together.
But finally, a stroke of luck came my way and I learned about a place and a program that I am so excited about. Via Twitter I found Ben Supik at Activate Body Potential. He responded to a tweet of mine about wanting to try the Dukan Diet. And what he said immediately caught my interest. He said "There are no bad foods, just bad times to eat them." What? A trainer who has a view similar to mine about food? Someone who doesnt make me feel guilty about indulging from time to time? How can this be? I had to find out more.
So I contacted Ben and went to his studio, conveniently located just off Falls Rd near Woodberry Kitchen. As soon as we spoke, I knew this would be a good fit. His entire demeanor was the perfect combination of knowledgeable, encouraging, motivating, and realistic. Plus there wasnt a single treadmill or bike in the studio. Which means that all my cardio will be coming from more creative methods, which i LOVE. (I mean, how discouraging is it to use a treadmill or bike or elliptical for 30 minutes or an hour and see that you burned only the amount of calories in a Coke?)
The initial consultation didnt include a workout but a full profile on me, my health history, my lifestyle and what I wanted to get out of this program. I couldnt express to Ben enough how much I felt like what he was offering was just what I was looking for. We set up my first one-on-one workout and he sent me home with "homework" to create a list of foods that I felt I could eat everyday. (He offered me three different eating plan options, but I opted for the one where you eat the same foods everyday. It fit best with my lifestyle)
Every step of the way, Ben made sure that what we were creating was something realistic for me and based on the results I wanted. From how many hours a week I felt I could commit to exercising, to whether I wanted to stay on the plan during my vacation, to what day of the week I wanted to be my "free day".
After the profile, I went home and created my list and emailed it to Ben. He then sent me back any necessary revisions (i.e. you can eat cheese but try to limit it to your free day, or let's add some fruit to your plan as well). I went out and bought myself some new sneakers and headed in on the day of our first workout.
Wanna know how that went? Read my next post later today!
