DAY 209 of my 365 days of transformation - Motivate, Inspire and Change

Everyone knew that it was impossible to do. One day, someone who did not know showed up and did it.     - Winston Churchill

  I'm entering the figure competition at 

The National Capital Fitday Expo June 15 2013. 

National Capital Fit Day is the largest Health and Fitness event in the capital region. This high-energy event is designed to motivate, inspire and change the lives of the people living in the National Capital Region. With a diverse range of seminars, group sessions, and sporting activities all brought together in one location there is truly something for everyone from the beginner looking to make a change to the seasoned athlete.

The NCFD Expo will give you access to the best the region has to offer in the Health and Fitness industry. With dedicated sections for Wellbeing, Trainers and Gyms, Nutrition and Sports Clubs and Associations you are sure to find the right people to help you achieve your desired goals.

Convention Centre, Ottawa ON. | June 15 2013

http://www.nationalcapitalfitday.com/ 

yes, hard work does pay off!




http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/body-transformation-joanne-built-a-new-body-at-46.html

AGE 40  HEIGHT 5'4"  WEIGHT 184 lbs  BODY FAT 30%	AGE 46  HEIGHT 5'4"  WEIGHT 130 lbs  BODY FAT 18-20%

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Why I Decided To Transform

Until my 30s, I never struggled with my weight. When I started a home renovation and property management company with my ex-husband everything changed. The long hours left no time for healthy eating and I ate junk food and didn't exercise regularly—something I previously enjoyed very much.

By the time I was 39, I was a mess mentally and physically. My life revolved around taking care of everyone else in my life and putting my needs and wants last. I was depressed, severely overweight, and not at all comfortable in my own skin. I went through the motions every day feeling like I was practically invisible. My weight went up to 184 pounds and I lost all the muscle tone I previously had.

I was 40 when I finally took back control of my life. Working out in my own living room using inexpensive and easily available tools like dumbbells, resistance bands, and a few old exercise DVDs resulted in a steady rate of weight loss.

In addition to weight loss, exercise greatly helped me through the depression of divorce. My mind was cluttered with anger and pain, and exercising seemed to clear it away and let me focus on my body.

How I Accomplished My Goals

I was excited with my progress, so I read up on different healthy-eating plans and overhauled my diet. I avoided the drive-through completely and started eating five to six small meals a day. If I did go out to eat, I ordered lighter dishes like grilled tilapia instead of fried coconut shrimp.

After three months, I was down 25 pounds and ready to take my workouts to the next level. I was too self-conscious to go to the gym before, but I finally felt comfortable enough to join one and fell madly in love with strength training.

The addition of heavy resistance training reshaped my body from pear-shaped to an hour glass. I got my small waist back and my hips and butt shrunk dramatically. But the changes in my physical appearance were only the beginning. Taking care of myself changed me, giving me confidence, energy, and focus beyond anything I had ever experienced.

As a result, I decided to change careers. I'm currently a certified personal trainer with my own studio in Norwood, Massachusetts. I take great pleasure in helping others reach their health and fitness goals.

In January of 2012, I decided to push myself to another level and commit to entering the INBF Northeast Classic in the bikini masters category in June 2012. I did a ton of research, cleaned up my diet even more, and increased the intensity and focus of my training. I was amazed with the changes that occurred in my body and now I'm totally hooked.

I competed again in November 2012 in the INBF Monster Mash and made great progress from my first competition in muscle definition and overall confidence. I don't compete to place, but rather to give myself a set deadline and purpose.

There are hundreds of excuses for why people don’t exercise, or skip a workout.  

It’s easy to make excuses and skip exercising, even though exercising is helping improve the quality of our lives and how we look and feel.

10 excuses for why people don’t exercise:

1. I don’t have the time

2. I’m too tired

3. I’m lazy

4. It’s boring

5. It’s painful and uncomfortable

6. I don’t know what to do

7. It’s inconvenient

8. It’s too expensive

9. It doesn’t do anything

10. I’m embarrassed

And yes, the list goes on, and on.    

It is NOT easy!  I know it!    You can set your mind to anything and get-er-done!  I found this article below.  I hope it helps you decide to just do it!  

Stop whining, stop coming up with excuses and become a DOer.

The action habit — the habit of putting ideas into action now — is essential to getting things done.

1. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect
If you’re waiting to start until conditions are perfect, you probably never will.The best time to start was last year. The second best time is right now.

2. Be a doer
Practice doing things rather than thinking about them. By becoming a doer you’ll get more done and stimulate new ideas in the process.

3. Remember that ideas alone don’t bring success
Ideas are important, but they’re only valuable after they’ve been implemented. One average idea that’s been put into action is more valuable than a dozen brilliant ideas that you’re saving for “some other day” or the “right opportunity”.

4. Use action to cure fear
Action is the best cure for fear. The most difficult time to take action is the very first time. After the ball is rolling, you’ll build confidence and things will keep getting easier.

5. Start your creative engine mechanically
If you need to write something, force yourself to sit down and write. Put pen to paper. Brainstorm. Doodle. By moving your hands you’ll stimulate the flow of ideas and inspire yourself.

6. Live in the present
Focus on what you can do in the present moment. Don’t worry about what you should have done last week or what you might be able to do tomorrow. The only time you can affect is the present.

7. Get down to business immediately
By becoming someone who gets to the point you’ll be more productive and people will look to you as a leader.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Gym Girl: Build-A-Booty

November 6, 2012

By Lifestyle and Strength

I get asked often what my secret is to having round, firm glutes. If you’re a victim of what’s known as “Office Bum” or “Trucker’s Butt,” and are ready to make a transformation, I have great news! As long as you are physically capable of putting in the effort, walking around with sore and stiff muscles from loads of hard work, and have a budget for some hot new jeans, THERE IS NO SECRET. The hard work sounds daunting I know, but how would you feel if you had a backside that became 10 years younger right before your eyes, over the course of six to twelve months? Its possible, and this doesn’t just have to apply to women.
So, where do full glutes come from? What did I do to get mine? I BUILT them and because they were built with MUSCLE, it doesn’t look like they’re heading South any time soon. I believe anyone with the ability to lift weights can grow the booty of their dreams. If you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone and model a bodybuilder, get into HEAVY lifting, and trim some fat, you’ll be overjoyed with the results.
Toning vs. Building:
Many women ask me how they can “TONE” their way to a fit bikini body. I don’t like to use the word “tone” because ultimately making a body part firm and full involves BUILDING up the muscle-size and losing a bit of excess fat. To me, entertaining the concept of toning one’s muscles feeds the misconception that you should perform light, low-intensity weight training to transform an average physique into a tight, feminine, fitness model physique. Unfortunately, major transformations don’t happen without major activity, but know that you can switch from your building program to a maintenance program at any time once you’ve achieved your desired look and aren’t in need of more muscle mass.
Train, rest, eat:
I lift HEAVY on leg days and change-up the technique to target the glute muscles, instead of just my quads and hams. I concentrate on destroying (for lack of a better word,) my glutes on leg days to the point of dancing around in agony with burning bum cheeks between sets. I’m serious. People try not to stare while I hop off the leg press machine and do a dance until the burning subsides – now THAT’s heavy lifting! That feeling is awesome and I’ll tell you why.
That pain I feel at the gym means things are happening, and means there’s lots of repairing for my muscles to do post-gym session. (Many people don’t realize that building happens after the training session during muscle REPAIR, not during weight-lifting). I highly recommend hiring a personal trainer or a coach to customize a building program for you if you have never lifted heavy before. A building program consists of the proper numbers of reps and sets designed to give you optimal results and a safe, injury-free session. Your personal trainer will even assign you scheduled rest days which are just as important as your training days. YES, going to bed early or sitting on the couch and watching Transformers 2 can be just as important in building your booty as your time spent in the gym was.
Finally, your diet should be geared for muscle repair – taking in a balanced diet with strategically timed fats, proteins and carbs makes a WORLD of a difference in muscle fullness. You can see there are a number of factors involved, but the results are worth it. There’s nothing to be afraid of Ladies – lift HEAVY, build a booty, and say NO to “Office Bum.”
You can learn my favourite glute-building exercises *HERE* in last week`s interview with me covering my diet and training practises.
Happy Lifting!
This article was researched and written by 

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