Wednesday 15 October 2014

7 Rules for Eating


1. Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
“When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can’t pronounce, ask yourself, “What are those things doing there?”

2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients; or ingredients you can’t pronounce.

3. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store.
Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.

4. “Twinkies aren’t food.” Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot.
“There are exceptions — honey — but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad are not food”

5. “Always leave the table a little hungry”
It is not just what you eat but how you eat. “Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, ‘Tie off the sack before it’s full.’”

6. “Eat meals together, at regular meal times.”
Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It’s a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. “Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?”

7. Don’t buy food where you buy your gasoline.
In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Meet Charmaine - A busy, working mom of 2 who kills it at bootcamp

We LUV travelling with our clients on their fitness journey. How Charmaine changed her outlook on fitness and herself.


Like most of you, Charmaine's life is pretty hectic. She wants to be healthy and have the energy to keep up with her kids to be the best mom she can be!

With such a busy schedule, how does she find the balance to live a healthy life?

Charmaine and her hubby schedule their workouts so that one of them can be with the kids while the other one gets in their training. If they aren’t scheduled, it’s not going to get done. Active family time is key - going for walks, playing sports or going swimming together.

Has exercise always been important to her?

She never used to like exercise but now LUVs it. It helps her reduce stress and gives her energy. Exercise no longer feels like a chore, but rather something that she looks forward to.

What kind of exercise does she LUV?

Kickboxing classes and the Tabata circuits that we throw into our bootcamp. The variety and fast pace makes the time fly by and it quickly burns fat and builds muscle!

And the exercise she dislikes the most?

Yup… the full body gauntlet called the burpee :)

What was her ‘aha’ moment?

In January, Charmaine participated in our #FatBlast50 transformation challenge. She eliminated sugars & grains. On top of that, she strived to exercise for 30 minutes a day and track everything to stay accountable. Yep, for 50 days! 

She was the queen of tracking and this allowed her to really listen to her body. Once she eliminated grains and sugar from her diet, she felt better than she ever thought possible - more energy, better sleep and improved mood.  In those 50 days, she shed 11lbs and 9.5 inches!

What’s her go to for breakfast?

A delish smoothie every morning with protein powder, greens, berries and chia or flax seeds, a healthy habit she developed during #FatBlast50.

No more eating bread and grains for her?

Eating grains are now the exception, not the norm, and she feels fabulous! She does have a go to “cheat” meal of tortilla chips, salsa and fajitas from Lone Star. (who can blame her, they do taste amazing :)

She’s got more energy for her kids and can fit back into her old jeans!

Charmaine has found the key in her lifestyle to keep up with her kids, fit into her old pair of jeans and enjoy her life in the healthiest way possible:

  • She schedules her workouts multiple times a week! (consistency is so key)
  • Her workouts are short, intense and effective (40min bootcamp classes – you don’t need to have boring workouts in a gym, endless miles on the treadmill or train like a body builder)
  • She has learned to listen to her body while changing her diet and making informed choices about food (and never feels like she’s starving herself)

We feel so privileged to be a part of Charmaine’s health and fitness journey.

=> Join one of our upcoming BootcampsWe'd LUV to be a part of your health and fitness journey! 

We're located in Burlington, Hamilton, Milton, Mississauga and Oakville! 





Tuesday 13 May 2014

Pop it & Drop it: Why You Should Ditch The Pop



Over the last few years Soda Pop, both “diet” (filled with Aspartame, caffeine and oodles of chemicals) and the regular varieties (can you say sugar overdose) have been heralded as a huge cause of childhood obesity, and a variety of other health problems among children and adults alike.

If you haven’t already ditched the pop, it’s really something that you should think about. It might taste good and feel super refreshing on a warm spring day but it’s also got some surprising uses that might make you think twice about putting it in your body or giving it to your kids…



In addition to that lovely little display of ways you can use all kinds of pop, there's even an exhaustive list of 20 Practical Uses Just for Coca-ColaSome of these are pretty shocking and at the very least, perfect reasons to chuck it out of your cupboard and into your cleaning cabinet instead... 


  1. Removes grease stains from clothing and fabric
  2. Removes rust; methods include using fabric dipped in Coke, a sponge or even aluminum foil. Also loosens rusty bolts
  3. Removes blood stains from clothing and fabric.
  4. Cleans oil stains from a garage floor; let the stain soak, hose off.
  5. Kills slugs and snails; the acids kills them.
  6. Cleans burnt pans; let the pan soak in the Coke, then rinse.
  7. Descales a kettle (same method as with burnt pans)
  8. Cleans car battery terminals by pouring a small amount of Coke over each one.
  9. Cleans your engine; Coke distributors have been using this technique for decades.
  10. Makes pennies shine; soaking old pennies in Coke will remove the tarnish.
  11. Cleans tile grout; pour onto kitchen floor, leave for a few minutes, wipe up.
  12. Dissolves a tooth; Use a sealed container…takes a while but it does work.
  13. Removes gum from hair; dip into a small bowl of Coke, leave a few minutes. Gum will wipe off.
  14. Removes stains from vitreous china.
  15. Got a dirty pool? Adding two 2-liter bottles of Coke clears up rust.
  16. You can remove (or fade) dye from hair by pouring diet Coke over it.
  17. Remove marker stains from carpet. Applying Coke, scrubbing and then clean with soapy water will remove marker stains.
  18. Cleans a toilet; pour around bowl, leave for a while, flush clean.
  19. Coke and aluminum foil will bring Chrome to a high shine.
  20. Strips paint off metal furniture. Soak a towel in Coke and lay it on the paint surface.



I don't know about you...But you can consider my cupboards pop-free...



Wednesday 12 March 2014

You Go, Girl/Guy! #BeautifulYou


Learning to accept yourself just as you are, right not (not 5 lbs from now, or 50 lbs from now...) is probably one of the hardest things to do in the life that we have been blessed with. & It's not just women that struggle with this issue either, I know plenty of men that share in this same struggle...
How do we learn to love and accept ourselves just as we are, when the culture and world that we are living in is constantly shouting at us that we are constantly lacking - we are never enough - never pretty enough, never skinny enough, never muscular enough, never rich enough, our house isn't big enough, our clothes aren't nice enough, [insert your "never enough" here]?
Well there is one thing that I can tell you, and that thing is this...
I've had ENOUGH.
I'm tired of people telling me that I'm not enough. I'm ready for the one voice that's going to speak truth to me, and to you. That truth has the ability to change the way you see yourself, the way you live your life, and the impact that you have on the world around you. Because let me tell you something.
I am enough, and so are you.
Let's banish that negative self-talk, and embrace the truth about ourselves and the people in our lives.
You are a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, stunning creation, and the world is a little bit brighter because you are in it. You bring a unique energy wherever you go. You bring a smile to someones face. People love you. Everywhere you go, you make a difference.
You matter & you are enough.
So go out today and live in the full potential of your enough-ness - make it the most beautiful day that you've never lived before.


Wednesday 5 March 2014

Perception is Your Greatest Tool

Perception is Your Greatest Tool: 
How Changing Your Mindset Can Change Your Life

Special Guest Post by Melissa Windsor, JQ Fitness



If you've ever attempted to lose weight or change your lifestyle, you'll understand what I mean when I say that the greatest obstacle you will ever face in this journey isn't the act of working out or the act of eating right.  The biggest obstacle that you will face is actually far more personal and hard to face, because that obstacle is you...

Often I realize that the only thing standing in the way of me accomplishing my goals is my own ability to completely sabotage what I am attempting to do.

When it comes to my health and fitness, I am my own worst enemy & obstacle

You know what they say though,
Perception is everything. 

When it comes to my health and fitness, I am my own solution, advocate & champion

So how do we reconcile these two opposing identities in ourselves? What can we do to be successful in the things we set out to accomplish?

Maybe success isn't something you achieve - but rather something you are, something you believe, & something you think.

"Success is an attitude. It's a Mindset. 
And it’s not a coincidence that all successful people share a few similar thinking patterns. It’s The Success Mindset. And it’s not luck. Or chance. It’s a deliberate effort 
Because mindset drives decisions. And decisions lead to outcomes.
And outcomes that involve us are our responsibility." - Jill Coleman

Moving forward it's important to realize that while you may in fact be your biggest obstacle, you are also the solution to many of the things that you are facing. You are your worst enemy, or your greatest champion.

It's important to take responsibility for the things that are in your control, making a decision to change your lifestyle or your exercise routine can be incredibly challenging, but if you know your goals and allow the success of those goals to drive your decisions you'll be set.

Each time you want to cheat or skip a workout, or do something that will undermine the success of your goals you'll be reminded of what you actually want to accomplish - and even if you go off track, you'll want to get back on track ASAP because you have goals, a final destination, you have the success mindset, and you are responsible for the outcome, you are responsible for your life.

What are some of the mindsets/beliefs/attitudes that have made you the most successful in your life?




Monday 24 February 2014

Celebrating our 3rd Annual iluvthis Bootcamp BE[CAUSE] event - #Because14


For those of you who were able to be with us last Monday, February 17th, you’ll know what a great day we had. We're so honoured that you came out in support of an amazing cause that we're so passionate about.

With your help we were able to raise more than $11,500 in support of FREE-THEM to help fight human trafficking right here in the GTA and in our communities. So many people blessed us with their time and resources to make this event as special and amazing as it was. 

Huge shout outs once again to all of our sponsors at Interad, CMENT, Brightworks, Elevation Church, Acura of Oakville, Pivot, & The Sports Clinic! And of course Pepsi-co & Starbucks for the cold & hot beverages, and the lovely Deb for all of the seriously delicious baked goodies! 

Also a huge congratulations to all of the competitors in the TEAM CHALLENGE! First place went to Stephen's Beauties - Eva, Lori, Nelson and Matt followed 11 seconds later by Fast & the Furious - Mark, Shannon, Jeff and Lana! That wildcard team didn't fare to badly either coming in 3rd, congrats to Mark, Heather, Sandra & Les!

Don't forget, if you were stoked by that AWESOME kick-boxing warm-up our new small group classes start MARCH 3RD, and we offer a full 50 minute kick-butt, kick boxing class! Sign up today :)

In addition to that awesome warm-up, we also had the privilege of cooling down with Farhan Dhalla, what a great way to end the morning and remember why we came out in the first place!

And I mean, what else can we say – to each of the lovely volunteers and participants, who gave their time and sacrificed their bodies (for the challenges and bootcamp) you are the most beautiful, amazing and wonderful people we know, and we're so blessed by each and every one of you.

Personally, I’m super excited to see all of the photos from both the event, and from the photo-booth! Because who didn’t enjoy playing dress-up and taking some silly photos! Keep an eye out for these on the facebook page so you can reminisce on all of the fun!

In the meantime, take a peek back on some of the moments captured by our team, and even some of you, using our event hashtag (#Because14)! 

















Thank you so much for being part of this amazing day! & don't forget to mark your calendar's for next year's event on FEBRUARY 16th, 2015! 

xx




Monday 3 February 2014

Why No Grains?

Why No Grains?



I know for those of you doing #FatBlast50 with us giving up grains has probably been the hardest thing to do.

Our culture today truly is a grain culture – we eat cereals, toast, bagels etc. for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and grains in many of their other forms for dinner. They are probably one of the most over consumed foods (next to sugar) in our day-to-day lives.

Maybe you are wondering why we’ve said NO to grains for this 50-day challenge. If that’s the case then this post is for you. Check out this list of why grains might not be as good for you as think (Big thanks to a fellow blogger Jenny over at the Nourished Kitchen for breaking it down so wonderfully for us)…

If you can get it from grain, you can get it elsewhere:

“One of the big reasons that grains are touted as heroes is their nutrient profile which boasts dietary fiber and B vitamins – each grain is different and different grains offer different nutrient profiles.  Yet, one thing remains constant if you can find the nutrient in grain, you can find the nutrient in better quantities of other foods” (Against the Grain).

Jenny goes on to describe how some veggies and meats measure up to their whole grain and whole-wheat partners.  In fact, in some cases, especially that of dietary fiber, veggies beat out the competition each time! So make sure to add in tons of greens and veggies to fill your body with that nutritional goodness!

Grains aren’t good for your gut:

Your intestinal health is critical to your overall health. If you’re gut isn’t healthy, you can’t absorb the nutrients from the foods you eat, and if you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods that you eat, your body is malnourished and is more prone to disease. Grains are associated with a condition called “Leaky Gut,” I know it sounds terrible right? Basically what it means is that the tiny particles of grain that you eat are able to slip through the walls of your intestines, because the grain is so foreign to your immune system your body attacks it as if it were an invader! Because your body is so focused on destroying the invading grains it can’t effectively fight against true threats to your immune system like colds, or flu’s, or other pathogens. (Against the Grain). Who would have thought!?

You are probably Gluten Intolerant:

If you are Caucasian, there is a good chance that you are gluten intolerant to some degree.  Some research on Gluten and Celiac disease indicate that while on 1% of the general population suffers from celiac disease; they also estimate that 30%-40% of people of European descent are gluten intolerant to some degree.  That means that on a regular basis people who may not even know it are consuming a food that is making them sick.

Grains cause inflammation:

Grains are super high in starch and as a result of this high starch content grains are inflammatory foods.  The more refined the grain, the more inflammatory it is. Chronic inflammation is linked to a number of degenerative, modern diseases including arthritis, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, emotional imbalance and even cancer. This really makes you think about how the food that we put into our mouths really affects our bodies long term. 

Grains aren’t good for you skin:

Grains have a very high carbohydrate content, and even though the carbohydrates in grain are complex they are still broken down into sugars.  These sugars force your body to produce more insulin, and elevated insulin levels create all kind of hormonal responses – including encouraging the glands in your skin to produce more oil. Before you know it, you may feel like a pre-pubescent teenager all over again…

Eating grain makes you crave grain:

Like we said before, grains have an extremely high carbohydrate content.  Foods rich in carbohydrates give you quick energy, but unfortunately that energy wears off just as quickly as it came.  Since grains break down into sugar, they raise your blood sugar and when your blood sugar dips down again you crave more grains. It’s a vicious cycle my friends! That’s why your trainers at iluvthis Bootcamp talk about maintaining your blood sugar throughout the day, so that you don’t have those intense cravings for all those delicious but oh-so-bad-for-you goodies…

These are all amazing reasons to go grain free, but my favourite one happens to be this last one right here…

Ditching Grains will help you regulate your Blood Sugar… Resulting in Fat Loss!

Our bodies become desensitized to insulin and so need to produce oodles more than we actually need! When you have super high insulin levels your body is unable to burn fat. By maintaining a stable blood sugar through eating lean proteins, omega 3’s, veggies and all that healthy goodness, we are reprogramming our bodies and enabling them to use stored sugar (stored as fat) into energy for our bodies to use! If you are trying to loose weight this is great news for you, because as you begin to re-sensitize your body each of these processes will begin to work in the way that they are intended to work, your insulin levels will stabilize, you will produce more glucagon – and you will drop those extra pounds!

Hopefully all of this helps you understand why we’ve decided on NO grains for our challenge. We’ve heard tons of feedback that you are feeling amazing, and I’ve even heard that one woman is off of a medication that she has been taking for years for asthma! It really is quite amazing what changing your diet can do for your body!

Keep it up, and keep #FatBlast50-ing my friends!

Monday 27 January 2014

Stronger For Longer: The Benefits of Resistance Training


Stronger for Longer: The Benefits of Resistance Training

Special Guest Post by Melissa Windsor, JQ Fitness



I used to think that cardio was the be-all and end-all of exercise. When someone would ask me if I “worked out”, my immediate thought was well I go to the gym and go on the elliptical, so yes, I workout.  Little did I know how much I was missing out on.

My workouts were always cardio focused, so when I lost weight I merely became a smaller person with the same, pudgy shaped body. So while the number on the scale would move occasionally, I lacked definition, strength and the muscular endurance that I now know comes as a byproduct of resistance training.

If you’re a part of iluvthis Bootcamp, we incorporate resistance training in many different ways rather than your traditional weight lifting at the gym (which is also great for you, don’t get me wrong – I actually do it all the time).  Different forms of resistance training include body weight exercises like squats, lunges, & pushups - exercises with the bands, anything that we get you to use your dumbbells for, as well as kettlebells and your stability ball! Plus, with the added benefit of cardio intervals you really are getting the most time efficient and effective full-body workout.

I know sometimes you might not feel motivated to get to bootcamp and kill your workout, or if you’re a gym-kinda person, you might not feel motivated to get your butt to the gym and hammer it out, but it’s so worth it to take that time for yourself and realize what you are actually doing for your body.

Intentionality is everything. This is something that I’ve come to realize the importance of. I need a clear goal, a direction, a WHY behind the action – otherwise you’ll forget why you’re doing what you’re doing and unfortunately you’ll probably stop doing it.

In addition to being super intentional and goal oriented about your workouts, when you are struggling with motivation or even just to keep the motivation that you already have, remind yourself of these awesome benefits that you can and will experience as a result of resistance training:

Improved muscle strength & tone – aka your ticket to a rockin’ bod…
Weight management & increased muscle-to-fat-ratio – Burning more calories at rest means your body is working more efficiently!
Greater staminayou won’t get tired as easily, this is awesome for whatever activities you might want to participate in ;)
Increased bone density -  as we age we lose muscle – this will help to keep it and because muscle pulls on bones you’ll also have stronger bones reducing your risk of osteoporosis
Reduced body fat – aka also your ticket to a hot bod (part II)
Better sleep – we’re all exhausted these days, sooo enough said! Catch some awesome Z’s!
Increased ability to perform everyday tasksits all about functional movements! Building your muscles through resistance training will help in all areas of your life!
Decreased Insulin Resistance Insulin is the fat fighting hormone & lifting weights will help you be more sensitive to it and therefore you’ll burn more fat – Hooray! I can just hear my fat cells crying right now…

Best of all, you’ll feel stronger, leaner, meaner and be able to survive Jeff’s workouts at 6:00am…

(maybe...)

Until next time,
xx