Not a week goes by when I don’t get an email from a client trying to work through her ‘binge’ eating….

You know those moments…you’ve done well all day, and you’ve had a healthy dinner, only to ruin it with a bowl of ice cream…

Yep, we all have those moments, but what I say is this…when you are in control of it, and you do it once in awhile (that, in my book, is once every 7-14 days, and it’s a cookie, a small bowl of ice cream, a bag of chips), then it’s what we who live clean and lean called a controlled cheat. A controlled cheat is a once-in-awhile-treat.

In fact, I build cheat meals into all my programs as a way to feed the soul and help with additional fat loss (yes, it is a fat loss tool when used properly), but it must be done right.

For me, my ‘treat’ is a big, fat chocolate chip cookie from Starbucks. I just love them! (I’ve been known to dip into a jar of Nutella too, but I’ve learned I can’t keep it in the house, period. So having to go out and buy a Starbuck’s cookie keeps me in line a little better…). I used to eat Starbucks muffins on a daily basis. My reason: It was my quiet time, my reward in the middle of a busy day where I was taking care of everyone else…so now it’s MY time, darn it!

Well, whatever….sure…I could have stayed with that story, but I was getting fat and feeding a sugar habit that wouldn’t let go. Day after day. Some reward. I still remember those feelings of guilt and self-loathing….I never, ever wish to live there again. Ever.

Fast forward four years and that same Starbucks treat has been re-tooled into something that actually works for me. Rather than an addiction, it’s now become a tool. It holds a different meaning, and it holds no power over me anymore.

Picture right: Yep, that’s me, just a week before my latest competition, chowing down on a Starbuck’s cookie. Just one, just to ease the pain of a 3-month long weight loss journey. It also kick starts my metabolism to help me continue to lose those last bits of fat before I step on stage….and I’m runnin’ the show here…

Yep, controlled cheating is an art, and lean people (and lean-living competitors) have mastered the skill. But more importantly, it’s a mind set. I like to teach my women to use a treat as a tool for clean eating and proper weight loss, to control the cheat, rather than have it control you. Therein lies the rub: whom – or what – is controlling whom? 

So next time you feel the urge to splurge, ask yoursefl why, why do you want that ice cream? Never mind saying because it tastes good…dig deeper. Do you feel entitled? Sad? Mad? Lonely? Perhaps you can learn our way, the lean woman’s way, and say, I choose to and it’s ok. It feeds me in other ways, and I am in total control here.

Karen

PS If you’re looking for a FREE, full-on training and eating program, try my 8-Week BLISS Body Makeover Program included in my book – One Rep at a Time. Videos, workout cards, eating, lifestyle and sooo much more. Come live the life…live like lean, fit women live. There’s a whole tribe of us out there. Available at www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca and at Tanner’s books in Sidney, BC. Buy the Book.

….. you’re standing on stage in an itsy, bitsy shiny bikini. There are 1,000 pairs of eyes on you, scrutinizing every inch of your body. You are told to turn, flex, turn again….

That’s what over 300 competitors did this past weekend at the Western Canadian Figure and Physique Show in Kelowna. All shapes and sizes, ages, backgrounds…all with their own dreams, their own goals, hopes, wishes….

For me, competing is just the icing on the cake, it’s not the cake itself. I’ve said many times I prefer to live like an athlete, not a competitor. I live for the day to day commitment and discipline of clean eating, quality training, and focus and determination that every day brings when you live on the healthy bandwagon.

Competitions are a way for you to gauge your success, really, and to put a crowing achievement on it all. Because when you shave down your bodyfat to 15% or less, you can really, truly see your physique and all its lines in clear focus.

And you can also see how your body changes from year to year, no matter what your age (at 52, my body is still changing, and I’m happy to report, it’s changing for the better!). Because that’s what weight training does above all other sports – it allows you to shape and carve your awesome vessel into whatever you choose…a little more volume here, a little less there. Bring those glutes up, widen those shoulders some…

But the best part about competing for me is the tribe. There, in that back room, you are surrounded by women of all walks, all converging in one final moment, one hope, one dream, to strut her commitment on stage, and let the chips fall where they may..

I had the pleasure of being with a handful of women that I’ve come to know and love, and who represent all that’s good in our sport –  clean eating, hard work, and sheer dedication. I’ve seen Jen Lastikwa (above, right), change her body over the years when I first trained her as a  newbie weight lifting gal into a sexy, beautiful bikini competitor that she is today. This mom of two rocked the stage with her amazing beauty and grace!

I trained alongside Richelle Marleau (right) at PAK Fitness as we grunted and sweat our way through grueling pre competition workouts and shaved off the fat with hour after hour of gruelling cardio sessions. The result – Richelle took 6th in her first ever Masters Figure Show. Not bad, Richelle, not bad at all. And her physique totally transformed itself.

And Allison Dawson, my sister in arms (er, rather, biceps), who is a sheer example of raw power and grace combined (bottom). Her awesome stage presence and posing won her Best Poser, and her hard, shapely muscles were to die for!

Each woman, regardless of size or placing, had every right to be there. And each competitor walked away on cloud 9, and rightly so. Their confidence was palpable…you could feel it in the air. It was simply electric.

Congrats to all the women at the Show, and a special thank you to Richelle, Allison and Jen for allowing me to be a part of the journey with them. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. You rock, sistas!

See you next year!
karen

(Allison and me.  Allison won Best Posing Award and 5th Place (Physique), and me with my 3rd place Physique Award).

Yep, everyone is thinking about summer….oh those tight shirts and short shorts!

This is when I get bombarded with questions about what to eat, how to train, how to get in shape in the least amount of time….!

I have the perfect solution. And it’s FREE. It’s called the 8-Week BLISS Body Makeover Program and it is my gift to women everywhere. Both in-gym and at home program, and yes, take it on holidays with you! Please!

It’s for sale on my web site for $69.00 but it’s FREE with purchase of my popular training and lifestyle book One Rep at a Time! You get a link to the videos, workout cards, eating plans and lifestyle plan to get you there in 8 weeks.

So what are you waiting for? Really. And I’m there to answer any questions you may have…as part of the program purchase.

So please, accept my gift to you. What have you got to lose, except some excess fat and out-dated perceptions of what is possible for an older woman…yep, you CAN turn back the clock! Promise!

karen

PS One Rep at a Time – which includes the 8-Week BLISS Body Makeover Program – is available at Tanners Bookstore in Sidney, and Russell Bookstore in Victoria, BC. It’s also available at amazon.com and amazon.ca!

It’s not uncommon for women to feel confused with all this clean eating and fitness stuff. Heck, I always said that if I was just coming to this lifestyle now, I’d be confused too!

Everywhere you read, there are conflicting reports about what to eat, how to train, whether to do cardio or not (and what type).

Then there are all the latest and greatest diet aids, exercise moves, tips and theories about losing weight. There are lotions, potions, web sites, promises and guarantees for a lean, mean body. Oh boy!

So when a client of mine emailed me to say she was soooo confused and just wanted to know what to read / do, I told her to just stick to the program she’s on (my Healthy Living Program) and do the work. Simple. Everything you need is in there.

In fact, whether you’re on one of my on-line programs or someone else’s program, or even if you’ve crafted your own program, just stick with it. Because as I tell my gals, it’s less about the program or the peripherals and it’s all about the person – YOU! You simply must remain consistent, work hard, eat clean, and keep your eyes focused on your goals. Every day when you wake up, you simply assert to yourself how you want to look, feel, and live, and stick to a game plan to get you there. And love what you’re accomplishing.

We’ve got more info, and more peripherals in the gym, like Bosu’s, balls, bands and bars, but in my view, we’re not getting any fitter. In fact, we’re sliding back.

There are no magic pills, and I know you know that, but don’t just say it and move on to the next Internet or Facebook search where you might find it, this missing piece of the weight loss puzzle, that one exercise / program / food / supplement that will finally get you to where you want to go. That part is already there, laying deep within you, waiting for you to discover it and bring it forth.

I call it your inner grrr. Can you feel it? It’s there. Promise. It’s in all of us, no matter how overweight, sick, tired or fed up we are.

Reach down, peel back the layers and start that conversation with it. It’s you in the making. And it knows exactly what you need!

Like I always say, love yourself into health. Start today.

Karen

Photo L-R: Lori, Lesa, me, Eileen, Colleen and Joan….I’m pleased to announce that they all found and are using their inner grrr in the gym!