Dragon Boat paddling tonight with the Dirty Oars Dragon Boat Team

Great night on the water for Dragon Boat practice tonight! 

 

Ladies.......here is the recipe I was talking about.  Enjoy!

 

 

Quinoa Recipe

1/4 cup raw almonds (roast 375 for 7 min then chop...or use whole if you like)

1 cup quinoa (I mix white and red...about 1/4 cup red with the white...gives it more of a crunch)

1 tsp honey (organic)

1 T shallots chopped (Optional)

1 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 T lemon juice

pepper to taste

2 T grapeseed oil

2 T dried currants ( I use golden raisons)

1 small organic apple cut into slices (I use royal gala...slice or chop)

1.4 chopped mint leaves

whisk together honey, shallot if using, curry powder, salt, lemon juice in a large bowl. season with pepper. whisk in oil.

add quinoa, raisons, apple, mint and nuts and toss well with dressing

I have grilled and cut up chicken and added to the quinoa.

Day 43 - Clear your mind of can’t.

Training at the Strandherd Goodlife on   Saturday, Sunday and Monday doing my workout routines and cardio. (homework from Chris my trainer). 

it is Tuesday July 31, 2012  - Already!!!  I had an awesome early morning workout with my trainer.     

Weigh-in Day:  I am down 1/2 a pound of fat since last week.

I am down 4 3/4 inches in one week.

Chest down 1.5 inches

under boobs  down 1.5 inches

waist down 1 inch

hips down 3/4 inch

MUSCLE GAIN......  

up in inches where I want to be:

left leg up 1 inch

right left up 1 inch

left calf up 1/2 inch

right calf up up 1/2 inch

left arm up 1/2 inch

right arm up 1/2 inch

leg day today  -  the clip below made me laugh.  

Day 38 - The difference between Try and Triumph is a little UMPH!

Early morning workout with my trainer Chris.  It was a tough one today;  a little bit of everything; shoulders,  chest fly, pec machine, inner leg, one leg lunge, side lunges with 30lbs weight; and  lots of ABS....Oh my goodness...killer ab work....  

LUNCH TIME  -   I instructed a lunch time ZUMBA class!  

Day 37 - If it doesn't challenge you - it doesn't change you!

Wednesday early morning workout  -    Wow....awesome workout with my Trainer!  back, biceps and ABS...  feeling much stronger!

Last night I had an amazing workout on the water with my Dragon Boat Team.  Great bunch of ladies...I feel the team  has really  gelled together.     

Paddling in white caps on Mooneys Bay!  seriously the clouds came in, the wind picked up and we ploughed through the white caps!!!

We are training for another regatta coming up  August 18th.

This past June we won 3 races in the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival.

1st pace in the 500 meter
2nd place in the 100 meter
3rd place in the 200 meter

Here we are collecting our hardware!!

Here we are in action! kicking some ass....

Day 36 - It never gets easier you just get stronger

Today is measurement and weigh-in day.     

minus one pound and minus one inch off my waist.

LEG DAY

     

 

Day 35 - Dreams don't work unless you do.

Hill Times Publication - July 23, 2012.   http://www.hilltimes.com

Terrific staffer seeks fitness
challenge backer

Heather Tessier, 51, who was ranked No. 9 in this year’s Terrific
25 Staffer Survey, is 35 days into a 365-day challenge to get fit for
next summer’s National Capital Fitness Expo. Ms. Tessier is planning
to compete in next year’s body-building figure competition.
Ms. Tessier, who is a zumba instructor and an assistant to Conservative
MP Lois Brown (Newmarket-Aurora, Ont.), said that she was
inspired to take the challenge after attending the latest National Capital
Fit Day Expo this past June at Ottawa’s Capital Exhibition Centre.
“I went to that competition last June and I got inspired, and
decided to do it. I’m the type of person who’s all or nothing,” Ms.
Tessier told The Hill Times. “I’ve always wanted to do it, it’s one of
the things on my bucket list... I figure what’s holding me back?”
Ms. Tessier is currently training six days a week, including three days with a personal trainer.
Her routine includes an hour of weight training followed by a half hour of interval cardio training.
She’s documenting her progress on her blog, changesin365days.blogspot.ca, and is seeking sponsorship from companies that make  women’s skin care products. “I’m trying to target ladies
who are 50 plus, who are sitting on their butts after supper eating ice cream and maple syrup
instead of getting out,” she said.

Day 33 - "There is no substitute for hard work."

Saturday morning breakfast then  to Strandherd GL gym for my workout:

coffee
oatmeal with protien powder and blueberries
protein shake with water
Vege Greens powder with water
Jamieson - Flax Omega 3 Ala 1000mg

Today was shoulders followed by 30 minute cardio on the bike.   I blast awesome DISCO TUNES from my ipod to keep me going.   

after workout
protein shake
green grapes
2 hard boiled eggs



Last November 2011 I had knee surgery; a half a knee replacement.  Dr. Dervin from the General Hospital did the surgeryat the Kemptville Hospital. 
IT WAS THE BEST THING I EVER DID.  No more, swelling, pain or griding of bone on bone.    I can workout, zumba with ease and pain free.

This photo was taken the very next morning after my surgery.  Walking down the halls of the Kemptville Hospital.  physio and stairs then I could go home!    Doc said not to go back to the gym unti January 2012.  I am such a rebel....I was back Dec 28th.   

DAY 32 - Weight loss is science, not magic.

ZUMBA ZUMBA ZUMBA!!


LUNCH HOUR ZUMBA CLASS  - come out and give it a try.


Every Thursday at 1pm is my  ZUMBA class.  I am a part-time Zumba instructor at GoodLife Fitness on Queen Street.  If you would like to try a class give me a call or send me a note.

Zumba is easy, high-energy, calorie-burning dance moves with Latin, Salsa, Merengue and Reggae music. It's an exhilarating dance fitness-party for total body toning. And, it's so much fun you'll barely know you're working out.

Believe in myself!!!

Day 29....  Worked out this morning with my trainer.  It was also weigh-in day and measurement day!  Slow and Steady....yah right...that is so not me!  I am all about move it, move it!!  I want results now.... "Patience young grasshopper"  

Results for one month. 
Stats: 
start date, June 18th  (we will call it DAY 1)
 
Chest   - down 1/2 inch off  
ribs (or as I like to call it under boobs) - down 3 inches 
Left Arm  - down 1 inch 
Right Arm - down 1 inch 
Waist - down 2 inches
Hips - down 2.5 inches
Left Thigh -  down 1 inch
Right Thigh - down 1 inch
Left Calf  - same as Day 1
Right Calf - same as Day 1


12 inches off
5 lbs of FAT off. 

Still trying to figure out how much muscle I gained.  I not sure how to read the numbers.  I'll get that sorted out soon enough!

Day 28 - A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.

Another weekend is over and boy was it  hectic with 3 birthday parties to attend.  That meant 3 birthday cakes that I avoided.  Not as hard as I thought it would be.    


I find myself constantly searching through "figure competitor" websites looking for tricks of the trade; reading blogs and bodybuilding websites; and reading about so many others who have taken the journey from fat to fit.   I am determined to make this happen.   I am prepared mentally, physically and ready for the challenge! 

Workout homework completed:
Skip circuit - Saturday
chest and triceps Sunday
back and biceps  Monday



Accountability 
Every Tuesday  I weigh in, take measurements and find out how much body fat I have lost and how much muscle I have gained.    Chris has been keeping track of my progress.  (by the way...the only person in the world that knows my stats)  


Tomorrow I will post my results starting from week 1.


Heather

Day 26 of my 365 days of transformation - Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

It is Saturday morning and I am up and ready to meet my friends Karyn and Mike at GoodLife Queensview for a skip circuit class.   Skip circuit is where you jump rope for a minute – then do some strength training – back and forth every minute for an hour.    The instructor is Nadia and she is AWESOME!  She was correcting my technique.  Technique is KEY so you can avoid injury.    It was a killer workout. 

Chris has my workouts planned and I have to do circuit training once a week so, I'll be doing skip every Saturday morning.  

 "if it was easy....everyone would do it"  my friend Karyn says....half way through the class.      

This photo is Chris my trainer at GoodLife Queen Street. 

I use a fitness tracker called http://www.myfitnesspal.com/  

I track food, water and exercise with this tool.  It is free and I have an app on my iphone.

I am a beginner blogger so I need to learn how to add fun stuff to my blog.  I'm going to ask my coop student that worked in my office last term to help me out.  You know what they say....if you don't know how to do something ask a teenager!!!  tee hee.

Heather

I was just asked....what is a figure competitor?

Fitness and Figure competition is a class of physique-exhibition events for women. While bearing a close resemblance to female bodybuilding, they emphasizes muscle tone over muscle size.

The Beginning

I will give you some background on my story and how working out at the gym has so positively impacted my life.   Fast approaching my 50th birthday, I realized I was out of shape and not happy, like so many others  I had some extra pounds to lose and was determined to be a fit woman entering the second leg of her life rather than an overweight out of shape one.  With some planning, my journey began and I was drawn to GoodLife.  The support I received there, along with my positive results led me to become a Zumba instructor and I have taught at several of Goodlife locations.  It has been quite a journey on the road to health and fitness and I have come a long way.

I recently attended the National Capital Fitness Expo and watched my first figure contest.   I was incredibly motivated and as a result I called my GoodLife personal trainer and said “I want to do a FIGURE competition; let’s start training tomorrow” and we did! 

The plan is set; I am determined, motivated and ready to make the transformation.  I am on a rigorous 6 day a week program to get me ready to compete in the Grand Master Figure competition at the National Capital Fitness Expo, June 2013 in Ottawa.        

I have given myself 365 days to transform myself into a "Figure Competitor".  Today is day 25.  I play to WIN.  I want to win next June.  Each day is another day closer to my goal.  It is not easy, but it will be so worth it.

I will be documenting my progress, food journal, weight, measurments, body fat, muscle gain etc.     My personal Trainer is Chris from Queen Street GoodLife.   I hope to make him the most sought after trainer!  If he can help me transform myself into a "figurge competitor" then he can help ANYBODY! 

I am ready for the challenge and ready to step it up a notch or two or three...... 

Heather

This photo was taken June 2012.   -  This time next year; there will be a BIG difference.